US Has Its Work Cut Out in Revamping Tax Code

If you spent 6.1 billion hours doing something, you would think you would have created something most ingenious. Ironically, that’s how much time American taxpayers spent this year fumbling through stacks of confusing IRS forms. Americans spend about $300 billion a year in tax-preparation costs traversing a mind-bursting 3.4 million word tax code. The net effect of this archaic tax system is not only its compliance cost, but it ultimately punishes... Read More

The Defender of American Entrepreneurialism

The most powerful words in the English language are included in the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These words clearly define, launch and chart the very foundation of American entrepreneurialism. Our cherished principles of equality, economic... Read More

The Wrong Debate on Immigration

The immigration debate needs some independent thinking, so it was refreshing when New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently visited the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with some recommendations for a new approach to immigration reform. His comments resonated with the very pro-business, pro-growth audience. He advocated that the U.S. should ease visa restrictions on highly skilled workers, business representatives and graduate students. As an entrepreneur... Read More

Bringing It All Back Home: Made in the USA

What do American companies producing ATM machines, auto parts, camping equipment, musical instruments and mattresses have in common? They are bringing their production back to the United States after relocating to Asia. And this is only a smattering of products that have traversed the long and winding road of global trade and are finally back home where they should be. American manufacturers are increasingly stunned by the new math of off-shoring.... Read More

The Land of the Free, Not Freeloaders

Many people are comparing the Occupy Wall Street movement to the Arab Spring uprisings and even the French Revolution. There’s a big difference. America is a Democratic Republic — no such government existed in France at the time or in the Arab countries where enraged mobs took the place of civil order. In this country, we make our voices heard through voting, not rioting. If the government isn’t working for you, elect a new government. That’s... Read More

Obama Cronyism Destroys Job Creation

To paraphrase an old adage, “You can take Obama out of Chicago, but you can’t take Chicago out of Obama.” As President Barack Obama plied the streets of his Southside Chicago neighborhood rounding up votes for the “Chicago Machine,” he became a quick study of the “Chicago Way” of unbridled cronyism. This is perhaps the most important period of his “hands-on business” education. There’s a Chicago saying that goes: “Nobody wants... Read More

Obama’s Energy Program Lacks Any Real Spark

In a speech delivered earlier this year at Georgetown University, President Barack Obama proclaimed the United States would adopt a clean-energy standard that requires 80 percent of electricity be generated from clean sources by 2035. His administration defines “clean energy” as nuclear, natural gas and clean coal, as well as renewable sources such as wind and solar. Since the solar panel manufacturer Solyndra has put solar energy in the... Read More

Memo to Obama: Class Warfare Always Loses

Congressman Paul Ryan has rightfully identified President Barack Obama’s deficit plan as the lead-up to class warfare. While Obama has suggested his plan isn’t class warfare, but rather “simple math,” you may recall that Wisconsin Democrats actually tried to incite class warfare when they attempted to recall three Republican representatives for voting for necessary budget cuts. Unions rallied around the state capitol for weeks accusing Governor... Read More

Obama Must Play ‘Big Ball,’ Not ‘Small Ball’

When the President of the United States plans to deliver what should be a landmark speech on job creation but has to change the timing so the speech doesn’t compete with a football game, you know he’s lost most of America. This is a sure signal that people are tuning out his oft repeated messages because they no longer believe he can change the course of this country’s unemployment. I read an interesting piece from a San Francisco journalist... Read More

Five Economic Solutions Obama Won’t Address

President Barack Obama once again will make his tired pronouncements about fixing the economy and creating jobs. Obama’s leadership on the economy has been about as sturdy as the faux Greek columns providing the backdrop to his acceptance speech in 2008. So, what should the president say and do? The quickest way to attack the crisis of confidence in our business community is by lowering taxes on our job creators. Obama believes when a company makes... Read More