Articles written by Michael Greaney - Page 5

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About me - Michael Greaney

Mr. Greaney, a Certified Public Accountant, is CESJ's Secretary, volunteer Director of Research, and a member of the executive committee. He has audited profit and non-profit organizations throughout the world, with the American Red Cross, Georgetown University

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Celebrations & Holidays > Wedding Planning Wedding planning woes: How to avoid wedding disaster: 6 of 38
I have two sisters. The older, the quintessential "drama queen," considered her wedding day the greatest day in her life ... make that in anyone's life, in the entire history of the world, possibly this universe and any possible alternate realities. The younger considers the birth of her three children rank equally as said "... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Reflections: Redistribution of wealth through taxation: 5 of 31
It may come as a distinct shock to many people (especially politicians), but there are two essential facts about taxation that are almost completely ignored in the modern age. The first is that the purpose of taxation is to raise money to defray legitimate expenses of running the government. The second is that the State does... More..
Personal Finance > Smart Spending Is it better to do your holiday shopping in stores or online?: 4 of 24
The whole subject of holiday shopping is fraught with peril. The most dangerous area is not the last minute panic, bizarre traffic, lack of parking, or crazy fellow shoppers, but shopping for others. Either we tend to try and purchase affection by the splendor, quantity, and expense of the gifts, or we "project" ourselves on... More..
Arts & Humanities > Marketing & Selling Writing Guide to "print on demand" publishing: 1 of 6
Perception of print on demand publishing has been heavily tainted by the large amount of trash that the technology has made financially feasible to inflict on the public. As Dorothy Parker once declared, some books are to be set aside lightly, while others are to be thrown from you with great force. A case in point is the li... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Government & Policies Commentary: On the need to 'raise awareness' about poverty today: 1 of 6
While it may seem callous, the real issue today is not poverty. We get nowhere when we simply "join in solidarity with the poor." As someone who has been on both sides of the fence, I can sympathize with the poor who, faced with the prospect of a big demonstration or publicity effort to raise awareness of their condition, re... More..
Personal Finance > Taxes Will increased capital gains taxes discourage investment and inhibit economic growth?: 1 of 6
Contrary to popular belief, incentives to cut consumption and save do not encourage investment and spur economic growth. By diverting consumption income to investment, the investments themselves are made less financially feasible for the simple reason that when people save instead of spending, producers do not sell. The idea... More..
Personal Finance > Personal Finance (Other) How to survive (even thrive) in difficult economic times: 11 of 64
Depressions are not an iron law of nature. The economic swings experienced since the Industrial Revolution are (except for the results of natural disasters) man-made. Depressions result from flawed economic institutions. Both as individuals and as members of groups we are responsible for our institutions, and thus for what o... More..
Business > Human Resources Best ways to reward employees: 8 of 45
There is one best way to reward employees, yet this way is the one least likely to be used. That is, change your employees from "wage slaves" into partners by cutting them in for a share of the ownership. If they are doing a job good enough to be rewarded, they are doing a job good enough to share in the responsibilities of ... More..
Relationships & Family > Married Life Should parents need a license to have children?: 6 of 31
In the late 1940s or thereabouts, English satirist Evelyn Waugh wrote (and illustrated) a short novella titled, "Love Among the Ruins." One of the more common expletives employed by the characters in the book was, "State save us!" - Waugh's way of highlighting the fact that, instead of relying on their own resources or the h... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Are we [Americans] collectively dumb as a nation?: 10 of 51
America - all countries on the face of the earth, in point of fact - are afflicted with a "collective dumbness" that, to people operating within traditional concepts of society, expresses itself in wrong (or, more accurately, inappropriate) behavior. Behavior that is appropriate from a strictly individual point of view is fr... More..