(NEW) Energy Corruption Made Obvious and Efficiency Education in Action
March 16, 2011
from NECN

Student builds a car that can travel 300 miles per gallon.

(NECN/KMBC: Kansas City, MO) - This is not how teens typically spend their summer vacation.

Well, students at DeLaSalle High School in Kansas City, MO spent their summer test driving the electric cars they built.
They just returned from Texas after testing driving their cars at Bridgestone's Texas Proving Grounds.

KMBC's Marcus Moore reports.

By Annalyn Censky
February 4, 2011: 2:52 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Winter weather kept job seekers home andoffices closed in January, getting the year off to a disappointing start, while the unemployment rate took a surprising tumble.The economy added just 36,000 jobs in January, falling far shortof expectations. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate unexpectedly sunk to 9%, down from 9.4% the month before.

Economists surveyed by CNNMoney were expecting the economy to add 149,000 jobs during the month, and the unemployment rate to rise to 9.5%.

After the report was released, economists weren't quite sure what to make of the numbers, and used a mix of colorful adjectives like "lousy," "mysterious," and "confounding."

But one thing was clear -- weather played a large role in January.

"It's a disappointing employment report, with a touch of skepticism because of the weather's impact on the overall number," said John Silvia, chief economist with Wells Fargo.

 Major storms across large swaths of the country had a huge impact on businesses. According to the Labor Department's household survey, which calculates the unemployment rate, severe winter weather kept 886,000 people from going to work during the week of January 9.

Continue...

January 27, 2011 6:22 AM ET
By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER

WASHINGTON (AP) - Social Security's finances are getting worse as the economy struggles to recover and millions of baby boomers stand at the brink of retirement.

New congressional projections show Social Security running deficits every year until its trust funds are eventually drained in about 2037.

This year alone, Social Security is projected to collect $45 billion less in payroll taxes than it pays out in retirement, disability and survivor benefits, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. That figure swells to $130 billion when a new one-year cut in payroll taxes is included, though Congress has promised to repay any lost revenue from the tax cut.

The massive retirement program has been feeling the effects of a struggling economy for several years. The program first went into deficit last year, but the CBO said at the time that Social Security would post surpluses for a few more years before permanently slipping into deficits in 2016.

The outlook, however, has grown bleaker as the nation struggles to recover from the worst economic crisis since Social Security was enacted during the Great Depression. In the short term, Social Security is suffering from a weak economy that has payroll taxes lagging and applications for benefits rising. In the long term, Social Security will be strained by the growing number of baby boomers retiring and applying for benefits. Continue...

By The Wall Street Journal
January 20, 2011

In California, former auto worker Maria Gregg was out of work five months last year before landing a new job -- at a nearly 20% pay cut.

In Massachusetts, Kevin Cronan, who lost his $150,000-a-year job as a money manager in early 2009, is now frothing cappuccinos at a Starbucks (SBUX, news) for $8.85 an hour.

In Wisconsin, Dale Szabo, a former manufacturing manager with two master's degrees, searched for years for a job comparable to the one he lost in 2003. He's now a school janitor.

They are among the lucky. There are 14.5 million people on the unemployment rolls, including 6.4 million who have been jobless for more than six months.

But the decline in their fortunes points to a signature outcome of the long downturn in the labor market. Even at times of high unemployment in the past, wages have been very slow to fall; economists describe them as "sticky." To an extent rarely seen in recessions since the Great Depression, wages for a swath of the labor force this time have taken a sharp and swift fall.
 The only other downturn since the Depression to see similarly large wage cuts was the 1981-'82 recession. But the latest downturn is already eclipsing that one. Unemployment has stood above 9% for 20 straight months -- longer than the early 1980s stretch -- and is likely to remain above that level for most of 2011, putting downward pressure on wages.More settle for lessMany laid-off workers who have found new jobs are taking pay cuts or settling for part-time work when they get new ones, sometimes taking jobs far below their skill levels.

Economists had wondered how far this dynamic would go in this recession, and now the numbers are starting to show it: Between 2007 and 2009, more than half the full-time workers who lost jobs that they had held for at least three years and then found new full-time work by early last year reported wage declines, according to the Labor Department. Thirty-six percent reported the new job paid at least 20% less than the one they lost.

The severity of the latest downturn makes it likely that many of the unemployed who get rehired will take wage cuts, and that their wages won't return to pre-recession levels for years, if ever, says Columbia University labor economist Till von Wachter. "The deeper the recession, the lower the wage you're going to get in the next job and the lower the quality of your next job," he says

Continue...

By Richard McGill Murphy, contributor
January 18, 2011

FORTUNE -- In late 2009, just as Goldman Sachs was being widely slammed for showering billions in bonuses on its employees after receiving a massive federal bailout during the financial crisis, the investment bank announced -- coincidentally or not -- that it was committing $500 million over five years to help small businesses in distressed urban and rural communities across America. Called "10,000 Small Businesses," the program would combine practical business training with loans delivered through community lending institutions. Goldman assembled a distinguished advisory board led by Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA, Fortune 500) chairman Warren Buffett, the bank's biggest investor, and Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter, who is well-known for his research on inner city entrepreneurship. The program then dropped out of the news.

One year later, Goldman's gift is yielding modest but tangible results. So far, more than 100 business owners in New York City and Los Angeles have completed a 20-week course that covers accounting, marketing, negotiation, and similar topics (participants take a full day of classes every other Saturday, applying each week's lessons to their businesses). Nearly 50 small businesses nationwide have been approved for loans financed by Goldman and administered by mainly nonprofit community lenders (because it isn't a small-business lender, Goldman relies on local institutions to administer the loans). So far, Goldman has spent about $60 million on the program. 

The program is competitive -- nearly 400 people applied for spots last year -- and not for dreamers. To be eligible, applicants must run companies with at least four full-time employees, have been in business for at least two years, and have revenues from $150,000 to $4 million.
Continue...

JPMorgan Chase's profit jumps 47 percent in 4Q
By Pallavi Gogoi, AP Business Writer Pallavi Gogoi, Ap Business Writer

NEW YORK – JPMorgan Chase aid Friday that fourth-quarter net income jumped 47 percent as the company was able to set aside less money to cover loan losses.

The New York bank earned $4.83 billion, or $1.12 per share. That compares with $3.28 billion, or 74 cents a share, during the same quarter last year. Analysts surveyed by FactSet forecast the bank would earn $1 per share.

In pre-market trading Friday, JPMorgan shares were down 17 cents to $44.28.

The bank increased the amount set aside for litigation by $1.5 billion. In the fourth quarter, several private investors sent letters or sued banks and tried to get them to buy back bad home lones, saying that the loans were improperly written.  Continue...

By Tanya Jefferies and Press Association
14 January 2011

JP Morgan Chase shelled out £17.7bn on wages and bonuses for staff in 2010, the US investment bank revealed.


The group's staff bill was £4.2bn in the fourth quarter alone, up 29% on a year earlier. Pay and bonuses for its investment bankers - including between 7,000 and 8,000 based in London - more than trebled year-on-year in the final three months of 2010 to £1.1bn.

JP Morgan declined to reveal how much had been set aside specifically for its year-end bonus pool, but said performance-related pay was higher than in 2009.  Continue...

