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Final RSF Digest October 2019 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 , V O L . 1 RSF DIGEST N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E R O B E R T S C H A L K E N B A C H F O U N D A T I O N WHAT'S INSIDE? RSF'S NEXT CHAPTER 2 DIRECTORS' PERSPECTIVES 2 FEATURED PROJECTS 3 ANNOTATED WORKS RAFFLE 6 WHAT IS RSF? The Robert Schalkenbach Foundation (RSF) is a private operating foundation, founded in 1925, to promote public awareness of the social philosophy and economic reforms advocated by famed 19th century thinker and activist, Henry George. Today, RSF remains true to its founding doctrine, and through efforts focused on education, communities, outreach, and publishing, works to create a world in which all people are afforded the basic necessities of life and the natural world is protected for generations to come. MEN LIKE HENRY GEORGE ARE RARE UNFORTUNATELY. ONE CANNOT IMAGINE A MORE BEAUTIFUL COMBINATION OF INTELLECTUAL KEENESS, ARTISTIC FORM AND FERVENT LOVE OF JUSTICE. EVERY LINE IS WRITTEN AS IF FOR OUR GENERATION. THE SPREADING OF THESE WORKS IS A REALLY DESERVING CAUSE, FOR OUR GENERATION ESPECIALLY HAS MANY AND IMPORTANT THINGS TO LEARN FROM HENRY GEORGE. - ALBERT EINSTEIN Who was Henry George? Born in Philadelphia in 1839, Henry unjustly captured as rent by land owners Although Henry George is no longer a George was raised in a lower middle and monopolists, rather than made household name, his policy prescriptions class, devout Episcopalian home. An available to better the lot of all workers have been implemented, to great effect, observant, curious, freethinker, and further fuel economic development. in localities all over the world, including George abandoned his religious Restriction of access to natural Australia, Canada, and areas of the education as soon as he was able, and resources and unjust taxes on labor, he United States. ceased all formal education by age 14, argued, are the root causes of poverty. choosing instead to traverse the globe as a formast boy on the ship Hindoo. Unlike so many others, George rejected Today, Americans find ourselves In 1858, he left his seafaring ways the idea that poverty was the behind, taking a job as a typesetter for unavoidable byproduct of increased inundated by accounts of the the (then new) San Francisco Times. almost unimaginable luxury enjoyed by the 1%, juxtaposed His career in journalism flourished, against stories of otherwise and provided opportunities to share his opinions and observations with a average diabetics dying after public audience. Those ideas, rationing unaffordable insulin. We informed by his reading of works by struggle to satisfy the demands of economists including Adam Smith and David Ricardo, as well as philosophers an overbearing and opaque tax Herbert Spencer and John Stuart Mill, system. We watch as our were largely focused on the government and China impose rapid development he was witnessing economy-dampening tariffs tit for firsthand in the American West. Henry George at 26 years old. While some individuals amassed the tat... economic sophistication, and promoted beginnings of great wealth, others policies, including the implementation of floundered - a duality which land value tax, as a way to ensure that all At RSF, we understand that Henry fascinated and inspired George. people would reap the rewards of George's teachings are as relevant societal advancement. It was this contrast between the today as they were in his lifetime, "House of Have and the House of George's provocative, well-argued ideas, arguably even more so. Want" that inspired his most famous coupled with his magnetic public work, Progress and Poverty, which persona, fueled his rise to fame. Once as was published in 1879. In it, and other Remember: "There is danger in renowned as contemporaries Thomas works, George argued that much of Edison and Mark Twain, George entered reckless change, but greater the wealth generated through the political sphere, making an danger in blind conservatism." technological advances is ultimately unsuccessful bid to become Mayor of New York City. R S F D I G E S T P A G E 1 RSF'S NEXT CHAPTER B Y J O S I E F A A S S , E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R whether and how the adoption of a land n value tax (LVT) might benefit their o s With new leadership come new ideas d l o communities. We recognize that access r a and directions, and together with the e y 9 to expert analytical resources and s ' e Board of Directors, I’ve spent the first i s o individuals able to answer location- J , d few months of my tenure as Executive r a w specific questions can mean the d E Director identifying our priority areas w e difference between sticking with a h t t and activities for the next three a M familiar (albeit potentially inferior) : t i years. Some are brand new, others d e r approach to local taxes and trying a new C o are an extension of efforts begun long t o h and better solution. ago, but all represent a continued P commitment to to creating a world of themselves Georgist, but who share Education is an area in which the liberty and equality of opportunity our ideals, priorities, and the belief Foundation has long been active, and arising from economic, social, and that everyone will benefit from the one on which we will remain focused. environmental justice. implementation of more sound tax By providing support to educators Those familiar with RSF know that we’ve and trade policies at the local, and students of all ages, we will been involved in publishing and book national, and global levels. Key to our continue to share the wisdom of Henry distribution for a long time. In the next success in these efforts will be the George and like-minded thinkers. few years we’ll focus on supporting the formation of partnerships with like- creation of even more scholarly and minded organizations and individuals Finally, and perhaps less visibly to the popular content, digitizing our existing who can help us amplify and outside world, we’ll work to collections into a free online database, propagate our ideas into new spheres optimize our own operations and grow and converting all of our titles to e-book of influence, and we look forward to our resources, thereby enhancing and print on demand formats for ease of strengthening existing ties, and to our efficiency and impact. distribution. creating many new ones. At RSF, we know that once you “see the Another major area of activity in RSF’s RSF will also be more actively cat,” you realize “it’s all cat,” future will be outreach – outreach to communicating with individuals and and are committed to facilitating this outreach to the Georgist community and groups interested in exploring fundamental shift in the way people to those who don’t (yet) consider view the world and our place in it. Land Va lue Tax (LVT): a tax imposed on land as a way of recapturing the portion of its value th at results from the community-generated amenities to which it gives its owners unique access. LVT can discourage land speculation and sprawl, and create a stable, progressive local revenue stream without discouraging private investment. Directors' Perspectives W H E R E R S F ' S B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S E X P L O R E S C U R R E N T A P P L I C A T I O N S A N D I M P L I C A T I O N S O F H E N R Y G E O R G E ' S T E A C H I N G S . That’s unfortunately increasingly rare George Theorem is simple. For many these days and it is due in large part to public services, such as parks and THE HENRY the country’s segregated housing libraries, their benefit is greater to the patterns. people who are closer to the place where GEORGE the service itself is provided. Therefore, (A) GROUP OF INFLUENTIAL people bid up the rental value of land THEOREM that is closer to provision of such REFORMERS THAT INCLUDED ALBERT B Y N I C T I D E M A N desirable services. If all of the benefits EINSTEIN, HELEN KELLER, LEO from proximity to a new public service “The Henry George Theorem” is the TOLSTOY, AND EMMA LAZARUS WERE are reflected in increased rents, and if name that economists have given to PUSHING A REFORM THAT WOULD the service is worth at least as much as it the postulate that, under certain costs to provide, then public collection HAVE HELPED... circumstances, a public service will of the increase in rents will suffice to increase land rent[1] enough that, if If you start learning about housing pay for the service. (Cont'd pg. 4) the increase in land rent is collected segregation—meaning the patterns in as public revenue, this revenue will which whites predominantly live in sufficient to pay for the service. This areas apart from areas in which people idea is important because it maintains SEGREGATION of color predominantly live—and how it that public services can be financed B Y R I C H N Y M O E N developed, you learn that concern with not by sales taxes, income taxes or “property values” played a big part.
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