Obama's State Of The Union 2012 Part 3

Part 3

“What's happening in Detroit can happen in other industries. It can happen in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh. We can't bring back every job that's left our shores. But right now, it's getting more expensive to do business in places like China. Meanwhile, America is more productive. A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home. Today, for the first time in fifteen years, Master Lock's unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity.

So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.”

While it is getting more expensive to do business in places overseas, the reason for that is simple.  The global economy is suffering.  Therefor the costs of doing business anywhere is going up, including here in the US.  Obama wants to know what it will take to bring manufacturing back to the US, that is simple too.  Get rid of him and every politician that thinks like he does when it comes to over regulation, that will bring more jobs back to the US because it will make it easier for manufacturing businesses to do business here in the US.  Also, make the entire US right to work so that unions can’t force people to join them if they want a job.  Unions have been one of the biggest hindrances to the manufacturing market for a long time.  I am not saying to do away with the unions because they can be a good thing when they do what they are supposed to do, but give the hard working Americans a choice whether or not they want to join.

“We should start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and everyone knows it.”

For the record, the Dems are the ones who wrote, promoted and passed the laws that set the system up like this.

“So let's change it. First, if you're a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn't get a tax deduction for doing it. That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.”

I’m all for taking away the tax deductions that he is talking about.  The money that a business saves just from going overseas won’t be affected so they will still go overseas.  But what we should not do is have taxes raised on businesses that choice to operate in a friendlier environment so that the money can then be sent to businesses that chose not to go overseas.

“Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here.”

American companies pay more than their “fair share” (by the way, I am getting sick of hearing that phrase, it is a stupid thing to say) in taxes.  They still pay taxes when it comes to importing and exporting goods.  We should not be taxing operations in in foreign countries.  The countries that those businesses operate in tax them for what is done there we should not penalize the company for trying to make an extra profit because that does come back home to make more jobs here in the US.  I agree that we should incentivize businesses to stay here in the US, but we don’t need to do it by raising taxes on multinational businesses just so we can subsidize businesses that won’t go overseas.  The business model that a business uses should be based off of where they can get best quality work for the lowest price so that they can them turn around and invest in the economy.  Doing what Obama suggests will kill our import export trade and make the economy even worse.

“Third, if you're an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you're a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.”

Once again, don’t have much of a problem with what he is saying here but I think he wants to go about it all the wrong way.  As for the subsidizing he is suggesting see my previous comment.

“My message is simple. It's time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America. Send me these tax reforms, and I'll sign them right away.”

But that is not what he is saying; he is saying he wants to punish businesses for going overseas.  As for him signing tax reforms right way… Why hasn’t he or the Senate Dems back any of the tax reforms that are currently sitting in the senate because Harry Reed won’t even let them be brought to the floor?  If you are going to say it Obama, you should at least look like you are trying to what you claim you want to do.

“We're also making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over the world. Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years. With the bipartisan trade agreements I signed into law, we are on track to meet that goal - ahead of schedule. Soon, there will be millions of new customers for American goods in Panama, Columbia, and South Korea. Soon, there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit, and Toledo, and Chicago.”

That is just a dream as long as Obama and the Dems keep up their policies when it comes to taxation.  The fact of the matter is when it comes to exporting you have to create a friendly environment for businesses here in the US, including the ones that are forced to import due to regulations.  Until you do that, the costs of American products are going to be too high in an overseas market and you will be throwing money down a hole while trying to succeed, especially since most other nations see our good as inferior with the exception of our food exports.

“I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products. And I will not stand by when our competitors don't play by the rules. We've brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration - and it's made a difference. Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires. But we need to do more. It's not right when another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated. It's not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they're heavily subsidized.”

This statement makes me laugh.  Obama knows that he only goes all over the world to take vacations.  As for bringing cases against our competitors in other nations, so what, the fact of the matter is if China or Russia are going to abuse the rules then that is what they will do.  Obama and his administration can’t stop that.  Their bringing cases against foreign imports has not created jobs, it has just raised the cost on those imports that has actually hurt production in the US.  The only reason that unemployment is starting to drop is because despite what his administration has done the American market is strong and will recover, just at a slower rate. 

By the way, did you notice the little nod toward SOPA and PIPA?  For more on that you can read my post about those two bills. 

As for the last part of this statement, the reason that foreign manufacturers have a leg up on us isn’t subsidies, it is the fact that labor is significantly cheaper, which is one of the things that is killing manufacturing here.  There are some companies here in the US that, due to unions, have to pay their lowest paid workers a minimum of $25 an hour plus provide a complete benefits package.  If these manufacturers were allowed to either cut wages or make the work pay for part of their benefits then they would have an easier time competing worldwide.

“Tonight, I'm announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China. There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders. And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing finance or new markets like Russia. Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you - America will always win.”

Umm, we have laws and departments in the government that already do this why do we need another?  Make the ones that are supposed to be handling this do their job of get rid of them.  As for what Obama is saying Congress should do, they have been trying to accomplish that but Obama and the Senate have been stonewalling them. 

