The comment on Bruce Schneier's blog by Unix Ronan dated June 12, 2008, is one of the best and most succinct discussions of secrecy I've ever read.
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Thursday, June 12, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Behind Bars in America
In February 2008, the Pew Center on the States, a part of the Pew Charitable Trusts, published a study titled, “One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008”. The report pulls together data from all of the States regarding the prison populations so that they will have accurate data from which they can make sound policy.
To highlight the fact that there is a problem which is largely being unaddressed, at the end of the study they compare the numbers of people incarcerated in the United States with 36 other countries in the world. The 36 countries chosen are all European countries with the largest inmate populations (years vary).
For a country which purports to uphold the ideals of freedom and democracy, the United States should be embarrassed by what these figures show. The next thing is to figure out why we are imprisoning more than one in every 100 adults so that the appropriate changes can be made to laws, policies, and practices to turn this around.
To visualize the stark reality of the situation, we can first look at the pure numbers of people in jail.
In fact, if you total up the prison populations of all 36 countries and compare that total number to the number of people held in U.S. prisons, the United States has more people in prison than all of the other countries combined.
Compare this with the total populations of these countries:
Finally, if you take a look at the percentage of the populations of these countries that are in prison, the United States still comes out way ahead. The following graph shows, in other words, how many people out of 100,000 residents (including children) are locked up in jail.
This study is not comparing the United States to countries with repressive regimes, but with Western Countries with which we should compare favorably, in that we supposedly share the same values.
What these pretty graphs do not show is the human toll suffered by families whose lives are being affected by a system which creates these huge numbers of criminals. Nor do they show the deteriorating effect on American culture.
We see here the effect. Our society must do a better job of understanding the causes, and take immediate steps to start correcting this situation.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The TSA Follies
Ostensibly the Transportation Security Administration exists to keep Americans safe when they fly. In reality it’s a bureaucratic nightmare which never should have been created in the first place. Consider what the TSA has done to pilots and air marshals to put you at risk.
What is it going to take to turn this stupidity around and to start focusing on what it takes to make flying really safe? Once again we have established an entrenched bureaucracy that costs billions of dollars and does little, as any cost-benefit analysis would show.
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Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Federal Assistance Programs given boost
The Griffin Method reports an extensive budget increases for the SBA as detailed in a Senate news release. On March 14, the Senate reported that it will increase funding for the Small Business Administration (SBA) in the 2009 budget blueprint by adding $100 million above the President’s request.
This action reverses six years of budget cuts, resulting in a boost for America’s 27 million small businesses.
It restores or adds additional funding for increased loan oversight and reduced fees, microloans, contracting assistance, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, veterans outreach programs, and technical assistance programs, among others. Both Democratic Presidential nominees voted for the proposal, and the Republican nominee for President did not vote on the action.
The Senate’s budget would increase funding for greater SBA oversight of lenders in the 7(a) program by providing $9 million. The 7(a) and 504 loan programs are the largest source of long-term capital for small businesses, helping create or retain over 824,000 jobs last year.
SBA’s $3.6 million in funding for Microloans is restored (from zero) and Microloan Technical Assistance gets $20 million (the President’s 2009 budget sought to eliminate these). For 2008, small businesses received more than $31 million in microloans, proportionally helping more women and minorities than other programs. Also $5 million (from zero) restores the New Markets Venture Capital and New Markets Technical Assistance programs. These programs promote economic development and the creation of job opportunities through equity investments in low-income areas.
Several of SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development and Outreach Programs will be enhanced. Small Business Development Centers will increase to $105 million, up from $87 million. The 950 SBDC offices around the country provided counseling to 600,665 businesses last year.
Women's Business Centers got $17 million, increased from $11.9 million. There are 95 Women’s Business Centers providing business assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged women and men (in 2007 WBCs helped 147,000 businesses).
A veterans entrepreneurship bill signed into law in February 2008 established a grant program for SBDCs to provide more information to veterans about small business resources, and now SBA’s Veterans Programs will be increased to $2.3 million (up from $743,000) and SBDCs to $3.25 million. Native American Outreach will increase $2 million (up from $730,000). U.S. Export Assistance Centers will increase to $8 million (from $6.4 million). These centers help small businesses compete and succeed in the global marketplace.
Contracting Programs and Assistance will be provided additional support as funding for SBA’s Procurement Center Representatives is increased to $11.6 million (from $6.6 million). PCRs monitor federal contracts and “break out” contracts for small firms. 7(j) Technical Assistance Program funding is increased to $5.5 million (from $1.5 million) and provides small disadvantaged businesses with training in financing, business development, management, accounting, and marketing.
HUBZones will increase $5 million (from $1 million). Historically Underutilized Business Zones create incentives for contracting with small firms to create jobs in underserved communities.
Of course, all of this has to pass the House and get signed into law by the President before it becomes reality.
The Griffin Method is a full service-consulting firm assisting businesses to compete for federal contracts. Their home page can be reached at http://www.thegriffinmethod.com/index.php .
