Faulty Environmental Planning amidst Ample Energy Reserves

                      

America has more than sufficient natural gas and oil reserves, in addition to offshore energy sources and in Alaska. We have practically unlimited coal supplies, in addition to oil shale. In fact, we would never need to drill for oil in deeper waters. We can build new nuclear plants whenever we decide to make that practical decision.

                       

Developing sources of energy would save us trillions of dollars as a substitute for presently imported fuels, while increasing much-needed jobs at home. It would give the U.S. essential energy independence.

                       

All the while we would develop more solar, wind and renewable energy for the future. Those prospects are bright only in the distant future, not now. Plus, the practical energy policy would help our foreign policy.

                       

But our environmental policy is unhinged by unthinking, ivory-tower environmentalism. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Why keep Extending Unemployment Insurance?

               

The unemployed tend not to look for employment energetically until unemployment insurance is ready to run out. So extending the periods of insurance during recessions may appear compassionate, but makes unemployment statistics more acceptable than they would ordinarily be.

                       

In addition, many jobs may be part time or temporary during recessions. Employers are unable to hire permanent help, or fear hiring because of rising costs and taxes.This adds to the confusion.

                       

So we constantly measure apples and oranges and produce questionable numbers that the media loves to repeat as gospel. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Misleading Unemployment Statistics

Job statistics are misleading because they don’t accurately give current employment figures. It seems their only purpose these days is to provide content for the media and data on which politicians can contrive messages that help

confuse an economically illiterate voting public.

                                           

Many job seekers give up looking when there is a prolonged recession. Thus, they no longer remain in the unemployed count. Therefore, the truly unemployed figure  looks better than it is. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

The Slippery Slope of Government Control

                          

The disclosure of the U.S. potential multi-billion dollar loss in General Motors ownership serves as a lesson.

                   

Did it also make sense to put the Executive Branch of the U.S. government in charge of $20 billion or more of British Petroleum’s funds, to hand out to victims of its oil drilling accident?

                   

Would it not have been far better for  individuals with claims to have gone directly to BP for compensation through independent intermediaries, supervised by courts?

                   

Without the politics involved? Without the federal government in the middle of what became an obviously unconstitutionally dubious form of meddling?

                   

This was just one of many instances of state capitalism that is a slippery slope best avoided. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Correcting For-Profit College Problems

                        

For-profit schools are getting hit by government pressure for reasons that, are similar to problems that are those of

conventional colleges.

                       

Politicians often complain that for-profits are making too much money. Politicos love educational debtors they can support by throwing taxpayer funds at them. Yet, the fact that internet and similar schools are growing is an indication their students are getting value for tuition.

                       

Conventional colleges, which often are mismanaged, tend to lose money. Still, they are highly subsidized by governments as a result. (Conventional schools must also continually solicit needed funds from alumni.)

           

Conventional colleges actually can be run as a for-profit business, and teach students properly. They can rid themselves of archaic tenure and other management foibles, as I have noted before in my comments. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Stumbling Government is Acceptable?

                    

The economist, Walter Williams, in one of his columns, quoted the philosopher Bertrand Russell, suggesting that "Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education." Dr.Williams also quoted Albert Einstein: "Insanity: (is) doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

                       

Professor Williams wanted to know whether it was stupidity, ignorance or insanity that explained the behavior of Americans who seek government involvement in their lives.

                                           

A large percentage of Americans believe politicians are corrupt. Congress has consistently had about a 10% approval rating. People know the poor shape of Medicaid and Medicare. And how Social Security is bankrupt. The Post Office is inefficient. Public schools fail to teach kids the basics.

                       

Why depend on government except for operating our defenses? Politicians know that voters have a short memory. The media goes along with favored politicians. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Pressure on For-Profit Schools

                      

For-profit schools get hit by government pressure for problems that, on investigation, are similar to problems that are those of conventional colleges. The latter, however, are treated far more favorably.

                                           

The federal government is complaining that relatively too many students from for-profit schools are deficient in their loans. And that they do not finish their course studies as they should. And worse, they are not getting the jobs many had been promised when the students signed up for study.

                       

Has Washington really taken a look at what conventional college students learn or accomplish after they go into massive debt of up to $100,000 or more?

                       

How many graduate? How many get decent jobs? Or are qualified for them? (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

About Half of Americans Pay No Federal Income Tax

                      

A terrible precedent is set in a country when almost half the working adults pay no taxes. Because you cannot have a true democracy with divided citizen responsibility

                       

Everyone should pay something; have “skin in the game.” Small amounts, so that their wallets are affected by government largesse. And no reimbursements of what they never even paid the IRS. Those who need funds can get welfare assistance from a government agency other than the IRS.