From Drew Griffin, Kathleen Johnston and Scott Zamost, CNN
January 10, 2011

Tucson, Arizona (CNN) -- The suspect in the weekend shooting at an Arizona political meet-and-greet is scheduled to make an initial appearance Monday before a federal magistrate.

Jared Lee Loughner will appear in a Phoenix, Arizona, courtroom at 2 p.m. Monday (4 p.m. ET), prosecutors said.

He is accused of opening fire outside a Tucson supermarket, where U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, was meeting with constituents Saturday. Six people were killed and 14 others wounded in the shooting.

Giffords remained in critical condition Sunday after being shot through the skull, while a federal judge, a congressional aide and a 9-year-old girl were among the dead.

Federal authorities have charged Loughner with first-degree murder, attempted murder and attempting to kill a member of Congress, counts that involve the shootings of federal employees. State prosecutors also could bring charges in the remaining cases.

A federal public defender known for handling high-profile cases, Judy Clarke, has been appointed to represent Loughner, a federal judicial source said.
Continue...

How Wall St. execs bankrolled GOP victory
Hedge fund moguls donated $10 million, gained key House allies to head off financial reforms
By Peter Stone, Center for Public Integrity, and Michael Isikoff,
NBC News Special to msnbc.com
1/5/2011

A small network of hedge fund executives pumped at least $10 million into Republican campaign committees and allied groups before November’s elections, helping bankroll GOP victories that this week will change the balance of power in Washington, according to a review of campaign records and interviews with industry insiders by the Center for Public Integrity and NBC News.

Bitterly opposed to President Barack Obama’s economic and regulatory policies — including proposals to increase taxes on some of their profits — top Wall Street hedge fund moguls were unusually energized during last year’s election. They held multiple fundraisers and coordinated strategy to direct what appear to be unprecedented sums into the coffers of GOP and allied political committees, according to industry and GOP fundraising sources.

Many substantial donations from the hedge fund executives escaped public notice either because they were made late in the campaign (and therefore weren’t reported until after the election) or were funneled through third-party groups, obscure “joint fundraising committees” and newly created political nonprofits that are not required to disclose donors.

The net effect has been to give the hedge funds important new allies at a time they are fending off regulations mandated by the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill and an aggressive Justice Department investigation into insider trading. 
  Continue...

Reuters New York
January 4, 2011

Most Americans think the United States should raise taxes for the rich to balance the budget, according to a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll released on Monday. President Barack Obama last month signed into law a two-year extension of Bush-era tax cuts for millions of Americans, including the wealthiest, in a compromise with Republicans.

Republicans, who this week take control of the House of Representatives, want to extend all Bush-era tax cuts "permanently" for the middle class and wealthier Americans. They are also demanding spending cuts to curb the $1.3 trillion deficit.

Sixty-one percent of Americans polled would rather see taxes for the wealthy increased as a first step to tackling the deficit, the poll showed.

The next most popular way -- chosen by 20 percent -- was to cut defense spending.  Four percent would cut the Medicare government health insurance program for the elderly, and 3 percent would cut the Social Security retirement program, the poll showed.
Continue...

  Reuters
January 3, 2011

U.S. private employers have recorded 11 consecutive months of job gains, yet the number of people who are so discouraged that they have given up searching for work stands at an all-time high.

Friday's employment report is expected to show the pace of payroll growth accelerated last month after a disappointing showing in November. However, consumers' assessment of the job market deteriorated in December, according to the Conference Board's latest consumer confidence survey.

This disconnect is symptomatic of the state of the labor market. Yes, it is recovering, but at a pace that can hardly keep up with population growth, let alone quickly bring down the 9.8 percent unemployment rate.

Private employment increased by an average of 106,000 per month through November. At that rate, it would take more than 6 years just to replace the jobs lost during the latest recession.

There is reason to believe hiring will pick up in 2011.

Many economists have raised economic growth forecasts, in part because of a tax deal that keeps in place lower rates enacted under President George W. Bush, and planned job cuts are down 60 percent from a year ago.

However, that may not make job hunting much easier, said John Challenger, chief executive of job placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas in Chicago.

"The job market could be even more competitive as improving job prospects entice people who abandoned their job searches out of frustration to re-enter the labor pool," he said.
Continue...

The Year To Come
by Timothy Archer
January 2, 2011

As we ring in the New Year, we are faced with a flood of challenges that are a result of our Inefficient Systems.  

1.  We face some of the highest unemployment rates in history.  Others face cuts in pay and insurance benefits, lowering their quality of life. 

2.  We have employees being forced to work longer hours and take on more responsibilities as businesses, corporation, and government services downsize their staff.
 
3.  We have the leadership who has completely lost touch with reality.

4.  We have deficits and debts that are so out of control, that policy makers eerily resemble the credit scams of people who max out their credit cards right before filing bankruptcy.

5.  We have a record-breaking number of college students graduating with degrees only to find there are no jobs available for them. 

And while this is the picture most Americans see, the people who we have elected to prevent and fix these problems sit on cloud nine with the wealthiest people in our Country receiving the largest salaries and bonuses in history, and offering no sign of help.

(NEW) 'Give It Back For Jobs' Helps Affluent Return Tax Cuts
by Amy Lee
December 31, 2010

(HuffPost) For affluent Americans outraged by the fiscal and social consequences of tax cuts handed to them by President George W. Bush and recently extended for two more years, a trio of similarly dismayed academics has furnished a way for them to put their money where their mouth is.

Their new website, giveitbackforjobs.org, invites high-income Americans to calculate the value of their tax cut under the extension and then pledge to donate that money directly to charities that the site says encourage "fairness, economic growth, and a vibrant middle class." The site doesn't accept contributions directly, but links users to the charities. 

The site has been engineered to offer Americans who view the tax cuts as misguided a means to personally direct dollars toward countering the effects, while also registering a protest for broad policies that have exacerbated economic inequality.  Continue...

By PALLAVI GOGOI
The Associated Press
updated 12/28/2010

Corporate profits are up. Stock prices are up. So why isn't anyone hiring?

Actually, many American companies are — just maybe not in your town. They're hiring overseas, where sales are surging and the pipeline of orders is fat.

More than half of the 15,000 people that Caterpillar Inc. has hired this year were outside the U.S. UPS is also hiring at a faster clip overseas. For both companies, sales in international markets are growing at least twice as fast as domestically.

The trend helps explain why unemployment remains high in the United States, edging up to 9.8 percent last month, even though companies are performing well: All but 4 percent of the top 500 U.S. corporations reported profits this year, and the stock market is close to its highest point since the 2008 financial meltdown.

But the jobs are going elsewhere. The Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank, says American companies have created 1.4 million jobs overseas this year, compared with less than 1 million in the U.S. The additional 1.4 million jobs would have lowered the U.S. unemployment rate to 8.9 percent, says Robert Scott, the institute's senior international economist. Continue...

By Charles Riley, staff reporter
December 27 2010

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Incoming House Speaker John Boehner has made it very clear: When he takes control of the House, slashing the federal budget by $100 billion will be priority number one.

The stakes are high.

