Author: Tony Novak
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2024 Money Island guest policy
This policy only applies to the properties under my management. It does not apply, of course, to public properties or other privately owned properties. Background: – The marina businesses is closed, probably until 2030. – The current use of the former marina property is now my residence and home-based business only. – Various colleges, state…
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Qualified immunity revisited: a small business perspective
The legal doctrine of qualified immunity, originating decades ago, serves as a safeguard for government officials facing lawsuits alleging violations of constitutional rights. Initially, the Supreme Court emphasized that this doctrine should not be a “license to lawless conduct.” However, state courts have frequently interpreted qualified immunity in a manner that allows officials to evade…
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Looking for insight into the thinking of our Latino neighbors
Slowly, over many years, I built a strong track record of serving the local Spanish-speaking community when they need tax or business services representation (in English language) to resolve problems with government even though I have often struggled to communicate with these clients. Years prior to this, my former business MedSave was a pioneering online…
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Theft of Service Concern Increased by PayPal Policy
I am increasingly concerned about theft of services where a buyer makes a claim that the vendor cannot disprove. This statement comes from PayPal’s most recent change of Policy Updates page update this month:“We are revising the User Agreement to indicate the payment a seller receives from a buyer may be invalidated and reversed if…
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Thanksgiving Day Insights into Black Voters
One of the most puzzling things to me personally in my work discussing local economic development is the increasing support of Donald Trump by some black neighbors. While I was part of the early fraud cases representing small business contractors against him, that was decades ago and much has changed in the world. Journalist Astrid…
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Managing the accelerating pace of economic change
The most difficult thing I deal with day to day is coping with the accelerating pace of economic change. The constant ‘whatever I said last is out-of-date now’ cycle of business life is stressful. We tend to focus our attention on financial change but of course there are always other significant forces driving the financial…
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Meeting Donald Trump
Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met? Donald Trump. Twice, a long time ago, in Atlantic City. It was every bit as disturbing as you imagine. Trump had a small airline that flew from Bader Field outside Atlantic City to LaGuardia Airport in NYC. I had a multi-unit rental house…
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Hit and run
A hit and run of a pedestrian is a terrible crime that is too often ignored. The hit is often unintentional but the act of fleeing rather than helping is usually intentional. Often other crimes are connected. Police and prosecutors have a poor track record in these cases. Insurance companies vigorously fight claims made by…
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Concerned about the direction of professional services
We’ve decided to dumb down* the CPA exam format and simultaneously reduce formal educational requirements. I’m called stodgy for saying that the amount of new information and professional knowledge requirements for a competent CPA indicates that we should be moving in the other direction. Oregon is eliminating the requirement for new lawyers to take the…