This interesting blog-post (Fighting Climate Change with a 'Stuff Tax') makes the argument that the U.S. should consider divorcing itself from the traditional tax model we currently have (which taxes employment and productivty), and start taxing consumption (a "Stuff Tax"). This, in turn, will take into account the "true costs" of producing "stuff" and will provide a better tax-base for our government.
This is not a bad concept...focus our taxation on consumption instead of production. Unfortunately, this would take some SERIOUS political power to pull off in this country. Overhauling our entire tax-system would turn our world upside-down. But maybe that's what we need. The current system seems broken, with too many loop-holes for those that make a lot of money and does not seem to account for the "true" costs of making "stuff".
Maybe we should start letting people keep more of their paychecks and taxing them more when they want to buy expensive "stuff". Thoughts?
-JA
7.30.2010
Maybe we should start taxing consumption and not productivity...
7.29.2010
Environment, Energy and Resource Law Summit in New Orleans (9/29-10/2)
The American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Law (ABA-SEER) will be hosting its 18th annual Fall Summit in New Orleans this year (September 29-October 2).
As a 2nd year law student, I attended last year's Falls Summit in Baltimore and it was an incredible experience. I met attorneys from many fields, both private and public, and established great connections with some of today's preeminent environmental law leaders.
I highly recommend attending this conference if you're at all interested in environmental, energy or resource law. The CLE's and "break-out" sessions are great, touching upon some of the most important developments in the field of environmental law. This year's Summit should be particularly special because of the recent BP Oil Disaster that devastated the Gulf Region. I'm sure ABA-SEER will have great programming addressing the disaster, what we can do as attorneys (and law students) to help and what are the most important "lessons learned".
If you're interested in attending as a Law Student Volunteer, please contact Julie Connell (connellj@staff.abanet.org) for more information, or check out the Summit website (http://www.abanet.org/environ/fallmeet/2010/home.shtml).
NoLa is one of my favorite cities, so I'm looking forward to this one.
-JA
As a 2nd year law student, I attended last year's Falls Summit in Baltimore and it was an incredible experience. I met attorneys from many fields, both private and public, and established great connections with some of today's preeminent environmental law leaders.
I highly recommend attending this conference if you're at all interested in environmental, energy or resource law. The CLE's and "break-out" sessions are great, touching upon some of the most important developments in the field of environmental law. This year's Summit should be particularly special because of the recent BP Oil Disaster that devastated the Gulf Region. I'm sure ABA-SEER will have great programming addressing the disaster, what we can do as attorneys (and law students) to help and what are the most important "lessons learned".
If you're interested in attending as a Law Student Volunteer, please contact Julie Connell (connellj@staff.abanet.org) for more information, or check out the Summit website (http://www.abanet.org/environ/fallmeet/2010/home.shtml).
NoLa is one of my favorite cities, so I'm looking forward to this one.
-JA
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