Start-ups key to economic revival By: Rep. Mike Honda and Rep. John Carney
-http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78434.html
More Opinions After The Break
-http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78434.html
More Opinions After The Break
Start-ups key to economic revival By: Rep. Mike Honda and Rep. John Carney
-http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78434.html More Opinions After The Break
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In 2009, we paid the lowest tax rates in 30 years. Mind you, in those 30 years we had Presidents from both parties, a balanced budget and a few wars. Do you think that low rate in 2009 helped you personally? It was a tough time in 2009 and it is not much better today, but better. Did the President's actions in 2009 help us stave off going further into a depression or did they just dig us into a deeper hole with our national debt?
Further Reading: -http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/in-2009-americans-paid-lowest-tax-rates-in-30-years-to-federal-government/2012/07/10/gJQAWc5bbW_story.html?hpid=z5 We have talked about this issue before, but we will do it briefly again. We need to train our laborers to fill skilled manufacturing jobs here. There are available manufacturing positions but they go unfilled because large portions of our workforce do not have the skills or education to effectively fill the positions. Today, more and more companies have decided to train employees themselves, but workers need to make themselves more attractive to employers by taking advantage of our great higher education institutions and other methods that are funded privately and through the government. Companies want to hire the best and if we do not have the best they will leave our shores. Yes there are plenty of other reasons to leave our shores, but when there are thousands of unfilled, high skilled positions available here there is no excuse for them to go unfilled.
Further Reading: -http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/09/dorsey-square-death-cash/ In a great edition of Fortune, they talk about how we are using cash less and less and tending to use plastic and the internet more and more. What do you think this effect will have on us?
Further Reading: -http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/09/dorsey-square-death-cash/ Today, the President will propose extending the Bush tax cuts for middle class families whom earn less than $250,000.
Further Reading: -http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303343404577516313033019898.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories -http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-to-propose-tax-cut-extension-for-middle-class-households/2012/07/09/gJQAxDWuXW_story.html According to Google, the internet has contributed upwards of $500 billion to the economy through retail and other areas.
Further Reading: -http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/web-is-working-for-american-businesses.html -http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/google-shocker-american-web-company-says-web-boosted-american-economy/ "Operation Twist" is a program that replaces short-term bonds with long-term debt. The hope is that this will help create and foster better financial conditions. What do you think?
Further Reading: -http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/federal-reserve-renews-program-to-spur-growth-amid-concerns-about-economy/2012/06/20/gJQAVegYqV_story.html -http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-20/fed-expands-operation-twist-by-267-billion-through-year-end.html -http://www.cnbc.com/id/47890974 Inflation can hurt the most when people are working in jobs they are over-qualified for. They are no longer getting paid what they should be and thus making less. Making less and rising inflation can create a nasty situation for a lot of people.
Further Reading: -http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/19/us/many-american-workers-are-underemployed-and-underpaid.html?_r=1&hp One of our defining federal institutions is the United States Congress. Comprised of a House of Representative and a Senate. The two chamber system has been implemented throughout the world and there is a reason why, it works. We are lucky to have the system of government we sometimes take for granted. Countries around the world strive to imitate us and for good reason.
However, one of the drawbacks of the our Congress is that it controls the money. It creates and passes budgets that fund everything from construction projects in California to the EPA. Unfortunately when you get as many people as we have in Congress around a large table to hash out a budget it becomes very difficult to get much done. Hence the situation we are in today. President Obama has not had a budget his entire four years in office. How does one balance something that does not exist? The President only has the power to suggest a budget not enact it. We need a budget to stabilize the country. Agencies do not know if they will be funded, Departments do not know if they will be funded. Local construction projects do not know if they will be funded. If we want to stabilize our economy we need a federal budget and we need it sooner rather than later. Further Reading: -http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/15/news/economy/sequester/index.htm?hpt=hp_t3 |
Recommended ReadingScrew Business as Usual
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