“I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can't find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that - openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work.

That's inexcusable. And we know how to fix it.”

Once again, yes we do.  Get rid of Obama and elect someone who cares about America.  The main issue when it comes down  to this is education.  We need to turn education back over to the states instead of dragging all states down to the lowest common denominator.  The Department of Education has done more to hurt education in this country by introducing programs like “No Child Left Behind” (more like no child gets ahead) which was passed under Bush.  We need to challenge our children in order for them to succeed, but until he stop holding them back until the ones that struggle catch up, that is not going to happen.

More in Part 4.

The Great Education Heist

Anyone who has been paying attention should know about the current teachers strike up in Wisconsin. The teachers union in the state has a bunch of it's members crying bloody murder because of legislation to end collective bargaining (In fact, some of the teachers have gone so far as to bring in their students so they can hide behind them, students that have no clue why they are there.). Anyone with half a brain knows this will cripple the unions in that state and if it can be passed there, it can potentially pass anywhere in the US. That makes it a threat to unions everywhere.

Obviously, you can't expect the unions to sit back and just take this. They are, when you think about it, fighting for their continued existence as they currently are. In fact, the unions are so afraid of this passing that they have started shipping in people from other states to build numbers. If this law passes the union powerhouses will be a thing of the past, at least in Wisconsin. This much is true, but there is a lot of misinformation out there trying to cover the truth of what is happening.

The unions claim that if this law passes, union workers (teachers being the main target here) will start being fired left and right, that they will have their pension plans stripped from them and that they will lose all the benefits they have worked to earn.

Take this into consideration, IF the law passes and the state starts firing teachers without regard to their service or abilities, the state will just cripple itself. For this reason, the only teachers that should have anything to fear are the ones that are just crappy teachers. My personal opinion is that all the teachers that lied about being sick just so they could go on strike and protest at the capital are the bottom of the dung pile. They are the ones that must realize they are such horrible teachers that they feel the only way to keep their jobs is to try to bully the state government. These are the one hiding behind the kids they teach (mean while these days that the teachers are on strike count as snow days. Poor kids, don't realize this is just going to make the school year last longer and longer.).

Also, if all the teachers were to have their pension plans stripped away, how would the state be able to bring in bright new teachers to educate the children? Wisconsin would have no way to stay competitive in the field of education if they were to do this. Anyone who really believes the state would hurt itself like this is an idiot. All the state wants to do is require the teachers to pay 5.8% into their pensions so that the state can devote the difference in tax money to the hole the state is in. For that matter, it is only a less then 1% change to the take home pay of the teachers. I realize that that will be a little pinch in the pocket, but if it allows the state (provided they do what they say they want to with the money) to dig it's way out of the financial hole it is in, it will be worth it in the long run. I'll go so far as to say, it will help the students that these teachers claim to care about so much.

On top of all this idiocy, the state Democrats have fled the state in order prevent having to sit down and make a decision on where they stand on the law. By fleeing they have locked up the process they claim they strive to respect. They are making a mockery of the legislative process by doing this and I think the next law that needs to be implemented after this one passes is one that requires by law, senators to show up to votes they have been informed about. If they don't show to vote, then they should not get a vote. It's that simple. They are still getting paid to do their job, yet like these teachers, they are refusing to do what they are getting paid to do. If I were to do this I know what would happen to me.... I would be fired faster then I could blink.

While I think Governor Walker is doing a superb job not backing down, in fact, I think he should go one step further. I think he should do what President Reagan did when PATCO went on strike in 1981. Governor Walker should give the teachers 48 hours to return to work, if they refuse then they should be fired. The state should not waste anymore money on people who aren't willing to do the job they agreed to do when hired. There is an overabundance of teachers out there looking for work so it wouldn't be hard to find replacement teachers.

Think about what the children are learning from this strike. This strike (if it succeeds) will teach these kids that if they complain loud enough they can get away with anything. This warped sense of reality will cripple them when it comes to the professional world. They will grow up thinking they should be given hand outs for nothing and there should be no repercussions. This line of thinking will lead to a whole generation of losers who don't have a clue and will destroy themselves.

Also any of the children that are affected by this strike, have something to hold over their teachers heads. After all, how can these teachers expect to punish these kids for anything. They have set an example for these children that says you should be rewarded for acting out. This is the wrong message to be sending such impressionable minds.

Lastly, Mr. Obama.... I hate having to single you out..... again. This is what is referred to as internal state politics. You have no business in them. Learn your place, because apparently you don't know it. Stay out of states rights, you have no place there. If asked your opinion, that is one thing, but you weren't. You jumped right in and started to chastise the Governor for sticking to his guns even though he is in the right. You offered support to the people who are are trying to break the system, which as far as I'm considered that is like the equivalency of you coming out in support of Al-Qaeda. You might want to think about where you stand, because it sure looks like you want to destroy the system that makes this country great. Stop aiding this heist of our education system.