Fair Tax Movement in USA

The Tax system of USA- like many other countries- is not an easy one. It is pretty complex. This leads to proliferation of CPAs and Government departments.
I recently came across a movement that is catching up, albeit slowly: FairTax.
Needless to say, Fair Tax advocates simplification  of taxes, based upon retail sale. So rather than paying the taxes on your income, you pay tax only when you buy something (some items will have no taxation). FairTax is advocates a 23 % flat tax for every one  and it says that will result in revenue-neutral state, but gradually it will result in revenue plus if Govt takes adequate measures.
Yesterday I happened to hear Libertarian candidate for the Presidential elections 2012, Mr Gary Johnson– who is being described as fiscally conservative and socially cool! He clearly advocated Fair Tax as a solution for the US economic woes!
The Fair Tax looks interesting. 

Freedom Team of India

Logo of Freedom Team of India

We are looking for leaders who want to transform the Indian system of governance and politics. The current political parties- starting form Congress and BJP to regional forces like DMK, BSP and Samajwadi Party (SP) – have no short term or long term vision and perspective to curb corruption, deliver better governance to an extent that it brings succor to us. Their economic policies are at the best socialist. The free-market concept and ideas of liberty do not appeal to them , as they want to continue vote-ban politics by offering populism, quotas and catering to interest groups.
India needs a revamp of the system where democracy can thrive on the principles of freedom of expression, liberty and free market policies.
We need leaders who are willing to join hands to bring revolution to India. Here is the link for Freedom Team of India. This is not a chat group, nor a think tank. This is a political group (not yet a political party). I invite you to have an in-depth study of the concept.
www.freedomteam.in

Real Test of Democracy

How should our elected representatives behave and work? Does winning an elected post entitle them to indulge in corruption and self-serving activities? It seems that some people join politics to serve the society , whereas others join to fill their coffers. The real test of democracy is how strongly it works at the grass root level. In Narnaul district, on the same day newspapers have reported two contrast news items about our elected Sarpanchs (village Heads). The Hindi daily Jagran reports on July 10, 09.

राष्ट्रपति से मिलने के लिए सरपंच के संग महिलाएं गईं:
नारनौल, जागरण संवाद केंद्र : राष्ट्रपति प्रतिभा पाटिल के बुलावे पर जिले के गाव कोथल खुर्द की महिला सरपंच रोशनी देवी शुक्रवार अपराह्न उपायुक्त ए. श्रीनिवास के साथ दिल्ली के लिए रवाना हुईं। उनके साथ उनकी मंडली की 18 महिलाएं भी गई हैं। राष्ट्रपति 11 जुलाई को इस जत्थे से भेंट करेंगी। 11 जुलाई को राष्ट्रपति से मुलाकात के बाद यह टीम शाम तक नारनौल पहुच जाएगी। मालूम हो कि गाव कौथल खुर्द की महिला सरपंच रोशनी देवी व उनकी मंडली द्वारा शराबियों के खिलाफ छेडे़ गए क्रातिकारी अभियान से प्रभावित होकर ही राष्ट्रपति प्रतिभा पाटिल ने उन्हे बुलावा भेजा था।

इस महिला मंडली की कार्यशैली अनूठी थी, जिसके कारण यह चर्चा में आ गई। इस समूह ने गाव में सार्वजनिक स्थल पर शराब पीने वालों पर अंकुश लगाने के लिए मंदिर के नाम 500 रुपये की पर्ची काटनी शुरू कर दी थी, जो शराबियों पर बहुत भारी पड़ी। वास्तविकता भी यही है कि इसी कारण यह समूह ज्यादा कारगर साबित हुआ। हालांकि इसके अलावा उन पर नैतिकता के आधार पर भी शराब को छोड़ने के लिए दबाव बनाया गया। इसका नतीजा यह हुआ कि अब गाव में शराब पीकर घूमने वालों पर पूरी तरह अंकुश लग चुका है। इससे भी बड़ी बात यह है कि महिला मंडली इस उद्देश्य की पूर्ति के बाद भी शांत नहीं बैठी है और दायरे को बढ़ाते हुए सामाजिक बुराइयों के खिलाफ भी अभियान चलाना शुरू कर दिया है।
गबन के आरोप में ग्राम सचिव व सरपंच नामजद:

