Re: HOMESTEAD: Latest revision of the Homestead Summary

["Thomas Brandt" <TBrandt@dbedt.hawaii.gov>]

Deb,

I think this is a very concise, yet quite comprehensive summary of the
currently most viable alternatives (at least relative to those I mention
below) discussed by COG so far.    The main alternatives I think are not
included are the various and perhaps somewhat more grandiose proposals
submitted to Stuart Speiser's USOP (Universal Stock Ownership Plan) essay
contests in the 1980s.   (BTW, Terry Mollner's "trusteeship trust" proposal
was included in the books of essays published by Speiser and was distinct
from most of the others in its non-governmental "bottom-up" approach).

I remember mentioning the USOP essays early on in COG discussions, but I
don't think these were ever thoroughly discussed because I think they were
perceived as too difficult to implement or too socialistic and/or because
none of the Speiser contestants was participating in COG discussions.
Even though the USOP proposals may not be politically feasible at present,
I think they are no less so than Norm Kurland's Capital Homesteading
proposal, which is equally far-reaching in scope, and which you do mention
in your summary.   Your summary also leaves out existing ideas for free
market socialism proposed by various scholars working more in the tradition
of Oskar Lange rather than Louis Kelso.

Even though I think the Kelsonian and other alternatives you mention are
relatively more feasible in the current political climate, I think existing
USOP and market socialist proposals might enrich the COG Homestead
discussion or at least deserve mention in your summary (if only because
they might make COG's Homestead proposals seem more feasible and desirable
by comparison).   On the other hand, introducing these lines of thought
might just create another unproductive distraction (or taint COG's primary
proposals), and discussion by COG of proposals for free market socialism
might get no further than discussion of USOPs for the same reasons.

So bearing in mind your and COG's time and resource constraints, I think
the following addition to your summary would be useful even if you are not
inclined to include any of my other suggestions above.    A brief
description of Clinton's Universal Savings Account (USA) proposal--which I
believe is not the same as that proposed by Michael Sherraden--and/or other
existing proposals for partially privatizing Social Security by investing
in the stock market might deserve a mention to show readers unfamiliar with
any of these ideas that, by comparison, what COG proposes isn't really that
far beyond the realm of possibility and might address possible SocSec
shortfalls, as well as the problem of concentrated wealth, more
effectively.

Mahalo and Aloha!