Republicans view their midterm electoral victory as a mandate to cut spending, and cutting $100 billion from a $3 trillion federal budget sounds like a reasonable goal.
But GOP leaders say they will focus only on non-security discretionary spending, and won't slash funding for defense, Social Security or Medicare.

That makes their task a lot harder.

Cutting non-security discretionary funds by $100 billion means a 21% annual reduction in the part of the budget that includes funding for education, health and human services and housing and urban development, among other things, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank.

By Carol D. Leonnig and T.W. Farnam
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, December 26, 2010

Numerous times this year, members of Congress have held fundraisers and collected big checks while they are taking critical steps to write new laws, despite warnings that such actions could create ethics problems. The campaign donations often came from contributors with major stakes riding on the lawmakers' actions.

For three weeks in June, for instance, the members of a joint House and Senate committee worked to draft final rules for regulating the financial industry in the wake of its 2008 meltdown. During that time, the 35 members of the drafting committee collected $440,000 in donations from that same industry, which was then lobbying heavily for looser rules.  Continue...

By SEWELL CHAN
Published: December 23, 2010
New York Times

WASHINGTON — Eighteen months after the recession officially ended, the government’s latest measures to bolster the economy have led many forecasters and policy makers to express new optimism that the recovery will gain substantial momentum in 2011.

Economists in universities and on Wall Street have raised their growth projections for next year. Retail sales, industrial production and factory orders are on the upswing, and new claims for unemployment benefits are trending downward.

Despite persistently high unemployment, consumer confidence is improving. Large corporations are reporting healthy profits, and the Dow Jones industrial average reached a two-year high this week.

The Federal Reserve, which has kept short-term interest rates near zero since the end of 2008, has made clear it is sticking by its controversial decision to try to hold down mortgage and other long-term interest rates by buying government securities.

President Obama’s $858 billion tax-cut compromise with Congressional Republicans is putting more cash in the hands of consumers through a temporary payroll-tax cut and an extension of unemployment insurance for the long-term unemployed.  Continue...

New Year's resolution: I quit!
By Jessica Dickler, staff writer
December 23, 2010

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Employers watch out: Your workers can't wait to quit.

According to a recent survey by job-placement firm Manpower, 84% of employees plan to look for a new position in 2011. That's up from just 60% last year.

Most employees have sat tight through the recession, not even considering other jobs because so few firms were hiring. For the past few years, the Labor Department's quits rate, which serves as a barometer of workers' ability to change jobs, has hovered near an all-time low.

But after years of increased work and frozen compensation, "a lot of people will be looking because they're disappointed with their current jobs," said Paul Bernard, a veteran executive coach and career management advisor who runs his own firm.

Douglas Matthews, president and chief operating officer for Right Management, a division of Manpower, called the results "a wake-up call to management. ... This finding is more about employee dissatisfaction and discontent than projected turnover," he said.  Continue...

Congress freezes federal pay
By Charles Riley (CNN staff reporter)
December 22, 2010
 
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- It's official: Federal workers won't be getting a pay increase for the next two years, despite the best efforts of the unions that represent them.

First proposed by President Obama three weeks ago, the freeze required the approval of Congress. On Tuesday, both chambers passed a short-term budget fix that included the pay freeze.

Once President Obama signs that bill, it's a done deal.  And federal workers are none too happy.

"We are suffering the same hardships as many across the nation as a result of the recession, and it's unfair and unfortunate that Congress has chosen to single these folks out," said William Dougan, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees.

According to government data, average employees are likely to be in their mid-40s.They work in management, business or financial positions at the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs or Homeland Security. They tend to have graduated from college, live outside of Washington and are white.

The average federal worker makes around $74,000 a year.  Continue...

Unemployed get another jobless benefit — free yoga
By JEANNIE NUSS, Associated Press
December 21, 2010

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The women snuggle into nests of pillows and blankets.
A light breeze, like a mother blowing on a baby's boo-boo, falls from ceiling fans and tickles their backs. The room is dark, silent, until they crawl out of child's pose and chant, "Omm."

This is free yoga for the unemployed: a different kind of jobless benefit where former managers, laid-off limo drivers and others can turn to the grown-up version of nap time to ease the stress of being out of work.  Continue...

Census Bureau Data: Richest Counties Get Richer, Poorest Get Poorer

Kentucky Has County With Lowest Median Household Income; Richest 3 in Virginia

By SUSANNA KIM
Dec. 19, 2010

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, at least judging by the most extreme neighborhoods for median household income in the latest Census Bureau data.

The census' American Community Survey, released last week, provides detailed neighborhood data, including languages spoken in a home, commute time and income levels.

The poorest county, Owsley County, Ky., had the lowest median household income outside of Puerto Rico. Its median income decreased to $18,869 from $20,346 in 2000. Of all the county or county equivalents, Falls Church, Va. had the highest median income, at $113,313, an increase from $96,449 in 2000.  Continue...

by Reuters
December 20, 2010

Prosecutors in New York are set to file civil fraud charges against accounting firm Ernst & Young over the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter. The suit, led by Andrew Cuomo, could come as early as this week and may seek to impose fines and other penalties, the paper said.

No one at Ernst & Young was available for comment outside regular U.S. business hours.

Andrew Cuomo's office could not be reached for comment.

The lawsuit stems from Lehman's use of a controversial accounting technique called Repo 105, the paper said.

Lehman's court-appointed examiner, Anton Valukas, has said that the use of Repo 105, which dated back to 2001 and was used without telling investors or regulators, gave the appearance that Lehman was reducing its overall leverage levels in 2008 when it was not.  Continue...

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates
December 19, 2010 (AP)

An Abu Dhabi luxury hotel that boasted an $11 million Christmas tree decorated with gold and gems admitted Sunday it may have taken the holiday spirit a bit too far.

A statement from the Emirates Palace hotel said it regretted "attempts to overload" the Christmas tree tradition by adorning it with premium bling including gold, rubies, diamonds and other precious stones from a hotel jeweler.

The statement was a rare bit of reflection on the Gulf's ethos of excess. The tree was unveiled last week with full fanfare in a hotel that features its own gold bar vending machine and a one-week $1 million package that includes private jet jaunts around the Middle East,  Continue...

 By: CNN's Gabriella Schwarz
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voiced opposition Sunday to the New START - a nuclear arms treaty with Russia - saying that members of his party need more time to consider the legislation.

"I've decided I cannot support the treaty," McConnell said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” "I think if they'd taken more time with this, rushing it right before Christmas strikes me as trying to jam us."

He said trying to get a vote before Christmas was not the best way to "get support of people like me," and that GOP senators are "uneasy" about the legislation.

Although he said the administration has told him they're committed to missile defense, he's worried about how Russia and European allies of the United States "view missile defense." Regarding the timeline for a vote in the Senate, the minority leader said he assumes Democrats are looking to vote on the treaty before Christmas, but that it's unclear whether that will happen. Asked if enough Republicans would join with Democrats to ratify the treaty, he said: "We're going to find out here in the next few days."

The treaty, which has been a top priority for President Obama and Senate Democrats, would resume mutual inspections of U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals while limiting both nations to a certain number of warheads and launchers.
 Continue...

Bill preventing big tax hikes heads to Obama

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER,
Associated Press December 17, 2010

WASHINGTON – A massive bipartisan tax package preventing a big New Year's Day tax hike for millions of Americans is on its way to President Barack Obama for his signature.

