Case Analysis

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CurrencyInvestment talk
March 25, 2014

Virtual Currency

Virtual currency makes sense to the generations raised with the internet, but can be confusing to older investors, savers and spenders. In summary, a virtual currency aligns itself to no country or banking system other than its own. It exists purely as a digital entry in a database. Fairness issues…
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Local Governments and Special Districts
February 27, 2014

A Few Observations on Costs of Government

How much does it costs government to bring water to your home? To upgrade an aged water distribution system with new pipes or computer sensing devices that monitor pressure and flow? The costs are high. These high costs rarely are reflected directly in the financial statements published by municipalities and…
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IRS News
January 9, 2014

IRS 2013 Report Card, Sequestration, etc.

IRS Releases FY2013 2006 Enforcement Stats The IRS has released Fiscal Year 2013 Enforcement and Service Results, showing among other things: Individual audit rate:  0.96% (lowest since 2005) Large corporation audit rate: 15.8% (lowest since 2009) Revenue from audits:  $9.8 billion (lowest since 2003) Number of IRS agents:  19,531 (lowest since…
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News Media In Pari Delicto Government
December 2, 2013

Government’s Failure to Perform As Related to News Acting

   Elected officials have drunk the Kool-Aid of news media. For generations. This means an elected official’s on-camera responsiveness to media supersedes responsiveness to public and constituency. Elected officials increasingly have behaved this way for a couple of generations; thus, their behavior has evolved and mutated accordingly. They see and…
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Local Governments and Special Districts
November 19, 2013

How To Dissolve Local Government Units

Division 5-44. Local Government Reduction and Efficiency (55 ILCS 5/5-44005 new) Sec. 5-44005. Findings and purpose. (a) The General Assembly finds: (1) Illinois has more units of local government than any other state. (2) The large number of units of local government results in the inefficient delivery of governmental services…
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Municipal BK
November 19, 2013

In re SLOCUM LAKE DRAINAGE DISTRICT OF LAKE COUNTY, Debtor

336 B.R. 387 (2006) In re SLOCUM LAKE DRAINAGE DISTRICT OF LAKE COUNTY, Debtor. United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois, Eastern Division. January 19, 2006. Michael G. Cortina, Crystal Lake, IL, for Movant. Thomas D. Laue, Chicago, IL, for Respondent. Ira Bodenstein, Chicago, IL, trustee. MEMORANDUM OPINION JOHN H. SQUIRES,…
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Levels of Nothing
October 18, 2013

What’s It Like? The Science of Scientific Analogies

What’s it Like? The Science of Scientific Analogies by Chris Edwards To fully understand the significance of the argument made by Douglas Hofstadter and Emmanuel Sander in their new book Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking, one must first be familiar with the fence (not a…
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Levels of Nothing
September 15, 2013

Levels of Nothing

Levels of Nothing There Are Multiple Answers to the Question of Why the Universe Exists by Robert Lawrence Kuhn Nothing, of late, is something of a scandal. Physicists and philosophers debate the efficacy of quantum physics, and the value of philosophical analysis, to explain why there is Something rather than…
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Impact Investing
August 29, 2013

Impact Investing

The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) defines Impact Investing as: “investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.” Maximilian Martin of Impact Economy (impacteconomy.com) provides quantification for social conscientiousness versus capital return in his Making Impact Investible…
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Municipal BK
July 28, 2013

Detroit BK and others to follow

  Detroit BK The city of Detroit, which filed for bankruptcy July 18th, will continue to pay secured creditors, including water and sewer bondholders, according to credit market analysts. The Detroit Free Press, quoting a local bankruptcy attorney, said an automatic stay will be issued on most of Detroit’s obligations,…
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