The Riverdale Observer

Henry George and Land Tax, Cinquain and Prose

2006-04-29T13:17:00.000-05:00

On the town's group talk list recently Land Value Tax made a meteoric rise in discussion only to go down in the smoke of controversy on the local busses and whether or not they are useful or a noisy dirty interference in our "Idyllic" suburb.

And during an unstressed moment, well the vertigo and tinnitus took me out of the usual full round of activities, and gave me time to reflect on things and I noticed that the town had a special election for Ward 1 in February and the Brazilian Style Indoor Soccer season passed me by and I had not made a post in four months. The viewing activity has been steady and much like prior to four months ago.

The above town LVT discussion inspired me to put up more information about Land Value Taxes the link is to a prose piece I did and below is a poetry piece, which truth be told was major part of a resume for a part time position I got for awhile.

Henry George's work "Progress and Poverty" is one of several inspirational books for me and my understanding of the world of ecology and economy, especially as applied to human action. It adds to the fullness of my understanding of Fernand Braudel's "Civilization and Capitalism", James Miller's "Living Systems", Kirkpatrick Sales' "Human Scale", and Murray Bookchin's "Ecology of Freedom"

Among other writing I have done for general use and to particular officials and people about Henry George's comprehensive discourse on the single tax, based on ideas of sources as old as Levidicus and as new the Physiocrats and the Classic Liberals, I now wish to add my contribution to poetry via the French Poetic form the Cinquain, a five line poem.

The Cinquain
Line 1: The title, a noun, one word
Line 2: Describes the Title, two words
Line 3: Action words or phrase about the title, three words
Line 4: Describes a feeling about the title, four words
Line 5: Refers to the title, one word

by Jack R. Jones, 25 August 2000
Henry George's Alpha and Omega

Henry
young lad
boarding sailing ship
adventure bound, unknown renown
Oceans

Oceans
earth's canals
winds carried round
ships, crews, commerce, lad
California

California
Francisco's mother
lively employment's cradle
wealth's, ability's, great meeting
Progress

Progress
justice's wealth
opportunity seeking all
raising even the lowly
Poverty

Poverty
injustice's fruit
privilege serving few
must strive to abolish
George

by Jack R. Jones, 25 August 2000
Henry George on Criteria of Taxation

Taxes
community nourishment
production lightly touched
collection's ease, corruption's bane
revenue

Income
burdened work
labor's life bled
to its escape, contrary
loss

Sales
burdened produce
less, costs more
poor stricken, rich undaunted
regress

Property
burdened capital
lower quality caused
fleeing center, margin bound
abandonment

Land
location's value
land's highest best
true purpose, peoples bounty
useful

by Jack R. Jones, 25 August 2000
Henry George on Factors of Production

Nature
bounteous gift
expression of potential
we tenants, God's stewards
Time

Labor
prime mover
with nature's bounty
capital produced, advantage conveyed
Wage

Land
fountain source
raw becoming improved
labor fed, capital made
Rent

Capital
wealth gained
matter, labor informed
some sustains, other gains
Interest

Time
nature's friend
labor's watchful guide
gift given and taken
Nature

by Jack R. Jones, 25 August 2000
Henry George on the Progress of Economies

Wilderness
civilization's cradle
nature's stew beginning
hunting, gathering, brought together
Community

Community
limitedly close
together we strive
starving shortage, useless bounty
Market

Market
useless bounties
together, value created
one's shortage, bounty erased
Capital

Capital
shortage erased
yet bounty still
in global circles search
Economy

Economy
ecology's janus
nature's three, chained
one built upon another
Ecology

by Jack R. Jones, 25 August 2000
Henry George on Liberty

Land
all source
labor's necessary place
gained to make sustenance
Life

Life
striven focus
centered, moving outward
wither worst, thither best
Liberty

Liberty
action's edge
moving in quest
living for chosen state
Pursuit

Pursuit
motion's sight
bound to choice
life in chosen state
Happiness

Happiness
joyful arrival
journey's quest done
once done, done again
Nature

by Jack R. Jones, 25 August 2000

The Election...When and If...and Now...Again and Again

2005-12-14T01:03:00.000-05:00

I started to write this article at the end of August when it looked like an election would be held in September; with five candidates, which would almost certainly have thrown us into the unnecessary expense of a run off election. The change in the town code made a couple years back got rid of plurality and achieved majority in the town elections, BUT AT THE COST AND EXPENSE OF AN UNNECESSARY RUN OFF ELECTION. It is possible to achieve majority in one election no matter the number of candidates. The Council should give serious consideration to changing the code so it can be done.

I have had direct experience within the Libertarian Party National Committee and the Maryland Libertarian Party Central Committee system of voting which is sort of a BORDA COUNT and APPROVAL VOTE hybrid. Libertarian Party (National and Maryland) votes all ways have as one of the candidates NOTA (None of the Above) who has won on a couple occasions, which left a position open till the next election (bylaw rules), but it could also be set up to require a new slate of candidates and immediate new election. One could skip the NOTA but Libertarians like to keep before them selves...is this person qualified...as opposed to voting for the lesser of two evils, which of course is still evil.

In Riverdale Park a BORDA COUNT or APPROVAL VOTE system would give a Majority Candidate no matter the number of candidates in the election, with out having the expense, effort, and loss of Representation for a couple of months due to a run off election. My understanding is that a special election costs about Two to Three Thousand dollars. Personally I would rather see the money go toward Town Services.

While on the topic of saving money, these voting systems also eliminate the need of a Primary Election which on the county level cost from $1,000,000 to 1,500,000 each and on the State level probably in excess of $25,000,000 and that does not even look at the loss in the public economic sector.

I do hope our Council will consider using one of these better voting systems and perhaps some other reforms that will give the People a better say in how they are governed. To get a better understanding of the systems, follow the link, and read the whole article.

excerpt from Science News Nov 2, 2002; Vol. 162, No.18, p. 280

While the instant runoff, Borda count, and approval voting each has drawbacks, most voting theorists would be happy to replace plurality voting with any one of them. "All methods that allow voters to express their views fully rather than to single out one candidate convey a much more nuanced message to the political machine," says Hannu Nurmi, a political scientist at the University of Turku in Finland.