नारनौल, जागरण संवाद केंद्र : गांव दोचाना के सरपंच धर्मपाल एवं ग्राम सचिव उमेश चंद पर अदालत के निर्देश पर धोखाधड़ी एवं आपराधिक षडयंत्र रचने के आरोप में मामला दर्ज किया गया है। सरपंच और सचिव के खिलाफ गांव के ही एक पंच द्वारा अदालत में इस्तगासा दायर कर उसके एवं कुछ अन्य पंचों के फर्जी हस्ताक्षर कर ग्रांट लेने का आरोप लगाते हुए उनके खिलाफ मामला दर्ज कराने की अपील की गई थी।

जानकारी के अनुसार गांव दोचाना के पंच मदनलाल ने अतिरिक्त मुख्य न्यायिक दंडाधिकारी की अदालत में गत 6 जुलाई को एक इस्तगासा पेश कर सरपंच एवं ग्राम सचिव पर मामला दर्ज करने के लिए पुलिस को आदेश देने की गुहार लगाई थी। मदनलाल ने इस्तगासा में बताया कि ग्राम पंचायत दोचाना के सरपंच धर्मपाल ने विभिन्न तारीखों में पंचायत पुस्तिका व कार्यवाही कमेटी रजिस्टर में उसके तथा कुछ अन्य पंचों, महिला पंच देवी और मुमताज अली तथा सुरेश कुमार पंच के फर्जी हस्ताक्षर कर एवं अंगूठे लगा कर प्रस्ताव पारित कर लिए। जबकि उक्त पंचों के सामने इस प्रकार की कोई बैठक हुई ही नहीं थी। सरपंच धर्मपाल ने पंचायत के सदस्यों का कोरम पूरा दिखाने की नीयत से प्रस्तावों पर फर्जी हस्ताक्षर कर लिए थे। ऐसा कर सरपंच ने सरकार से ग्रांट भी प्राप्त कर ली। इस्तगासा में यह भी कहा गया कि ग्राम सचिव उमेश चंद ने भी सरपंच धर्मपाल से फर्जी हस्ताक्षरों के माध्यम से पारित इन प्रस्तावों को अटेस्ट करके इस अपराध में सरपंच का सहयोग किया है। पंच मदनलाल ने इस संबंध में पुलिस महानिदेशक एवं अन्य संबंधित पुलिस अधिकारियों को भी शपथ पत्र के साथ एक शिकायती दरखास्त भेजी थी, किंतु पुलिस ने उस पर कोई कार्रवाई नहीं की। शिकायतकर्ता पंच मदनलाल के अधिवक्ता सुरेंद्र ढिल्लो ने बताया कि अतिरिक्त मुख्य न्यायिक दंडाधिकारी की अदालत ने मामले की गंभीरता को देखते हुए गत 6 जुलाई को धारा 156 सीआरपीसी के तहत इसे नारनौल सदर थाना में भेज दिया था। जिस पर कार्रवाई करते हुए पुलिस ने सरपंच व ग्राम सचिव कि खिलाफ गत बुधवार को भारतीय दंड संहिता की धारा 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 406 व 120 बी के तहत मुकदमा नंबर 159 दर्ज कर लिया है।

I Save Lives Daily!


“I save lives daily.”
Are you a doctor?
No, because I am a vegetarian!

Do see the documentary ‘Our Daily Bread” by Nikolaus Geyrhalter. This silent documentary is a powerful depiction of how the food industry – vegetarian as well as meat- works in a high tech manner. Sensitivities of the animals are of least concern as we have a bigger task ahead: feed the humanity!

Recession Time in USA: Airline for Pets!

petsThe USA and the whole world is under economic recession. So is the news I hear all around and I am not doubting the veracity of this either! I am not an economic expert, but I can feel that the way jobs are being lost.

