The Car Business March 30, 2009

Remember the old car company called American Motors? It looks like the name will have to be resurrected because that’s about what GM has become.
The Obama Administration has taken the extraordinary step offering a government guarantee on the warranties of GM (and Chrysler) cars. This after forcing out the CEO of GM and rejecting [...]

Lawyers 7, Media 5 March 27, 2009

In papers filed this week in the case against Mayor Sheila Dixon, prosecutors warned of all the “media hype” about the case.
Well, we were clearly outnumbered in the spacious courtroom on the second floor of Courthouse East in Baltimore on Thursday.
It was the first open hearing in the Big 3 of court cases this [...]

Now It’s The Mall March 24, 2009

Word comes this week that General Growth Properties is cutting back hours at most of its malls in our region—including Columbia, Towson Town, White Marsh and Mondawmin.
On one hand, this seems somewhat contrary to what retailers should be doing to try to ride out the recession. I know of one small shop owner, for example, [...]

A 90% Tax Rate March 19, 2009

Has common sense fled Capitol Hill?
On Thursday, The House of Representatives passed, by a margin of 329-93, a bill to impose a 90% tax on the bonuses pocketed by AIG employees.
Let me be clear. The payment of the bonuses was disgusting.
Over the past few months, I’ve used this space frequently to “call out” the culture [...]

The AIG Bonuses March 17, 2009

Just about everybody is furious about the bonuses being paid to employees of AIG, the insurance giant whose risky business practices have played a gigantic role in our economic mess. The news only gets more infuriating with Tuesday’s disclosure from the New York Attorney General that a whopping 73 AIG executives got at least $1 [...]

Madoff’s Mea Culpa (not) March 11, 2009

Don’t be fooled by Bernie Madoff’s apparent decision to plead guilty. It’s unlikely the one-time financial whiz who’s accused of pulling off the biggest Ponzi scheme in history is fessing up out of some overwhelming sense of remorse—or some sudden urge to do the right thing.
How do we know?
Madoff didn’t cut a plea bargain deal [...]

Stop Hiding March 9, 2009

With all the talk lately about transparency in government, it’s way past time that the United States Senate fix the problem of secrecy in U-S Senate campaigns.
Federal election law requires most candidates to file information about their campaign money electronically. That makes it easier for the public to see who gives a candidate money—and who [...]

Suddenly Unfashionable March 3, 2009

I was reading a piece in The New York Times a few days ago about one of New York City’s premier real estate agents. For more than ten years, one of her trademarks was the Rolls Royce she used to take clients to see properties on the market. (We are, of course, talking about those [...]