OK Mac, I was a little hard on you. So let me ask you this; are you saying that these businessmen and women you are speaking with are telling you that as soon as Obama is out of the WH, that they will crank up production and increase hiring? Because all of a sudden they will have all these concerns resolved?
How does that work Mac? How is is that just because Obama care is rejected, how do they then know what future health care costs will be?
If they need hard working educated employees, what does that have to do with any President? Do Presidents train workers now?
Can your business people remember almost 4 yeara ago, when the economy really was dead? Or do they have short term memory loss and think things were great when Obama was elected? And have only gotten worse since his election. If that is what they claim, you are speaking with a partisan hack. Take what they say with the ole grain of salt because they have an agenda that is not connected to their business.
And if these business owners are making a million a year and they want to claim that they can't increase hiring because they might have to pay a little more taxes, that is bull shit. And who cares if the millioniares pay more.
And if these small business owners are making less than 250k (like most) they have nothing to fear about taxes. And they have been told that repeatedly. So why are they claiming that taxes are the problem? Partisan would explain that idea.
I don't doubt that people have told you what you say they have. I do wonder why you don't question what they tell you with a more critical opinion of their claims.
Unless you have something to gain by listening and believing what they tell you. Which may be the case if you are a business consultant. You are making a living off these people. Right?
You're making a long list of incorrect assumptions. I mean a LONG list.
First, Zeke, I make an effort to choose my words carefully. Secondly, you're taking what you
think I'm saying and running about 50 miles with it, putting words in my mouth, creating straw men. In the big picture, you're taking my post as a direct attack on Obama and the Democrats. On one hand, I can understand that given the simplistic, binary way partisans look at everything. But on the other, the more assumptions you make the more wrong you become.
I'll take this conversation as long as you would like. But I would request that you read and process
what I actually said without putting simplistic partisan spin and assumptions into it. To wit:
1. "An economy that is essentially dead in the water": I invite you to indicate where I'm putting the blame for this.
If you were to actually ask me about the economy, as a financial advisor my response would be "we're struggling to recover from a financial meltdown of historic depth, breadth and complexity. I have my opinions on how we got here, but I absolutely and freely admit that I simply don't know how to best get us out of this, and most in my profession are in the same boat." So if you want to continue your fantasy that I'm blaming Obama for this condition, fine, but you're having to create that illusion on your own.
2. "Finding quality employees who are dependable and actually want to work, even with unemployment as high as it is": Again, I'm afraid I don't know where you see I'm blaming Obama for this.
If you were to actually ask me about why this is happening, I would tell you that I think it's a much cultural as anything else. But one thing I would not do is say it's all Obama's fault. This topic alone could fill a long thread. But again, you have created a fantasy, not reality based on something
I actually said.
3. "Uncertainties over upcoming regulation/taxation, and the costs they'll incur": Yes, this is absolutely true. I have many times argued that "more" regulation does not equate to "better" regulation, and I would be happy to discuss this in as much depth as you would like. But I would first request that you actually read the first word in that sentence without being defensive about Obama:
Uncertainties. My best guess is that once the elections have mercifully passed, many or most of those uncertainties will no longer exist, both for business people and investors. I'm hopeful that the passing of those uncertainties will grease the skids a bit. And if you had taken the time to process this possibility before immediately getting defensive about Obama, you may have realized this.
4. "Uncertainties over upcoming health care costs": Yes, again, absolutely true. Unfortunately, this is a real issue that real business owners have to address, and the
uncertainties to which I have already referred are exacerbating that; also unfortunately, many of those business owners who listen to (and believe out of hand) conservative radio and pundits are over-reacting, causing them to worry about issues that don't exist for the size of their business. But at least the passing of the elections will provide them with more certainties, one way or the other, than they have now.
Regarding your inferences that I'm either (a) profiting from the misery of my clients or (b) not serving them properly, there's not much I can say about that. Your comments are so full of ignorant assumptions that I'm afraid I don't want to burn the effort trying to defend something against a person with no understanding or knowledge of either what I do or how well I do it.
Now, if you want to continue your condescending, patronizing attitude with me, that's fine, but if so I would suggest that you can back up such behavior with actual facts, actual quotes, fewer straw men arguments, fewer simplistic assumptions and a bit more intellectual honesty.
I hope this has provided some clarity.
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