Greece, Puerto Rico and Illinois Linked by Similarities
Before this year, nobody would have mentioned Greece, Puerto Rico and Illinois in the same breath. At one time they had little in common. Now they are linked by failed economies. The modern Greek state, which was established in 1830 following the war of independence from the Ottoman Empire, traces its roots to the civilization of Ancient Greece some 4,000 years ago. Illinois became the 21st State on Dec 03, 1818. As a result of the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico was ceded... Read More
Who’s Really Waging the War Against Women?
For years, Democrats have accused Republicans of waging a war against women. But women are starting to take notice that the Obama administration has been no friend to women. This was brought home recently when the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that a record number of women —55.6 million — ared 16 years or older are not participating in the labor force. Is it any wonder that President Obama’s approval rating among women is below 49 percent? This is a big drop... Read More
Why Some States Are Creating Jobs
We’re all familiar with the book, The Grapes of Wrath, the depression tale of millions of desperate families during the 1930s that headed to California for promised jobs. I’m not suggesting we’re at this stage yet, but for millions of unemployed Americans, they are finding that the local job market has dried up and they may need to relocate to more prosperous areas. The good news is that there are plenty of jobs, if you know where to look. Jobs these days,... Read More
Look to States – not the White House or Congress – for Economic Innovation
If your perception of this country’s economic outlook is based on the depressing news coming out of Washington D.C., you’re missing the big picture. Innovation, job creation and statesmanship aren’t coming out of the White House — they’re coming out of states like Wisconsin and North Dakota, which are unencumbered by flawed federal policies and uninspired leadership. I recently chatted with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on my radio show “Made in America,”... Read More
Our Disappearing Labor Force
The year 2014 is turning out to be a reincarnation of 1978, when we had an out-of-touch Democratic president who failed to spur the economy and help create jobs. In fact, the labor force participation this year equals that of 1978, when only 62.8 percent of American civilians 16 or older had a job or actively looked for work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is estimated that more than 11 million people have dropped out of the labor force under President Obama,... Read More
Obama Is Manufacturing His Manufacturing Numbers
Most presidents surround themselves with cabinet and staff members who have the skill sets required to handle the daunting tasks that they face each day. President Obama has taken a different approach. He hires fiction writers. If you spend any time looking at the unemployment numbers, for example, the Obama administration puts the national unemployment rate at just under 7 percent. That sounds very manageable, unless you take into account the 11 million Americans who have... Read More
The Assault on CEO Compensation
Professional sports players are usually paid based on performance. The better they play, the more money they make. In the business world, CEOs are usually compensated based on the performance of their company. The better the company performs, the more they are paid in salary and stock options. One big difference is that professional sports teams work with a salary cap, which determines how much money they can spend on their players. In the business world, most CEOs don’t... Read More
Our Economic Security Depends on Job Creation
The impact of 26 million Americans who are unemployed or underemployed moves this nation further and further away from economic security. Then add in the millions of American who have been forced into part-time jobs (who are five times more likely to live in poverty) and we have an economic picture that would make our Founding Fathers weep. An underlying issue that receives little coverage is that when people don’t have jobs or economic security, they don’t make... Read More
When a President Mocks Small Business
As an entrepreneur who has worked my entire life to create new businesses, hire more than 200 employees and risk everything I own on my companies, I join the chorus of Americans who are outraged by President Barack Obama’s recent outburst, “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” This is clearly the most definitive proof that Obama does not understand small business, does not like small business and lacks the rudimentary... Read More
Ugly Campaign Battle Over Outsourcing Isn’t All Bad
The Obama and Romney campaigns are slinging mud at each other over outsourcing jobs. What most people would think is just an ugly brawl of a typical campaign battle; I consider it a positive development when the national dialogue turns to keeping jobs in America. Preventing the outsourcing of U.S. jobs must be an issue that is seriously debated by the presidential candidates. Whether or not Mitt Romney created jobs or outsourced jobs while at Bain Capital is irrelevant. The issue... Read More
