Showing posts with label Good government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Good government. Show all posts

Friday, July 27, 2012

Funding Big Cities Through a Reverse Tax—Incentives Can Make a Difference


Chicago, IL—All of America’s big cities are exclusively run by, Democrats.  They never met a tax they did not love and in fact they have strangled their local businesses to death.  Big city taxpayers and businesses flee by the droves or simply fall under the weight of taxation from every possible direction.
Big city taxes are job killers and that of course takes even more revenue from city treasuries.  Detroit is the poster child for a city that has taxed itself to death.  Cities in California are now filing bankruptcy one after another.  Inept and corrupt politicians are everywhere.
A reverse tax is needed to draw productivity and life back to the cities.  A reverse tax is simply payments or grants for businesses to create new life, business and jobs.
A simple revenue-generating program needs to begin for the motion picture business.  Perhaps it’s time to look at Europe, specifically Germany in this regard.  This is where I got the inspiration to write this article.  
I’m involved in the making of a feature film right now that should be and could be made in the USA.  However first I need investors or funds from every direction and I need a lot of them.  Films are considered risky investments.   I was able to find no less than $9 million in the form of a government cash grant; yes that’s a grant not a loan!  It’s coming from the German government! That’s about half of the total budget of what’s considered a low budget film!  Once I have half lined up it is so much easier to get the second half! 
The only requirement to get the money is that 25% of the filming must occur in Germany under the care of a German film producer.  More than 75% of the film I’m involved currently with can be made in Germany with ease!  Germany hands out the grants because they learned the grants generate badly needed jobs and revenue! 
Take Chicago and filmmaking.  Chicago invites filmmakers to the Windy City and proceeds to offer them all kinds of cooperation for a very hefty price.  Films are being made but not nearly enough.  State and local governments nickel and dime filmmakers to death from every form of permit fees and regressive taxation.  Making a film in Chicago is expensive and running off to film friendly Canada to fake Chicago is always an attractive alternative.
Germany on the other hand has done the math and found that these generous grants pay off well.   The returns on job generation, and money spent by filmmakers brings big returns to government coffers.
Chicago is in unique position to attract filmmakers because it’s a terrific film location. It has every kind of weather; massive parks, the lake, and huge vacant buildings that can be easily converted into sound stages.  If Germany can get the return on the investment, why can’t Chicago?
Mayor Emanuel’s brother, Ari Emanuel is probably the most powerful man in Hollywood right now.  He runs Endeavor, William Morris , the largest talent agency in the world.  The talent agencies, not the studios call the all the shots on American films. 
If the City of Chicago partnered with filmmakers it would be both lucrative and fun for everyone.   They need to somehow learn how to follow the German model. 
If the Emanuel brothers got serious with this window of opportunity they could bring billions to the Windy City and get great films and TV series made that would never otherwise see the light of day.  
By comparison California never figured out how to be film friendly and have lost hundreds of billions to Canada over the decades.   They call that phenomenon runaway production.  For example anything beyond making a home birthday party movie requires a minimum $1000.00 film permit in Los Angeles.   
No budget producers like me must resort to guerilla filmmaking.  Our crews have to keep a sharp eye out for the cops as we set up, shoot and scoot before they can stop us.  Perhaps lowering the fees and bureaucracy could be a good start.
The Great film director Werner Herzog learned long ago to not let government get in the way of his art.  Herzog goes so far as to suggest to his students that they forge film permits!  Perhaps local government paying the filmmakers instead of extorting from them might induce new life and business. 
If this works for Chicago they can do the same for any industry they want to attract.  Imagine a city that pays productive people and their businesses to stay and produce!



Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Prisons and Jails Could Save Needed Millions with E-mail and Skype for Inmates.

