Tax season is coming, and many COVID-19 related tax laws are still very confusing. This will lead many to visit a tax preparer to help them navigate new circumstances. In a time of confusion, scammers are on high alert.New tax laws can help create confusion that dishonest preparers can ...
A presidential candidate promises to put a woman on the Supreme Court. Some idealists say it is identity politics at its worst. But pragmatists know it is a naked political strategy, meant to address weakness in a certain segment of the constituency.Ha, ha, got you. I’m talking not about Joe ...
Flora and Fred Fetid have been neighbors for decades. Today, they are giving me cautious advice. “Don’t do it,” Fred says. “Realtors will get defensive.”“People our age will be offended,” Flora tells me. “Sparkle, that’s what folks want.”Nonetheless, here goes. Indiana is ...
It’s an issue that has long engaged my attention: Where do we draw the line between autonomy and subjugation, between when we should be left alone and when we must be made to conform for the common good?I have strong libertarian instincts, so I have always argued for the minimum government ...
Last weekend we set aside time to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and reflect upon his influence. Classrooms around the country will replay some of his speeches, and students together will read his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” It is necessary that they do so, and no Americans can ...
Canceled and delayed flights due to COVID-19 related issues and staffing concerns continue to follow us into the new year. Thousands of flights have been affected by COVID cancelations or staffing concerns, and there is no end in sight to the disruptions and uncertainties.When flights are ...
There are lies, damned lies and public opinion polls. That is my misquoting of a quip often attributed to Mark Twain. The original quote was about statistics, but describes opinion polls so well I feel Twain wouldn’t mind the plagiarism.(In my defense, Twain attributed the quote to British ...
Last week in this space, data showed Indiana performed well compared to most other states in the COVID-induced economic decline and rebound of 2020-21. Today, consider a longer period of time, 2007 through 2019.Why this 12-year span? 2007 was the last year before the financial debacle required ...
COVID tests are beginning to become limited for consumers. With a rise in COVID-19 cases and a shortage of rapid tests, the Indiana Department of Health recently announced it is limiting rapid testing at its sites. Officials said the only people eligible for rapid testing at state and local ...
The property tax is the biggest source of tax revenue for most Indiana local governments, and they were worried about the effect of the COVID recession on property tax revenues.But rising home values in 2020 will increase assessed values for tax bills in 2022. The federal COVID relief bills ...