The measure would extend tax cuts for families at every income level, renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and enact a new one-year cut in Social Security taxes that would benefit nearly every worker who earns a wage. Continue...

Obama and business leaders hold "working meeting"
High on the president's list for the discussion with CEOs of firms including Boeing, General Electric and Google was finding a way to get corporations to start hiring.

By Jim Puzzanghera, Los Angeles Times
December 16, 2010

Reporting from Washington —

Hoping to mend fences with business leaders and spur more hiring, President Obama spent more than four hours with chief executives of 20 major companies in a "working meeting" that both sides said paved the way for better cooperation.

"We feel very confident we made some good progress," Obama told reporters as he walked back to the White House after the Wednesday meeting at nearby Blair House with the heads of such major companies a Boeing Co., Comcast Co., General Electric Co., and Google inc. Read more...

Why America's Two Economies Continue to Drift Apart, and What Washington Isn't Doing About It

Robert Reich
Fmr. Secretary of Labor; Professor at Berkeley; Author, Aftershock: 'The Next Economy and America's Future'
Posted: December 14, 2010

America's two economies are getting wider apart.

The Big Money economy is booming. According to a new Commerce Department report, third-quarter profits of American businesses rose at an annual record-breaking $1.659 trillion -- besting even the boom year of 2006 (in nominal dollars). Profits have soared for seven consecutive quarters now, matching or beating their fastest pace in history.

Executive pay is linked to profits, so top pay is soaring as well.

Higher profits are also translating into the nice gains in the stock market, which is a boon to everyone with lots of financial assets.

And Wall Street is back. Bonuses on the Street are expected to rise about 5 percent this year, according to a survey by compensation consultants Johnson Associates Inc. Continue...

 Re: Energy Corruption and Efficiency Education in Action

March 16, 2011

ENERGY:  For decades we have heard theories regarding the wealthy elite's control over technology, energy, pharmaceuticals ect., as a means to further enhance their wealth and power.  Here we have an example:  While the auto industry has hundreds of billions of dollars to spend on research and development on energy efficient cars, they have only managed to develop 30-100 mile per gallon capacity vehicles.  Yet a high school student and a volunteer built a vehicle much more efficient than they have in just a summer.  The truth is, as long as people continue to condone a system that promotes greed and power, these elite will have their way.

Imagine for a moment that there was an infinite source of electrical energy created by the Earth's atmosphere (literally in the Air).  Dr. Nikola Tesla proved this to be the case in 1901 with what he called "Radiant Energy."  Had the last 100 years been focused on creating engines and products that ran on this energy, there would never be an energy crisis and everything would be running on free energy. Cars, airplanes, lights, and appliances would all have an unlimited and free energy source. Oil would be considered primitive and worthless, and sheiks and elite oil tycoons would have no one to exploit.  The Efficiency Theory provides a system that eliminates the suppressive elite and harnesses efficiency.

EDUCATION: Efficiency Education is based on education and psychological research that suggests students learn better when they have interest and see purpose in the information they are being taught by real world application.  The Efficient school would spend less time drilling and testing memory and more time on application and practical use.  This video clip is a perfect example of Efficiency Education at work.  This designing endeavor provided this student with knowledge and skills, but more importantly motivation through purpose.  One key statement made, "he wanted to be a basketball player, now he wants to be and Engineer." 

Re:  January Jobs Report Disappoints

February 4, 2011

Job reports are so completely skewed in today’s economy that they are almost totally irrelevant.  Basing the unemployment rate on those people claiming unemployment is completely misleading.  There are millions of people who have been unemployed for so long that they can no longer claim unemployment.  Millions of these people still do not have jobs, and have disappeared from the statistics.  The government and corporate elite would have us believe that this means they are doing good things and the situation is improving, when in fact, it is getting much worse. 

When we look at the Laws of Social Thermodynamics, we can see that as one person is effected by things like unemployment, that effect ripples across the entire social system.  For example, as the Corporate Elite increase their wealth, they do so by exploiting cheap labor overseas, lowering wages here in America, and cutting jobs.   This effects multiple people, as families lose jobs and struggle to survive on less, it effects an even greater number of people by forcing more Americans on welfare and unemployment, thus taking tax money from working Americans to pay for those not working. This effects society even deeper, when anger runs high, frustration peaks and drives people to do crimes and other things that they normally wouldn’t do.

The Efficiency Theory shows that the most effective and efficient society is one where all people are employed and employed in professions they are passionate about.  It goes on to explain how we can achieve this, by eliminating the system that has been built on greed, eliminating the system that has created a corporate elite, and enacting a fair compensation clause.  The Efficiency Theory also shows how we can eliminate the corruption in government by returning to a pure democracy built on facts and logic, rather that politically corrupt rhetoric and propaganda.  For more detail read The Efficiency Theory.

Re:  Unrest in Egypt.

February 1, 2011

Egypt is showing us an example of what happens when people get fed up with the inefficiencies within Government and the systems that Governments create.  For years, millions of well educated and intelligent Egyptians have been held back, unemployed, and forced to live in poverty  while an elite few increase their wealth and the power in the country.

It is not difficult to appease mankind.  People want to feel free, people want to have a choice (democracy), people want comfort knowing they have shelter, food, and water.  People also want to be able to provide for their loved ones and enjoy some of the adventures and wonderful experiences life has to offer, but most importantly People need a Purpose.  If we don't provide people the opportunity to work and manifest their purpose through passion filled careers, they will seek to release their passion in other ways.   

Leadership in both Government and Businesses need to realize this fundamental fact about human nature, otherwise, unrest will occur and the entire system will crumble.  This is not some theoretical notion, this has happened many time through out history and it is happening now.

What is going on in Egypt does not hit too far from home for tens of millions of Americans.  Year after year, we have seen a massive downgrade in a majority of this country's social class, while the wealthy elite substantially increase their wealth and power. It doesn't matter if we are talking about Mubarak and his cabinet or America's Greedy political and corporate leaders, the complaint is the same.

Our systems throughout the world have been built on the idea of individualism.  It teaches people to strive on the essence of Greed- to take from who ever you can and to build you own personal wealth and power.  It teaches us to ignore the fact that all people are connected in one way or another, and instead seek to separate ourselves from each other, in any way we can.  However, all we have to do is look around, and we see that this system has failed us and people are fed up.

The Efficiency Theory shows that if a system is to succeed, it must be built on the fact that all people are pieces of the same puzzle, and no puzzle will work correctly without determining where each piece fits and applying it correctly.  However, in doing so, it is imperative to establish that all pieces are equally important in creating it's perfection.  When we analyze our system through the Universal Laws of Cause and Effect, it is easy to see how the distortion of wealth and power disrupts the entire system.  We need to build a system based on these laws, which means, wealth and power must be neutralize, education must assist people in developing their passions, and careers must be provided for all people  to work with in their passions and at a fair compensation.  Read The Efficiency Theory to see more on how to develop such a system.

