Digito Society

For reasons that escape me, I’ve landed on Senator Sherrod Brown’s email distribution list. Knowing little about the man (I didn’t vote for him), I clicked through to his website and perused the policy statements. To my surprise, I found the website silent regarding his views on the economy, economic growth, and tax policies. So I penned an email seeking his views on these issues. The Senator’s reply:

Dear Dr. Kleine:

Thank you for contacting me about taxes.

The length and complexity of the tax code requires many taxpayers to spend large amounts of time and money on record-keeping and tax preparation. I understand the burden this creates on working families, individuals, and small businesses.

I support responsible tax reforms that simplify tax collection and encourage economic growth.

Thank you again for contacting me.

Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown

So, Senator Brown envisions a government that can more efficiently extract monies from my wallet. The Senator appears to lack a position on how to stimulate and sustain economic growth.

Compare the Senator’s non-answer, with this press release on Congressman Bob Latta’s website (whom I did vote for):

Washington, DC - Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) protected the constituents of Ohio’s Fifth District today from the height of fiscal irresponsibility by voting against a $683 billion tax increase in the Democrat budget proposal. This tax increase, the largest in American history, would directly affect middle-income families, low-income earners, families with children, and small businesses over the next five years.

“This budget proposal is an irresponsible and reckless way to spend taxpayer dollars. The working-class families and small businesses in my district should not have to shoulder the burden of this tax increase, especially at a time when our economy is slowing and energy costs are rising at alarming rates,” Latta said.

Under the Democrat budget proposal, Ohioans can expect an average tax increase of $3,170 by 2012. The Democrat budget proposal also fails to make previous tax cuts permanent, which are set to expire in 2010. By 2011, capital gains, income, and death taxes will all increase under the proposal, in addition to cutting the Child Tax Credit in half.

                                                     2010           2011
The top tax rates move higher:
Ordinary Income…                        35%          39.6%
Capital Gains…                              15%             20%
Dividends…                                   15%          39.6%
Estates…(death tax)                         0%             55%
Child Tax Credit…                     $1,000            $500
Lowest Tax Bracket…                   10%            15%

(source: House Committee on Ways and Means, Republican Staff)

“It is time for Congress to get serious about fiscal responsibility. This budget proposal asks taxpayers across the country to tighten their belts while the Democratic leadership proposes billions of dollars in new, wasteful spending. This hypocritical budget proposal raises both taxes and spending, passing more debt on to future generations,” Latta added.

A few musicians I’ve photographed:

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Current market conditions make haggling a productive art at places you wouldn’t expect. Save some money: Haggle on!

The New York Times, of all sources, published an interesting piece on how Democrats cling to Old-School Economics:

Why do presidential candidates touting their concern for the economy pose with factory workers rather than with ballet troupes? After all, the U.S. now has more choreographers (16,340) than metal-casters (14,880), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More people make their livings shuffling and dealing cards in casinos (82,960) than running lathes (65,840), and there are almost three times as many security guards (1,004,130) as machinists (385,690). Whereas 30 percent of Americans worked in manufacturing in 1950, fewer than 15 percent do now. The economy as politicians present it is a folkloric thing.

Another interpretation is that Democrats are out of touch with the rise of the experience economy.

A life changing experience that may change your life:

Jason Morris, an industrial designer, at Western Washington University is the presenter.

His process outline is:

1. Establish a common design language.
2. Redefine the problem (into something not readily recognizable)
3. Introduce the abstracted problem.
4. Develop the form (aesthetics precede)
5. Remove the blindfold
6. Bring function into the form

Interesting. Especially to this non-designer. The notion of abstracting the form from the function.

It’s NCIIA time again. In Dallas at the Fairmont Hotel this year. Gorgeous facility.

Rodney Hill of Texas A&M just shared details of his Transdisciplinary Eco 101 honors class. As background he reviewed some of the now standard markers of modernity: universities are ancient institutions. That our students need to learn how to become knowledge creators. That more than 50% of the jobs fo 2020 haven’t been discovered yet. That the singularity is rapidly approaching. Etc.

The student outcomes of his course are impressive. As undergraduate students, they are competing effectively against MBA teams from the likes of Stanford. Impressive indeed.

Question asked: How do you grade?
Answer: We grade on innovation, creativity, and originality. Like sculpture, it is inherently subjective.

Perfect. Students that jump highest, get the highest grades. As it should be.

Seth suggests ditching the resume. I think he has a point. If you can’t make a name for yourself, you’ve got a steep hill to climb.

Grant just announced that his next book, Transformations: Identity Construction in Contemporary Culture, is forthcoming. While any new book from Grant is an event, I’m especially looking forward to this title. Identity development and transformation value offerings, a strategic approach to identity cultivation, has been a key focus of mine for more years than I can recall. I look forward to encountering Grant’s take. I’ve already placed my preorder.