The fact that U.S. elections have always been plurality votes is no reason to resist change, Tabarrok says. "We chose our voting systems before voting theory existed," he says."I don't think any voting theorist would choose plurality rule today."

Death Defying Act...Revisited

2005-11-09T00:45:00.000-05:00

One can get responses from Government Agencies. The Md State Highway Administration took my letter seriously. They found some of the timing off at the Queensbury Road and Baltimore Avenue intersection and have made timing changes. I have been through the intersection at various times from 3:30 to 7:30 PM and it has been much better in general. If you feel that it moves better be sure to call the folks at District 3 and let them know. I always worked better when I had pride of accomplishment.

Who's not paying their fair share

2005-09-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

I ran some numbers for how much letting land go vacant cost those of us whoare making good use of the land. The figures below are the totals of the subsidy we who are making good use of the land are paying for those who are not using the land. These are the unused land numbers. I am also working getting numbers on the underused land too, I will post them when I get them together.

We are not going to solve our economic development problems by doing things the same way they have been done before. We have to think outside the box of ways to change the economic incentives to encourage development. We need to get human nature working with us instead of against us. Here is how. Every one looks for the best deal they can get. When grocery store A sells milk fora dollar a gallon less than store B, people buy milk from B. Car dealer A sells the same car for $1000.oo less than Dealer A, where do they go. For expensive items people will drive to Delaware or North Carolina to avoid the sales tax. This happens so much that Maryland puts police patrols on the border to try and catch the people. People shop for alcoholic products in the district of Columbia because the liquor tax is lower in DC than in Maryland, and you guessed it police on the borders. All things being equal people will try to live and work where the income tax is lower, or try to live where the property tax is lower...have any friends who have bought retirement homes in Delaware? Face it only the clueless and mentally incapacitated try to pay more for what they buy and use. So!..people move around so they can pay less for things. Wooops, there is one thing that we buy and we can not move it...if we want it to be a better deal we have to use it better. And that is what the Land Value Tax is about encouraging the best and highest use of land, so there is no unnecessary sprawling, underused, or vacant land causing us to have to pay for roads, and electric wire, water and sewer pipes,police officers, fire fighters, public workers, teachers, schools to serve this vacant land that does not pay its full share for all these services. And, that is just the governmental stuff. There is also inefficiency in the local economy caused by these vacant and underused lands.

The Land Tax is better than The Improvements Tax and Land Tax Combination for Economic Development. If Riverdale Park taxed only land then the owners of these vacant lands would have to pay their Fair Share for Governmetal Services.

20 Vacant Industrial Lots would pay a total of $76,904 more in taxes

42 Vacant Commercial Lots would pay a total of $25,391 more in taxes

7 Vacant Multifamily Lots would pay a total of $3,965 more in taxes

60 Vacant Residential Lots would pay a total of $25,391 more in taxes

This also means that owners who are making better use of the land, will pay less in taxes than they currently pay.

Dutch Football School/Homeschool Soccer Program

2005-08-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

Hello Homeschoolers, fall is coming on fast, join NCSA's fall soccer at Anacostia River Park [MNCPPC, Prince George's County] Mondays and Wednesdays 10:00 AM to NOON. We play and learn to play soccer in small sided games. It is coed K-12. Come for Fall Registration: the Wednesday after Labor Day from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Anacostia River Park, 5800 Riverside Drive, Riverdale Park Maryland 20737.

Don't do that

2005-08-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

There was this gentle person who went to the medical doctor about their hurting arm. "Doctor, When I do this (lifting arm) my arm hurts."Doctor, lifting arm same way, "Well don't do this and your arm won't hurt"

Maybe to improve DEVELOPMENTS in Riverdale Park something other than the "not lifting arm same way" needs to done.

Any one have some non status quo ideas?

Listening to a Turning Point in History

2005-08-16T23:44:00.000-05:00

This week past, I have been listing to a PGMLS CD "Adams vs. Jefferson" by John Ferling; it gives the political history surrounding the election of 1800 and the transition from a federalist dominated government to a republican dominated government. I had some sympathy for John Adams who did not quite fit either group and was more at the concern for "balance of powers" in the government. Federalist were the party of Mercantile Wealth and control, favoring a top down leadership by a few oligarchs. They came up with burdensome taxation of the lower economic classes and the "Aliens and Sedition Act"; could not say anything against the government or you were likely to end up in prison. The non sequitur, is they sounded a lot like today's Republicans. And the then Republicans sounded like today's conservative Democrats, liberal Republicans, and Libertarians (mostly).

In a digressionary moment, I wondered, about when did the Red/Liberal and Blue/Conservative states of the 1960's become the Red/Conservative and Blue/Liberal States of the 2000's. I also am trying to wrap my mind around the "English" fighting the "British", during 350 to 650 AD, in the British Isles from a history book on the period.

There is a common thread in all this, in my opinion...that is consensus and the necessity of a balance of powers to bring about the consensus at any level of government.