Our prisons uniformly hate the idea of making any technology available to inmates.  Prisons and jails by necessity employ really low wattage folks that cannot grasp even the simplest of computer tasks.
Right now any mail to inmates must be opened, read and examined for cleverly concealed narcotics.  That costs a bundle and sometimes seriously delays the mail to the inmates.
They need not make computers available to inmates but they could create inmate e-mail accounts for purposes of simply receiving the mail.  Two things swill happen.  For one, the inmates will get more mail but the likelihood of smuggled narcotics is totally eliminated.  The second is that it will be a lot easier for staff members to save the communications for intelligence and investigative purposes.
If e-mail was instituted it could be a perk granted or withdrawn as inmate behavior dictates. 
I’m also a big fan of Skype.com to replace maximum-security non-contact visitation.  Why waste resources searching and dealing with visitors when they need not even enter prison facilities?
Pass this idea on to prisons and governors everywhere.  Inmate families are usually poor and prisons are located far away from them. Why victimize families for what an inmate has done? 

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Chicago Traffic management Aids Walk the Plank!


Chicago, IL—There was a time when trained and armed police officers directed traffic in Chicago’s busy loop. They did a lot more than direct traffic. They also knew their city and could answer any tourist’s questions intelligently. They were a genuine high visibility crime deterrent.

The white hat wearing Loop Traffic cops even turned blowing the official Chicago police plastic traffic whistle manufactured by Sports, Inc a concert quality musical event. That great sound has probably been lost forever. I still have my issued whistle but could never master it like those old pros.

Consider the Chicago Traffic management Aids. They don’t have to demonstrate literacy or basic intelligence. They have little training, no firearms and thankfully no police powers making them no obstacle for today’s violent flashmob robbers. The fact is that rather than keep traffic moving they more often obstruct it as they demonstrate their flair of abusing the limited authority they have.

The traffic management aid serves no purpose useful whatsoever. Mayor Rham Emmanuel has apparently seen the light and taxpayers will no longer be saddled with their costly and unnecessary existence.

Perhaps these people can find work removing the horribly expensive concrete plant boxes constructed on miles of Chicago’s streets that have endangered drivers, obstructed the orderly flow of traffic and more importantly our emergency vehicles that need all the room that gen get.

Jobs programs are fine as long as they address work that the taxpayers actually need.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Need Cops In Chicago? Here is a Novel Solution that Includes Funding!


Chicago, IL—The Windy City needs to give their police department some serious CPR. The department is undermanned, out-gunned, demoralized and dysfunctional because of miserable management and political shenanigans.

They can continue as they have and things will deconstruct to the point of anarchy. They can apply a Band-Aid but that can’t and won’t stop the public safety hemorrhage.

The city should auction off a prime parcel of lakefront property with the proviso that it be used for a small business commuter airport like the one Richard M. Daley destroyed in the middle of the night a few years ago.

Next they could do the same with another small stretch of property for a world-class gun range, training facility and pro shop to replace to old Lincoln Park Gun Club they shut down decades ago. I think it is abundantly clear to Mayor Emanuel and Superintendent McCarthy that the Illinois gun carry ban is about to end. The right way to deal with this is to invite the public to learn how to use the weapons properly, safely and justifiably. Perhaps one could be established on the North side, and another on the South Side.

The city could also get really serious about making Chicago the place to make feature films and TV series. Leasing out city buildings like abandoned police stations and courtrooms to filmmakers would put them to good use. Also, film permits need to be granted to students and such with minimal red tape and cost. Today’s film students are tomorrow’s major directors.

The catch is the money is to be used only for police resources. The funds could be used to hire back seasoned officers that have already retired. The savings in training costs alone would be quite substantial.

Next officers need to be encouraged to provide their own serviceable carbines and shotguns, as they must do now with their duty side arms. This will help level the playing field between the officers and the heavily armed street gangs.

The political hiring, assignment and promotion of cops must end. The department must use proven civil service, personnel management that fairly and equitably rewards officers for excellence. The phone calls from clout heavy reverends and ward healers must go unanswered.

Finally there must be a solid policy to criminally prosecute people that make phony allegations against our cops. The policy has been to never prosecute the people that routinely cause a huge waste in investigative resources with malicious allegations against cops.

If these things were accomplished over the next year there would be a new attitude within the ranks of our Thin Blue Line. After a while we could phase out the retired hire back program for traditional police recruits.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Real Hope and Change is on the Way!


