“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” Listening, last night, to Senator John McCain and President-Elect Barack Obama, the first words from Dicken’s Tale of Two Cities flashed before me. “…it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the...

Dear Mr. President-elect, An economy in crisis, rising unemployment, needed reform in healthcare and energy, housing foreclosures, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a global reputation as unilateral bullies, and a Congress immobilized by special interests and partisan gridlock. The American people are not just fearful of the current state of our union, Mr. President-elect, they’re angry. They’re not only resentful...

I’ve been bothered lately, not just by the recklessness by certain members of Congress, but by the blatancy of it all. Florida Representative Tim Mahoney defiantly telling reporters that the issue of extramarital affairs he had while in office is a “private matter.” Louisiana Representative William Jefferson indicted on 16 corruption-related charges, unashamedly telling constituents that, in spite of $90,000...

On Tuesday I noted that in spite of being convicted on all seven counts of corruption, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens said that he would not step down from office. One of the questions I asked was, “Whose interests is [Stevens] really serving?” Answer:  Clearly his own. Now comes word that the Alaska G.O.P. is urging state voters to stand behind...

“The worst that can happen to us is we run up a bunch of legal fees, and might lose and we might have to pay a fine, might have to serve some time in jail. I hope to Christ it never gets to that…. I don’t think we have done anything wrong.” So said Alaska Senator Ted Stevens in a...

Last week, I told you about a reader and homeowner who had written describing how a couple of teenagers in their area had defaulted on their promise to cut the lawn of the property owner in a professional and reliable way. At one point, the homeowners were so disappointed they cancelled the service.  However, the teen returned and, without authorization,...

“Those of us who have looked to the self-interest of lending institutions to protect shareholders’ equity, myself included, are in a state of shocked disbelief.” So said a somber-faced (but he always looks that way) Alan Greenspan as he testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Remind you of anyone? Now I’m not suggesting that the former Fed...

“When is it ethical to ask for pay for work not done, done poorly, and work not authorized?” That was a recent question sent to me by a reader.  Here are the specifics behind the question: “We are out-of-state homeowners that have hired teenagers on two occasions for shoveling snow and mowing. “In each case, the teenager did the work...

There’s been a lot of talk in the news lately about Joe the plumber. His name is Joe Wurzelbacher, and last week he stopped Senator Obama to complain about taxes.  Apparently, he doesn’t seem to care much for Mr. Obama’s tax plan.  Needless to say, this worked in favor of Senator McCain. In fact, both candidates mentioned Joe the plumber...

“The contractors are making a killing.  The lobbyists are getting their fees… Everybody is making money here — except us.” So said Army Space and Missile Defense engineer Michael Cantrell when speaking about his kickback scheme from vendors who do business with the government. The New York Times reported (Oct. 12) that Cantrell “…along with his deputy, Doug Ennis, had...