I have been working on a concept for the last 5 years called “Ethical Capitalism”. It began while helping my niece do her capstone project for her Bachelors Degree. The problem I have been wrestling with is how to provide socialist support in a capitalistic society. The Bill Moyers PBS special on Jonathan Kozol’s Savage Inequalities motivated me to re-visit the question.
Many American’s view Socialism as a philosophy that is anti-motivational and promulgates failed economic policy. They also feel that government, in general, wastes tremendous amounts of money and fails as stewards of tax revenues.
I am thinking that there may be a market driven method for funding social programs and I would like to get your thoughts. If this is successful I believe it could lower the burden on taxpayers since many needy organizations would be able to lower the budget requirements that are funded by taxes (I am thinking specifically about schools). Even if it didn’t lower taxes it should allow redirection of government spending, such as, roads.
Here are some of my ideas:
• Create a non-profit organization to collect funds from businesses and disperse funds to social programs or entities. Although organizations like this exist, they seek funding from individuals. This new organization would seek funding from corporations and their share holders.• The focus of the organization would be strictly pragmatic, that is, responding to concrete needs, much like Habitat for Humanity (no pun intended). There would be no attempt to promulgate any philosophical or political point of view.• The organization would distribute “seals of approval” to businesses.• The seals would have a number in the center that indicated the percentage ofprofits that the company donated to the non-profit organization.• Contributors would have to pass an audit to have their number assigned.• The seals could be displayed on shop windows, Internet sites, brochures, etc.• Consumers could check the validity of the seal through the non-profit’s website or telephone number.• Consumers could then decide to support companies based on their support ofsocial program funding.• The non-profit would conduct advertising campaigns educating people about the program and promoting consumer support of participating businesses.• Social organizations that support various efforts (schools, teenage mothers,homeless, etc.) would apply for specific projects (i.e., a gymnasium, personnel, computers, etc.) and the non-profit organization would provide the funding directly to the contractors. That way there would be concrete measure of how the money was spent and no discretion by the applicant on how the money was spent..• There would be criteria for award:- Demonstrable need- Social impact- Applicant’s program is aligned and supported by expert research as to its efficacy.- Applicant’s program has a successful track-record.- Innovation would have to have strong argument.- Community input.• The non-profit could have committees for each area (schools, social programs) made up of social activists, consumers and business people.• Contracts could be awarded to local businesses to try and keep the money in the community.
Ideas on how to get started:
• Network the idea to social activists that have connections to philanthropic business executives.• Build a core group of influential people to build support for the program.• Create a Board of Directors to oversee and provide direction to build the organization• Acquire startup investment money. The money would be used to hire a marketing director and sales people to approach businesses for sign-up. The sales people would try to sell the argument that the program is good for business.• .Have a credible author write a book explaining the idea and its possibilities.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
News
After several weeks of wearing comfy couture, Cate Blanchett has matter-of-factly confirmed she's expecting her third child with her writer-director hubby, Andrew Upton.
A reporter at Saturday's Sydney premiere of her film "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," came right out and asked about the pregnancy rumors, earning a big grin from the luminous Oscar winner, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
"Yes, I am," responded the up-front Blanchett, who gives us yet another entry to add to the long list of reasons why we love her.
The Aussie actress, 38, who is already mom to Dashiell, 5, and Roman, 3, pleaded ignorance to rumblings she's awaiting another boy.
"You know more than me," she laughed. "It's early days yet. It's due in April."
Cate has made no secret of her desire to expand her brood, revealing in the October issue of W, "We're not going to wait forever. God, I'd love it to be now. I'd love it to be next week."
Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman are spotted in Beverly Hills, Calif., on October 27. (AF/Retna Digital)
Meanwhile, Christina Aguilera has apparently decided not to wait until her water breaks to reveal that no, she hasn't been shoving a series of ever-larger beach balls under her shirt, and yes, she is in fact knocked up.
When asked by Glamour UK about her New Year's resolutions, she spilled, "That'll be about the time I enter into mommyhood, so I'm hoping to have started a beautiful family with my husband!"
The peroxide-coiffed pop queen, whose bulging, frequently on-display belly is all the proof anyone really needed, adds that she's already making plans to bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan.
"I want to get it right, to balance [motherhood] well with my career," says Xtina, who will soon celebrate her second anniversary with her stork-happy hubby Jordan Bratman.
"Oh, he's thrilled! He's just great," she enthuses of her joined-at-the-hip music exec spouse. "He's so supportive and amazing through everything. He came with me on the last leg of the tour and he was my support system ... I gush. I'm a lucky girl."
Jennifer Lopez performs in Miami on Nov. 2. (AP)
Unlike Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez hasn't confirmed the bulbously obvious, but her rapidly ballooning midsection has fueled chatter that she's incubating twins, a rumor she did little to quell during a recent shopping trip.
People magazine reports that during an Oct. 25 outing to de rigueur Los Angeles baby boutique Petit Tresor with BFF Leah Remini and a pair of pals (they closed the place down for two hours), Mrs. Marc Anthony "appeared to shop for two."
"[They] walked in and went right for the cribs and had their eyes on everything," a spy tells the mag. "The whole crew of ladies walked out with a slew of boxes, not bags, and got into a waiting chauffeured car."
In other baby burblings, the gravy train is over for Milla Jovovich. People reports the actress, who happily admitted to indulging in oodles of yummy treats during her pregnancy, has given birth to a baby girl.
