Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Why Does the World's Richest Country Have So Many Failed Cities?



A century ago our nation was famous around the world for creating beautiful cities. Now, we are known for failing cities. In a recent 60 Minutes report, Bob Simon noted that after he left what passes for sparks of new life in downtown, the rest of Detroit reminded him of Mogadishu - "the worst place I've ever been." A failing city, we have at least 25, is one that can never expect to return to its former prosperity. Soon Detroit's population will be one-third of what it was in 1960; there is no chance it will ever boast two million again.  While Detroit's problems are specific in their particulars, cities like Baltimore, Cleveland, Toledo, Scranton and Hartford share histories of similar policy choices that drove their continuous downward spiral. [more...]

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Obamacare - The Big Scare is Here



The big problem with Obamacare is no one understands it!  One thing that appears to be certain is families will be paying more than what was promised to them on Election Day.  One of the bigger issues caused by Obamacare is business owners are confused and afraid to grow their business.  As a leading authority on buying and selling businesses, I have my pulse on the emotions of the business community.  Unfortunately, many business owners are deeply concerned about the ACA and are making the tough decision not to grow their businesses.  Many owners are deciding to stop at the 49 mark and not hire any more employees.  Most businesses operate on a tight budget with minimal profit margins and they can't afford to pay out more money.  It's as simple as that. [more...]

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Latest on the IRS Scandals


It is increasingly clear that the 2012 elections, both presidential and Senate, were stolen by Obama, the Democratic Party, the IRS, and government employee unions. It’s right out of a mob movie like “The Godfather.” In a story reminiscent of the mob fixing union elections, the IRS enforcers conspired to destroy Obama's main competition - the tea parties and other conservative fundraising groups. Lois Lerner was only one of many IRS big-shots in D.C. who gave orders to IRS offices across the U.S. to "kill" the tea parties and other conservative groups. Their goal: steal the election. As of only days ago, the "fall gal" retired from the IRS. We can only guess what kind of massive payoff she received from Obama's donors. [more...]

Have Americans Forgotten How to Grow?



In the face of a stagnating economic activity many economists are trying to explain why the medicine they have been administering these last six years isn't working. Not capable of accepting theoretical defeat, they offer new explanations. We are being told that technology has permitted big corporations to replace manufacturing jobs with either cheap foreign labor or the substitution of capital for labor using robotic technology. But, an even grander reason is on offer by Robert Gordon who says that innovation itself is slowing. He argues, much like many before him in similar moments when the mysteries of economic life produced a slowdown that in their minds shouldn't be that everything is different because people are living differently, or should be. [more...]