Re:  Social Security fund will be drained by 2037

January 27, 2011

The interesting thing about human nature is that people are generally resistant to change, until something catastrophic happens that leaves them no choice but to change.  There are many programs in our system that, when looked at individually, appear to be a good idea.   But much like when you take your eye out from looking into a microscope, you can see that their are many other things around you that are being effected by that which looks good by itself.  The elimination of Social Security is inevitable, so we can either effectively change the system in a progressive well thought out manner, or we can wait until there is nothing left, panic, and implode. 

Social security was developed with in the ideologies of an inefficient system that over works and taxes people through out their lives, so that they can retire and have a little something while they decrease their contribution to society.  In an efficient society there will be no need for Social Security, just as there will be no tax system.  The Efficient System is one that uses all of it's resources in their most productive capacity, while optimizing the skills and innovation of people, by providing an outlet for each individual's passions and skills to be plugged into the whole.

The Efficiency Theory offers a system where Social Security is no longer necessary or desired.  People won't have to look to safety nets, because the system is stable and people are compensated fairly for working in careers that they are passionate about.  There will be no need for retirement, because as studies have shown people, will continue to do things they are passionate about their entire lives, whether they are "working" or not.  Instead, we will enjoy time off throughout our entire life, rather than saving up years of time off for our elderly years. 

In the Efficient Society people do not fear what will happen to them in the future, they look forward to it and the progress that comes with it.   For more detail on how to make society more efficient, read The Efficiency Theory.

Re: Mortgage Giants Leave Legal Bills to the Taxpayers 

January 24. 2011

We have sadly become accustom to seeing tax money spent on things that have no place in tax fund allocations.  Everything from multimillion dollar bonuses for CEOs to legal bills of any kind; this obscure cohesion between private and government agencies opens the door to more abuse and waste. 

The Efficiency Theory shows that as this blend between corporations and government becomes more common, the result is a more extreme disparity between classes.  This form of favoritism can only result in an even greater divide between the rich and poor, since taxes will continue to be collected from the public and provided to the new hybrid private/government corporations.

In an Efficient Society they will be no tax system or IRS, and therefor, no opportunity to abuse this large collection of funds.  Instead, society will be run from a fundamentally efficacious core that is based on the laws of social thermodynamics.  Once the universal laws of cause and effect are reflected in the system, we will find stability and fairness for all people allowing us to progress exponentially.  Read The Efficiency Theory to see what changes we can make to achieve this. 

Re: JPMorgan Chase's profit jumps 47 percent in 4Q
January 14, 2011

Here we see the similarities among all elite corporations.  They build wealth, then claim "crisis," which allows them to exploit the public by raising prices, firing staff ect., only to make record profits in the years following.  We saw this with big oil corporations this past decade.  When we had an "Oil Crisis," prices spiked and the result was increased costs to the public in everything from direct gas prices to increase delivery prices.  This effected  the public even more as business were forced to either increase prices to make up for higher delivery costs, or lay off employees.  However, the oil industry processed multiple quarters of record breaking profits during and after this "crisis."

Likewise, we are now seeing the same thing occurring all over the financial industry.  However, in finance there is nothing "produced" per se,  so they simply exploited the public directly via bailouts, hidden fees ect.  The result- RECORD PROFITS once again. 

The problem with such practices is the intent.  As we can see in the next article "Pay bonanza for JP Morgan staff", the intent is to increase profits and increase pay for the upper echelon of the bank.  So, here again we see the public has been exploited so that wealthy bankers can increase their wealth further.

In an Efficient Society this is never allowed to occur, because society will be built on the fundamental laws of cause and effect.  We will understand that every single person is a Valuable component of an Efficient Society.  We understand that Money and Wealth is a manufactured concept.  PEOPLE are who make products, PEOPLE are who provide services, and PEOPLE are who need products and services. The only TRUE VALUE in this world is PEOPLE.  A world resource is nothing with out a PERSON to make something with it and a service is worthless unless PEOPLE need it and can afford it.  When this concept is understood, we can begin to place Fair Value on the fact that every PERSON on this planet is a tremendous VALUE.  Rather than looking ways to exploit people, we will look for ways to find their most productive/valuable place in society, and they will be fairly compensated for the Crucial Role they play in the function of the Social Whole.  Please read The Efficiency Theory for more on how to make this happen.

Re: CEOs: Our Indulgence is None of Your Business

January 13, 2011

Unfortunately, this video clip is really just a minor example of the enormous amount of waste that occurs in the top levels of management.  However, there is a much greater amount of waste occurring at many other corporate and government levels. 

The Efficiency Theory offers a solution.  By analyzing the the cause and effect correlation between how people behave and the beliefs our culture has ingrained in society, we can see that our push to separate ourselves from others has trained us to act in this very manner.  When we begin to promote a culture that looks at the effect each person's actions has the whole, we will begin to see that we have been severely hindering our progress both individually and as a whole.  Once we change this system, we will develop a society based on fairness, and as a result accelerate our progress in all fields.  Read The Efficiency Theory for more details.  

Giffords 'holding her own,' neurosurgeon says

January 10, 2011

This tragic incident forces us to take a break from the political, economic, and educational themed problems and discuss a key factor in the myriad of other social problems our inefficiencies create.   As emphasized multiple times in The Efficiency Theory, we can not escape the Universal Laws of Cause and Effect.  As grotesque as this man’s mind was, these ideas did not magically appear out of nowhere, they are a result of our vast social problems, and many of these problems stem from the taught notion that we are Separated Groups and Individuals who should seek what is best for ourselves.

This belief is the most destructive force in the world today.  We see it all around us, from political battles to economic division and from schoolyard bullies to terrorist across the world.  So long as this is the belief we promote, we will always have these problems, and unfortunately this is becoming more severe.
 
The Efficiency Theory suggests that such change must occur to achieve our ultimate efficiency.  There isn’t a single law or policy that could ever be implemented to force this to happen, this can only occur from within our beliefs.  We need to acknowledge and promote the truth- that we are all in this together.  We are a unified force on this planet that needs to work together as such for the progress of mankind. By destroying someone else, you are destroying a piece of you.  Religions need to promote togetherness of all faiths, the political structure (that promotes battles with each other) needs to stop, the economy needs to reflect this in fair compensation, and schools need to teach this as a fundamental part of education.
 
When people on this planet start to analyze how interrelated we are in every aspect, we will finally be able to progress in a positive light.  

Re:  How Wall St. execs bankrolled GOP victory  
January 6, 2011

This article again shows us how the wealthiest people in this country maintain their control over the government.  Hedge fund managers, wealthy corporations, special interest groups and individuals do not donate massive amounts of money to fund elections, without some sort of stipulation.  As long as Democrats, Republicans, and now Tea Party members are allowed to be bought, there will always be corruption and the control will always be in the hands of the wealthy. 

In an efficient society we will no longer focus on attaining wealth and power over people.  Instead the focus will be on universal growth and progress.  Once people understand that all people play a role in the advancement of society, only then can we begin to truly progress as a society.  The Efficiency Theory shows how the corruption we face is leading us down the road of collapse, and suggests that in order to survive this dreadful fate, we must change everything.  The core of this change must come from realizing that we are more powerful as a prosperous whole, than an elite few. 

