Category: Government
-
What I learned about traffic court today
I visited traffic court in Millville, New Jersey today. I haven’t had any interaction with traffic court in at least a few decades so I spent time asking questions and looking for information. I was surprised by a bizarre ticket came in the mail last light that had a court appearance listed for this morning.…
-
Political support policy for 2021 and 2022
I’ve been an advocate of written policies in aspects of financial management, whether investment policy, expense approval policy, charitable donations and more. This post is about my own political support policy for the next couple of years. I’m probably in the majority of Americans concerned with the actions by a minority of more radical but…
-
Trump’s three largest tax problems
Donald Trump’s tax problems are obviously of great public interest. This post summarizes the three largest issues as widely reported in popular media1 : 1) IRS audit on partnership losses – The federal government’s tax auditors at the Internal Revenue Service disagree with a tax position taken by Trump that could reportedly increase his income…
-
How much does it cost to run for public office in New Jersey?
Running for public office in New Jersey can be an inexpensive project or can run into surprisingly hefty costs. I’ve been involved in successful local election campaigns run on a $500 budget and some that ran over $50,000. Regional or statewide races would likely cost more. After the first draft of this blog post was…
-
Unrealistic advice from IRS to gig workers
IRS says: “The gig economy, also called sharing or access economy, is activity where taxpayers earn income providing on-demand work, services or goods. Often, it’s through a digital platform like an app or website. While there are many types of sharing economy businesses, ride-sharing and home rentals are two of the most popular. Here are…
-
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help”
From the first day that we discussed coronavirus relief programs I emphasized the need for all of us to be wary of the claim “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”. Over the past seven years I’ve worked with well over one hundred clients hurt by superstorm Sandy but hurt even more by…
-
New Jersey election violations cost nine candidates $42,797
Today the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) announced that nine municipal government candidates, one county clerk candidate, one freeholder candidate, and one state assembly candidates must pay fines and fees totaling $42,797 for violating the Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act. My job as a NJ certified election campaign treasurer is to help…
-
My small contribution to helping the world get back on track in 2020
Sometime early in this millenium I navigated to a path as a progressive environmental activist. I went from a young man in the Young Republicans Club with a background in animal science (now recognized as an environmentally unsustainable field), driving fast sports cars and boats to a mature guy focused on restorative aquaculture and renewable…
-
No, you don’t get to face your accuser (Small business beware!)
Anonymous whistleblower complaints are a powerful government force regularly used against small business owners. Over the weekend Donald Tump tweeted another indication of his misunderstanding of how government works. False Tweets from Trump are hardly noteworthy in themselves but this one hits a nerve for me. As a small business owner I’ve faced at least…