Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Can local governments make it a crime to sleep outside if no inside space is available?

by Clare Pastore The Conversation A small city in Oregon with one homeless shelter is enforcing a local anti-camping law. Enforcing it against people sleeping in public using a blanket or any other rudimentary protection against the weather. Enforcing it even if there was nowhere else to go. By taking up City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, […]

How to understand next week’s Trump criminal felony trial

Robert Reich Roberts Substack Robert Reich’s update on the upcoming criminal trial on election interference. ~~~~~~~~ Trump wants you to think that all he did was try to cover up a sexual affair. Wrong. Trump’s first criminal trial, the first criminal trial of a former president, ever — is scheduled to begin Monday. The 34-count […]

Manipulating Supply Chains and Manufacturing, for Corporate Influence and Profit

The one thing we keep on seeing is the manipulation of supply chain by circumstance to achive manufacturing shortfall, and influence to maximize profits. Much of what we have and are experiencing was avoidable. The tools exist to give better perspectives of what is going on from start to finish of product. As you read […]

Scamming People with Phony ACA Healthcare Insurance Plans

I am not surprised scamming like this is occurring. There are always people operating under false names or using corporate entities as a way to scam others. I think trump helped to open the door for much more of this to happen. Here are six different ways scamming has been happening. No funds passed . […]

Arizona’s HB-2648 will Kill the Predatory Practices of Arizona HOA Attorneys

Some Background and History If you ever move to Arizona around Phoenix and maybe even further out, you are probably going to end up in a development which has a Home Owner’s Association (HOA). My experience with HOAs is mostly positive as the Pres. and the Board Members lived in the same subdivision as we […]

END THE TAX ON Social Security. A Good Idea?

by Dale Coberly No. It’s not. Here is why. The argument for ending the tax on Social Security benefits seems to be that “it is a tax on a tax”, double taxing, and not fair. Even the good guys believe this. But they are wrong. Consider,  You pay income taxes on your ordinary income.  Then […]

Open Thread March 24 2024 Shorter Work Week – Is It All It Promises to Be?

A New Norm: Senators Bernie Sanders and Laphonza Butler presented an intriguing idea: making a shorter work week a national norm. The bill they introduced proposes changing the standard workweek with no loss in pay for certain groups of employees, including many hourly workers, from 40 to 32 hours, at which point overtime pay would kick in. […]

Death of the 6% commission

Apparently, the National Association of Realtors has agreed to eliminate rules on commissions. “The NAR, which represents more than 1 million Realtors, also agreed to put in place a set of new rules. One prohibits agents’ compensation from being included on listings placed on local centralized listing portals known as multiple listing services, which critics […]