With ten days to go before the May 24th general election in the Republic of Ireland we seem to finally have put the issue of Prime Minister Bertie Ahern’s financial irregularities to bed. Having confessed to parliament last autumn that he received cash from friends whilst in the middle of a messy separation from his […]
Another Boring Budget Cycle
Everyone likes to complain about taxes. It is one of the great underrated spectator sports. But few people do anything about taxes. Very, very few people take the time to study a budget. Budgets are dull, confusing and require a couple of hours to understand. Those who read a budget figure out pretty quickly that there is not much discretionary […]
Zimbabwe’s Oppressed Cries Reach God’s Ears?
Zimbabweans are turning en masse to God in search of solace and divine answers in the face of a political and economic fallout that has no apparent resolution in sight. Christianity, which played a key role in Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle that ushered independence from British colonial rule in 1980, is increasingly providing a platform for […]
New Jersey’s legislative eggshells: Tiptoeing around property tax and school funding reform
During New Jersey’s legislative debate on property tax reform, politicians have avoided mentioning certain subjects. I hope they aren’t afraid to inform voters and taxpayers. We aren’t delicate, we can handle the truth, and we shouldn’t be shielded. Involving the public openly and broadly will make reform more achievable. These "top ten" underreported issues are […]
The Hands of Romeo
La Plata, Argentina — The old adage that necessity is the mother of invention is one Guillermo Gomez-Romeo, grill maker and owner of the custom barbeque supply shop Pigue, has taken to heart. In cow-obsessed Argentina, where per capita consumption of beef hovers at 150 lbs per year, the highest in the world, the […]