Attending: Norman G. Kurland, Michael D. Greaney, Harriet Epstein, Rowland Brohawn, Dawn K. Brohawn.

Materials Distributed: Core Values, Code of Ethics, minutes of 07/16/05 meeting, Binary Economics Discussion Group protocols, Robert Ashford’s “10 Controversial Questions,” Review of Deal Matthews’ Silver Trail (the world’s first expanded ownership western).

Meeting was called to order at 10:30 AM by Dawn K. Brohawn, Rotating Chairman. The Opening Prayer was offered by Norman G. Kurland. The Core Values and Code of Ethics were read.

Approval of Executive Committee Meeting Minutes. Norman G. Kurland moved to accept the minutes as corrected. Rowland Brohawn seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Opening Remarks. Rowland Brohawn commented on the emerging use of the Internet for competitive bidding and provision of graphic design services, linking service providers and clients throughout the global market. Graphic designers in India, for example, could provide the same web or print design services as a graphic designer in New York, at a tiny fraction of the fee, sending the “finished product” to the client over the Internet. Dawn Brohawn remarked that, assuming universal access to the Internet, we now have the technological means to have the free flow of information necessary for setting true market-determined labor rates. Norman Kurland also emphasized how even more vulnerable workers’ incomes will be if they only have their labor to sell in such a competitive global marketplace.

News/Information Items

Wall Street Journal editorial on Iraq. Norman Kurland was surprised to see a Wall Street Journal editorial advocating ownership of oil for all Iraqis (8/17/05); the plan seems to reflect many of the basic elements of CESJ’s “Oil Shares for Iraqi Citizens” proposal. (Our original plan had been modified following Bakir al-Hassani’s recommendation, to call for an equal, lifetime, non-transferable share for every man, woman and child, in Iraq’s oil industry.) The plan mentioned in the editorial was attributed to Ahmed Chalabi, now Iraq’s oil minister. Under the Chalabi plan, every Iraqi would be given a lifetime share.

Unlike with the Alaska Plan (where the state owns the oil and pays out “dividends” to the citizens), the Iraqi government would be accountable to the people, as shareholders. The Chalabi plan calls for “government management” but “citizen ownership” of Iraq’s oil. Because government management is typically inefficient and open to abuse, the CESJ plan would enable the best management and technologies to be selected from the private sector through the competitive bidding process, subject to oversight by the government and the shareholders.

If this issue is settled right, Capital Homesteading will be launched as national economic policy. Norm believes that the U.S. military and the CIA are aware of this plan — the Wall Street Journal probably had their input and support for the editorial. Norman Kurland thought that it is possible that our proposal got to Chalabi (who formerly supported an Alaska-type plan) through Senator George Allen. Paul Unger, Allen’s legislative aide, mentioned to Norm that our Iraq oil proposal had been sent forward, but couldn’t say to whom. Norman Kurland had also sent it to Jim Guirard (an expert in communications, who had served as an aide to Senator Russell Long), who is a friend of President Bush and part of a Muslim network.

Meeting with Ali Alyami and Bob Crane (Saudi Arabia; Iraq; Institution for Peace Through Justice; contacting Jawad Khaki). Norm Kurland reported that the meeting that he and Dawn Brohawn had with Ali Alyami (President of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia) and Bob Crane went very well. Bob and Ali are both “big picture” thinkers, although Ali is focusing his efforts on Saudi Arabia. Funding for the Institute is now uncertain. Norman Kurland will pursue Jawad Khaki (Microsoft’s Vice President for Global Technology Sales) who he had met at the conference of the United Muslim Americans Association. Khaki is a potential route to Bill Gates, Sr. and Norm considers him a candidate for chairman of the new Institute for Peace through Justice.

Meeting with Leadership of Students for Saving Social Security. Norman Kurland and Dawn Brohawn met with Ursula Williams, Jonathan Swanson and Evan Dent. They see a value in keeping in touch with CESJ. Jonathan is in his final year at Yale studying philosophy and economics. Norman Kurland thought that he was tracking on the binary economics theory. Dawn felt that Evan and Ursula were asking good questions and understanding the social justice implications of Capital Homesteading. Dawn had emphasized the importance of capital credit and the weaknesses of simply pushing “personal accounts” as the solution to the social security crisis – that approach is meaningless to people who have no money to invest. Ursula and Evan seemed to resonate with the message “Own or be Owned.” Norm gave Jonathan a copy of Binary Economics, and a packet of CESJ materials (including the Capital Homesteading comparison brochure).

Harriet remarked that while we are trying to replace the system, other people are concerned about losing their position within the system as well as the relevance of their organizations (to preserve the present social security system). Right now the Students for Saving Social Security are focused on building a national network to support individual accounts (basically the Bush Plan). Dawn suggested that we send Jonathan and Evan copies of Capital Homesteading for Every Citizen (Ursula had been given a copy when we met with her previously). We should mention to them that this is a systems blueprint that would enable SSSS to reach political constituencies they cannot now reach. Personal accounts are identified was being part of a Wall Street approach that doesn’t address the structural flaws in the social security system. We and the SSSS need to reach those who are discontented and who want to change the system. Norman Kurland said to remind him to call Rabbi David Saperstein, who is involved in social action and knows of our work.

New Model for the Medical System (Philadelphia). Through James Royal, Norm Kurland talked with a doctor in Philadelphia working to re-open a pioneering medical center that had recently shut down. The Women’s Hospital was the first hospital established to train women doctors. It had served the community as a trauma center, with the next nearest facility a half hour away. Explaining that the entire medical system needs to be overhauled with a binary economics framework (where people can afford medical services) Norm sent the doctor a copy of the Georgetown University Model he had developed in 1996.

