tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079527370176944630.post4776554518635734305..comments2023-08-18T01:27:44.192-07:00Comments on Knowledge is porridge: Why redistribute?Daniel Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418218236950133656noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079527370176944630.post-1107353984188666522012-06-04T11:02:24.682-07:002012-06-04T11:02:24.682-07:00It shouldn't be about redistributing wealth. I...It shouldn't be about redistributing wealth. Instead, it should be about redesigning markets and institutions so they produce more socially just outcomes. <br /><br />For example, break up the banks into 100s of competing units. Remove charitable status from independent schools and tax them for what they are: businesses providing a service that its customers are willing to pay for, rather than charities supplying a service that the market or the state does not supply.<br /><br />Separate the energy retail companies from the energy wholesale and generation companies. Allow new entrants to the retail market to buy wholesale and distribute.<br /><br />Reform lobby regulations so that all lobbying has to be done through one's local MP so that the power of large business interests can not subvert the democratic will of the electorate via direct access to the PM and ministers.<br /><br />Invest massively in building high quality social housing with very low rents for poor people. The investment funds can be borrowed by government. Contrary to popular belief, public debt is not high by historic standards or when compared to other mature democracies.<br /><br />Introduce 2 tier boards of directors into corporate governance. The non-executive board should appoint the executive board. The non-executives should be elected in equal numbers by a firm's shareholders and employees. There should be a statutory obligation on the employee representatives to maximise employment opportunities for the local community and to protect employee interests whenever closure/relocation decision are being considered. The combined board should determine the executive directors' remuneration annually and should have the power to fire them without compensation.<br /><br />Reduce class sizes in state schools to a maximum of 15. This can be done by shrinking the mandatory curriculum to Maths and English so that every child leaves school with a good command of English and Maths and so can not be designated as "unemployable" by employing organisations.<br /><br />Reform prisons so that they house only the "bad", not the "sad" and "mad" as they do currently. Provide proper services for these people so they can participate fully in employment and other opportunities.<br /><br />Place a bar on privately educated civil servants so as to reduce the incentives for parents to send their children to private schools and to purchase privilege.PaintingWithNumbershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04626024525506054863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079527370176944630.post-79468942807886456562011-06-12T23:57:01.388-07:002011-06-12T23:57:01.388-07:00Thanks for the comment. I think redistribution of...Thanks for the comment. I think redistribution of this kind would be funded by (a) a higher and more progressive tax system and (b) means-testing some universal benefits and using those savings to build new, universal civic institutions and services.Daniel Sagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00418218236950133656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079527370176944630.post-45441469022399590872011-06-12T15:47:18.339-07:002011-06-12T15:47:18.339-07:00This sounds like a quite marvelous idea. Can you o...This sounds like a quite marvelous idea. Can you outline a few more details of how it would be funded, e.g. I am assuming you would continue to pay benefits to the people who are still dependent on them, so in the short term it would be more expensive but in the long term it would be far less expensive.imaywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16444649304747018231noreply@blogger.com