Writings on economy, commons, language and other things
There are advantages to being unincorporated, and therefore without local government, as we are out here in West Marin. We are spared the contentiousness of local politics. We exist somewhat … More
West Marin’s Jonathan Rowe strongly believes that the economists, the Federal Reserve, Congress, the White House—all who have anything to do with measuring and reporting the health of the economy—have it all wrong.
Rowe—co-founder of West Marin Commons, a community organizing group—is not an economist. But he spent many years as a staffer on Capitol Hill listening to scores of economists expound and pronounce at Senate committee meetings—and came away not very impressed.
When I was in college there was a member of the Boston City Council by the name of Christopher Iannella. He was not always what you might call a fount … More
I’ve never asked. But I suspect that Emily Levine, when she was little, used to brood over questions that no one could answer. What is at the end of the … More
Suppose that the head of a federal agency came before this committee and reported with pride that agency employees had burned 10 percent more calories at work last year than they did the year before. Not only that–they had spent 10 percent more money too. I have a feeling you would want to know more. What were these employees doing when they burned those calories? What did they spend that money on? Most important, what were the results? Expenditure is a means, not an end, and to assess the health of an agency, or system, you need to know what it has accomplished, not just how much motion it has generated and money it has spent. The point seems obvious, yet Congress ignores it every day when it talks about “the economy.” The administration and the media do it, too. Every time you say that “the economy” is up, or that you want to “stimulate” it, you are urging more expenditure and motion without regard to what that expenditure is and what it might accomplish, and without regard to what it might crowd out or displace in the process.
Today I received an anonymous email with talking points for opponents of the proposed footbridge to connect the wetlands path to Inverness Park. The contents suggest that the debate already … More
There is something to be said for writing in a hostile political environment. You can’t coast on prevailing opinion. You have to use your wits.
This is one reason Texas has produced some of the most arresting progressive voices of the last generation. Working against the state’s Rightward flow, they have harkened to its populist tradition. They are funny and a little outrageous. They have swagger, and tell stories.
It is tricky, this “nature” business. When we talk about it we are talking about ourselves, in more ways than one. (Mark Dowie explored the question evocatively on these pages, … More
When I walk down Mesa Road towards town these days, I pass the new wetlands where the dairy farm used to be. One morning not long ago, the scene morphed … More
Testimony of Jonathan Rowe
Co-director of the West Marin Commons
Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade and Tourism
March 12, 2008
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:
Let’s suppose that the head of a federal agency came before this committee and reported with pride that agency employees had burned 10% more calories in the workplace than they did the year before. Not only that – they had spent 10% more money too.
I have a feeling you would want to know more. What were these employees doing when they burnt those calories? What did they spend that money on? Most important, what were the results? Expenditure is a means not an end; and to assess the health of an agency, or system, or whatever, you need to know what it has accomplished, not just how much motion it has generated and money it has spent. . The point seems obvious. Yet Congress does this very thing every day, and usually many times a day, when it talks about this thing called “the economy.” The administration and the media do it too. Every time you say that the “economy” is up, or that you want to “stimulate” it, or get it going again, or whatever words you use, this is what you actually are saying. You are urging more expenditure and motion without regard to what that expenditure is and what it might accomplish – and without regard to what it might crowd out or displace in the process.