                       

You cannot have voters who pay nothing into a system; voting for politicians whose motto is ‘soak the rich.” Those rich are too many neighbors who are earning a little more that has become taxable. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Dodd-Frank Has Led to Job Reduction

                     

That was not the purpose that Congress and the administrations assigned to this bill in 2010. The administration says it wants jobs.

                       

Take bank regulation as only one illustration. And within that, look at just one bank, the Bank of America, which then announced layoffs of 30,000 employees. All because of a loss of revenues dictated by only part of the many strait- jacket-type regulations of Dodd-Frank.

                       

Yet many of the Dodd-Frank regulations still haven’t been fully imposed years after passage. Great for a job recovery!! (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Expect Government Health Coverage Inefficiency

                       

The Post Office does not operate under restrictions that burden private businesses. It enjoys a legal monopoly on many types of letter mail. Thus, it’s a perfect example of what happens when the government tries to operate as a business.

                       

The new health care law will establish standards of care, to determine what are proper levels of coverage. The law generates an expansion of government in the health system, such as Medicare and Medicaid; much of what we have in the Post Office.

                       

The administration, when pushing ObamaCare, has made the point, "Private insurers should be able to compete, They do it all the time. I mean, if you think about it, UPS and FedEx are doing just fine, right? It's the Post Office

that's always having problems."

                       

But the feds are actually making an argument of government ineffectiveness.   (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)   

Business Plans are Essential

                      

Business plans never work out exactly as they are conceived. but they are most helpful.

Too many small businesses fail to create an adequate plan. For several reasons:

One, folks may be too lazy to put in the effort. It takes work and a bit of basic bookkeeping. Yet, all a small business man needs is a small calculator.

Secondly, after a start, many lose faith in its continued use. That occurs because business plans need to be adjusted as you go along. None of them are ever made in stone. The necessary adjusted figures are not a sign of

error or misuse of the plan.

The whole purpose of a plan, adjustments and all, is to guide the management of the business, It is not to exactly predict outcomes. It is to show trends, problem areas to be treated, and so on.

                       

You never need to have a fancy business plan. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Demonized Business Men and Women

                     

Why bother to run a business when the federal government has a Bulls Eye on your back?

                       

Example: There is a little-used federal anti-business law on the books. So as a politician, why not use it during a  recession when you say you’re creating jobs? And your deepest instincts may well be anti-business?

No, the feds will tell you they’re not anti-business; that they’re looking out for your interest. They’re not.

                                           

The government passed the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act in 1938, with a provision that authorized criminal action against corporate officers. No evidence was needed that an officer knew a crime was being committed. Being connected with the company at the top was the guilt.

                       

You can see why this section of the law was not used, until the present administration got wind of it, with an eye on drug companies. How many top execs are willing to put their personal wealth and liberty at risk , to run a company of thousands of employees, one of whose transgressions would put that CEO at risk of jail? (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

ObamaCare’s Fantasy Cost Reduction

                     

We should always attempt to prevent illness. But prevention may actually increase costs not reduce them. So, spending must be cost-effective over the years.

                                       

Way back, in an Aug.7, 2009 letter to Rep. Nathan Deal, Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf’s aide, said: "Researchers who have examined the effects of preventive care, generally find that the added costs of widespread use of preventive services tend to exceed the savings from averted illness."

"It is usually necessary to provide preventive care to many patients, most of whom would not have suffered that illness anyway." This costs money that would not have been spent.

                       

The study came directly from the respected Congressional Budget Office. And it refuted the Administration’s claim for savings that will flow from ObamaCare. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Ineffective, So-Called Job Training

                      

Good politics makes bad economics is an often used axiom. It’s especially fitting when it comes to the ruse by politicians when they hand out taxpayer funds for job training. It does sound good. People do lose jobs because of new technology for which they are not able to qualify.

                       

The unfortunate unemployed are told they can be retrained, as they should be, But in truth, the federally- sponsored programs usually are a bust. Private efforts have been more successful.

                       

A study as far back as 1969 showed that teens actually did worse in a federal jobs program once they started. Another study showed how tens of billions were spent on federal job training from 1961 through 1980 with no real success. Programs since then, with 1982 legislation, have fared no better for decades.

                       

But the charade still goes on. Promises of job training programs that sound good—the government is doing something. But nothing g is accomplished for getting skilled jobs. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)