I have brought an old RIVERDALE OBSERVER out of the archives. At the time an elected official of Riverdale Park told me that "it would not allow anything to get done." I replied, "only the things that have a consensus of the people will be done." And apologies, I understand are due, for not using a pure mathematical sense of fractals. John Adams was the inspiration then also. It is my offering to start a discussion of how best to acheive consensus on what we do as a people in Riverdale Park

The Riverdale Observer

July 1999

Spontaneous Order out of Chaos

A Fractal Republic for the Age of the World Wide Web

The Past Is Prologue. Let us John Q. Citizens take a trip back in history. The year is 1776. A fiery radical from New England, by the name of John Adams, was trying to stir up an independence movement with his republican confederates from Pennsylvania and Virginia. He was a strong advocate for a limited government and a republican government to replace the monarchical rule the colonies then suffered under. John Adams finally had his day, July 4th 1776. The Revolutionary War, The Articles of Confederation, and the various problems these United States had, influenced John Adams in his writing "A Defense of the Constitutions of Governments of the United States of America". Adams who was neither a federalist nor an anti-federalist was working from a different perspective. His guiding concern was how to balance the power between the interests of the one, the interests of the few, and the interests of the many. Adams feared the power of the unbridled MONARCH, as much as the NOBILITY, or the DEMOCRATIC MOB. Government needed to be limited, and each interest needed to be checked by the other two. His first concern was validated by George III, the third by the unicameral legislature of the French Revolution that led to the Reign of Terror. The French reformed their government for a second and a third time. The third time was modeled on John Adam's balance of power between the one, few, and many, and in doing so the French achieved a large degree of stability. As we know the new United States Constitution also was built with the numerous checks and balances in it, and serves us well.

From this bit of history, we jump to modern science and the study of chaos. One feature of chaos is the unpredictability of when or what event is going to take place, but with in that is the interesting occurrence of patterns that repeat themselves at ever smaller and larger scales. These repeating patterns are called fractals. It is in this sense, that my opinion is, the federal constitution has not devolved to the local governmental level.

My observation to share with you is that we have the federal fractal with its balance of powers and we have the state fractal with its balance of powers. However we do not have the Riverdale Park fractal, which I hope to persuade you that we should have. I will further suggest how this balance of power between the one, the few, and the many, may be instituted in Riverdale Park.

The town of Riverdale Park as it is presently constituted has only the executive and the legislative functions of government. To provide the protection of the minority as offered in the republic form of government we need to provide restraint on the rule of majority as provided in the democratic form of government. That balance of power comes from the judicial function of government. That judicial protection exists only at the county level and above, and the resources of the county and local governments can overwhelm the resources of an individual.

A better democratic representation of, and a greater republican protection of the minority can be achieved by the establishment of some executive and legislative reforms, as well as the addition of a local judiciary, which reforms are presented below:

Â• The Mayor will be elected as now. The Mayor to check the power of the few should have a veto of legislation that has passed both councils by a 3/5 ths vote. The Mayor's veto can be over ridden by a 4/5 ths vote.

Â• The town legislature represents the power of the few in that it can be checked by the mayor, but can also check the mayor. The council should also be bicameral so that there is a check and countercheck of ward (few) interest versus town interest (many). The legislature should be composed of the Council of Wards with one member elected from each of five wards by majority vote, and the Town Council with five members elected at large by list proportional voting with accumulative votes. The at large member with the largest vote total will be the Vice Mayor to serve temporarily for the Mayor in the case that a Mayor becomes incapacitated, or to become Mayor in the case of an existing Mayor leaving office during an elected term. The next highest vote ranking at large member will become Vice Mayor, and a special election will be held to fill the vacated lowest ranking seat. This election will also be conducted by list proportional voting. List proportional voting provides for the greatest consensus of who should serve on the legislature.

The level of representation in each Ward would be one per one thousand. The Town Council will allow for at least five major issues to be represented

Â• The judicial branch represents the power of the many, and is the check on the one and the few by the use of a common law jury. The judicial branch can be established by instituting an elected ombudsman, also elected by list proportional voting, to hear citizens' complaints against the executive or legislative branches (we may also consider a hearing in a citizen to citizen complaint), after all administrative remedies are exhausted. The ombudsman will attempt a mediation over a specified period of time. Failing a resolution, the ombudsman will call a common law jury of twelve randomly drawn jurors from a volunteer pool of registered voters. The government official in question and the citizen will put their arguments to the common law jury (see Maryland Declaration of Rights, Article 23 for the duties of juries). The jury will judge the law and the facts of the case and will need an unanimous decision to find for the government. The jury nullification shall apply only to the case at hand and shall set no precedence.

Finally we return to history to get our guidance, for "The Past Is Prologue". Gather all ye citizens around the Liberty Tree and sing praises to the Creator and His Creation, Free Will.

"WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness - That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

excerpted from
The Declaration of Independence
Action of Second Continental Congress, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States

Submitted Respectfully, Jack R. Jones, July 1999

Death Defying Act

2005-08-01T23:25:00.000-05:00

I mentioned before about the difficulty of crossing Baltimore Boulevard on Queensbury Road during rush hour. One needs a Sherman Tank or an exceedingly great bit of nerve to get across by executing the "Opitz Principle" (A Canadian Highway Engineer friend from the 1970's, who was sent by his company to work on "The Great Parking Lot to the South") The principle stated "The more traffic that is blocked, the sooner one may enter the flow thereof."

Anyhow, tiring of the effort to get action from elected officials on the issue, I called the State Highway Administration, District Three where a very pleasant gentleman took down information about the problem and appreciatively also a suggested solution, i.e. Time the Baltimore Boulevard north bound lane lights so that the Queensbury light goes RED before the East-West Highway light goes RED (maybe 10-20 seconds before); enough time to allow the north bound platoon of cars to close up, and leave the intersection clear for Queensbury Road traffic to cross. I also suggested that if the south bound Baltimore Boulevard light at Queensbury stayed GREEN for the same time it would in effect produce a left turn opportunity after the cross traffic cleared; the REDS on Queensbury would have to have some judicial timing changes too.

The gentleman said that he would pass the information on and that some one would look at the possibilities of the solution. I will keep you posted as I follow up.

Dutch Football School/Homeschool Soccer Program

2005-07-24T14:33:00.000-05:00

I am gearing up for the fall soccer class, with intentions of extending it beyond the current inner beltway area of present. The article below is to appear in the next Maryland Home Educator's Association newsletter...follow the link for additional information on homeschooling. I will also be doing a Dutch Football School Soccer Coaches Clinic with Jim Wildoner and David Hiles, August 20 and 27 see the second article.

