Robert C. Byrd, a Pillar of the Senate, Dies at 92

Right on the heels of Martin Ginsburg, we were saddened to hear of the passing of Senator Robert Byrd. Senator Byrd served 51 years in the US Senate, longer than anyone else in history. The New York Times ran his obituary yesterday.

His West Virginia constituents loved him for his constant battling to provide his impoverished state with much needed federal funds. When hearing of the Senator’s passing, President Obama said, “America has lost a voice of principle and reason.”

He was born into the poverty that is so common in his home state, but through incredible efforts he educated himself until he could afford a top notch education. And for that he deserves our utmost respect.

Byrd’s history is not without controversy, his troubled history with civil rights legislation is well documented, but he was a dedicated Senator who struggled with the beliefs and mores of his generation. He backed civil rights legislation consistently only after becoming a party leader in the Senate.

Read his full obituary here.

Death of "Marty" Ginsburg

The Tax Professor Blog author Paul Caron reports that renowned tax attorney and tax professor, Martin D Ginsburg died yesterday. Some may know Ginsburg as one of the authors of the semi-annually updated tax treatise Mergers, Acquisitions, and Buyouts; others know him best as husband to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

During his life “Marty” held a number of prestigious positions in the tax world: chair of the Committee on Simplification of the American Bar Associations Tax Section, chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Tax Section, consultant to the American Law Institute’s Federal Income Tax Project, member of advisory groups to the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue, the Treasury Department, and the Tax Division of the Department of Justice. Mr. Ginsburg was awarded the American Bar Association Tax Section’s Distinguished Service Award in 2006.

Mr. and Justice Ginsburg celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary last week. He was a brilliant tax mind and will be missed in the tax world and beyond.

Read more about the inimitable Martin Ginsburg here.

Giant’s Relief Pitcher Passes Over Weekend

Former Giant’s and Cubs pitcher Rod Beck tragically died over the weekend at the young age of 38. According the Daily Herald, Rod "gained initial fame as a member of the San Francisco Giants and was a three-time all-star who twice led the NL in saves." Though he was well respected by fans and players alike, Rod had dealt with some personal demons and had spent time in rehab to overcome his problems. "Tragedy," Cubs president John McDonough explained. "Colorful character. Great for baseball. Sad. He was a big part of the '98 team. Baseball needs more people like Rod Beck. I think all of us are very saddened." SFGate.com has a well written article on Rod and why he was so well respected, you can check out the article here.