Home
> Commentary
- Reform
An open letter to Ehud Olmert
Originally published 8 Apr 2004 in
The Jerusalem Post
Dear Minister of Industry Trade and Employment,
First, congratulations on helping initiate legislation to limits destructive strikes in the public sector. You showed admirable political courage in opposing public monopoly unions who wield great economic and electoral powers.
All the more the pity that you have not shown similar courage in other important matters, especially in your additional role as Minister of Communications. There, instead of opening the field to more competition, you side with the Israeli oligarchy in restraining competition, thus harming the consumer, your real electorate, and inhibiting economic growth.
Continue
Can the banks be reformed?
Originally published 26 Feb 2004 in
The Jerusalem Post
The public arena is abuzz with anti-bank sentiment. An imperious decision by Bank Ha’poalim to raise its controversial “line commission” (this on top of charging customers for the privilege of letting the bank make profits on their deposits) – seems to have broken the camel’s back. Not that bank commissions are “a straw”. In other countries commissions represent on the average 36% of banks profits (more often only 15-20% percent). In Israel they are above 60%, a neat sum of 8 billion shekels, that the banks levy from defenseless customers through over 200 different kinds of Byzantine commissions.
Continue
Statism breeds corruption
Originally published 30 Jan 2004 in
The Jerusalem Post
Corruption may be spreading, becoming more entrenched and subtle. But the causes of corruption remain embarrassingly simple. The lack of legally well defined and enforced property rights enables bureaucrats to make their cronies fabulously wealthy by transferring to them assets and rights that are publicly “owned” – namely are not protected by personal property rights from political plunder. This is a great invitation to corruption.
Continue
Monopolies eat us up
Originally published 3 Dec 2003 in
The Jerusalem Post
After several decades the Treasury finally noticed that lack of competition not only costs Israeli consumers hundreds of million, probably billions, in “monopoly rents”, but is also a major reason for economic stagnation.
In his “Estimates of The Damage Caused by Lack of Competition in Several Major Sectors,” treasury economist Dr. Eldad Shidlovsky has documented, chapter and verse, the grave damage caused by lack of competition in the ports, electricity, fuel, banking, local telephony and in milk. His study “revealed” large cost differences between Israel and abroad, and a gross lack of efficiency resulting in low return on capital and large income gaps between workers employed in non-competitive enterprises and others.
Continue
About deception and decency
Originally published 28 Aug 2003 in
The Jerusalem Post
|
|
Equality, freedom, democracy, justice, pluralism and other generalities at the New Israel Fund
|
|
My previous column, “NIF’s not-so-hidden political agenda” (14 August 2003) claimed that the New Israel’s Fund website misrepresented its Negev Beduin program as yet another civil rights initiative. I thought it was a calculated effort to radicalize the Beduin and provoke a confrontation between an erstwhile loyal community and Israel.
Through its Shatil executive arm the New Israel Fund has supported Beduin who break Israeli law by seizing strategic government land, apparently with Palestinian Authority help and encouragement. Shatil activists named this project “The Palestinian Project,” even though the Beduin are Israeli citizens, not Palestinian ones. In this way they try further to erode Beduin fealty to Israel and transfer it to the PA.
Continue
