THE ENTERPRISE--A NEW YEAR WAKE UP CALL
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND SOME NEW YEAR OBSERVATIONS
Happy New Year to all. Here we are in sunny FL after a wonderful holiday season with family. You'd never know from the crowds at Disney World on Jan. 1 that the US is in an economic slowdown. You would notice, however, how many of the guests were not speaking English. You'd also notice from the prices that IF you provide a superior product or service of experience you can charge a lot of everything associated with it. That is a very valuable lesson. It as also a blessing born of the fruits of the freedom we enjoy in the USA.
We must protect American freedoms and the free enterprise system that has made America the land of opportunity.
IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW BETTER, YOU'D HAVE THOUGHT THE IOWA CAUCUSES WERE REALLY IMPORTANT
Maybe they were, and maybe they weren't. Somehow, it seems everyone is still seeking an alternative to the best all-around candidate--Mitt Romney. He was the best in 2008 too--and not nearly as good as he is now. So what did the GOP do? It rallied around the rebel, John McCain who chose that campaign to find "reserve" in his behavior and NOT attack Barack Obama for any of a huge number of outrageous parts from his hidden background to his dubious associations to his gross inexperience (which McCain couldn't criticize after his incredibly foolish choice of Sarah Palin for the VP spot.
I'M GOING TO BE BLUNTLY HONEST--AND SEE WHAT YOU ALL THINK
I'd love to see Newt Gingrich take on Barack Obama in a series of debates, BUT, it wouldn't be the slam dunk you might think because Obama is smarter than in 2008, he's more seasoned than 2008 and he's a pretty good lawyer-debater. Thus, if we make our choices based on such a thin emotional premise as that Newt would beat or humiliate Obama in debates, we might just be assuring the Chosen One a second term. On the other hand, it's time for an adult, a strong leader, an effective manager and an all around good and sensible person to sit in the White House. Say all you want about Romney's position shifts, they are irrelevant in the larger scheme of things. He took one position within the acceptable range of his personal politics when he was the elected governor of the most liberal state in America, because it reflected what his constituents wanted--at least as far as he was willing to stretch his personal positions. He also studied some of the issues more closely, before he jumped into the national limelight and changed his positions. That's good.
I'D LIKE ANYONE WHO HAS NEVER CHANGED A POSITION BASED ON NEW INFORMATION OR NEW CIRCUMSTANCES THROW THE FIRST STONE
Then I will call that person either a fool or a liar. Nuances are all that we live with--no matter how black or white idealists would like to make things. All a person can do is assess their basic principles, the situation they find based on the information they have, and make the best decision. If it's right more than 50% of the time, that's good. I also realize that the presidency of the US is not the same as a CEO job. That's why, in spite of your many kind comments that I should run for office, I won't. I wouldn't tolerate those two-face fools I'd have to live with and deal with. It is exactly why Newt is like Newt is. It makes him crazy too--until he switches his position--and then he compensates and moves on.
WHO WILL RUN FOR THE GOP?
I don't know. I hope it's Mitt Romney, but pressed I could live with Newt, or even Santorum (barely) and Huntsman (barely, but I think he's a really long shot) Rick Perry needs to go back and run Texas where he seems to be doing a good job. I'm glad Michelle Bachman dropped out. We need her voice in the House. Ron Paul needs to be heard and respected, and some of his views taken very seriously. 1) We make war and interfere far too often. We must stop doing that unless or until our own national welfare is clearly and seriously in danger. 2) We spend too damn much money at every level of every government and the Fed is out of control too. Paul is right on both of these points. But his foreign policy--while I can understand it--is just not a reasonable approach, so he is not a serious threat unless he mounts a 3rd party run, in which case he'll hand Obama the election (But the Internet Voting Candidate may do that anyway.
OK--ENOUGH RANTING FOR A NEW YEAR STARTER. LET'S JUST CLOSE WITH SOME COLD HARD FACTS
In Barack Obama's first three years, two of them with Democrats controlling both the House and the Senate, he has done several notable things.
1) He passed Obamacare--which is one of the greatest job-killers ever--even though something does need to be done about America's Health Care System. Obamacare is not it.
2) He and his minions destroyed more jobs than any predecessor. If the work force was (measured correctly the same size as when he took office unemployment would be at 10.9% The only reason it's reported at 8.5% is that so many Americans have given up and quit looking (preferring to take Obama's Democratic largess in the way of endless unemployment, food stamps and repeated payroll tax holidays. The American will to work is damaged horribly. The real unemployment and underemployment in America is between 15 and 20% of the true work force. Over 5 million jobs are still "missing" since Obama came on the scene.