FOCUS TOPIC: Setting up a Dedicated Capital Homesteading website:

How will we use this site? The purpose of this site is to focus on Capital Homesteading and to sell the book.

What should go up? (brochure, ordering links, reviews, links to relevant sites, links to CESJ papers, other). We will use the Capital Homesteading book flyer as the basic descriptive text for the website, along with ordering links to the Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com websites. The CESJ website should direct people to the CH site, where they can get more information and order the book. (Maybe have the link on CESJ’s site read “Capital Homesteading for Every Citizen”, and have all the book information stored only on the Capital Homesteading site.)

We should also sign up for the Amazon.com and B&N.com affiliates programs so that we can earn an additional commission on books sold through the CH site. Norman Kurland suggested we show the different levels for applying Capital Homesteading. For the big picture, people should be directed to the CESJ library. Harriet said that we should add to the web site a history of capital homesteading (use excerpts from the book). Mike Greaney suggested developing a “Capital Homesteading Timeline” (or chronology).

COMPONENTS OF CAPITAL HOMESTEAD.COM WEBSITE

What If

- Text from book flyer

Order Your Copy!

- Links to Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com

What People are Saying about This Book

- Reviews and Testimonials

Putting Capital Homesteading to Work at the...

Community Level:

- Short paper on Community Investment Corporation

- “CIC: Linking People to Land and Technology”

[Regional Level:

- Katrina Plan for Regional Rebirth — Added to minutes on 9/14/05]

National Level:

- Social Security Matrix (Web version), CH Safeguards, and CH Projections

- NK Presentation before the President’s Advisory Panel on Tax Reform

- Iraq Oil Proposal

- Abraham Federation paper

Global Level:

- Something on Global Natural Resources Bank and Global Currency (see NK e-mail)

Wisdom from the Ages (Cycling: Put on history page as side quotes, with pictures of person quoted)

- 20 Quotes from Khaldun, Maimonides, Popes, George Mason, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, Russell Long, etc.

Capital Homesteading Network:

- Link to CESJ, GJM, ARP, Kelso Institute, Joe Lunch Buckett sites and Steve Nieman’s blog. (Make sure that these other sites link back to CH site.)

Is this Capitalism? Socialism? Or a Just Third Way?:

- Link to “Just Third Way” Matrix

The Economic Theory Behind Capital Homesteading:

- Link to “Prices and Money” paper

Photo Gallery/Album

Guest Book: Ask visitors to leave comments (needs to be added to web site from time to time)

Capital Homestead Post Cards (FREE DOWNLOAD!)

- Can have the ARP postcards decorating the web site. Have place on website where people can go to print them out. Change address at bottom to www.capitalhomestead.com.

Link at bottom of CH home page:

“Capital Homesteading is a project of the Center for Economic and Social Justice (insert link to www.cesj.org). For much more information on capital homesteading, visit CESJ’s On-Line Library (insert link to Library). If you have any customer service questions, you can e-mail us at capitalhomestead@yahoo.com or call us at 703-243-5155.”

What do we need to get site set up? We already have the domain (www.capitalhomestead.com); we need to have Kemp Harshman get our web site set up with Readyhosting.com.

When can it go up? The basic material for ordering the book should take about two weeks to put up. Start with “flyer” text and links for ordering, reviews and testimonials.

DECISION/FOLLOW-UP ITEMS:

Les Gelb contact (Harriet Epstein). Harriet Epstein had read Les Gelb’s article in the Washington Post “Parade” section, entitled “When Can We Leave Iraq?” Gelb and his wife had graduated in 1966-67 from Tufts along with Harriet. He was a former assistant to Senator Jake Javits, and had written The Pentagon Papers, which had been leaked by Daniel Ellsburg. Harriet e-mailed him and told Gelb about CESJ and our Iraq proposal. He responded that he read the link and was fascinated, but didn’t think there would be any interest in it with the Council on Foreign Relations (of which he was a member). Norm suggested that Harriet mention the Wall Street Journal editorial on the Chalabi Oil proposal, with Norm’s comments on it. Tell Gelb that Norm would be willing to travel to New York to meet with him. If he likes the ideas, he should pick 3-6 people in his network whom we could meet with to explain the ideas.

Changes to CESJ Board Members and Counselors. We will table this decision item until our next meeting.

Switching CESJ website from Interland to Ready Hosting (What do we need to do? Timing of switch). Table this item until next month.

Strategic meetings:

Cardinal McCarrick and Sen. Rick Santorum: Fr. Cassian Yuhaus is following up with Senator Santorum.

Sen. George Allen: Virginia delegate Bob Marshall and Norm Kurland are continuing to stay in touch with Senator George Allen and his top aides. Norm left a message for Paul Unger suggesting that he get a copy of the Wall Street Journal article on the Chalabi oil proposal to Senator Allen.

FOCUS TOPIC FOR NEXT MEETING: Launching the Kelso Binary Economics Discussion Group (Purpose of the forum; review of objectives; How can each of us reinforce this effort?; Developing FAQs on Binary Economics/what are the basic questions people would ask?) We might also hold this discussion via teleconference. (We need to buy a conference speakerphone.)

The next Executive Committee Meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 14, 10 a.m.-12 noon. The next Board Meeting will be held Saturday, October 22, 2005, at 9:30 am.

A motion to adjourn was made by Mike Greaney and seconded by Norm Kurland. The motion passed unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 12:30 pm.