And I've heard reports that many of the brightest, most energetic, business-creating and hence, job-creating people tend to be folks that come to the US on some kind of visa. So, when I read a report that the particular kind of visa they're looking for "sells out"... i.e., hits its quota for the year within a few hours in early January every year, it makes me wonder if Pogo isn't right, once again, and the "enemy" is not the "immigrants."

Go figure... but so long as too many people believe that government is the best place to look for solutions, the problems will continue.

Even the liberals' arch-nemesis, Bush, tried to say it... "... Make the pie higher!" They just don't get it. Solve that problem and we'll all win.

One of my friends, he's a financial planner, argues we have the same demographic problem as Japan. It doesn't matter how much we open our resources and change our tax laws to motivate investment in the US, we don't have the young and eager work force to do the jobs I hope to create with incentives. I argue that we have about 35% of the able workers not participating at all in the economy. We should move in the growth direction to absorb that work force, then address our immigration laws to grow our way out of this financial mess. I must admit he is a liberal, but very good at what he does. Still, the idea of a dynamic and growing economy escapes him. Progressive can always see the growing needs of the people, then they take the pie (static, based on last year) and cut it a few more slices to spread around. Simply stated, we don't need more slices, weneed a bigger pie.

That is true for the unemployed as well. They don't need more cards or more govt programs offering ever decreasing benefits with more rules. They need growth in their personal incomes. They need a bigger pie. And the most personal, portable and versatile source for wealth is "Labor". Americans have the ability to seek opportunity when they see it. The California gold rush, the Klondike gold rush, the pioneer push, all of these were opportunities sought by the people. I'm fascinated by the pioneers and the homestead act. Think about living in bustling Philadelphia and leaving friends and family in early March, so you can walk to St Louis. I say walk, because you wouldn't want to over burden the horses. Then Wintering in St. Louis to prepare for the walk further west to where ever the unmapped trails might lead. That's the kind of dedication incentives can lead to. This micro managed, over regulated crap we have today stifles any thought of taking a risk. Then ad the incentive to just stay home and get Sec 8 housing and free food... nothing much happens.

I hear some say Americans aren't as tough as they used to be. I know that's true of me, I'm old now and I'm not tough anymore. I am some smarter. As a people, I think the masses, or maybe the mean, do what they need to satisfy themselves. If there is no opportunity or incentive, then the grass doesn't look any greener over there. Imagine how broken the Oakies that left Oklahoma in the thirties must have been. They walked away from everything they once had to build a new life. for the most part in California. Over time, big government has figured out how to "fix" California's immigration problem. I think we are, as a people, just as tough as ever. We are lost in a "What's the use..." sea of gov't benefits and regulation, a blizzard of regulations, taxation that complicates life everyday. (you can't purchase a home, car, or pay for education without considering the tax consequences)

So, what if the gov't lowered Corporate tax rats to the lowest in the world? What if they then lowered Capital gains taxes as well. Would investment dollars flow into the US as they do now in Singapore and South Korea? I say yes, because of incentives. Would unemployed people learn to do something new to follow the opportunity created by foreign and domestic investment. I say yes, because of incentive and because I have reinvented myself 5 times as life changed before my eyes. Could the country look up if they had leaders to look up to? You already know my answer. Someone needs to drop a line to Washington to let them know, "There ain't no free Lunch!" get back to work on what is, not what some book smart idealist thinks ought to be.

Spot on, Ron! I was in NJ during the First Gasoline Crisis. I discovered, thanks to a rumor from a friend, that I could wait hours in line for my $2-5 worth of gas in NJ or I could burn two gallons of gas to drive across the border to PA, where the station attendant would say things like "fill 'er up, sir?" and "Check the oil?..."

I wrote about that to my US Senator and asked if there were any coincidence between the long lines in NJ and the no-lines in PA versus which way the previous Presidential elections had gone for the two states.

And then a miracle happened, and a few weeks later, NJ "suddenly" got a larger allocation of crude to run through (our) refineries and the gas lines disappeared.

Yep, mostly politics behind all that crap, but slathered over by the mainscream media to point the blame everywhere else. And the "average citizen/voter" believes it all.

