This presentation looks at the cost of collecting the income tax. The IRS overhead itself represents the direct cost to the government in generating this revenue. Beside that there is the burden put on the tax payer in preparing his return, in the case of an audit there may be the cost of representation before a tax court. You also become aware of the vast amount of human resources wasted on this activity for the revenue generated.
The People of the Abyss (1903) is a book by Jack London (1876-1916) about life in the East End of London in 1902. He wrote this first-hand account by living in the East End for several months, sometimes staying in workhouses or sleeping on the streets. The conditions he experienced and wrote about were the same as those endured by an estimated 500,000 of the contemporary London poor. Decades later, this book inspired George Orwell to write Down and Out in Paris and London.
A bit late to be a contemporary of Henry George, Jack London lived mainly in northern California and was a passionate advocate of workers’ rights. Both London and George were members of Bohemian Grove.
(source: Wikipedia)
The People of the Abyss is available free on line as text from Gutenberg, and as an audiobook from LibriVox, as well as in hardcopy from various libraries and book dealers.
Political Economy Book Club is open to everyone wishing to participate in the discussion, without charge altho donations are appreciated to help pay for rent and snacks. Convenor Bob Matter appreciates an RSVP from those planning to attend.
As farmland yields to “higher-value” uses, how (and how well and how inexpensively) will we eat? Bob Jene reviews data from a leading agricultural preservation organization, the American Farmland Trust (AFT). Among other things they buy development rights from landowners to insure continued farming use, and attempt to facilitate community supported agriculture which makes family farms more viable. A Georgist fiscal reform encourages more conservative and productive use of all land and reduces sprawl, thus preventing encroachment on farmland. An alliance with AFT would benefit us both.
Adam Schuster will present “Diagnosing Illinois’ Fiscal Sickness and Prescribing a Cure” to the Henry George School. He is working on a 5-year fiscal plan to save the state and pay off its debt.
Adam is budget and tax research director at Illinois Policy Institute. Prior to joining the Institute, he worked in the Illinois Department of Labor to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens and on an initiative to tie state spending to measurable outcomes.
Registration is required for this event. Those attending will be required to pick up a badge from building security to come upstairs. Please tell us you’re coming by sending email to info@hgchicago.org or calling 312 362-9302.