Filling Supreme Court Vacancies
Edward Zelinsky explains why he supports the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor.
The Torture Debate: Getting Beyond Dick and Nancy
Edward Zelinsky looks at the torture debate.
Swine Flu, Telecommuting and New York’s Extraterritorial Taxation of Nonresidents’ Incomes
Edward Zelinsky argues that Swine Flu is just another reason workers should not be penalized for working from home.
President Obama Embraces the Defined Contribution Paradigm
Edward Zelinsky looks closely at Obama’s budget.
President Obama: Shareholders, Workers — Let Everyone Vote
Zelinsky responds to President Obama’s recent endorsement of the Employee Free Choice Act which would eliminate the legal requirement of a secret ballot vote before workers unionize. Zelinsky argues that Democrats and Republicans alike should simultaneously affirm Americans’ right as shareholders to vote on matters of corporate policy including managerial compensation and Americans’ right as workers to vote whether to belong to a union. At the most basic level, the secret ballot is the American way.
Tax “Old” Wealth By Abolishing
the GST Grandfather Exemption
In this article, Zelinsky calls for the President and Congress to repeal the grandfather exemption from the federal generation skipping tax (GST) for irrevocable trusts established on or before September 25, 1985. This exemption, he argues, unfairly immunizes from federal taxation transfers at death of “old” wealth while economically equivalent transfers of new wealth are taxed.
Abolish the Minimum Required Distribution Rules
In this article, Professor Zelinsky discusses the controversy surrounding the effects of the minimum required distribution (MRD) rules after the Crash of 2008. He concludes that the MRD rules, suspended by President Bush and Congress for 2009, should be abolished permanently.
Governor Blagojevich and the Seventeenth Amendment
Professor Zelinsky discusses the recent arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and the public maneuvering in New York for Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat.
Winning by Losing
Edward Zelinsky reflects on why Obama doesn’t want a filibuster-proof senate.
Warren Buffett and the Estate Tax
Zelinsky looks at the estate tax.
A Lesson From the Crash of 2008
In this article, Zelinsky discusses the federal government’s promotion of common stock investments for 401(k) participants. He suggests that, in light of the Crash of 2008, that promotion constitutes misguided paternalism.
Congressman Rangel’s Tax Returns and the Ghost of Wilbur Mills
Zelinsky discusses the failure of House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel to report on his federal income tax return Rangel’s rental income from his condominium in the Dominican Republic.
The Vice Presidency: From Balance to Ballast
Zelinsky looks at vice presidential candidates.
Senators Obama and McCain confirm the malfunction of campaign finance reform
A look at the failure of campaign finance reform.
MetLife v. Glenn: Another Push for Defined Contribution Plans
Zelinsky discusses the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in MetLife v. Glenn.
The Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act:
Stopping New York’s Tax Attack on Telecommuters
By permitting individuals to work at home, telecommuting removes cars from the roads, thereby reducing traffic congestion, gas consumption, and automotive pollution. Telecommuting also opens job opportunities for those for whom a conventional, daily trip to the office is difficult or undesirable.