Ah, the memories... and I'm now "very retired" and have been living in my own little "Galt's Gulch" for a bit over ten years and loving it!

Oh, hey, on a similar note, the Blessed Wise Ones in my local county refused to let one of the local hospitals expand their bed count "without justifying why they were needed."

Ayn Rand's villains are alive and well and all over our government offices.

I don't blame business for going offshore. Through the various laws created by the federal and state governments Companies have been highly motivated to go off shore. A CEOs responsibility is to earn ROI for his stockholders and stake holders. If that means laying people off to get the desired earnings...then that is the decision he gets paid for.

For my retirement income stream we put together a string of rental homes. Mostly from the properties walked away from and thrown away by banks in the 2007-2008 housing collapse. In most of those properties we found one or two bedrooms with the door locks on backwards. That doesn't happen by accident. How many times does an interior lock wear out and need to be replaced by the owner. The only benefit we could see in setting the locks in this fashion is to send the children to their rooms, and make them stay. The neighborhood we're invested in isn't a bad area, but I would guess there are a lot of "low information" voters. Is that the way progressives discipline and motivate their children? To me it makes sense because they seem to know a lot more about punishment and less about incentives. Just look at what we've seen of the healthcare law. A penalty for this, a fee for that. A medical device tax, a Cadillac plan tax.

It seems to me the health care bill had nothing to do with health care and everything about sending the cash to Washington so they can best decide how to spend it. If they really wanted to impact the cost and availability they would open the gates at medical schools across the Nation and keep them open until there are more Hospitals and clinics than there are barber shops. You see, in Columbus, Ohio you can get a hair cut for $8.95 at Saturday's. While grooming a toy poodle is $50. Pet groomers are hard to find and barbers are like Santa Claus, they are everywhere. My point is more Doctors and Clinics would have a downward pricing pressure on their system. To limit Doctors, limit hospitals, limit access...all of that leads to scarcity because those bright minded Doctors will find something else to do or someplace else to be a Doctor.

Nixon tried to work his way through the first OPEC oil embargo by fixing prices. I remember long lines around the corner on odd and even days to purchase our 8 gallons of regular. Since then, we have come to realize it's not an oil shortage, it's a money shortage. The last 5 years proves that as long as we have the money to purchase gasoline there is almost an unlimited supply. So, in both cases the government has had their heavy hand in the mix, fixing things for us, as Walter Williams would say, "fixing things for people that are too damned dumb to fix it for themselves!"

Ron, my mind is MUCH more valuable, at least to me, than my Braun. It's a good electric razor, but after eight years or so, it's starting to show some wear and tear.

Perusing a degree in flower picking is an interesting pastime, but pursuing one might be even more profitable in the long run.

As you stated above, it's our "Benevolent Government" which has ENACTED the laws and high taxes which have definitely inspired US corporations to offshore manufacturing and associated jobs! So when the government creates legal incentives like those, you blame the corporations for taking advantage of them?

Corporations, much as a lot of people might like them to be, are NOT in "the business of creating jobs." That's NOT their purpose or charter.

And a close look at "government" clearly shows that government does NOT "create jobs." It takes tax revenue from sources and allocates it where the votes are. If there is some luck, a few jobs might accidentally be "created," but they can't prove that more jobs would not have been created if the tax revenues had been left in the hands of the folks earning the profits in the first place.

If you start with the wrong premise, you will likely draw an invalid conclusion.

Read Ken Fisher and/or subscribe to MarketMinder and see how wrong that conclusion can be.

I have seen multiple interviews with the "Man on the Street" where the respondent to the question about "Is current minimum wage sufficient to raise a family?" Come on peole. The minimum wage was originally designed to ensure that children and young works were not victimized by industry. It was never intended to be a wage that could support a family. almost all minimum wage jobs I held and there were many, were temporary stops toward a better job up the chain.
Those politicians pushing this as help support families have totally missed (I suspect deliberately missed) the point of a minimum wage. This increase seems like the fixes proposed by Wesley Maunch et al in AS.