Whatever, but come July 2009 and you will see an airline service being launched exclusively for animals. Yes, for pets only! Pet Airways will fly only animals!
The website declares: “A Pet Airline where pets fly in the main cabin, NOT in cargo.”
Sounds wonderful!

Without offending animal lovers and animal right activists, I am amused at this news.
The web link is: http://www.petairways.com/

I vote Nobody: 0- 49

My friend -Sachin Kamra from New Delhi- has sent the following article for publication on this blog. The last phase of the current Lok Sabha elections is due in next 3 days.

Did you know that there is a system in our constitution, as per the 1969 act, in section ” 49-O” that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he/she doesn’t want to vote anyone! Yes such a feature is available, but obviously past + present leaders have never disclosed it.

This is called “49-O”.

Why should You go and say ” I VOTE NOBODY”. Because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received “49-O” votes more than 123, then that polling will be canceled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them.

This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way; of our whole political system. It is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public.

Please spread this news to as many as You know.

Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India . Show Your power, expressing Your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting. So don’t miss Your chance. So either vote, or vote not to vote (vote 49-O) and pass this information to all.

Use your voting right for a better INDIA . Share this with as many as You can. Because sharing is caring. It is caring about our dear Mother India.

Corruption: the Major Issue for Elections

Corruption is the major issue for the upcoming LS elections, but it should not surprise the countrymen that political parties are just not talking about it. Instead, the national and regional political parties are busy aligning and re-aligning, shuffling and re-shuffling their stands! Purpose: How to increase the bargaining power so that in post-poll market, they will be able to raise the bar. Raise the bar for ideals, and principles! No, raise the bar for extracting maximum for the power-sharing.

The three fronts are emerging: i) BJP and its allies making NDA, ii) UPA now representing mainly Congress as all the allies have deserted it, and iii) Third Front: a conglomerate of various parties who do not believe in pre-poll alliance and are not ready to even guess until elections are over because they will weigh the possibilites after the results are out. Expect these self-serving parties to do the task of nation-building!

My fellow countrymen, leave your notions of party ideologies, shake the boxes of your affiliations! These are parasites who are sucking our blood, draining our (tax payers’) money and just busy politicking! Not to disparage the honest and sincere political leaders, I must say that unless the whole vision of what politics is all about, our democracy will remain in peril. We need elected leaders who commit to nation building by focusing on education, health, better public and civic administration, national security and integrity, social security for the all (particularly underprivileges masses), economic security, etc. We do not elected leaders who have come to understand that politics is all about indulging in populistic measures and making false promises!

The only solution for the short term:

1. Come out and vote on the day of voting!

2. Vote for candidates based upon the track-record, performance and profile. Do not be swayed by caste and party affiliations.

3. Destroy Regional Parties: Vote for candidates who can provide clean leadership. Throw these small regional parties out of the window as they are going to pollute the post-poll environment by extracting their flesh. These regional parties should not have any stake on the national issues! They were created to fulfill local aspirations and at national level, they will at the best create instability by producing a hung parliament!

Until political reforms are brought in so that the menace of cross over (dal badal) , unholy post-poll alliance is checked and pol parties are disciplined, these short term measures will at least give some relief to stabilize our democracy.

Why We Need 2nd Independence and Who Will Get Us That?

India is still not independent. I still call it under rule! This time it is not Moguls, nor Britishers. It is under seize and rulers are we Indian ourselves. The characteristics of our rulers who continue to exploit the common masses are:

1. They are not foreigners, hence look very much like common Indians. Of course, they will wear ties and suits (which are of no relevance at Indian soil where temperatures soar to 40s and 50s. Or, they just wear white kurta pajama and shamelessly denigrate Gandhi ji.

2. Political leadership: They are either elected by voters in polls where voters have limited options ( have no choice to reject them). In the electoral process that we have, these candidates exercise all means to get elected: by hook or crook. The parties have more or less no ideology. The only standard they look up to is victory. Once we keep our political affiliation aside, we will realize that they just want to come into power, means are not important, end is what they are targeting at.

