The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success.
Talent is only a starting point in this business.
You've got to keep on working that talent.
Someday I'll reach for it and it won't be there.
Irving Berlin
Biblical Quote of the Day (My Edit)
May his days in office be few;
may another take his place of leadership.
Psalm 109: 8 (NIV)
Two Out of Three Ain't Enough
The Obama Administration has continued to try to serve its crony unionist allies by trying to manipulate union certification elections. In essence, the longer that workers have to make up their own minds on whether to unionize, the more likely to reject: for example, for a vote within 15 days, the rejection rate is just 13%; double the time to election, and the rejection rate jumps to 42%. The Obama Administration is doing everything in its power to keep employees from thoroughly vetting union propaganda, e.g., by speeding certification to within 15 days and/or lowering the bar to certification (e.g., a plurality of employees vs. a majority). It seemed that quorum requirements in December required the casting of 3 votes for a quorum. The only GOP member Brian Hayes didn't vote on the final rule last December, so the other members effectively decided to count his non-vote as a 'no'.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg yesterday ruled that Democratic NLRB members cannot create a negative vote by fiat to make a quorum. (Who do they think they are--the Fed?) I guess Brian Hayes paid attention to what those Wisconsin Democrat state senators did to try to prevent a vote on long-overdue public sector collective bargaining reform; no doubt the same tactic could be adapted to serve a just cause, i.e., the protection of economic liberty.
Follow-Up Odds and Ends
IBD, "California's 'Unexpected' $16 Billion Deficit": Thumbs UP
Key takeaways (my edits):
-- "Spending this year will be at its highest since the downturn began and is still 6% above 2010's level."
-- "A nationwide survey of CEOs ranked California dead last among the 50 states for its business environment for the eighth year in a row....Last year alone, 254 companies relocated out of California, a jump of 26% from 2010"...Main reasons for leaving: "High taxes, costly regulations and general hostility directed toward businesses by state and local public agencies"
-- "Between 1992 and 2008, California suffered a net loss of 869,000 tax filers. About 3.5 million moved into California, while 4.4 million left....Among those who left, the average income was $44,700. Those arriving posted income of just $38,600. This has cost the state dearly: Some $44 billion in revenues has vanished along with the wealthy taxpayers."
--"California must radically downsize, neuter its out-of-control unions, slash business and personal taxes, and rein in ruinous regulations."
Export-Import Bank reauthorized by Senate: Thumbs DOWN! American taxpayer loan guarantees for foreign purchasers of American goods? (My edits below.)
"The mission of the Bank is to create and sustain U.S. jobs by financing sales of U.S. exports to international buyers."
"Taxpayers remain exposed to tens of billions of dollars of loans and guarantees. The Ex-Im Bank cannot, and does not, significantly affect the net number of jobs in the economy or the trade balance. Only a very small proportion of U.S. exports are supported through Ex-Im Bank activities. It introduces distortions into the economy and inserts politics into what should be purely commercial decisions and diverts resources from the private sector."
78-20 approval? Who wouldn't approve of this? After all, it is profitable. Maybe people heard that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were also profitable--when we were in the middle of a real estate bubble. Picking winners and losers? Haven't we had enough of the same old same old Obama tactics? I swear! Do we conservatives always have to be the grown-up in the room? "It's not fair! European economic fascists subsidize the purchases from their crony capitalist industries!" I mean, do we adults really have to tell these people, "If Greek or French voters, in a state of denial, decided to hand over control of their governments to clueless, dysfunctional, reactionary, counterproductive, incompetent demagogues, does that mean we have to make the same mistake?" When are American politicians going to have the testicular fortitude to say that the US government is NOT a bank instead of trying to set a bad example for the crony Big Bankers to follow? This is exactly the kind of thinking that leads to trillions and trillions of dollars of spending! Corporate welfare is NOT any better than social welfare: they are both morally hazardous!WSJ Online Interview with Sallie James, Cato
- From yesterday's Political Potpourri:
When we look at all the problems in this general economy, the barely significant proportion of gays in the general population and the historically less stable nature of their relationships, one has to wonder why this nation has become so obsessed with the issue. I'm personally convinced that it's a case of wag the dog: Obama has nothing of merit to contribute to the resolution of today's economic malaise.
Here's Senator Marco Rubio:
“I think it’s part of a broader effort by the president to distract from his record on the economy. I think every week he tries to come up with something else he can talk about that keeps the issue off of how the economy has done under the years of his presidency,” Rubio told Newsmax TV.
I'm increasingly impressed with Sentor Rubio (R-FL). I also like his approach to the Dream Act which I endorsed a few days back in the blog.
Like Getting Kissed By An Ugly Sister
Or, in my beautiful sisters' case, their ugly brother. Newsmax reports that George W. Bush gave a terse "I'm for Mitt Romney." No doubt Obama reelection advisor Axelrod already has an hour long spot planned rerunning that clip... Of course a former GOP President would endorse his party's nominee (unless he's a progressive like Teddy Roosevelt.) GHW Bush and Jeb Bush had already endorsed Romney several weeks back. I'm sure that the press thought all along that Bush would endorse Obama for expanding (on steroids) Bush's record of high spending, government intervention in the economy, regulatory growth, few vetoes, low economic and job growth, meddling in other nations' affairs and extending the geographic zone of drone attacks.
The Original Song Behind Bush/Obama's Remake
"Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Again"
What I want Romney to say about Bush is that he appreciates Bush's leadership during a national traumatic moment during the 9/11 attacks and his willingness to take on entitlement reform. However, economic and job growth was impeded by noncompetitive business tax policy from a global perspective, dubious regulatory growth, an exploding bureaucracy and personnel costs, and overspending competing with business for resources in the economy. I want to hear Romney talking about reforming entitlements to be sustainable, of providing businesses with reasons to build or expand domestically, lower, simpler taxes, and lower regulatory burden. Romney should insist that he is ready to use veto authority.and we need to work on reengineering federal operations to reduce unnecessary duplication. We also need to simplify our overseas commitments.
My Greatest Hits: May 2012
The most pageviews per post over the past month, in descending order:
3D Printing: Going Beyond the Printed Page
One of the things you often find in big bureaucracies, whether we are talking about business or government, or in other establishments, including academia, is a distrust of innovation. There are a variety of reasons for resistance to change, e.g., a perceived threat to one's job security or influence and cannibalism of existing sales. Imagine the possibilities: instead of waiting weeks for a replacement gizmo to be produced in China and delivered to your door, you could simply download the design into your home printer with special cartridges and print a functional copy within an hour or two....
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Groups
The Rolling Stones, "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