.... and voting for folks like Elizabeth Warren....

My point is without setting up an economic model that offers incentive at every level some will be left behind, or take their marbles and play somewhere else. Our benevolent government has built artificial economic walls around our Nation, keeping investment dollars out, mostly. Capital follows ROI (return on investment) CEOs are charged with the responsibility of earning ROI for the stockholders. If the corp. tax and capital gains tax is lower somewhere else in the world, other things roughly equal, the investment goes to the other country. We have these taxes (the world's highest corp tax) because there are millions of people in the USA that must be fed, sheltered, and given money simply because they exist. My point is we have a choice, we can continue the path we're on. Most on this forum are sickened by the path we're on. We can cut those millions off and let them fend for themselves. That would be more productive than the current approach, because even if they steal for a living someone would have to produce to replace the stolen goods. Or, and I admit this is a stretch, create an economic model that has a niche for all who wish to participate.

We can sit here and say we already have it! I think that is a pompous statement. Some of us already have it. Some of us have it very well indeed. My theory is that if our benevolent government lowered the corp tax to the lowest in the free world. Then lowered the capital gains tax in a similar manner, investment capital would flood into the US at record speed.

If you were laid off at the GM plant, because you were a non union worker, does it matter if your new employer is a foreign Corporation? By lowering these economic obstacles we would be hanging the welcome sign up for the world to see. It would instantly make our domestics more competitive as exports, because part of the selling price was taxes. Foreign investment would follow the ROI. First thing, they buy land or buildings. Then they would build or renovate their properties to meet the needs of their plan. Then they would hire workers of all sorts. White collar and blue. This would impact construction immediately, but temporarily and then permanent staffing would finally start putting displaced people back to work.

What's the hold up? In my opinion, our Benevolent Government can't see that a smaller percentage of a much larger pie is a bigger number than the faltering and failing situation they now have. In salesman's parlance, "The fear of loss is greater than the desire for gain." And, if your a cynic, politicians really don't want to solve a problem, they want to run on the issue the problem creates.

Facts? I can't give facts on a business plan. It is speculative by nature. There are too many what ifs. You can make very accurate suppositions about human behavior when they are incentivised. For selfish reasons people will do what is best for their self interests. Example? From 1983 to 2000 was a pretty good run. That 1983 administration had some pretty good minds working to create economic incentives. Art Laffer and John Rutledge designed a model that worked very well until world competition on tax rates changed the flow of capital.

In my little business I own a string of rental homes. We recently had to raise the late fee. Why? Because it was cheaper to make me wait than use the guys at the check cashing store. That's how far away from the inside the beltway mentality the recipient class are. Their motivation hinges on which is the better deal, paying my $50 late fee, or paying the check cashing store 10%. If those people had a better alternative, most would surely take it. An Example of that: Detroit and Chicago were built by migrating families moving to where the opportunity was in the late 40s and 50s. What has happened in those cities since then has nothing to do with the incentives that beckoned people to move there. If my lower middle income clients could find a place where opportunities were better, they would break their backs getting there. Right now, the incentives are just not strong enough. Once again, the fear of loss is greater than the desire for gain.

I appreciate the conversation about the economy. I always learn something from talking to people. In my life I have seen the magic of growing a larger pie several times. It is the answer to turning a failing business. Growth! I believe it is the answer to our failing government. Our present government cannot see what could be, they can only see what is and then divide it.

Ron you put forth lots of statements with no back up. can you go back through your comment-make an assertion and give examples to back up your assertions? Also, what is your major point? A college education is important because....A college education isn't the leverage it once was....unions have artificially elevated the unskilled worker...etc

Right you are terrycan! Always a pleasure.

I have an need to again.
You point is well taken, If I am correct manufacturing not all in all but just a part of creation process. It starts with creator creating information and knowledge.
What bothers me is the made in American shills (on the left and right ) is doom and gloom if we do not manufacture items in the US and manufacture them like it still the early to mid 20th century.