3) He and his Democratic colleagues have NEVER PASSED A BUDGET in direct violation of the law of the land, which Obama clearly cares little about. His imperialistic, Hugo Chavez style of government allows him to ignore the laws--including the recent instance of making recess appointments when the Senate was not in recess--just because he wanted to--and knew he'd never get them approved otherwise.
4) To all those who claim that Bush started the decline--I will agree to this extent. It was unconscionable the Bush never vetoed a spending bill and that he left office with the US annual budget deficit in the $500 Billion range. Since taking office, the Obama deficits have all been in excess of $1 Trillion per year--more than double what Bush left with, and when this year is done, he will have dug the USA into a budget deficit "hole" of over $5.5 TRILLION, and institutionalized so much of it that cutting it will be harder than ever.
For those who can't comprehend "trillion dollar figures, here is the USA financial situation simplified so that it is more reasonably understandable
Recent Facts
. United States Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000--$2,400,000,000,000
. Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000--$3,900,000,000,000
. New annual debt: $1,500,000,000--1,650,0000,000,000
. National debt: $16,000,000,000,000 and climbing
. Recent budget spending cut: $38,500,000,000
Now, remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:
. Annual family income: $21,700--$24,000
. Money the family spends: $38,200--$39,000
. New debt on the credit card: $15,000--16,500
. Outstanding balance on credit card: $160,000
. Total family planned budget spending cuts: $385
Are There Any Questions? Is this ridiculous, or what?
BARACK OBAMA LOVES TO BLAME WALL STREET GREED--AND SOME IS WELL DESERVED--BUT THE REAL CULPRITS SELDOM GET BLAMED! WHY? READ ON!
Three men who brought down Wall Street (and were instrumental in the Subprime mortgage debacle which largely caused the financial crisis.)They were clearly aided and abetted by Chris Dodd and Barney Frank…and Barack Obama (To learn more, read Gretchen Morgenstern's fine book Reckless Endangerment)Here's a quick look into the three former Fannie Mae executives who brought down Wall Street.
Franklin Raines was a Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Fannie Mae. Raines was forced to retire from his position with Fannie Mae when auditing discovered severe irregularities in Fannie Mae's accounting activities. Raines left with a "golden parachute valued at $240 Million in benefits. The Government filed suit against Raines when the depth of the accounting scandal became clear.
Tim Howard - was the Chief Financial Officer of Fannie Mae. Howard "was a strong internal proponent of using accounting strategies that would ensure a "stable pattern of earnings" at Fannie. Investigations by federal regulators and the company's board of directors since concluded that management did manipulate 1998 earnings to trigger bonuses. Raines and Howard resigned under pressure in late 2004. Howard's Golden Parachute was estimated at $20 Million!
Jim Johnson - A former executive at Lehman Brothers and who was later forced from his position as Fannie Mae CEO. Investigators found that Fannie Mae had hidden a substantial amount of Johnson's 1998 compensation from the public, reporting that it was between $6 million and $7 million when it fact it was $21 million." Johnson is currently under investigation for taking illegal loans from Countrywide while serving as CEO of Fannie Mae. Johnson's Golden Parachute was estimated at $28 Million.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
FRANKLIN RAINES? Raines works for the Obama Campaign as his Chief Economic Advisor.
TIM HOWARD? Howard is a Chief Economic Advisor to Obama under Franklin Raines.
JIM JOHNSON? Johnson was hired as a Senior Obama Finance Advisor and was selected to run Obama's Vice Presidential Search Committee.
WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY? WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND IT IS OUR PRESIDENT AND OUR OVERGROWN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
(PART OF IT--THERE ARE STILL SOME GOOD PEOPLE IN CONGRESS--BELIEVE IT OR NOT!)
Bottom line: Government was created to work for the people--NOT vice versa. We must stop and reverse the era of "BIG GOVERNMENT," before it kills America. Whichever of these candidates: Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, Huntsman, et. al. can do that--or at the very least intend to do that when elected--will get my vote.
(So will most of the GOP candidates for Senate, since any president can only do so much without the support of Congress.)
NOW I'VE DONE IT. SAID ALL THIS IN THE FIRST WEEK OF 2012. LET'S SEE HOW THINGS UNFOLD.
EITHER GET INVOLVED, AND HELP NOW, OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. SPEAK OUT AND SPEAK UP.
BEST, JOHN
Author of the Award Winner: THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS, and the exciting novel: THE CHINESE CONSPIRACY. Come see my blog posts on Forbes.com & American Express Open Forum: http://www.openforum.com/connectodex/small-business-trends?username=john-mariotti&isRecentPosts=True
John L. Mariotti, President & CEO, The Enterprise Group, Phones (mobile) 614-499-5577 & OH Office 614-840-0959 (when available). http://www.mariotti.net, http://mariotti.blogs.com/my_weblog/
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