Blog - Page 2 of 88 - Mark Rubin

Balloons, Balloons, Balloons!

February 15, 2023

Balloons, Balloons, Balloons!

Mark Rubin

Balloons, balloons, balloons! Decades ago, a Tucson businessman name Sid Omansky ran commercials for his appliance store – which focused on selling color television sets – with the tagline Balloons, balloons, balloons. (Competitor Ted Flash TV ads, voiced by talented Frank Kalil, closed with “Open … and Sundays after church.”)

I thought of Sid’s because of the balloon controversy. What a load of nonsense! Pure, unadulterated Nonsense!!!

A Non-Story

First, does anyone think China will learn anything significant – anything it can’t learn by other means – by floating a great big airbag over our nation? That we risked our national secrets because we didn’t shoot the effing thing down before it left the Pacific

balloons, China, Congress, Senate, Venn diagram

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The Corporate Transparency Act: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.

January 17, 2023

Mark Rubin

The Corporate Transparency Act: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.

Mark Rubin

The Corporate Transparency Act

Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) as part of the National Defense Authorization Act on January 2, 2021. It did so by overriding President Donald Trump’s veto. (Maybe it offered another reason to want to tear down the house four days later.)

The CTA required action by a division of the Treasury Department – the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for implementation. Its Final Rule – 99 pages of dense text – issued on September 30, 2022. The law takes effect as of January 1, 2024, but it gives entities in existence as of December 31, 2023 one year to report. Entities established on or

corporate transparency act, CTA, money laundering, reporting

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Who Decides Elections

December 6, 2022

Mark Rubin

Who Decides Elections

Mark Rubin

The U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Moore v. Harper, No. 21-1271, on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. To suggest that democracy in America depends on the outcome of this case does not overstate its importance. The notion that the likely outcome might render voters irrelevant in many jurisdictions ought to scare every reader, regardless of political leanings.

Moore v. Harper

The issue, as set forth at SCOTUSblog, is:

Whether a state’s judicial branch may nullify the regulations governing the ‘Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives … prescribed … by the Legislature thereof,’ and replace them with regulations of the state courts’ own devising, based on vague state constitutional provisions purportedly vesting

independent state legislature theory, moore v. harper, rucho v. common cause, U.S. Supreme Court

Law

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Vote Like Your Life Depends On It!

November 7, 2022

Mark Rubin

Vote like your life depends on it!

Mark Rubin

Vote. Vote like your life depends on it. It matters greatly!

Crime

Be smart, too. Senators and Representatives have almost nothing to do with crime. (When we talk about crime, we mean property crimes and violent crimes?) Criminal laws exist at the state level, but for a limited number of crimes which the United States Code defines. Want to say something about crime? Elections for sheriff matter a bit, as do those elections for District or County Attorney. Truth be told, though, crime occurs for a slew of reasons that have nothing to do with elected officials at any level. Want to reduce crime? Improve economic conditions and support services

Law, The Rest of Everything

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Stephens / NYT / Climate Change

October 31, 2022

Mark Rubin

Stephens / NYT / Climate Change

Bret Stephens

I am a Sunday NYT subscriber. The paper arrives early, in its blue bag. It sits on the sidewalk for days, usually. Next stop? Atop the doghouse on what might be called the front porch.* Etc. My point? If I didn’t have to get a paper copy to access the online paper, I’d pass. Not my thing, simply!

Until October 28, 2022. I saw Yes, Greenland’s Ice Is Melting by Bret Stephens, went to print it out to read it – long – and saw lots of art. I decided to wait until Sunday and make a rare newsprint date. And I am glad I did.

Mr. Stephens shares his conservative perspective

Bret Stephens, climate change, John Englander, New York Times

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Politics: What a Mess!

October 22, 2022

Mark Rubin

Politics: What a Mess!

Mark Rubin

Schadenfreude: The Bannon Thing

Schadenfreude. Taking pleasure in another person’s misery. Not my thing, mostly, but every “not so much” provides a basis for exceptions.

I encountered Steve Bannon more than 25 years ago. My partner sued him and I went to work on the case soon after. I only suffered through being in this man’s presence once, but that contact – coupled with the actions that supported the lawsuit – offered many reasons to dislike him. (The actions that formed the basis for the suit provided better ones.)

It took me moments, when Americans started hearing about this guy, to realize I knew him and had sued him. Candidly, the only doubt occurred

carly simon, democracy, gas prices, Ian Hamilton, Joanna Simon, Lucy Simon, polls, Steve Bannon, voter intimidation

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Accepting Results When You Lose

October 17, 2022

Mark Rubin

Accepting Results When You Lose

Mark Rubin

I turned 65 almost five weeks ago. Thank you and all of you for providing me with guaranteed health insurance coverage through Medicare. Not sure if I am a net winner or loser, and we should ALL have access to affordable health care. Not what I am here about today, but thanks anyway.

I mention my age because people even younger than I am grew up with bromides from our mothers and fathers. One, of course, was Nobody likes a sore loser. Turns out, I am sorry to say, that Mom and Dad – mine, at least – got it wrong. About 40% of Americans like, and I mean, Really Like, the sorest

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Donald John Trump’s Really Bad Day

September 22, 2022

Mark Rubin

Donald John Trump’s Really Bad Day

Donald J. Trump

On September 21, 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a roughly 220-page lawsuit against Donald John Trump, his three older children, his company, and others. More on that in a moment.

The Search Warrant Matter

Later in the day a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals – which included two Trump appointees – issued an unpublished opinion that stayed the trial court order preventing the United States from using classified documents taken by the FBI when it executed the search warrant on Mar-a-Lago. Judge Aileen Cannon was wrong, wrong, wrong.

The opinion lets Judge Cannon know, politely, that judges do not make decisions to further the

aileen cannon, Donald J. Trump

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Mark Rubin: Problem Solver / Attorney / Fiduciary

September 14, 2022

Mark Rubin

Mark Rubin: Problem Solver / Lawyer / Fiduciary

Mark Rubin

I’m 65 – and a day (as I have finished editing, having forgotten about this piece) – and I’ve been a lawyer for just about 41 years. People ask me what I do, regularly. They’re often other lawyers or legal services consumers. Usually, they’re looking for a cubbyhole. (Employment lawyer. ERISA expert. Estate planner. Etc.) Almost always, I fail them, for I do too many things. (Many years ago I talked with a large Phoenix firm about employment. After a wasted day the very rude managing partner said “We’re not interested. You don’t fit in anywhere.”)

Problem Solver

Tired of failing people, 60+ years old, and having spent 62.93% of

attorney, business, conservator, guardian, Licensed Fiduciary, Mark Rubin, MarkRubinWrites, personal representative, problem solver, real estate, Rubin & Bernstein PLLC, southern arizona fiduciary services llc, trustee

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My Dinners With Irwin

September 8, 2022

Mark Rubin

Rochelle Rubin, Irwin Sattinger, and Reille

My Dinners With Irwin

Irwin Sattinger died on September 5, 2022, two days after his 96^th birthday. Irwin was my stepdad in every way, but for the fact that he and Rochelle, my mom, never married. (I’m not messing with legalities or details here; for all purposes, he was my dad.)

My mom and Irwin lucked out. They found love and lived that love for many years. They understood, better than anyone I have ever known, how to accommodate one another. (Truth be told, Irwin knew how to attend to Rochelle and her flights of fancy. Best example? She sells her downtown San Diego condo within a year of her passing. Wants to

Food, The Rest of Everything

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