CEA’s Gary Shapiro Assails Govt. Regulations, Certain Union Activities

Gary just made my list of “people i will vote for if they ever run for anything”.

He’s right on about the nation’s debt and the auto company situation, but contrarians would argue that the performance of the stock market, housing and banking industries in 2008 is evidence that “free market capitalism” needs mending, or more oversight at the very least.

Contrarians need only to look at how the government has put their hands in the “free market capitalist” system and corrupted it.  Unfettered capitalism will work if left alone.  Jason, what product does government produce?  Debt!  Ask how many of our representatives have ever written a payroll check, paid workers comp, or created a business plan for success.  I admit it isn’t perfect but it is the best system for the rugged individual who employ’s more than seventy percent of America’s work force.  I say cut government in half, get rid of all taxes except consumption (known as the fair tax) and watch industry thrive.  Unfortunately, what representative will vote for what’s right?  To me, they represent the worst of America….........

Thanks Gary. I appreciate that you didn’t mention I was in charge the last eight years and Republicans in control for six of them. We’ll try to keep this little phony diversion going and blame it on the Democrats. Come see me down at the ranch in Crawford. I owe you one.

Hey Dumya, I don’t believe Gary spoke to blame anyone.  If you read the article, his points are based on free market principles, not politics.  I think he is aware of who was in office the last eight years.  I would suggest studying the constitution and capitalism.  Unless, of course, you don’t agree with these principles then I truly understand your anger and hatred for those who do.

I have had my aides explain the constitution and capitalism to me. To me and VP Cheney, they are overrated, especially when it comes to civil liberties.

I am merely making an observation that my good friend and supporter Gary Shapiro has noted that:

“We have lost our way. A misplaced sense of entitlement is creating hardships that may push our innovation economy overseas. Our mounting debt is fueling our last grasp on primacy. Our laws are discouraging innovation and investment. And soon our crumbling infrastructure and faltering economy will hasten our fall from the top.”

Clearly Gary is calling for accountability and I agree with that. So who has been driving the past eight years? Who has taken a budget surplus and created an eleven trillion debt? Who called for a $700 billion socialist bailout of Wall Street with no accountability? Who overrode Republicans in Congress in denying the Big Three bailout and did it anyway?

Apparently you are an expert in such things. You call that capitalism?

AS a small business owner the last thirty years it seems that the companies that offer inovation and quality thrive.  People aren’t buying
Toyota because it is cheaper but because it is a better car.
So far as unfettered capitalism, every game needs some rules otherwise greed takes over. We saw this in the 20s and 30s and again now.  Basic rules allowing business of all sizes to make money.  Taxes are the price of civilization. Remember that most of our tax dollars go to the military so what half do you want to lose, defense or infrastructure.  All these broad statements don’t really help us fix the problems but simply pit one group against another, enough.  Let’s have some grownups get to the real issues and let us get back to work.

Dumya, they are all the culprits.  The president never passes legislation,  he merely signs it. Also, do you know the difference between national debt and deficit? Big difference.  Please have your aides educate you on that as well.  Hey Sick and tired, most of our taxes do not go to the military.  Most of our taxes go to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.  All entitlement programs that you, Dumya, myself, and all people who pay taxes have to support.

Once again cherry picking and partisanship are where this is going.  While we all have our own opinions the facts speak for themselves.  Combine all military (vetern affairs, war on terror, Dept of defense, etc) and it adds up to more than anything else in our budget.  go to this link and it will show you the budget for 2007 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bc/Fy2007spendingbycategory.png
Who knows how much other spending in rolled into homeland security or somewhere else in the budget.
We need to stop laying blame on “the other side” and work together to fix the problems facing business today.  Too many talking heads are just shills for one side or another.  Blaming just the unions or just the car companies misses the real problems coming at us today.  Both polictical parties recieve money from one group or another but politicians work for the people not special interests.  Any of us can throw a few barbs to push peoples button but lets address the whole problem and not just the parts.

Agree….......also, look at http://www.federalbudget.com

Steve, this is the direction for the 21st century, people agreeing on the facts.  As we come out of the dark ages…
Happy New year

Sick and tired,  Happy New Year and all the success in 2009

In Gary’s zeal to make his points he has butchered the facts to support his opinions. The United Auto Workers negotiated wages of $30.00 per hour for senior workers are equal to the non-union contracts of the foreign automakers that build cars in the USA, but the big 3 automakers have substantially more pension requirements as the foreign automakers have been building in the USA for far sorter periods of time (and as such they have greatly reduced pension requirements as they have fewer retired workers). Plus, in years past the UAW has agreed to tiered wages and major concessions in benefits, again equal to what the foreign automakers are paying their USA workers. Twisting the numbers, Gary and others with his same opinion, add pension payments into labor costs and come up with the disparity in hourly wages. This is unfair, and is in actuality “Voodoo Economics”. But, Gary and others with his same opinions, fail to realize that workers making good wages spend some of their money buying consumer electronics. Who would buy our home electronics products and services if wages were so low that these goods become unaffordable? Gary states high wages is the “core problem”, and this statement really makes him look foolish as most Americans know poor management of the big 3 automakers is the real cause of their failings as their hourly wage earners have no say into the design of automobiles and how their companies are run. Also, our billion/trillion dollar bailout of the financial industry makes no demand on its workers to take wage/benefit reductions (yes, there has been talk of reducing EXECUTIVE compensation, but I am sure this will only happen to a few at the very top to calm down the taxpayers). Is this fair for one industry go about business-as-usual while requiring another to cut the wages/benefits of the average worker when both industries are begging/receiving taxpayer bailouts?

Gary, as the leader of the largest trade organization for our industry really makes us in the consumer electronics industry look bad with his opinions. If Gary really believes what he was quoted as saying maybe we should find another leader that has a better grasp of basic economics and more compassion for the common man/woman who are the largest purchasers of our consumer electronics products and services.

dale, so what your saying is that the reason the big three on average lose 500-1100 per car and that toyota makes 1200-1500 per car is because of pensions and management? Where did you find that the Unions negotiated down to $30.  I’ve never seen that in any publication.

I say let them fail…they will be asking for more in a year after they spend what they got on spas and over sea “business trips”.