Category: News and Politics
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I don’t know politics
Lately a lot of people seem to want to talk with me about politics. That’s probably because I am the accountant or treasurer for politicians and politically-connected nonprofit organizations. I am polite when this occurs but really I don’t know anything about the topic and have nothing to contribute to the conversation. I try to…
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I will not be silent on Trump fraud and cruelty in South Jersey
“What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander” – Elie Wiesel I personally saw the cruelty, greed and crimes of Donald Trump ruin families who were my neighbors in the Atlantic City area more than two decades ago. As president of a nearby chapter of…
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South Jersey takes another political hit
For my entire adult life, I recall neighbors and politicians complaining that South Jersey does not get the political attention or support that we deserve, based on our population and financial contributions to New Jersey. One way of improving this, of course, is to build stronger “grass roots” political leaders to represent us in Trenton…
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Small Pennsylvania hospital story illustrates the need for reform
The worst of our healthcare system – and actually our entire economy – is illustrated in this news story of Ellwood City Hospital near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. It is typical of smaller more rural hospital and health care facilities that historically relied on cash flow from wealthy nonprofit donors or government payments to keep its doors…
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Trump v. Vance Supreme Court case preview
Our matter-of-survival national crisis aside, this is an interesting legal case for Constitutional law hobbyists like me. To be clear, I blog on Supreme Court cases from time to time here as an interested hobbyist, not as an adviser and not meant to imply any level of expertise. Accounting Today did a great job of…
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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…
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A primer on the China tariffs
What do you need to know as a consumer about about the China trade tariffs that starts today? This is a short bullet point summary. Legal background Tariffs are taxes authorized under Title 19 of U.S Code in 1930. The tax is based on Constitutional authority “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect…
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Twelve consumer product businesses to avoid
These twelve companies sell to consumers; meaning there is usually a consumer market choice to be made. They made my boycott list either for unacceptable social actions or for unrelenting damage to the environment*. I won’t buy from any of them and I hope that you reach a similar conclusion and don’t support them either.…
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Our broken tax system
This isn’t the type of tax blog post that I normally write. But after decades of writing and over 2,000 tax-related posts, columns and other publications, I sense that our tax system is spinning out of control, pulling our nation into a death spiral. It is time to speak out. Almost three decades ago I…
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Legal requirements to release the tax returns of candidates for public office
In the aftermath of revelations about the president’s financial scandals, a number of states are moving forward with bills that would require all candidates for public office to release tax returns in order to be listed on the ballot. This blog post does not attempt to list the states, the bills or their status. We…