TED Community » Sarah Caldwell

More About Me

I'm passionate about

seeing the world become a better place through the small efforts of many, the large efforts of some, and the heroic acts of a few

An idea worth spreading

A mediocre public good is no excuse for using limited public funds to provide improvements that benefit only a few. For example, someone dissatisfied with the police in his/her area may hire a body guard or put in a home alarm. Even if the crime rate is high, neither the alarm nor the body guard should be paid for by tax funds in whole or in part, through a tax deduction--and the person is still responsible for taxes that pay the police. Another, unhappy with poor roads, may purchase a helicopter for travel. The helicopter is not to be paid for by tax funds--and the person must still pay taxes that go for road building and upkeep. A parent dissatisfied by the school his/her child attends may employ a tutor, buy educational software or send the child to a private school. Neither tutor, nor software, nor tuition should be paid for by tax funds--and the parent must still pay taxes for the educational system.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +0.40 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +3

  A reply on Talk: Richard Wilkinson: How economic inequality harms societies

  Oct 24 2011: He spends about 2 minutes describing how inequality might be decreased. You are certainly free to have an opinion about that.
  
  You are not, however, allowed to have your own facts. The fact is that everyone suffers for income inequality--the rich and the poor. Children are more likely to die; the old die sooner; we are all, regardless of age, more likely to be mentally ill.
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: What have you learnt from watching TEDTalks?

  Jul 5 2011: What didn't I know? The value of mushrooms, gap finder and the gaps it displayed, water-harvesting in India, medical lab on a chip, and the varied ways people find to make the world a better place. Dain, a few spots below, is right about the new lease on life--and Chad is wrong. Don't throw away the TV; hunt around among all those channels for whatever is good, whatever is lovely, whatever is lovely. If the ratings rise for such shows, there'll be more of them.

• A comment on Conversation: Why don't we use technology to have a real Direct Democracy?

  May 6 2011: American Idol. McLuhon was right--the medium is the message. Make voting for issues as easy as liking someone on Facebook and the idiocy level will increase dramatically. Something about going to the polls and the people who check to see that you're registered says, "This is serious business."