Sage Advice from the Cheap Seats

I was reading this article from Felix Salmon, and it started a train of Thought in my head. I know functionally nothing about the new financial instruments, yet it seems to me that the Investor has no chance of a Recovery with a Profit, unless the financial instruments remain unique with the additional addendum of retaining the lack of a cipher. They have to stay unique to command a high price, and a familiarity with the Paper brings exposure of the real overcapitalization. These things are written to obtain about a 20% Profit for the Authors upon Sale, and mix Crap with good Paper; dumping rotten apples in the Apple Barrel. Profit is totally dependent upon Clause fulfillment of both the Primary and Secondary Paper wrapped into the mess. Thanks a bunch, but I think I would rather invest in something with greater Security expressed, like Playing the Horses.

I started reading Richard Posner, and realized he was trying to make his Point the Hard Way. Want to privatize the Road system, simply pass a Federal law mandating electronic Counters in Cars which no only counts Miles but actual placement of Emitter units at staged Intervals along all Road systems. Vehicle owners pay their Mileage tax when they pay their Registration Tax and Wheel Tax; a Payment which is directed by the placement consumption; then all that is necessary is to sell segments of the Road system–split with primary and secondary Roads included–with sharp Fines to any Toll-Holder who did not maintain the Road system up to Quality standards of the Community. Public Education could be improved simply by obtaining Parent involvement; their Labor required 15 hours per Week to clean and maintain the School (Teaching, Cleaning, Child Supervision, or School Accounting), or pay a $15/hour Replacement fee. The trick with Airlines is simply to limit the Flights to each Airport, getting rid of the Congestion, and breaking the American Drug habit of jumping on an airplane in worthless Trips.

One cannot give Time to Richard Posner without mention of Gary Becker, who also focuses on the loss of Labor in Dollars because of Traffic congestion. Cities are natural Congestion Points; it is why they are called Cities in the first place. Cancellation of Traffic congestion is easy: introduce a Entry fee upon All; forget all about charging more or less, simply tell them there is a Vehicle Entry fee of what I think is a justifiable $6/vehicle. Trains are nice, Buses are nice, Transit helicopters are exciting, Taxis can be restful, Subways are useful; and Cars incite traffic congestion, along with 2 gallons of wasted Gas per Trip combined with often $40 Parking fees. The Answer is always easy: make it too expensive for the Cheap Seats, whether it is Planes, Trains, or Automobiles (Secret: Those that must adopt the cheaper Transport constitute the least loss of Productivity). lgl