Milla Jovovich attends the "Resident Evil: Extinction" premiere in Las Vegas on September 20. (Eric Charbonneau/WireImage.com)
Ever Gabo Anderson made her debut on Saturday in Los Angeles, tipping the scales at 7 lbs., 8 oz., and blissfully unaware of the lifetime of jokes that await her, most of which will begin with "what," "how" and "for."
"Everything went really smooth," a source tells Us Weekly.
Dad is filmmaker Paul Anderson, who directed Jovovich, 31, in the first "Resident Evil" flick (he also wrote and produced the two sequels). They've been engaged since 2003.
"I am so huge you guys!" the brunette beauty posted on her Web site in September. "I've gained almost 70 pounds in the last 4 months! It's unbelievable how quickly it all happened."
According to Milla, "All I did was eat three bagels every morning with butter, peanut butter and jelly all over them, a few boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts for lunch and boom!"
And in a final bit of womb news, it looks like Katie Holmes didn't have an extra passenger on board as she crossed the finish line of the New York City marathon on Sunday.
Mrs. Tom Cruise is once again shooting down reports that she's planning to quietly birth a sibling for absurdly photogenic Suri, 18 months.
"She is not pregnant," a rep insists to Us.
Just like last month, this latest round of baby talk was touched off by one of Katie's fashion choices, specifically, the draping and surprisingly successful one-shouldered, silk Monique Lhuillier gown she wore to last Thursday's Los Angeles premiere of Cruise's drama, "Lions for Lambs."
A reporter at Saturday's Sydney premiere of her film "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," came right out and asked about the pregnancy rumors, earning a big grin from the luminous Oscar winner, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
"Yes, I am," responded the up-front Blanchett, who gives us yet another entry to add to the long list of reasons why we love her.
The Aussie actress, 38, who is already mom to Dashiell, 5, and Roman, 3, pleaded ignorance to rumblings she's awaiting another boy.
"You know more than me," she laughed. "It's early days yet. It's due in April."
Cate has made no secret of her desire to expand her brood, revealing in the October issue of W, "We're not going to wait forever. God, I'd love it to be now. I'd love it to be next week."
Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman are spotted in Beverly Hills, Calif., on October 27. (AF/Retna Digital)
Meanwhile, Christina Aguilera has apparently decided not to wait until her water breaks to reveal that no, she hasn't been shoving a series of ever-larger beach balls under her shirt, and yes, she is in fact knocked up.
When asked by Glamour UK about her New Year's resolutions, she spilled, "That'll be about the time I enter into mommyhood, so I'm hoping to have started a beautiful family with my husband!"
The peroxide-coiffed pop queen, whose bulging, frequently on-display belly is all the proof anyone really needed, adds that she's already making plans to bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan.
"I want to get it right, to balance [motherhood] well with my career," says Xtina, who will soon celebrate her second anniversary with her stork-happy hubby Jordan Bratman.
"Oh, he's thrilled! He's just great," she enthuses of her joined-at-the-hip music exec spouse. "He's so supportive and amazing through everything. He came with me on the last leg of the tour and he was my support system ... I gush. I'm a lucky girl."
Jennifer Lopez performs in Miami on Nov. 2. (AP)
Unlike Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez hasn't confirmed the bulbously obvious, but her rapidly ballooning midsection has fueled chatter that she's incubating twins, a rumor she did little to quell during a recent shopping trip.
People magazine reports that during an Oct. 25 outing to de rigueur Los Angeles baby boutique Petit Tresor with BFF Leah Remini and a pair of pals (they closed the place down for two hours), Mrs. Marc Anthony "appeared to shop for two."
"[They] walked in and went right for the cribs and had their eyes on everything," a spy tells the mag. "The whole crew of ladies walked out with a slew of boxes, not bags, and got into a waiting chauffeured car."
In other baby burblings, the gravy train is over for Milla Jovovich. People reports the actress, who happily admitted to indulging in oodles of yummy treats during her pregnancy, has given birth to a baby girl.
Milla Jovovich attends the "Resident Evil: Extinction" premiere in Las Vegas on September 20. (Eric Charbonneau/WireImage.com)
Ever Gabo Anderson made her debut on Saturday in Los Angeles, tipping the scales at 7 lbs., 8 oz., and blissfully unaware of the lifetime of jokes that await her, most of which will begin with "what," "how" and "for."
"Everything went really smooth," a source tells Us Weekly.
Dad is filmmaker Paul Anderson, who directed Jovovich, 31, in the first "Resident Evil" flick (he also wrote and produced the two sequels). They've been engaged since 2003.
"I am so huge you guys!" the brunette beauty posted on her Web site in September. "I've gained almost 70 pounds in the last 4 months! It's unbelievable how quickly it all happened."
According to Milla, "All I did was eat three bagels every morning with butter, peanut butter and jelly all over them, a few boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts for lunch and boom!"
And in a final bit of womb news, it looks like Katie Holmes didn't have an extra passenger on board as she crossed the finish line of the New York City marathon on Sunday.
Mrs. Tom Cruise is once again shooting down reports that she's planning to quietly birth a sibling for absurdly photogenic Suri, 18 months.
"She is not pregnant," a rep insists to Us.
Just like last month, this latest round of baby talk was touched off by one of Katie's fashion choices, specifically, the draping and surprisingly successful one-shouldered, silk Monique Lhuillier gown she wore to last Thursday's Los Angeles premiere of Cruise's drama, "Lions for Lambs."
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