*************************************************************************************

NCSA Dutch Football School/Homeschool Soccer Program, Fall 2005

Myname is Jack R. Jones and I am an MSYSA certified Intermediate Level DutchFootball School Coach. I got tired of having to do the after work sportsprograms that are so prevalent, so I searched around for a way to do PhysicalEducation during the day. Over time I discovered an organization was necessaryto get the insurance and the access to MNCPPC facilities so I helped incorporatethe Northern County Soccer Alliance, Inc.

It is an excellent home for a home school Physical Education Program with several advantages

One:Learn a sport as an academic exercise for Physical Education during the daytime. I have been doing a Fall and Spring, Monday and Wednesday 10:00 toNOON home school soccer class with the help of parent volunteers for fourseasons now. The class runs ten weeks and is based on the Dutch FootballSchool's (DFS) method of teaching soccer by playing soccer in various 4v4,4v5, and 5v5 games on small fields. The basic idea is to incorporate moresoccer into training so there is better fun.

Two: This is a good wayof coaching soccer for home school parents. It is easy to do. I ave foundit is easier to teach parents, with no coaching or soccer experience, todo the (DFS) than it is to teach those who have been conditioned to coachsoccer by the laps, lines, and lectures method.

Three: The DFS methodis good for a family approach as it works with multi-age groups so parentscan have a couple children involved at the same place and time. It worksbetter with at least three divisions in age 5-9 years ES, 10-14 years MS,and 15-19 years HS. With 10-20 children in each group the class can be doneon a single soccer field. One lead teacher/coach and one parent volunteerfor each 10 children (or part thereof).

Four: That by running theprogram through NCSA, a Maryland State Youth Soccer Association affiliate,we get insurance and by being with a club the benefits of volume discountson equipment

*************************************************************************************

Soccer Coaching Clinic

Put more soccer into your practice with small sided games and get better fun and better soccer training

NCSA, Inc. is offering a complimentary mini soccer clinic for Coaches, Physical Education Teachers, and Parents thinking about becoming Soccer Coaches, on August 20th and 27th 2005, from 4:00-6:00 PM at Beckett Field, 8511 Legation Road off Westbrook Drive and 85th Avenue, New Carrollton, Maryland.

Participants will get the most out of coming to both sessions. If you can only make one session you can still get started on using small sided games to make your soccer practice more effective.

Each coach should bring 5-10 players to participate in learning the advantages of the small sided game method for soccer training, then they will be ready to help with the introduction of the small sided games.

E-mail NCSA@juno.com to tell how many coaches and players are coming from your organization to the coaching clinic.

The clinic will be lead by Jack R. Jones, MSYSA Intermediate Level Dutch Football School Coach; Jim Wildoner, NCSA President and David Hiles, MSYSA E Level Soccer Coach.

Riverdale Park Farmer's Market Anniversary

2005-07-17T15:12:00.000-05:00

The Rieverdale Park Farmers Market anniversary was a true AGORA experience. The Agora (Indo-European AG = field and ORA = to speak) was the place of the ancient Athenian's marketing and politicking (Greek = what people do).

The Eight anniversary Market was well attended, usually I can sort of wander around with out bumping into anyone...this time I often had some intricate maneuvering to do to get from on market stall to the next. And, I got to talk with several Elected Officials and several Public Servants about Organic Farming, tobacco Phase Out, Traffic JAMS at Queensbury Road and Baltimore Avenue, the growing lack of Recreation and Educational public space, and changing Economic Incentives to improve County and municipal development.

I never enjoyed a market day so much as last Thursday! Long live the Agora...local farmer's markets and local politics!

Riverdale Park development and communication

2005-07-07T22:30:00.000-05:00

I got out to two meetings this week; the Legislative Session and the Communications Committee. Both were very full plates and will take a long time to digest.

The Legislative Session was pretty ordinary read about in the Town Crier or on the Town's Website. As I was resolutely putting right foot on left knee and for variety putting left foot on right knee, I heard council Member Kiernan report that one work shop at the Maryland municipal League had caused him to realize that we may have to rethink our development plan.

Well yeah, I thought but how? I was able to inquire of him further, after the Communication Committee meeting Wednesday. The gist of it is that various communities have different psychodemographics (think different, different traditions, et cetera) and so business are made and broke on what they do and where they are: like SAK's 5th AVE works in NY,NY and Bethesda but would probably flop at PG's Plaza.

Well yeah. Check out "Town Center and its Place in The World" published October 1999 and posted here 26 April 2005. I also remember the contradictory desires of the Riverdale residents in wanting low density development, reduced traffic in town, and the type stores desired (they needed high traffic to make it) that came up in an early Ferguson Administration survey. Yeah well?

I also sat in on the Communications Committee meeting. I confess as some one who is pretty good with an Italic Pen and Parchment, many of the acronyms and terms left me lost, but the experience both breath and depth is impressive. The amount of Computer Geekiness was probably more per square foot than at the Annual Computer Show at the Washington Convention Center. I think that Mayor Archer's charge to take the disparate media and establish a high level of information to and from the public for a synergy of governance of, by, and for the people of Riverdale Park. I think these chefs will be able to do a great tossed salad accompanied by a tasty soup.

Meandering and Musing

2005-06-23T00:37:00.000-05:00

The time has flown unbelievingly fast, three weeks since the last post.

We finished the home school soccer program and the certificates have been given out. I have had more contacts from new homeschoolers, and am on the way to getting volunteer assistant parents to give continuity to each session, which will add value to what by reports of a blind winter survey is a good program already.

Northern County Soccer Alliance, Inc. is increasing its Prince George's Soccer League by adding a middle and elementary school divisions to its existing high school division. The league is a recreation league with certified referees. The league is open to all.