The changes include how we compensate people and eliminate the wealth gap.  It includes changing education into a system that emphasizes the development of people’s individual skills and passions, rather than attempting to standardize everyone.  It includes eliminating the political process that has divided our country into groups that illogically fight over ideologies that are promoted and provided by corrupt people.  And it involves eliminating all of the wasteful programs that throw away money on unproductive outlets. The Efficiency Theory offer a new system that eliminates these problems and provides a new sense of wealth and freedom.

Re: Most Americans Say Tax the Rich to Balance the Budget

January 4, 2011

Taxes will always cause a great deal of debate because it is based on the concept of "taking" from people.  So long as this is the system we use, there will never be agreement as to what is fair.  Taking from someone in any form, will always seem unfair.

In an Efficient Society there will be no tax system, and therefore no money will be "taken" from anyone.  Instead, the Efficient Society deals with fairness at the roots.  Understanding that all people play a crucial role in the function of society is essential for such a change.  When people understand that while a doctor helps prolong life, a teacher helps people build their lives; that with out trash collectors our neighborhoods would be deleterious to our health; that with out scientists we would not have much of the wonderful progress we see in technology and medicine.  Everyone from bankers to those who stock store shelves play an essential role in maintaining the function of society.  If we eliminated one, the system wouldn't work.  When this is realized we can see that our perception of value has been very wrong, and begin to compensate people fairly.

The Efficiency Theory offers "The Fair Compensation Act" that does not pay everyone the same, but closes the enormous wealth gap in society.  In doing so, the system eliminates taxes so that no one feels their money is being taken from them and instead focuses on a profit driven system that benefits the whole.  Read The Efficiency Theory for more detail

Re: Jobs are Trickling In But Many Have Given Up Hopes of Finding Work

January 3, 2011

Our system is set up in a way that grants ultimate power to those who are the wealthiest.  If you’re a wealthy CEO sitting on say, $1 billion of capital, you have a few choices.  You can create tens of thousands of jobs providing a good quality salary for your fellow citizens; you can hold your wealth and change nothing; or you can increase your wealth by exploiting cheap labor overseas, or by reducing your number of employees while requiring others to increase their work load.  What ever the choice, it is not up to the people of this country, it is up to “that wealthy person.”

I remember hearing story as a child about a man who stumbled upon a Genie in a bottle.  When the Genie was released he offered the man one wish and warned that whatever he wished for could never be changed or taken back.  The man, consumed by greed, wished for unlimited wishes, and so it was.  He continued by wishing for wealth, power, and many other worldly riches.  Before he knew it, he had everything he had ever wanted.  In all of his wealth and power, he found that people were jealous and envious, so he suddenly grew bitter.  One day he had enough, and out of anger screamed, “I wish people would just leave me alone.” Before he knew it, he was completely alone in the world and unhappier than he had ever been.

The Lessons of Greed seem to often get overlooked.  Whether we like it or not, we have created the problems we face..  We have spent a greater portion of the last century brainwashing the people of this country into believing, you should do what ever you can to become as wealthy and powerful as possible. This is the American Dream, but our lack of foresight, like the man wishing for unlimited wishes, has made this dream a nightmare. 

The only way to truly correct this mess is to change our greedy ways and to seek a new vision.  The Efficiency Theory offers a new vision- a vision based on foresight.  Emphasizing the universal laws of cause and effect, we can begin to see that every single aspect of human nature and society are interrelated.  The Efficient Society is one that focuses on progress of the whole rather than a few individuals, understanding that if pieces of the system are damaged, the entire system is weakened.  Therefore, the efficient society is one that maintains full employment, installs fair compensation measures that allows people to focus on careers they are passionate about rather than external rewards, provides a true democracy by eliminating the political system, and eliminates all other wasteful programs.  For more on how to achieve this vision read The Efficiency Theory.

Re: The Year To Come
January 2, 2011

The Efficiency Theory offers hope by showing that changing a few KEY aspects of our system, will drastically improve society as a whole.  However, with all of the studies and evidence provided in The Efficiency Theory, the most important fact that MUST be understood by ALL people- is that nothing can change unless we BELIEVE and ACT towards change.

This New Year I challenge people to do the following:
 
1.    Eliminate Your Affiliation:  Studies show that the human brain literally shuts off the ability to think logically by ignoring FACTS that are contrary to their affiliates purpose.1 By sincerely eliminating you affiliation, you will allow your brain the ability to think logically about these problems and approach them in an objective cause and effect manner.
2.    Take Ownership in the Problems:  Until people realize that we create the problems that exists through greed, envy, and accepting the problems the greediest elite continue to make worse, we will not see change.
3.    Be an AGENT of CHANGE:  Do not accept the lesser of two evils; analyze the problems, analyze solutions, offer your own solutions, and demand a change.  The only reason the wealthy 1% have power is because of the system we allow and support.  But true power is in numbers, we have the work force, and we are the system that makes them.  It truly is up to US. 

Best Wishes To All for the Coming Year!  And keep checking back for more inefficiencies and more solution.

'Give It Back For Jobs' Helps Affluent Return Tax Cuts
December 31, 2010

Though the thinking is on the right track, this does not progress us towards efficiency.  Upon visiting the website, you can see that this does not actually go to job creation, but to charitable organizations.  Charities are no different than unemployment or welfare in the sense that it gives resources to people for nothing, thus suggesting "there is no need to contribute or be a productive member of society, because someone who is productive will take care of me."  This is the worst kind of inefficiency because it wastes money that could be used on productivity through job creation, while rewarding people who are not productive and not contributing.

In an efficient society all excessive money (such as this) will be put into an untouchable job creation fund.  Sectors would have an 'analysis of use' to see where jobs are most needed along with the numbers of professionals available for positions, and create positions accordingly.  For more on an efficient society read The Efficiency Theory. or PDF

Re: Many US companies are hiring ... overseas
December 28, 2010

What we see here is a result of the system we have developed.  We have spent more than a century training people, using media and propaganda, sensationalizing wealth and telling people "this is who they should admire," - "this is who they should inspire to be." 

We have taught  generations of people that the heart of capitalism is a competition to be the best no matter what it takes or who it hurts.  The fruits of our labors have now turned rotten.

One of the main points The Efficiency Theory is trying to get across, is that no matter what laws are put in place, greed will remain prevalent, and this is the problem.  We have been TRAINED to be greedy.  We have been trained to BELIEVE that the goals should be to be rich and wealthy and not to worry about others.  So, the only hope is a massive rewiring of BELIEF. 

In an Efficient Society you will not see shows like who wants to be a millionaire, or lifestyle of the rich and famous, or more modern shows like cribs or the mass of shows that follow around the rich parading their wealth.  In an Efficient Society entertainers will not be millionaires, but make normal salaries like everyone else.   Entertainers will be those who love to entertain because it's their passion, and they are happy to be able to make a comfortable living doing so. 

You will see television shows that dramatize and entertain with in the scope of reason. Shows will praise industries as a whole (not CEOs) that have done well, resulting in a raised GDP that has provided jobs in multiple sectors, funded research, and increased our universal quality of life.  The life in an efficient society is one that all people will have jobs and be able to work in careers they are passionate about, while living a wonderfully comfortable life.  Read the Efficiency Theory for more details.

