For each seller of a good or service there exists a set of suppliers.  This is basically “upstream.”  Each also has consumers (“downstream”).  So the LPW algorithm is simply:

1. Receive LPW data from upstream.
2. Compare upstream LPW to local LPW.
3. Forward downstream the lower of the two.

A few caveats include the exclusion of volunteer labor (for example, open source software) and the marking of whether the given LPW value is direct or indirect.

The tricky part of the algorithm is what the actual LPW data should be. The most obvious, the actual hourly or yearly wage, is faulty because of differences in the living wage. That varies from region to region. An alternative that accounts for this is needed.

So the second choice would be something like the percentile of the worker. This may be more effective in most cases, but it could still fail in cases where there is a large majority of impoverished workers. It also requires significant research on the region.

There may be others, requiring more or less effort to discover, and more and less accurate. The hard part is figuring out the most readily understandable and available value to use.

Now, you may or may not be wondering why this data should be published at all. The idea is simple: given the choice between two otherwise-indistinguishable goods or services (same in price, quality, etc.), one could decide to choose based on which either directly or indirectly pays their workers better.

Again, if possible it will show the difference from a living wage, so that wages aren’t necessarily inflated when workers are fairly compensated.

As a closing note, I’ll simply point out that the MPW (Most-paid Worker) could also be included just as easily.

What do you think? Could simple information, when propagated, solve wage inequality?

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This worries a lot of people, and not without reason: corporations already spend so much money lobbying that our laws are looking more and more like Swiss cheese.  The reforms that are sorely needed, like healthcare reform, are stifled.  Banks aren’t held accountable.

But the fix isn’t to keep trying to restrict their speech.  It hasn’t worked, and even a Constitutional amendment would do little to solve the real problem of corporate influence.

Instead of traditional regulations, Congress ought tax corporate campaign efforts.  This is guaranteed to be legal, and will help to balance the budget. It will help keep the spending in check, especially if the tax is proportional to the amount spent.

They should also enact requirements on public availability of any and all corporate (and union) campaign materials from their time of publishing up to six weeks after the election(s) they target.  These materials should be made available on the internet and via a prominent address listed with said materials (mailed copies should be available at cost of reproduction/shipping only).

This availability regulation will allow any and all citizens full access to analyze and thereby construct their own rebuttals, critiques, and responses to the corporate lines.

There are better ways to fix our problems than outright bans.

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But his call to build and repair roads and bridges will be the greatest missed opportunity since President Bush squandered our spiritual capital with our allies in the wake of September 11, 2001.  It will be a waste not on par with the bailouts still being meted and even still being formulated in terms of dollars spent, but certainly in terms of misdirection.

We should commit some amount of any infrastructure-building program to include public transportation.  To not so do is to break the promise still ringing from the Flash player: ‘build jobs, improve infrastructure, decrease dependence on oil, become more efficient, and increase America’s competitiveness in the world.’  Every single criteria he gives is met by investment in public transportation and in every case it is met better than by building and repairing roads.

I believe in hope and change, but it needs to be real change, not just a Player Piano.  We need new directions and industries.  Trying to tread water for a whole century is not going to cut it.  Bailing out Detroit will not cut it.  Walk the walk.  Some of what he says is real change.  Increased investment in technology will be a welcome change.  Upgrades to public institutions such as government buildings and schools are great.  Even pushing hospitals to become more wired, which fits nicely with the prospect of radical changes to our health care system in the next four years.

And some roads do need fixing.  We do not want to imperil anyone through lack of investment in our existing infrastructure.

But we must begin to add rails to the mix.  The sooner we do this crucial change in attitudes will begin to take place.  People will start to see property values rise.  New enclaves of shops can be born around the stops and routes the light rails take.  It will become cheaper to add more down the rail once we’ve gotten rolling.

Right now, when it can be had for less money, when production can be ramped up, and when shops that are closed due to the downturn are ripe for retooling.  Right now is the right time.  But does Obama have the Right Stuff?

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