I have also been busy reanalyzing the local land and improvements assessments. First for the real estate bubble that hit, an overall increase of about 20% on land and an increase of about 40% on improvements; and that being done the town changed its land and improvements tax rate. Second time around, on to the spread sheet and data base again, decided to look at all in more detail-found some interesting things that I have passed on to Center for the Study of Economics at http://www.urbantools.net/; of particular interest to Riverdale Park residents and the Economic Development of Town Center and its molasses flowing UPHILL pace is PHILADELPHIA, PA - City Controller Jonathan A. Saidel's Tax Structure Analysis Report.

I am also having the death defying act to perform of crossing US Route 1 (Baltimore Boulevard) on Queensbury Road during rush hour several times a week. I have been lobbying the Town Administration (last three, starting on fourth) and the Traffic committee to take some action to improve the intersection. It has gone from difficult and dangerous to almost impossible to cross. Now days if you do not force your way through the traffic the north bound drivers will block crossing ever how many lights one is willing to sit through. I wrote about the situation to my new Ward 1 CM after they took office; I have had no reply in the past three months so I guess I'll need to write again.

Coming on to the end of Spring Soccer

2005-06-02T23:37:00.000-05:00

We have had a good season with 30 children participating in the program. We also have a couple parent volunteers for the fall program. In total I would like to get two each for the 5-9, 10-14, and 15-19 age groups. If you know some homeschoolers interested in soccer please tell them - we can teach soccer to up to sixty children on one soccer field and we will be starting on the second Monday of September.

The campaign took a lot of time and I am slowly catching up. Then perhaps I can expand on subject material.

Dutch Football School/Homeschool Soccer

2005-05-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

I have been busy catching up on paperwork for the soccer class I teach Monday and Wednesday mornings. The children are picking up soccer pretty quickly. I am still impressed on how well children learn in the Dutch School method, children that had not played soccer until two months ago are holding their own with children their age who have been playing soccer for awhile. I invite Homeschoolers to come by and see what we are doing and how it works. You can still join in for several more weeks. We are at Riverside Park in Riverdale Park, Maryland.

The Election Has Ended

2005-05-03T22:24:00.000-05:00

The Riverdale Park Elections where a Tour de Force by the POGOS resulting in a sweep of the independent candidates running in the three contested ward races and the "Old Line" Mayor, if my memory serves he has been Mayor three times. The circumstance brings to memory and old story.

A long time ago in a country far away, there was a CEO who had been sacked by the Board of Directors. In the kindness of his heart he agreed to brief the new CEO. The new CEO was very proud of himself, but also knew there was much valuable information to be gained from his experienced predecessor. They met and the wise old man gave the youngster some good insigh, and then at the end of the meeting the old CEO handed the new CEO three envelopes. "What are these for?" asks the New. "The most important thing that I can give you," says Old, "At your first crisis open the envelope marked one, the second crisis open number two, and at the third crisis open number three".

After several months passed the CEO felt things were of crisis proportions, so he opened envelope one, and pulled out the paper and opened it. "BLAME YOUR PREDECESSOR" says it. Well, things settled down a bit and the CEO, feeling very in control, plunged along for several months, and lo and behold another crisis. The last advice was good so the CEO opened envelope number two. With great anticipation he unfolded the paper "REORGANIZE", oh yes, he would do that. There were a few fits and starts, but all settled again for half a year. Then another crisis blew up and he opened envelope three to find his advise to salvation. "PREPARE THREE ENVELOPES" said envelope three.

Some other observations. Most of the POGOS I have met are to young to have seen the daily and Sunday POGO cartoons published in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. Listen to the wisdom of the real POGO, who said, "We have met the enemy and he is us". Also keep in mind that a mandate is the enemy of Open Government. Remember "Citizens for Open Government" many of those supporters got fed up with the Imperious treatment they received and formed PRIDE to unseat the Government that had turned on them. And now there is POGOS, do not let the power go to your head and start ignoring the concerns of your opposition, for once you do, then you are on the slippery slope of ignoring your supporters as well. The Future is Yours to Lose or Keep. POGOS, you have the mandate, use it wisely. You have the support to do what you will, do not waste time blaming the past.

"Beware of what you pray for, you may get it." With your mandate if any thing goes wrong there is no one but yourself to blame; do bear in mind that the skills to get elected are quite different from those required to govern well...you have not yet won the election, untill you demonstrate that you can govern well.

Economic Development and Other Factors

2005-04-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

Tuesday I finished my cycle of four literature drops. That brings me back to economic development again. As I said before economic development will need a change in the rules of the game, however that is only a necessary condition not a sufficient condition. There are other considerations that go in to good economic development planning. The Title Link above takes you to a discussion of Braudelian Economics which I liken to an Ecology of Economics similar to an ecological food web. Also this site (http://www2.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/christaller.htm) has a nice simple graphic on Walter Christaller's Theory of Central Places.

Below is a piece I did in 1999 to lay out the factors I knew about then

The Riverdale Observer

Town Center and its Place in The World

Why one needs to pay attention to the economic, social,
and technological environment and the synergy of their systems in a town

The run down appearance of some buildings and the small number of viable businesses in Riverdale Town Center has been on the mind of residents for more than a decade. There is a desire that the Town Center be redeveloped. Surveys have been taken to develop a wish list of businesses that could be there. The Town Council has even considered taking control of the situation and even see to the development of the Town Center. The Town Council should keep in mind that the direction of an economy is a difficult thing to predict.

Some important ideas to keep in mind when thinking about economic development are that the town needs a complete economic system that allows the town to operate as an organic whole. The more money that can be kept in circulation locally the better off the town will be, the more that is exported the worse off the town will be. One of the important ideas is that of replacing imports with the town's own production. The other is to make sure that all the town's population can handle higher technologies before the population moves into its use. Without the ability to handle new technologies there will be an increase in unemployment and economic dislocation.

There are many basic things that will affect the viability of business in this location. They all have to be considered as to what positive and negative effects they have on each other and what is the best mix at Town Center. The Town Council and various groups of activists need to be aware of the economic ecology of the area's economic environment so that the town can identify the most likely successful economic niches to which the town can adapt.