Washington, DC—I've been looking at respected pollster Scott Rasmussen’s figures for the House race showing the GOP picking up 55 seats. Soon members of the Obama Administration will be emulating cockroaches in a filthy kitchen after someone turns the lights on.

The blizzard of Congressional subpoenas will bring much needed sunlight to Barack Obama’s birth, student grant/loans and travel records. Obama has spent $1.5 million in legal fees shielding the records in all those birther lawsuits. Many of those actions are still pending in court but so far no judge has allowed access to the evidence.

It’s no secret that there are many specific additional Congressional investigations in planning stages that are focused on Obama Administration officials. Many key staffers are exiting well before the storm. Nancy Pelosi will be powerless to stop the probes. Oh yes, they definitely will be looking up Pelosi’s skirt too.

2011 appears to be the year of the nastiest Washington scandals ever. Perhaps there will be a special new wing for the Obama Administration members chilling out at Club Fed. That is unless President Joe Biden issues pardons for those criminals.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again Obama won’t complete his first term.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Skype.com for Prisons and Jails


Los Angeles, CA--Managing prisoners is no easy task for any warden. Phone privileges are used as management tools. Also telephone providers make a financial killing on providing recordings of inmate phone calls.

If you’re familiar with skype.com you know that it’s free and will give you video of both sides of the conversations. Software to record is also cheap and available for the prisons and jails.

Prisons are located in geographically challenging places for families to visit inmates. Skype can close the miles anywhere in the world.

Inmates with family ties and outside mentors can do better that those with none. Utilization of Skype for well-behave inmates can make a difference. Often it is a real hardship for loved ones to travel sometimes hundreds of miles to visit inmates.

Perhaps 20 minutes per week on Skype per inmate could reduce violence and other misbehavior. It won’t cost much to find out.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Welcome to the Chicago Park District Gun Club!


Chicago, IL—When I’m elected Mayor I will put out to bid a contract for a world class gun range on the lakefront.

Chicago’s new gun range and club would be placed where noise would not pose a problem for local residents. There would be a year around, well ventilated, indoor pistol range with 200 positions. There would also be an outdoor trap & skeet range where the lead could be collected and recycled.

Of course there needs to be a pro-shop with a staff of instructors. There would be a restaurant for the shooters. The range could also be used by police agencies and security companies during off peak hours.

There was that Lincoln Park trap & Skeet range at Diversey and the Lake that the Lakefront Liberals shut down long ago. It was a busy range and gave the lakefront character. Today there would be legitimate concern of lead contamination of Lake Michigan if the shooters were constantly spraying lead into the water.

The Cook County Forest Preserve could also operate two such ranges, one North and one South.

Friday, July 02, 2010

Say Farewell To Gun Laws! The Floodgates are Open!

Madison, WI—The DA will be rejecting prosecution of state laws that infringe on gun rights in view of the McDonald decision handed down by the Supreme Court on Monday.

Jackson County District Attorney Gerald R. Fox said in a statement he will no longer prosecute Wisconsin's prohibitions on carrying concealed weapons, transporting uncased or loaded guns in vehicles, carrying guns in public buildings and taverns and carrying switchblades and butterfly knives. He said the Supreme Court's ruling renders those statutes unconstitutional.

Wisconsin has had some of the most restrictive gun laws on the books in the country. In recent years concealed weapons were legalized twice by the state legislature only to be vetoed by the governor.

Fox is correct in his assessment and won’t be a party to civil rights violations as a result. Of course other government officials will find themselves on the defendant’s side of courtrooms all over the country.

We can look for lots of judges to dismiss cases and prosecutors refusing them simply because they are following their oaths and the law of the land.

Criminals beware! The days of gun bans and Gun free Zones are happily coming to an end in America.

Here is Fox’s press release on the matter:
WI DA FOX

Monday, April 06, 2009

If you Live In Chicago’s 5th Congressional District Please Vote Tuesday!

Chicago, IL--Rosanna Pulido deserves your vote for this seat. Please get to the polls and bring your friends and neighbors. This lady is a solid Conservative and voting for her the only way Chicago folks can send a message that will be heard in the Whitehouse. The polls open and 6:00 AM Intil 7:00 PM.