Francisco d'Anconia, on the other hand would have loathed the parochial attitude here. What makes a manufacturing job in the US better than one in Mexico? Good, smart, value-added people live everywhere. I would rather trade with an ethical (in the objectivity sense) from India, than a moocher from Silicon Valley, wouldn't you?

Or why doesn't companies seeking special tax breaks for themselves smack of looters to you? Shouldn't taxes be the same for every company? (Lower of course!)

I have a friend from high school who started his own company shortly after graduating. He became wildly successful, but was getting killed by taxes. He moved all of his manufacturing to South America because his profit margins allowed him to reinvest in his business, and grow it. I always thought that it was a travesty that he did that, but understood his reasons. Maybe if something like the author of this article suggested could happen, he would bring his operations back to the US. Until then, he will keep his money and employees elsewhere.

I paint, using oil, acrylic and watercolor. I also draw with charcoal. I love it!

As you can imagine, I was surrounded by all of the culture of Marxism/Socialism in art college. 4 years at VCU. I came out shaking my head thinking there was so much more to learn. I was t disappointed. Glad you've found this little haven among the fog, and made it out to the rational side ;-)

When you hear how unintelligible they are, it's embarrassing. These are our fellow citizens...

Yes, One's mind is more valuable than one's braun. About 30% of the fine and thoughtful people in this nation either aren't suited for college or went to school and perused a degree in flower picking and can't find gainful employment in their chosen field. Since it is short sighted of me to want to rebuild a portion of the US industrial segment, providing an economic ladder for them to begin to climb, then what do we do? The progressives would simply extend unemployment benefits and food stamps, and ask them to vote appropriately next election. There is no economic ladder to climb with unemployment and food stamps.

Historically, Americans are climbers. My Dad was a climber. He was born in the depression, had a high school education, and ended up the millionaire next door; by the fruits of his labor. By exporting the manufacturing segment to the lowest offshore bidder, the first 2-3 rungs are removed from the economic ladder the lesser educated would begin to climb. We could just throw those people away, because they are probably mooches anyways. Or, if we were wise, we could give them something to do and set up a ladder to climb, gain some productivity from their efforts, and allow them to play the selfish game of advancing their own self interests. In my thoughts, even though they are light years from the academic levels in this group, they are better producing than mooching. Even if they are producing something you would never want, as long as someone does, it's productive.

Gentlemen, if you have not done so I suggest you read Fountainhead and study it's message. While it it not completely a celebration of the individual it points out that without the individual CREATOR, there is nothing for society (read moochers tec.) to take and use. Without the individual creator society does not move forward. The act of creation is a mental act. iIt is an act of the mind. It creates information and knowledge. From these physical things are manufactured and even more information and knowledge is created leading to even more physical creation and manufacturing.
Atlas Shrugged is a logical continuation of the philosophical foundations laid in Fountainhead. To fully understand the rational behind John Galt, and the residents of Galt's Gulch it is important to understand the individual creator.

I say again, if you haven't read Fountainhead, read it. At the very least watch the Gary Cooper movie version. It not perfect, but it is a good intor to the actual book.

Good point. But the dems know they sometimes are too young to vote therefore the wrong crowd to help.

I think you are very short sighted this is 2014 and 1974.
Yes one one lives by the fruits of ones labor, but it doesn't have be on a dirty factory floor. There is plenty of wealth created in the service industry. If I may paraphrase a theme I seen in Atlas Shrugged that stuck with me: the value of ones mind; my mind is more valuable than my muscles. I do not need to tun a wrench to earn wealth. Please note I am not devaluing skilled labor but there other options. The service industry includes marketing, design , transportation and retail. I do not have college degree but make $25 and hour in a quiet engineering lab validation on stuff that will be built in China, but take to the mall store from the ship, marketed, and sold by Americans.

"Multiple strikers told us they had received compensation through a union strike fund to appear, but declined to say the amount they were paid."

As less than 1% of local fast food workers participated it was held solely for the media to amplify and not as a serious strike.

Loving it here Non-Moocher. It took me a long time to come around - I used to be a big "social activist" back in college (seduced into a hidden Marxism without even knowing it). It's funny how much you can turn around if you keep an open mind and keep learning. What kind of art by the way?