3. Bureaucracy: The babus are selected by merit or by bribery. Either way, the end result is same for the most: educated and intellectual class they constitute, but sooner than later, become self-serving. They are the guardians of rules, but let the political class bend them instead of confronting them. They are eager to become appease their bosses, start focussing on promotions and filling their own coffers and wallets.
Tell me honestly, why there is so much craze among Indian families to see their wards become IAS, IPS officers and SDMs? To serve the country: no, that is not the first reason. If my son becomes an IAS, IPS: kothi, gaddi, naukar, fat dowry and life long aaraam! These are the considerations thta we aim for.
It is a common knowledge that in HCS (Harayana Civil Service), the seats are for sale. If I have to pay 20 lakhs for my son to become an HCS officer, shall he serve the state: it is easy to guess the answer.

4. Police: Unrestrained is the best term for pur police forces. The training does not translate in this simple message: you are here to bring culprit to the book.Instead what happens is: bullying commoners, extracting money and distorting evidence to their suitability. In UP, recently we came across the news of a 6 year old girl beaten mercilessly by police at the police station. That one incidence is not an exception. It represents the real mindset of our police forces.

5. Judiciary: Slow and lethargic. Jutstice delayed is justice denied. Corruption at lower level is well known.

6. Media: Has not matured into a socially responsible media. The lust for making money has made distanced it from reality. Do we know of any code of conduct that the media seem to follow. The unashamed beaming of Mumbai terrorist events has exposed the real character of our media. This does not mean there is dearth of professional journalists in our country. But the lack of self-regulation, ethics has driven the current media into a bazaar.

7. Public: Feels helpless. Has resigned to the fate of bribery, corruption, nepotism. Over-populated hence every chore seems to be a competition. So, what we have become: aapna ghar pahle, samaaj baad mein. Self-conceited, self- centered we have become. Do not take me wrong, majority of people still want to live with conscience, but the monster of unregulated democracy seems unsurmountable, hence selfishness is the first trait that creeps in.
Those who are away from the country (Indians abroad): they too seem to be wary of the the way our Indian system works. As one of my friends Dr Vidya put it: }The charity in India is highly unregulated, no one knows where your hard-earned money will go! If you donate here (USA), you know that where your money is being used.”

So, what are the solutions?

The fight against foreigners was not easy, but it was easier to define an enemy, a looter! It was easy to descriptively conclude who our enemy was: The one who invaded us. It made sense to the people!
Today, the enemy is from within us. That is a big problem! It is not easy to convince all that what is wrong, who is doing wrong to us.
The good news is that we are not at the mercy of some individuals (Kings or queens or senators or MPs sitting in a different country in a buidling – call it Parliament- and decide our fate by their whims or whishes). But the democracy that was bestowed upon us almost 6 decades ago has not been able to fulfil our needs. It did not bring in corrections and fixes as the time passed on” rather the changes were not incorporated by our political leadership!

1. Hence our democracy needs updates. Bring in the needed reforms to make our system really workable. Not just toothless democracy.

2. We must- each must- think what we are doing for our society and nation. We need patriotic individuals who are there to serve and not extract. To be patriotic, we do not have to wear a Gandhi cap, or leave our job or business! To do the things with sincerity and conscience: that alone will help us a long way.

What a Simile: Corruption Vs Vegetarianism

The other day I was talking to one of my colleagues Vidya who grew up in USA but has keen knowledge of India and its affairs. The conversation veered towards democracy and ways to strengthen it. She obviously is very familiar with the corruption-infested Indian system. She even said that donating money for charitable cause in India is like putting money in a bag and throwing it in water: no one knows where it will end up. When I countered that despite all these odds, Indian has to come up with a credible system of deliverance if our democracy is to survive.

Our conversation continued. Not very impressed that corruption can be uprooted from India, she added: “Removing corruption from Indian system is like converting Americans to vegetarianism.”

I could not help laughing , but her observation has merit. Corruption has become a way of life for us. Undeniably, it has its pitfalls.