Category: News and Politics
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Last minute tax relief efforts in NJ and PA
I was honored tonight to have been asked by the health care policy lobbyist Keven Kuhlman for NFIB to help prepare a last minute lobbying campaign to appeal for tax relief to the harsh 2015 small business penalties under IRC 4980D. I prepared six letters for Pennsylvania and New Jersey lawmakers. Kuhlman has a morning…
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The delicate issue of professional snobbery
An administrator for a small trade association invited me to participate in a panel discussion on issues related to the Affordable Care Act as it affects the small businesses of the member firms. The brief biography of the other invitees was underwhelming. The offer was extended by telephone where I had no time to prepare a…
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Does Giving Tuesday make you feel a bit uncomfortable?
Today is designated as “Giving Tuesday”. By now most people understand how this relates to public media frenzy following “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday”. Where do you stand? Does the concept of Giving Tuesday and all the media coverage today leave you feeling a bit uncomfortable? If so, I suggest that this is because you…
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So you call yourself a scientist?
A personal reflection on confronting the ethics failures of scientists The manipulation of scientific research that is designed to support a political or financial goals is increasingly becoming a headline issue. Underlying the headlines is the realization that we have an embarrassing and harmful ethics crisis within the scientific community. I grew up in a scientifically focused…
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“We should try to keep them out”
In his 2002 book The Myth of Rescue author W.D. Rubinstein wrote: “In July 1938 (several months before Kristallnacht) Fortune Magazine, as part of its quarterly survey of American public opinion, asked ‘What is your attitude toward allowing German, Austrian and other political refugees to come to the U.S.?’ The results were as follows: We…
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Puzzling weekend politics by The Wall Street Journal
Over this past weekend the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, and Time Magazine all published news stories saying that Bernie Sanders was a clear winner of Saturday’s (9/14) Democratic debate. According to the WSJ, “Mr. Sanders was declared the winner by 44% of Democratic primary voters who watched the nationally televised debate, with 32% choosing…
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U.S. Leader Admits Government’s Financial Crimes
“The government has lied to you and they’ve stolen from you” – NJ Governor Chris Christie, former Chairman of the Republican Governors Association, talking about entitlements like Medicare and Social Security during the nationally televised presidential debate in Boulder, Colorado on 10/28/2015 . This is likely as close to an official admission of institutionalized crime and systematic corruption…
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A country bumpkin visits the state capital in Trenton
I visited the NJ state capital in Trenton for the first time this week. I had to make an appearance before an administrative law judge nearby. Under state law a business’ representative is not required to be an attorney to represent a client in this court. The hearing went fine; I avoided a larger fine…