• For an area to increase its amount of economic activity, one of two things needs to happen. One is that the people who shop in the area have to have an increase in spendable income, or more people of the same income level have to begin shopping in that area.

• To have an increase in the number of shoppers in an area, will mean either more cars coming into and out of Town Center or more people living in Riverdale Park with in reasonable walking distance.

• A business in an economic area is also affected by taxes. Income taxes influence workers to move to areas of lower income taxes. Sales taxes influence customers to go purchase where sales are taxed at a lower rate. The property tax, which is really two taxes, one on buildings and the other on land, has two effects, the building tax causes buildings to be built where those taxes are lower. The land tax has a positive economic effect, unlike the negative economic effect of income, sales, and building taxes. The benefit of the land tax is that it encourages the highest and best use of land.

• Cultural biases effect the local economy, for instance the first claim and use system used in the U.S. gives us a less than optimum economy. For example, If a large area is zoned residential that often precludes industrial or commercial uses. If a large area is zoned commercial, there is seldom industrial or residential use, and if a large area is zoned industrial, there is seldom residential or commercial use. Zoning is a recently adopted example of a cultural bias that prevents an ecologically economic mix of residential, commercial, and industrial land use as it occurred before the 1940's and 50's. Zoning is also a pro car approach to life that is anti-pedestrian in its economic and ecological approach to life.

• The level of the economy is also important. Economies can be at a primary lower level selling things like farm products, fish, lumber, sand, and gravel, at moderate secondary level making and selling things like clothing, furniture, cars, and houses and a higher tertiary level of providing and selling professional service such as doctors, janitors, teachers, lawyers, restaurant owners, and bankers. The soundest and stabilest economy is one that has a sound primary economy supporting a secondary economy which in turn supports a tertiary economy.

• The location of economies relative to an ecology of economies affect the over all stability of the economic systems. Numerous local economies, with their barter and work exchange support moderate numbers of regional economies, with their sale of goods in the market place. These in turn support a few global economies, with their primary concern of investment and disinvestment to maintain optimum or maximum profits. For success Riverdale Park's population needs to have some idea of how Town Center fits in to this ecology of economies, this economic food chain.

• The scale of the economic activity affects the number of activities. For example more Corner Markets can exist than Super Markets because Corner Markets require less Economic activity than the Super Market.

• Scale also effects businesses (and business systems) in that the larger a business becomes the greater the percentage of its resources are needed for management and the lower the percentage that can be applied to making its product. If it becomes smaller then the percentage that can be devoted to management may become so small that the business is not able to produce anything.

These are ideas that need to be kept in mind so that Town Center can be built up from a sound economic foundation that can continue through an economic evolution that will give it an optimal place in the local economy as well as the regional and global economies.

Respectfully submitted,
Jack R. Jones
October 1999

Consensus - A need for greater citizen participation

2005-04-23T22:42:00.000-05:00

One of my campaign issues is to develop better ways to incorporate citizens' talent and effort into our governance. I consider the approach of standing committees with citizen participation, ward meeting, and town meetings (New England style), and the constitutional balance of powers such as bicameral (two houses) legislature, executive veto with legislative over ride, and the judicial powers that lay in the people with a court of appeals or a common law jury.

I can not impose any thing on the people, I can only ecourage the people to use the powers that reside in the people. My "Fractal Republic" is a speculation of how Riverdale Park might rise from an organization that works on simple majority (4 of 6 or 7), through a two house legislature that could assure super majority (4 of 5 in each body of legislature) to a common law jury (12 of 12 to support a government action).

Check the Link.

Mutual Aid and Efficient Use of Resources

2005-04-17T23:00:00.000-05:00

Mutual Aid Agreements
A way to more efficient use of tax revenues

Economists and Historians who study cities have observed that there is a population range where a high level of public service can be delivered with lower taxes per person than cities with a smaller or larger population. That range is about 75,000 to 150,000. No city inside the beltway has a population near that size. Through Mutual Aid Agreements a service population in that range can be created. Currently there are various Mutual Aid Agreements between different groups of cities.

These Mutual Aid Agreements make more efficient use of these cities' revenues and resources. Jack Jones will use his management experience from AA County, Public Works Department, Wastewater Division to work with Riverdale Park Town Council members and the Town administration to broaden the use of Mutual Aid Agreements to include the use of all public safety and public works of the inner beltway municipalities, and to include educational and recreational facilities and programs. By cooperative development of an inner beltway League of Municipalities we can have the benefit of high level service at the low cost a larger population makes possible. Riverdale Park will be a better place to live, work, and play; and our municipal neighbors will be too.

The Field of Dreams is Only the Beginning

2005-04-17T13:47:00.000-05:00

I wrote the Request for Volunteers and Job Descriptions below on 12 October 2001. Alas the next to last paragraph is no longer true, The baseball program was non-existent in spring of 2004, the soccer program also ceased in the fall of 2004. There were some thing like 580 people who signed the petition to save the Field of Dreams, however a field has to be cared for by people. David Hiles and I together spent 20 to 40 hours a season seeding, fertilizing, mulching, lining, and setting up the field for soccer. David spent 85+ hours a year as a coach, preparing for practices, conducting practices, coaching games. I did 20-30 hours a season in registration, data processing, administration, and driving to and from PGCBGC headquarters. As the club got less and less help it decreased in the number of children it served. I estimate a drop of 80 to 20 children in soccer alone from 2001 to 2004. Because we could not get the volunteer help needed to stay at the status quo, let alone grow. So please all you people that signed the petition to save the Field of Dreams, help the Riverdale Boys and Girls Club. If only 1% would help that would be 5-6 people, if 10% would help that would be an awesome 55-60 people. A few of the positions below are filled but many are not. Do what you can, call RBGC President Elizabeth Paige-Greene 301-779-9418 to volunteer.

