Do Tax Cuts Really Work?

President Trump and his Republican allies in Congress are close to pushing a tax reform package that would be the legislative victory that his presidency has been seeking. Critics of his tax proposal say it favors the rich at the expense of the poor and middle class, and supporters say it will provide an economic stimulus that would benefit everyone.

Mark Cuban for President?

Mark Cuban has been floating the idea of running for President. Last week, he clarified that if he decided to run, he would do so as a Republican and challenge President Trump in the primary. The fact that Cuban is being taken seriously is an indication of how much things have changed in Presidential politics.…

Dave Stevens to Step Down from MBA

This week the Mortgage Bankers Association announced that their CEO, David Stevens, would retire effective September of 2018. NAHREP released a statement about Stevens shortly after the announcement was made public. I am a product of the mortgage industry and was on the board of the MBA when they hired Mr. Stevens directly from his post as…

A Memorable Trip to Phoenix

Last Sunday the Phoenix Suns fired their young head coach, Earl Watson. Three days earlier, my son Aaron and I traveled to Phoenix as invited guests of Earl Watson and the Phoenix Suns to sit in on practice, have dinner with the coaches, and watch the Suns take on the Los Angeles Lakers. Coach Watson…

José Andrés in Puerto Rico

World-renowned Chef José Andrés has spent nearly a month in Puerto Rico coordinating a Herculean effort to feed the victims of Hurricane Maria. Last week, Andrés and his non-profit World Central Kitchen served their one-millionth meal in Puerto Rico in less than thirty days, surpassing the likes of the Red Cross. Andrés was in the…

Bitcoin

The recent run-up of Bitcoin has a lot of people thinking about investing in the mysterious digital currency. For lay people, Bitcoin is a digital currency that operates on blockchain technology which is essentially a shared digital database of financial transactions which some are even calling a new type of internet. It cuts out the…

NAR’s New Leader

I had the opportunity to meet with the new CEO of the National Association of Realtors®, Bob Goldberg, last week in their offices in Washington, D.C. NAR is the most politically powerful real estate organization in America and one of the most powerful in any field. Goldberg is a different kind of leader; he’s active…

SNL

Congrats to SNL for promoting their first Latina cast member, Melissa Villaseñor from featured player to full cast member. Although we have yet to see Villaseñor play more than a supporting role in any of the skits, I look forward to that changing this season. Meanwhile, SNL is enjoying record ratings due in large part…

Vanity Fair’s “New Establishment”

My favorite magazine is Vanity Fair, and their annual New Establishment issue is my favorite of the year. For decades, Vanity Fair magazine has retained some of the best writers and photographers to report on some of the most interesting and provocative stories in politics, fashion, entertainment, literature, and celebrity culture. In 1994, when the…