This action reverses six years of budget cuts, resulting in a boost for America’s 27 million small businesses.
It restores or adds additional funding for increased loan oversight and reduced fees, microloans, contracting assistance, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, veterans outreach programs, and technical assistance programs, among others. Both Democratic Presidential nominees voted for the proposal, and the Republican nominee for President did not vote on the action.
The Senate’s budget would increase funding for greater SBA oversight of lenders in the 7(a) program by providing $9 million. The 7(a) and 504 loan programs are the largest source of long-term capital for small businesses, helping create or retain over 824,000 jobs last year.
SBA’s $3.6 million in funding for Microloans is restored (from zero) and Microloan Technical Assistance gets $20 million (the President’s 2009 budget sought to eliminate these). For 2008, small businesses received more than $31 million in microloans, proportionally helping more women and minorities than other programs. Also $5 million (from zero) restores the New Markets Venture Capital and New Markets Technical Assistance programs. These programs promote economic development and the creation of job opportunities through equity investments in low-income areas.
Several of SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development and Outreach Programs will be enhanced. Small Business Development Centers will increase to $105 million, up from $87 million. The 950 SBDC offices around the country provided counseling to 600,665 businesses last year.
Women's Business Centers got $17 million, increased from $11.9 million. There are 95 Women’s Business Centers providing business assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged women and men (in 2007 WBCs helped 147,000 businesses).
A veterans entrepreneurship bill signed into law in February 2008 established a grant program for SBDCs to provide more information to veterans about small business resources, and now SBA’s Veterans Programs will be increased to $2.3 million (up from $743,000) and SBDCs to $3.25 million. Native American Outreach will increase $2 million (up from $730,000). U.S. Export Assistance Centers will increase to $8 million (from $6.4 million). These centers help small businesses compete and succeed in the global marketplace.
Contracting Programs and Assistance will be provided additional support as funding for SBA’s Procurement Center Representatives is increased to $11.6 million (from $6.6 million). PCRs monitor federal contracts and “break out” contracts for small firms. 7(j) Technical Assistance Program funding is increased to $5.5 million (from $1.5 million) and provides small disadvantaged businesses with training in financing, business development, management, accounting, and marketing.
HUBZones will increase $5 million (from $1 million). Historically Underutilized Business Zones create incentives for contracting with small firms to create jobs in underserved communities.
Of course, all of this has to pass the House and get signed into law by the President before it becomes reality.
The Griffin Method is a full service-consulting firm assisting businesses to compete for federal contracts. Their home page can be reached at http://www.thegriffinmethod.com/index.php .
Friday, April 4, 2008
Cost of a penny
Did you know it costs $0.017 to make a penny? And it costs ten cents to make a nickel. This problem goes away when it comes to the higher denominations. The Mint wants the authority to adjust the metal content of the coins it manufactures without having to go to Congress and getting a law passed each time. I think it would be possible to pass a law granting them this authority and which would still provide restrictions which would ensure the proper value of the coins we use for trade.
We have been using promissory paper for decades. Why does our coinage have to be "worth" the same as the item that we are buying? It is even a pretense these days that we are getting a 50 cent item in exchange for a piece of metal worth 50 cents when we hand over a 50 cent coin.
As long as our coins are "pretty" and feel substantial enough (which is why aluminum probably would not do), oh, and can not be counterfeited easily, then that should be all that matters.
What does matter is the value of a dollar in the world of trade and markets. That value depends on the perceived value of our products and the strength of our economy.
I think we should go ahead and give the Mint the authority they are asking for to make the coins out of whatever metal they choose within certain restraints.
We have been using promissory paper for decades. Why does our coinage have to be "worth" the same as the item that we are buying? It is even a pretense these days that we are getting a 50 cent item in exchange for a piece of metal worth 50 cents when we hand over a 50 cent coin.
As long as our coins are "pretty" and feel substantial enough (which is why aluminum probably would not do), oh, and can not be counterfeited easily, then that should be all that matters.
What does matter is the value of a dollar in the world of trade and markets. That value depends on the perceived value of our products and the strength of our economy.
I think we should go ahead and give the Mint the authority they are asking for to make the coins out of whatever metal they choose within certain restraints.
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Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Australia May Outlaw Laser Pointers
Doesn't the legislature in Australia have anything more important to deal with these days?
They were used against planes last week. I'm sure criminals also used cars in Australia last week. Will the country ban them next? On the other hand, I'm sick and tired of laser pointers myself. On the third hand, the cats of Australia will be terribly disappointed....
They were used against planes last week. I'm sure criminals also used cars in Australia last week. Will the country ban them next? On the other hand, I'm sick and tired of laser pointers myself. On the third hand, the cats of Australia will be terribly disappointed....
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Cubans savor new freedoms
In the last week, new President Raul Castro has legalized cell phone use for ordinary Cubans; granted Cubans access to previously off-limits tourist hotels; and legalized the sale within Cuba of microwaves, DVD players and personal computers. Cubans are welcoming the change, even if the costs are out of their reach.
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