Re: Slashing $100 billion: What’s first to go? 
December 27, 2010

After adding over $800 billion in tax cuts, so that millionaires and billionaires can be even richer, our policy makers are now looking to cut $100 billion from solid job sectors such as education, health care, and human services.  These sectors are already struggling with massive budget cuts that have already forced millions of teachers, administrator, and health care professional to be laid off.  These job losses play a major role in our absurd unemployment rate.

They scream, “fix unemployment,” yet they are cutting from budgets that do create jobs, and instead increasing the deficit to provide more wealth to those who don’t need it- businesses and wealthy CEOs whose legal obligation is to increase profits, not to create jobs.1

The Efficiency Theory provides a system where politicians and special interest have no place in governance.  It closes the enormous gap between rich and poor, stops all wasteful programs, and provides jobs for every working age individual.  The system restructures education to focus on preparing people for careers that they will be most productive and efficient in, by focusing on career paths that merge both their strengths and passions.  Please read The Efficiency Theory for more details.

Re: Lawmakers seek cash during key votes

December 26, 2010

This is a clear example of the foothold corporations have on our lawmakers.  Corporations don't give money to lawmakers with out making a deal that will help that corporation make more money.  In fact, by law corporations have a "social responsibility to increase profits for their shareholders."1  There is nothing that requires businesses to hire people, nor look out for the public's best interest.  Let's think about this dilemma.  Our law makers regularly turn to those who have legal rights and responsibility to increase their wealth.  What do you think the result with be? 

Theodore Roosevelt once suggested that every generation needs a revolution of some form to maintain freedom.2  We have become far too complacent over the years and the result has been control.  The Efficiency Theory explains that the only way to eliminate the problems we face, is to change the system that has created it.  This involves a drastic shift in how education prepares people for careers, how compensation is calculated, how propaganda is used to create a culture of greed and envy, and how government programs are set up in a manner that not only wastes financial resources, but rewards people who are unproductive.  Read The Efficiency Theory for more details.

Re: Experts Citing Rising Hopes for Recovery

December 24, 2010

The Efficiency Theory brings to light many of the ways that the government uses media and other sources to manipulate the public.  This article is a fairly good example of these practices.  Rulers and Governments have studied ways to influence and control the public since ancient times.   What they have found is that there is no more powerful way to control behaviors than to manipulate what people believe. Whether it’s a superstition, a religion, a belief in a person, an event, a commercial, or a theory, we all act the way we do because of what we believe, and government and corporations are well aware of this.
 
However, if we look past the headlines, which a surprising number of people won’t, we see the contradictions.  It starts off by stating that eighteen months ago the recession “ended.”  Which means eighteen months ago there were "signs" the recession ended, but then it goes on to say that the ‘signs’ we are seeing now are a result of the recession ending eighteen months ago.  So perhaps we will see ‘signs’ eighteen months from now that will confirm the signs we are seeing today.
 
This type of propaganda is used to alter public belief, and as a result, influence our behaviors (ie. get people to spend more).  Unfortunately, the real problem isn't beliefs, it is the fact that people are out of work or not making as much as they did before, unless of course you are in the top 1%-2%.

The Efficiency Theory provides a system where society can maintain a full 99%-100% employment rate, and where people will be fairly compensated.  It relieves the world of the ridiculously lopsided gap in wealth, and brings power back to the common man, via democracy.  An efficient society will not use media to control people, but to provide objective facts and analysis.  Garbage media that promotes stupidity and extravagance will be replaced with shows that promote education, discovery, and unity.  Read The Efficiency Theory for more details.  

Re: New Year's resolution: I quit!

December 23, 2010

Disappointment and bitterness towards employers is a phenomenon sweeping across the world.  Since the economy started to decline years ago, employers have laid off millions of worker.  An except from The Efficiency Theory gives a perfect example, “Though she retained her job, it did come at a price.  Her boss instead fired three others in the office and now requires her to take on all of the responsibilities of the previous staff members, as well as her own.  To make things even more interesting, her boss also cut her wage by forty percent.  This means Betty essentially has four times the responsibility and is only being paid sixty percent of what she was making before they were fired.”

Though this is certainly a cause of this bitterness, it is only one of the problems.  The Efficiency Theory shows that two of the most fundamental causes of our expanding inefficiency is: our perception of value which has been adulterated by a system motivated power and greed, and training society to focus on an external reward system.

An Efficient Society will maintain full employment at all times.  People will be fairly compensated and executive and corporate wealth and power will be neutralized. This in effect will alter our perception of value by allowing people to pursue careers they are passionate about, rather the focusing on a career based on a desired income.   The Efficiency Theory explains in great detail how this new system will work, why it will work and how it will result in exponential progress.

Re: Unemployed get another jobless benefit- free yoga

December 21, 2010

The biggest problem with unemployment benefits, welfare and other concepts derived from socialism, is that it rewards inefficiency.  Providing income and benefits to people for doing nothing, only promotes the idea that they will be fine without work.   This perpetuates the problems of unemployment and inefficiency.

In an efficient society no one will be rewarded for not contributing.   There will more than enough jobs for everyone, and people will not avoid work because they will be fairly compensated and working in passion driven careers where they will be most efficient and productive.  Read The Efficiency Theory to see how we can make this happen.

Re:  Fraud of Lehman Accounting
December 20, 2010

Fraudulent activity of this nature is an enormous problem in society.  There are billions of dollars stolen, manipulated and wasted every year, not only from major corporations but from many other sources such as fraudulent investments, bad checks, and stolen identities. 

Much of this problem is due to the nature of our social development.  We have been trained to desire more, and to even believe we need more no matter how much we have.  This inclination towards greed and allowing select individuals access to such enormous amount of money, inevitably leads to such problems.  However, what businesses and financial institutions do not broadcast is the extreme harm such beliefs cause.  They don't point out the millions of people hurt by such losses when rates are increased due to losses and insurance claims, and they don't broadcast the fact that such fraud actually contributes to the expanding gap between the wealthy elite and the rest of the population.

The Efficiency Theory offers a new way.  Once we embrace the universal laws of cause and effect and provide a system that is based on such, fraudulent activities will no longer exists.  Read The Efficiency Theory to see how.   

December 20, 2010

Whether we are talking about an $11 million Christmas Tree, a $25 million wrist watch, or a $2.4 million cell phone, this extreme sensationalism of riches, is not only a waste of financial resources but exacerbates the motive towards greed and envy.

The Efficiency Theory explains the deeper consequences of such grandeur and provides research into how such luster wires the brain to desire more by provoking envy.  This is one of the many walls of our inefficient system that must change in order to reach our ultimate efficiency.

RE: McConnell says he 'cannot support' nuclear arms treaty

December 19, 2010

The news has been bombarded with unemployment and tax issues recently, which has made economic crisis the hot topic of the efficiency process. However, as crucial as the economic structure is to balancing power and curing social unrest, there are other wasteful topics to discuss in our current system and current mind-set. 

As society has developed the tendency towards greed and power over others, it's primary focus has been taking away from, exploiting, and destroying others.  This mind-set led to the cold war- a vast race to develop a more offensive capability to destroy others.  As a result we have created enough nuclear weapons in the past 50 years, to destroy everything on the planet.

