Month: December 2016
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Leadership strategies to oppose the Trump regime
“I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change – but in yours.” —President Barack Obama, farewell address 1/10/2017 9 tactics for local boards Leaders of progressive businesses, community organizations and especially nonprofit environmental organizations whose future is at stake are scrambling to reorganize their government relations strategy since the…
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Electoral college surprise?
Early this evening the electors gathered enough voted to make Trump the next president as was expected. I predict this is the beginning of the end of the electoral college. An unprecedented legal maneuver is underway among 270 of our nation’s leaders and it seems too soon to predict the outcome. Harvard Law Professor Larry Lessig…
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Drive encryption (or file encryption) revisited
I just read a pretty good article written for attorneys recommending drive encryption on laptop PCs and mobile devices. The basis of the recommendation is the assumption that attorneys have sensitive private information on those devices that is at risk when they are working “on the go”. This prompted me to read a few more articles…
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Building a better small business health plan
This 7 1/2 minute, eight slide narrated Powerpoint video presentation introduces the background and steps required to allow a small business to break free from the grip of current health care market turmoil and actually improve employee health benefits immediately.
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Parts of NJ are not ready for online legal notices
Today I sent this message to our NJ legislators. I am writing to voice opposition to Senate Bill Number 2855 / Assembly Bill Number 4429, introduced December 12, 2016. This bill proposes to allow municipalities to save money by publishing public legal notices on web sites instead of more costly print methods. This in itself…
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Two changes to tax preparation fees for 2016
The only two significant changes to tax preparation services from 2015 to 2016 stem from changes the IRS implemented to hold tax preparers financially responsibility for tax fraud. IRS knows that a significant amount of fraud comes from two types of tax returns: People who file for refundable tax credits like Earned Income Credit, Child Tax Credit or American…
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Reality has a liberal bias
A friend shared this graphic that appears to have over 2 million views online. That’s encouraging considering all that we are learning of the fake news industry and international propaganda efforts through fake news. I do not know the original source. I commented that conservatives would likely say that those mainstream sources listed as “great…
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Trump’s evolving priorities
What do we know so far about the incoming Trump administration’s priorities and evolving 100 day plan? Specifically, how will it affect my small business clients? What issues should advisers focus on with clients? Over the past five weeks we’ve heard these position statements that I am using personally to base my own economic forecasts.…
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Climate change denial: crime, mental disorder or both?
In 2005 I published an editorial that forecast that climate change denial would eventually be ruled a culpable offense by some court. I predicted that certain New Jersey governments denying climate change, specifically those that refused to respond to sea level rise, would eventually be held responsible for property loss that could otherwise have been…
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2017 Health Reimbursement Arrangement for Small Businesses
The Freedom Benefits standard small business health plans are redesigned for 2017. All plans can be customized. This is the table of contents for the 2017 Health Reimbursement Arrangement small business health plan. Table of Contents ARTICLE I. PURPOSE AND ESTABLISHMENT 1.1 Purpose 1.2 Name 1.3 Plan Not Subject to Cafeteria Plan 1.4 Effective Date…