Author: Tony Novak
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Odd NJ laws
New Jersey law N.J.A.C. 13:45A-21.7 requires a business that describes its food as “Jewish” but does not represent it as kosher to make that distinction clear to customers. Cherry Hill’s Kibitz Room argues that “Jewish” describes a culinary tradition, not compliance with religious dietary requirements. The state is seeking a $1,000 penalty for missing the…
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The Ongoing Struggle for Internet in Cumberland County
Today Salem County celebrates the groundbreaking of its high speed Internet expansion program. Meanwhile, large parts of rural Cumberland County remain without high speed Internet. Some rural neighborhoods, including mine in Downe Township, still lack reliable cell service, public water, and sewer. A national magazine article recently ranked our area unfavorably alongside parts of Appalachia…
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Chaos in AI Oversight
Roughly 33 hours ago, on Friday evening, an action between the White House staff and private business Anthropic is unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime. Comments are flying wildly in 360 degrees. I do not have an opinion or concern and it is not difficult to understand the facts. But I do have…
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Prepping for AI impact
If robots and AI take over more jobs, what will people do with their time? This topic of discussion gets plenty of attention lately. Yet we do not know if the foundational belief is true. Here are my personal predictions, and not just coincidently, the areas listed in parenthesis where I am focusing more of…
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Modern Tax Protest and Evasion
A growing number of taxpayers are signaling that they may refuse to file or pay federal taxes as a political act. Now elected government officials are also hinting at their support of a tax protest strategy. Historically, every period of social or economic tension has generated waves of “tax protest” behavior, and courts have been…
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My NJ county, named an obstructor
This post is prompted by the U.S. Department of Justice issuance of a new announcement that our Cumberland County, New Jersey is named as an obstructor of ICE efforts. I am proud to be among the obstructors. I have been unintentionally caught in the middle of this immigration paperwork issue for more than three decades,…
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Tariffs refunds?
My firm does not handle importers or deal with tariff issues but I am curious about how recent legal news will affect small businesses and consumers.
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Using Social Media with Purpose
Most of my friends, clients, and family avoid social media altogether. Just this weekend, a neighbor reaffirmed this sentiment, saying she intends to stay off social media entirely. That stands in sharp contrast to my early adoption nearly 20 years ago, when I actively promoted social media use within our local community associations. A lot…
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A Reflection on My History with Sustainability Investing
The 1960s and 1970s were a time of growing awareness about the climate crisis. Popular folk musicians dominated the record player in my house, and subscriptions to Organic Gardening, Popular Science, and Reader’s Digest helped shape my earliest impressions. On the inaugural Earth Day in 1970, Walter Cronkite hosted a program titled Earth Day: A…