Events

May
17
Sat
Cycle tour of of South Loop and Lakeshore @ Meet at the Henry George School
May 17 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Guided by HGS instructor Bob Jene, this tour starts with a look at the City of Chicago amenities on the lakefront in Grant Park, and their effect on land values in neighboring private properties especially along Prairie and Indiana Avenues south of Roosevelt.  This is the museum campus area with a mixed style of housing.  We continue down to the Central Station Area where there are some vintage mansions on Prairie Avenue. We will stop to look at assessor’s data on the value of units, properties and parking spaces and how they relate to location.

Feb
20
Sat
Georgist Video Festival @ Henry George School
Feb 20 @ 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
The Real Tragedy of the Commons, (cc by nc nd) by Frits Ahlefeldt, HikingArtist.com
The Real Tragedy of the Commons, (cc by nc nd) by Frits Ahlefeldt, HikingArtist.com

We didn’t have time for all the videos he wanted to show last time, so Chuck Metalitz is doing it again: A marathon (well, four hours or so) of animations, lectures, documentaries, and other formats, from America, Canada, Australia, Britain, and maybe a few others, including people we do not necessarily identify as Georgists. Most of these are about three to fifteen minutes, with longer ones represented by extracts.  You’re welcome to stop by any time during the show; do not feel obligated to attend the entire session. 

Just about all of these videos are intended for an audience not familiar with Henry George or, in many cases, not even conscious of political economy.  That probably describes some of your friends or professional colleagues, so bring them along.

We will have some sort of light refreshments.  The event is free, with donations welcome. Also welcome are suggestions for relevant videos which we might not be aware of.

May
9
Tue
Illinois is not Broke @ Overflow Coffee Bar
May 9 @ 6:15 pm – 8:15 pm

Recent books by Scott Baker and Tom Tresser (ed) assert that America is not Broke and Chicago is not Broke. They’re right, of course, and neither is Illinois. Using principles outlined by Henry George, this presentation will show how the community could choose to collect the value it cre­ates, funding its needs without discouraging productive work.

Sep
12
Tue
Illinois is not Broke @ Overflow Coffee Bar
Sep 12 @ 6:15 pm – 8:15 pm

Recent books by Scott Baker and Tom Tresser (ed) assert that America is not Broke and Chicago is not Broke. They’re right, of course, and neither is Illinois. Using principles outlined by Henry George, this presentation will show how the community could choose to collect the value it cre­ates, funding its needs without discouraging productive work, and without burdening the earning power of the most needy.

This is an update of material originally presented in May of this year. While subsequent developments have transferred some of the economic distress from governments to citizens, there is no indication that the politicians or other interest groups involved admit any understanding of the fundamental economic principles described here.

 

Nov
12
Sun
Illinois is not Broke @ Sulzer Branch of Chicago Public Library
Nov 12 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Henry George School photo by Chuck Metalitz

Recent books by Scott Baker and Tom Tresser (ed) assert that America is not Broke and Chicago is not Broke. They’re right, of course, and neither is Illinois.  Using principles outlined by Henry George, this presentation will show how the community fails to collect its legitimate earnings, instead placing barriers against productive work and making it unnecessarily difficult for working people to earn a living.

This is an update of material originally presented in May of this year. While subsequent developments have transferred some of the economic distress from governments to citizens, there is no indication that the politicians or other interest groups involved admit any understanding of the fundamental economic principles described here.  Without this understanding, even honest government couldn’t put Illinois on a path to prosperity and freedom.

This Henry George School presentation is sponsored by the Chicago Ethical Humanist Circle, is free and open to the public. The Library is three blocks from the Western Brown Line CTA station.

 

Mar
3
Sat
Illinois is not Broke @ Signature Office
Mar 3 @ 12:15 pm – 2:00 pm
Henry George School photo of a gentrifying area by Chuck Metalitz

Cook County isn’t broke either.  Neither is Chicago

In this session you will learn about the legitimate earnings that our communities generate every day, and how collecting these earnings would allow removal of barriers to productive work which make it unnecessarily difficult for working people to earn a living.

There’s plenty of waste and fraud throughout government, but that’s not the focus here.  Even an honest and efficient government requires revenue, and the source of that revenue determines whether we can have prosperity and freedom, or — something else.

PREREGISTRATION MANDATORY.  This program is free, but due to building policies  you must pre-register by email or by phoning us at 312 450-2906.

Mar
8
Thu
Illinois is not Broke @ Signature Office
Mar 8 @ 6:15 pm – 8:00 pm
Henry George School photo of a gentrifying area by Chuck Metalitz

Cook County isn’t broke either.  Neither is Chicago

In this session you will learn about the legitimate earnings that our communities generate every day, and how collecting these earnings would allow removal of barriers to productive work which make it unnecessarily difficult for working people to earn a living.

There’s plenty of waste and fraud throughout government, but that’s not the focus here.  Even an honest and efficient government requires revenue, and the source of that revenue determines whether we can have prosperity and freedom, or — something else.

PREREGISTRATION MANDATORY.  This program is free, but due to building policies  you must pre-register by email or by phoning us at 312 450-2906.

Apr
11
Thu
Illinois Pension Solutions @ Signature Office
Apr 11 @ 6:15 pm – 8:15 pm
Illinois Pension Solutions @ Signature Office

Michael Belsky, executive director Center for Municipal Finance at Harris School University of Chicago, will discuss ongoing research into the state and local pension crisis in Illinois.

Registration is required for this free event.

Oct
16
Wed
Political Economy Book Club discusses Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments (session 1) @ Bridgeport Coffeehouse (Loop location)
Oct 16 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Adam Smith graphic
image credit: Behance CC BY-ND 4.0

Decades before Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith wrote what he seems to have considered a superior work, Theory of Moral Sentiments.  He wrote:

How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it.

Wikipedia asserts:

Smith critically examines the moral thinking of his time, and suggests that conscience arises from dynamic and interactive social relationships through which people seek “mutual sympathy of sentiments.”[74] His goal in writing the work was to explain the source of mankind’s ability to form moral judgement, given that people begin life with no moral sentiments at all. Smith proposes a theory of sympathy, in which the act of observing others and seeing the judgements they form of both others and oneself makes people aware of themselves and how others perceive their behaviour.

The Theory of Moral Sentiments has been printed in numerous editions, and is also available free on line.  Smith revised the book throughout his lifetime; it’s best to avoid the first edition, and choose one published after his death in 1790.

In this session we’ll discuss parts 1-3 of the book, taking up parts 4-7 on November 20,

 

Nov
20
Wed
Political Economy Book Club discusses Theory of Moral Sentiments (session 2) @ Bridgeport Coffee (loop location)
Nov 20 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Adam Smith graphic
image credit: Behance CC BY-ND 4.0

This is the second and concluding session for this book, covering parts 4-7.