Volunteer Positions:
Position Descriptions

Riverdale Boys and Girls Club is looking for volunteers to take a role in organizing the following programs. In order to be a viable organization, we need volunteers to get involved with the day-to-day operations. Currently, multiple jobs are being performed by a few dedicated people. We need HELP! There are many opportunities to do so. Some, but not all, are listed below:

President: The president shall conduct the affairs of the club and execute the policies established. The president shall be responsible for the conduct of Club in strict conformity with the by-laws of Riverdale Boys and Girls Club and the rules and regulations of PGCBGC or other appropriate organization.

Vice-President: In case of the absence of the president, and upon approval of the president shall perform the duties of the president.

Treasurer and Assistance Treasurers: The treasurer shall be responsible for all duties as set forth for receipt of all monies, collection of fees, payments, prepare financial reports and any other duty that may be customary with the office of treasurer. Assistants and the Treasurers may divide duties as the Board deems appropriate.

Secretary and Assistant Secretarys: The secretary shall be responsible for all records affiliated with Riverdale Boys and Girls Club, correspondence, meetings, notices and carrying out the necessary duties as may be customary with a secretarial position. Assistants and the Secretary may divide duties as the Board deems appropriate.

Equipment Managers: (Soccer/Baseball/Football/Basketball): Responsible for Ordering and Distribution of Equipment and Uniforms. Select Team Uniforms. Determine Equipment necessary for the program. Purchase uniforms and equipment. Receive Players Orders (through Coaches). Distribute Equiment to Coaches (and players). Retrieve equipment after the season (as appropriate). Keep inventory of available equipment, store and collect equipment. Maintain Uniform records.

Facilities Managers: (Soccer/Baseball/Football/Basketball): Provide practice schedules to coaches and teams. Arrange practice facilities. Procure appropriate authorization forms, facility permits and clearances. Maintain control of and provide access to facilities as appropriate. Inform coaches/Team Managers as appropriate of the cancellation of field usage (school closings, vacations, special situations, etc)

Commissioners and/or Assistant Commissioners: (Soccer/Baseball/Football/Basketball): Work with coaches to enroll in appropriate leagues. Procure appropriate league information (sign-up dates, starting dates, deadlines, etc.). Determine costs and inform Board of appropriate fee structure for the year's programs. Send in registration forms and fees (working with Treasurer). Obtain team rosters from the coaches and work with the Registrar to assure that all players are registered and fees paid.

Registrar and/or Assistant Registrar: Registers members with the county, insures correct documentation is in place, maintains member records, coordinates member records with the PGCBGC.

Coaching Development Coordinator: (Soccer/Baseball/Football/Basketball): Arrange for Coaching and Children's Clinics, Soccer Camps, Programs, and Coaching Meetings. Maintain the RBGC Library. Order new books, Tapes and CD's for training and development.

Fundraising Coordinator and Assistants: Investigate appropriate fundraising activities to subsidize our existing programs, and provide the opportunity for disadvantaged children to participate with the club. Work with teams to carry out appropriate fundraising activities.

Volunteers and Service Hours Coordinator: Coordinates Volunteers. Enlists volunteers for various projects (fundraising events, clubmember volunteers as coaches, instructors, set-up personnel fo events, set up displays for
Riverdale Day and other events. Oversee the service hours program for high school students. Sign off on their volunteer activities with the RBGC.

Information Coordinator and Assistant: Prepares news articles and announcements for the RBGC. Sends to various newspapers, newsletters, and cable channel announcing programs and items of interest.

Coaches and Assistant Coaches: (Soccer/Baseball/Football/Basketball): Train children in the various sports. Schedule and conduct practices. Coordinate activities at scheduled games.

Team Managers: (Soccer/Baseball/Football/Basketball): This is a position that is invaluable to the coach. Make calls, arrange carpools and drink schedules.

Awards Banquet Coordinator and Assistants: Do all the hall, food, publicity, trophy, set up and take down, etc. arrangements needed to have the Annual Awards Banquet.

Believe it or not, these tasks do not get done by magic. Somebody is responsible for accomplishing all of them (sometimes more efficiently and thoroughly than others), and if they do not get done, there are usually people who notice and complain voraciously (believe me, I know!).

The RBGC is currently at a crossroads. Our interest and player enrollment is at an all-time high, yet our volunteers are at an all-time low Right now, the programs that will happen this season will be because an individual coach has taken the initiative to choose an age group, organize his players, select an appropriate league, organized his practices, and move forward on his own. He will have a league to play in, equipment, and a practice site because someone has made the arrangements, put up the down payment, ordered the equipment, done the appropriate groundwork.

We urge everyone to assess their abilities and commit to donate some regular time working with the RBGC to make it a successful, smooth-running organization that everyone can be proud to be a part of (and if you don't have any free time, a monetary contribution is always welcome). Everly little bit helps. Without adequate volunteers, the club may need to look into mandatory family service or registration surcharges in the future.

Thanks for your consideration in this important matter.

Gazette and Town Crier

2005-04-16T11:18:00.000-05:00

The Gazette came out on 4-14-05 with the articles on candidates for Riverdale Park Town Council; Tracey Toscano and Jack Jones for Ward 1, David Hiles and Mary Donaldson for Ward 2, and Doris Pullman and Novella Sargusingh for Ward 3. There were no articles on the uncontested seats. There were no articles on Vernon Archer and Guy Tiberio this week, I am assuming that those will be out in the 4-21-05 Gazette.

Also keep an eye out for a special Town Crier edition for the May 2nd election. I commend the Crier editor Rob Oppenheim on having the candidates write their own pieces, which is what I am used to from the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, the Prince George's Journal, and The League of Women Voters in other elections I have been in. The Gazette article, is not inaccurate, however it did miss the emphasis that I was making in the interview...'tis better to let the candidate make the point rather than trying to make it for them!

Political Race

2005-04-15T10:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I finished my second literature drop. I have walked the entirety of Ward 1 twice in the past two weeks...I wonder if this is what is meant by a political race the 10 mile literature drop in six hours, can one deduct the conversation time.