In an efficient society deals would not made on the amount of destructive power each country is allowed to have, which is precisely what the START Treaty is.  The Efficiency Mind-set is based on the universal laws of cause and effect, and acknowledges that destruction is counter productive in all respects. An efficient society seeks ultimate productivity, stability, happiness and progress.  Therefor an efficient society would shift the focus to defensive measures. 

Imagine for a moment, that the cold war had been a battle for the the most powerful defensive system rather than offensive system.  Today we would be far beyond a perfected missile defense system, we would have electromagnetic or particle force fields that would have the ability to divert missiles, reflect missiles, or even diffuse them in flight.  A cause and effect analysis shows this has the exact same deterrent ability as offensive power.  Nuclear countries do not send these missile at each other, because they know they can be sent right back at them.  However, other missile can still be sent. 

An Efficient Mind-Set would see that a world-wide battle over the greatest defense system, would ultimately lead to missiles becoming worthless.  Imagine the ability to stop any missile sent from anywhere in the world, no matter who or what it is aimed at- and this is not just a capability by the US, but by China, Russia, the Eurozone and Brazil.  If any missile sent was simply diffused or destroyed in flight, no one would send them; the trillions of dollars spent on building missiles would end and this massive destructive force would be obsolete.   For more amazing changes we can make please read The Efficiency Theory. 

Re:  Bill Preventing Tax cuts and Delivering Unemployment Benefits
December 17, 2010

The Bushes have shown us how well "across the board tax cuts" effect the economy.  Massive tax cuts have no direct link to job creation. In fact, statistics during the greatest tax cutting eras in history, show an extremely low job creation rate.  Data taken from the Wall Street Journal shows that while taxes were higher during the 8 year Clinton term, there were nearly 20 million more jobs created than in both Bush senior and Bush Jr.'s 12 years combined.  

President : Jobs created : Jobs at end of term : Jobs at start of term  : Payroll expansion : Jobs created per year in office : Population growth : Percent change in population:  George W. Bush : 3.0 million : 135.5 million : 132.5 million : 2.3% : 375,000 : 22.0 million : 7.7%   Bill Clinton : 23.1 : million : 132.5 million : 109.4 million : 21.1% : 2,900,000 : 25.2 million :8.9%   George H.W. Bush : 2.5 million : 109.4 million : 106.9 million : 2.3% : 625,000 : 12.5 million  : 4.8%. (1)

So where will the tax cuts for the rich really go?   When businesses are given tax breaks, they find ways to use this freed up money to make more profits for themselves.  The greedy elite don't care about helping the economy or providing jobs for fellow countrymen, they care about increasing their wealth.  So they invest in creating jobs overseas where they can exploit cheap labor to gain further profits.  Between 2003 and 2008 the MCI Emerging markets (cheap labor areas like China and India) increased 120%, while our own S&P dropped 6%.2  So yes, the trickle down economics does work, it just trickles down further than any US citizens can reach.

This would not happen in an Efficient Society, because there would be no incentive to ship jobs overseas.  With the elimination of taxes and the political system as we know it, we will eliminate two very powerful means of manipulating financial allocations. In accordance with The Fair Compensation Act, The Efficiency Theory explains that such profits would go back into the system to assure further job creation and economic and social efficiency.  Read The Efficiency Theory book for more details.

Re:  Obama and business leaders hold "working meeting"

December 17, 2010

If there has ever been any doubt who is running this country, then I ask why must the President beg CEO’s to hire people?  The article states that these 20 Companies alone are “sitting on $1.9 trillion dollars.”  That money could be used to ignite the economy, but instead is hoarded at the top.  Think about this:  If these companies alone dedicated 50% of this hoarded money to create jobs, they could easily create 20-25 million jobs making $40,711 a year (the average US salary in 2009)1.   This investment would directly do what history shows tax cuts will not do- create jobs.

This example of the wealth dominated plutocratic system we have evolved into, show’s exactly what The Efficiency Theory suggests; “By allowing money to have such manipulative force, we are granting those people who have the most money, the most power.”  However, when those who have this power do not have the public’s best interest in mind it becomes a serious problem. 

The Efficiency Theory is based on the inescapable laws of cause and effect.  There is not an example in history of a peaceful, democratic plutocracy.  As wealth is funneled to the top few, it does so at the expense of the masses.  This will in effect lead to the masses revolting, fighting, and eventually destroying themselves and the entire system.  The Efficiency Theory offers a way out by acknowledging that we (all people in society) are interrelated and interdependent in all social and economic aspects.  Such a system must provide stability, purpose and fairness for all people.  Read The Efficiency Theory for more information.

RE:  Multiple Inefficiencies
December 15, 2010

Re: Video Clip 1

I start the four articles of inefficiency today with a short video clip from several years ago with Alan Greenspan.  I chose this clip because it shows that we were warned by the very people that are involved in creating this mess, that they will cause a collapse of the system if things do not change.

Re: Video Clip 2

Since then things have only gotten worse.  In the second video clip, it clearly shows that Political Games are more important than fixing the economy.  Every citizen Democrat, Republican, Independent and Tea Party, should be outraged at the fact that politicians are playing games with a tax bill worth nearly a trillion dollars.  Labels should be put aside and the objective right now should be creating jobs and getting our economy back on track.  The Efficiency Theory states, “We waste massive amounts of time, effort, and skill in political maneuvering that accomplishes nothing more than a symbolic claim to whose political ideol­ogy is deemed more important.”  This takes away from accomplishing true progress and it also wastes the skills of thousands of people (our politicians).

Each of these politicians should be plugged into the system in their most efficient capacity.  Perhaps some have great research abilities; maybe others would make great educators, physicians, or project managers.  These people have passions and skills just like everyone else, and these skills are being wasted on something extremely unproductive- Political Games.  Imagine a society without politician; a society where political games are obsolete.  The Efficiency Theory provides this very system, by replacing our current wasteful system with one that is not motivate by wealth and power, but instead motivated by passion, expertise, and universal growth and expansion.  This system does not have labels, because there is only one objective- Efficiency.  Problems are taken on objectively by experts (not politicians).  Solutions are produced by experts (not politicians).  Cause and effect predictions are objectively provided for each of the solutions, with a recommendation to the public.  However, utilizing true democracy, the Public has the final vote. Special interest and bureaucracies do not exists, because their open access to wealth has been eliminated.  When we take out the waste and focus on the whole, solution will come much faster, balance will be achieved, and progress will expand exponentially.  For more details read The Efficiency Theory.

Re: Article 1

The third article again shows the extreme problem with our current economic system.  While a vast majority of people are experiencing financial turmoil, the richest of the rich are setting records in financial profits.  This is what I call “Reverse Robin Hood,” the rich stealing from anyone poorer than them.  This continues to get worse and it exacerbates many of the other problems in society; just as Mr. Greenspan has explained in the previous video clip.  The Fair Compensation Act in The Efficiency Theory solves this very problem.

Re: Video Clip 3

This clip is another example of the massive amounts of special interest waste.  “Earmarks” or “congressional appointed funds”, allow the single greatest corrupting motive- access to excessive amount of money. Not only do these earmarks take more tax money from the public, but they are often too specific to specific to benefit the majority, and they are most often used to fund special interests and not improve society.  For more on “Earmarks”, see my post titled: Re: Earmarks.