Perspective

So I just spent nine days (actually 7 days and two whole travel days) in Puerto Rico.  I attended a two day accounting conference with the North American division of Alliott Group, the international organization we belong to.  Kathi and I stretched it into a nice beach vacation since we had never been to Puerto Rico.  Puerto Rico is a beautiful island with some of the friendliest people anywhere.

After the conference we spent two days in Old San Juan.  This is quite a city with real Caribbean history.  Here we took a two hour Segway Tour.  For those that don’t …

Well, we heard Tuesday night that we will be sending more troops to Afghanistan.  We also heard that they may start coming home in 2011.  Good luck with that!  This rant is not about whether or not we should send more troops.  I’ll leave that question to our readers. 

The thing we need most from our leaders, whether in business or politics is Clear Vision.  What we often get instead is a muddled lack of clarity and indecision.  That’s what bothered me about Tuesday’s speech.  I heard no real vision or plan, maybe you did, but I did not.  What this …

California has adjusted its tax tables, exemptions, and certain credits for deflation, resulting in a higher tax liability for anyone who has made exactly the same income as they made in 2008.

After fuming about this issue for a couple of days, I decided to help gather my fellow CPAs together and see what we could do to stop the IRS in their tracks. It seems the IRS has decided to come after some wineries for using LIFO  to value their inventory. 

Last week , with the help of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, we brought Washington Insider, Dean Zerbe, …

…and only half of what you see.

 Just ask CNBC’s Jim Cramer of Mad Money. In last night’s episode of the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, among other things, Cramer tried to explain why he recommended his viewers buy Bear Stearns just days before the company’s collapse.

90% of economic activity is based on psychology. How we …

 Why is the tax credit side of the stimulus bill not going to help our country?

Three easy to understand words. They are “too darn complicated”. The purpose of tax credits is to help people do something for the economy or spend money that they otherwise might not spend. Tax credits can do …