As I go around I have noticed some interesting things. The older houses are closer to the walk than the newer houses. Probably a result of the change from "build to lines" of City Planning being replaced by "set back lines" of Zoning. The older houses were built so you could talk to your neighbor passing by on the sidewalk with out having to scream to be heard, sounds like friendlier times. Old Doors and Stormdoors are more note or calling card leaving friendly than the new doors. The new doors have handles so big the Sunday Issue of the New York Times could not be wedged in it. And the new storm doors, quite the energy saver, they are so tight that a single sheet of paper can not be pushed in. Could it be I have found why less people vote now than in the more distant past. Politicians can not get the literature to stay on the door and thus voters are less informed. Nooo, I think it is probably another reason.

By the way, the people I am meeting by a large majority are agreeing that my proposed tax reform makes sense.

Financial Disclosure

2005-04-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

I saw on David Hiles' literature that he was first to disclose his spending on his campaign on the web. I do not know yet, but maybe I can say "I am number two and I try harder".

My campaign is of Jack R. Jones, by Jack R. Jones, for the individual citizens of Riverdale Park. To date I have bought and used less than two color ink jet cartridges (two color for about $42), and I am still on the first black ink cartridge (two black for about $38) and have used one half ream of card stock (about $12).

I have received no financial contributions, no appointments to office, or petitions to office. I am free of any political debt and am free to represent each one of you and with you work toward a consensus of Ward 1 concerns and actions.

More Thought on the Land Value Tax

2005-04-12T21:19:00.000-05:00

I found another link that has more on "Progress and Poverty" by Henry George, a very good political economy book.

New Feature on Link

2005-04-11T12:33:00.000-05:00

MD Land Tax (www,marylandlandtax.org) has an expanded feature now, not only can you check how a land tax will effect your property you can now check the whole town. And there is extensive information on each lot.

In the case of Riverdale Park the tax revenue is now 75% from improvements (building, etc.) and 25% from land. The pay more/less column is for a tax revenue that is 50% from improvements and 50% from land.

More on Rules of the Game

2005-04-06T09:58:00.000-05:00

The current rules for residents are if you improve your house your taxes will be higher than if you only maintain the house, and maintaing it will have higher taxes than if you let your house deterioate. The same is true for commercial property.

So if one wants to make money with out doing anything, sit on a vacant lot or a run-down property, let economic growth caused by others increase the value of one's property, after a number of years sell it and make a profit on it with no effort on one's own part.

A rethorical question, how would the rules have to be changed to encourage improvements to homes and businesses, and decrease speculation?

Rules of the Game

2005-04-05T19:44:00.000-05:00

Another sunny day for walking around. In the early afternoon there are not as many people around to get signatures from and to talk to. It is a good time for contemplation. I have several friends who chide me about my language and writing not being in "Street English". Being an avid and long time reader of college level technical and non-fiction texts, I have a proclivity for the compound and complex sentence with a latinate vocabulary. See what they mean. So I am sauntering along thinking how can I describe the current lack of economic development and the long range futility of doing the conventional current approaches to economic development in "Street English" . . . my thoughts drifted back to the warm sun on my face which reminded me that tomorrow was going to be great weather for the Dutch Football School/Homeschool Soccer class that I teach on Monday and Wednesday mornings. I was thinking - well, Monday we did the Basic, Position, Midfield, and Counter Attack Games, so Wednesday we should start with the Offence/Defence and Shooting Games. Then it hit me YES! I change the rules of the game so the children will learn the playing techniques needed on different parts of the soccer field. It is the Rules of the Game that makes the economic development cycle work like it does to day. To make it work better we will have to Change the Rules of the Game. Rules of the Game make soccer what it is, basketball what it is, elephants and donkeys what they are, and economic development what it is.

Orignal Art

2005-04-04T20:17:00.000-05:00

As I was walking around the ward this afternoon I noticed that a number of yard signs were up, how could I miss them? I am offering an alternative to the conventional political signage, with a tastfully small door sign of my own design.

It is a glossy post card size sign with my orignal campaign art work and election slogan above. Limited edition for voters who agree with me and want to show their support. Contact me and I will get you your card.

Many Thanks!

2005-04-03T23:44:00.000-05:00

Saturday would not have been my first choice for a day to go petitioning, but alas the nasty thing going around that had me down and out for the better part of last month had put me behind schedule. So Saturday it was.

Thanks to the many, many people who signed my petition, held brief discussions of issues, while observing how talented I was becoming at using one hand to hold an umbrella above a fellow citizen while, using another hand to hold a clipboard for them, while using the other hand to get my literature out of my pocket for them.

Jack Starts Campaign

2005-04-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello! I am Jack R. Jones and I have just started my campaign this week for the Ward 1 Council Seat in the 2 May 2005 election.

Tell me your top three concerns for Riverdale Park !

I will be coming around to visit between now and the election to talk to you about your concerns and my three which are:

1. Reform Property Taxes so Citizens and Businesses will enjoy the benefits of their own good economic decisions.

2. Broaden the use of mutual aid agreements with neighboring towns so every town can make the best use of all resources.

3. Establish an environment of consensus between private citizens, public organizations, and town government so their diverse talents can be used to make Riverdale Park a better place to live, work, and play.

For the tax reform issue check the Tom Paine Network and Urban Tools (LVT) links for information on the benefits of land value tax over the building or improvments tax.

Hello World

2005-04-01T23:59:00.000-05:00

Hi, I am Jack R. Jones, an 18th century guy coming into the 21st century who is definitely interested in finding out and understanding why 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Unfortunately Douglas Adams left us in 2001 to search for the answer on a higher plane. Another great observer is Pogo of Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia who made astute political observations from the 1930's through the 1970's. A favorite of mine is "We have met the Enemy...and he is us" An earlier version comes from the foreword by Walt Kelly to "The Pogo Papers" copyright 1952-53, which read "There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tinny blast on tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us. Forward!" In interesting times these thoughts allow me to greatly appreciate the complexity of life.