In the past week, the theme of capitalism vs. social justice has cropped up over and over. First, I read an amazing set of articles from the NY Times that chroniced the life of a homeless child. Then, I perused Pope Francis’ recent letter, wherein he criticizes unfettered capitalism. And today, Fred Wilson and Bijan
Category: Politics
Twitter As a Quick Whistle
Yesterday, many newspapers reported about the low number of Americans who have registered for new health plans under the Affordable Care Act. There is a NY Times illustration here, outlining how 106,000 people have picked a plan (but not necessarily bought one), which is 80% below the Administration’s projections. Yesterday afternoon, the White House issued this
Health Care and ‘Adverse Selection’
A headline in today’s Wall Street Journal caught my eye: “Lawmakers Call for Delay in Penalties for the Uninsured.” Basically, in 2014, if you don’t have health care coverage, you’ll be fined. But, because of the healthcare.gov web site problems, which are making it difficult to enroll for a plan, some lawmakers think it would
Create a ‘Backdoor’ in a Negotiation
I’ve seen some tense negotiations. Most end up well. Some fail. One thing I’ve learned over time is to let the other side have a “back door” out. In other words, don’t push them so into a corner, which will cause them to walk away. Instead, let the other party get some of what they
Liberty or Safety: the IRS and Eavesdropping
Like many of you, I have been reading about the various government efforts that just don’t feel right: IRS audits, collections of phone logs (of everyone, all the time, when there is no probable cause), eavesdropping in on phone calls, and the like. Increasingly, the government is expanding its powers of surveillance, many of which
My Town: Tax Increases, Austerity, or Both?
Residents of our town are voting today on three special property tax increases. They’re meant to fund some school renovations, for the most part. When I think of our town’s budget, I think about its financial statements. So, I found the 2013 budget and some cool charts, some of which I show below. Our town’s