Union Control of Governments

In my recent report on federal, state and local

government unionization I stated how total outlays for wages and pensions are about triple what they are for comparable private industry jobs,

                       

I mentioned how these unions control government with their political contributions and the ability to close down government operations, along with their control of budgets.

                       

The problem will persist until politicians are no longer beholden to unions for funds and

Getting out votes. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Influential Teachers’ Unions

                              

The powerful teachers’ unions have a particular influence because they always have a good marketing ploy. Who wants to turn down funding when “it’s for the kids.”

                       

But a good portion of that cost does not go to kids, it’s for teachers. And those costs can be budget-busting.

The public probably knows how much is spent per student. But how about salaries and pensions? And all for a part-time, nine months of actual total work?

                       

The same holds for other government employees. Especially the ones who retire well before age 65, and are double dippers on other grandiose pensions. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

Unionized Government

              

In my recent report on federal, state and local government unionization I stated how total outlays for wages and pensions are about triple what they are for comparable private industry jobs.

                       

I mentioned how these unions control government. With their political contributions and the ability to close down government operations, along with their control of budgets because of their size.

                       

The problem will persist until politicians are no longer beholden to unions for funds and

getting out the vote. When will that be? (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

               

Small Collectors’ Art

          

I have always suggested original prints in limited editions for small collectors, who are starting out as buyers of worthwhile art.

                       

The art process ought to be original, such as lithography, and be supervised by the artist. It’s absolutely essential that the work be in limited quantities, and if done in modern times, be signed and numbered by the artist. I personally look for editions of no more than 50 signed and dated copies, in all.

                       

I like conceptual art because it requires thought and ideas, as befits any attempt at creating a work.(See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Corporate Takeovers

                

In many instances, corporate proxies may make it easier for hostile takeovers to be made. It is not always a given that making it easier to foster corporate takeovers, is in the best interests of all stockholders.

                       

The objectives of many of the takeover artists are often solely for quick, short-term profits. That may not be the long term interest of the corporation or most of its shareholders.

                       

Yet, much of the legislative pressure in Washington from the administration has been to accomplish this takeover purpose. This does little for corporate democracy. It helps speculators. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Lawyers Influence Business

             

Too many of our law makers in Washington and in state houses, are lawyers. It’s no small wonder; we have too many lawyers graduating college. They need something to do other than seek litigation briefs.

                       

It helps explain why we have too little doctors, scientists and mathematicians. When you cannot cope with science or math, it’s far easier to become a lawyer. Years ago, you could become one without going to college. You took the bar exam after clerking in a law office.

                       

I believe too many lawyers in government have become a major problem. We need representatives who actually represent the people. They ought to come from different job experiences. Furthermore, politicking should not be a permanent career.

                       

I also strongly feel that we need small business men and women in Congress and in state houses. It would change the legislative outlook about taxes, business and everyday problems of the middle class.(See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

Conflict-of-Interest at the Fed

                  

The Federal Reserve has a conflict of interest in its very mandate. The Dodd-Frank regulation law has tilted the effect of the Fed in many ways, giving the executive branch of government much more influence.

                       

Despite the logic for the Fed’s independence, Congress always has wanted to impose influence. It has to an extent. Since 1978 the Fed has had to enforce the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act, known as Humphrey-Hawkins. That conflicts with the Fed’s stated currency/inflation activity.

                                           

The Humphrey-Hawkins Act enforcement creates an inflating bias; certainly not one of dollar stability. So there is always a conflict of interest. Remember, the Fed handles monetary policy.

Also, the president, through the Treasury Department, is in control of fiscal policy. It’s difficult for the Fed to control outlandish spending by the government.(See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

Securities Markets Moods and Sentiments

                 

Market moods are relatively long- lasting emotions; sentiments are shorter-term. Correspondingly,they can affect how stock market cycles react and can precipitate booms and busts in industry.

                       

Therefore, a president, in the midst of a recession, should never make a practise of singling out an industry, whether industrial, communications, banking, insurance or lender of any type, as a scapegoat, when he wants the economy to recover and produce jobs. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

How to Protect Your Trade Secrets

               

The best and cheapest way to protect your trade secrets is to keep them under lock and key. Be sure your employees, customers or clients are not able to get at data that should not be made public. Of course, this is never simple.

                       

Also, it’s logical,  at the very onset, to use trade names and logos that are hard to duplicate. Example: A made-up name such as Kodak.

                   

The best and cheapest way to protect your trademarks, aside from registering them, is to actively use them in commerce. The laws are friendly only to those who fully employ the names, marks or logos they want protected. Registration is not an outright guarantee.

                       

Stay out of courts if you possibly can, when you have disputes that concern trade secrets or trademarks. Those with the most money to litigate will win.

                       

Unfortunately, patent and trademark litigation contests often are not prime examples of justice. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

The Dollar/ Gold Relationship

                  

From 1947 until 1967, when we had gold-dollar convertibility, unemployment averaged only 4.7%, with economic growth about 4% annually. Plus the fact inflation remained relatively low.

                       

In 1971, during the Nixon Administration, the Bretton Woods agreement set up a new system, including the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, part of the World Bank Group. The U.S. dollar became the reserve currency for the member states.

                       

However, slower growth has ensued from that point, and gold today appears to be the preferred reserve of many countries. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

Risky Dodd-Frank Regulations

               

Risk was never overcome by regulation. The media can more fully explain this, if they tried to find the facts for themselves and report them.

                       

Example: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were risky semi- government agencies who were instrumental players in our sub-prime crisis. There was no lack of regulation. But that financial meltdown can result from even more regulation from the likes of Dodd-Frank. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

Unknown Bureaucrats

               

Congress was not able to pass a Cap and Trade bill. The public realized the proposed legislation was a device for powerful government taxation. The measure was more a means for imposing taxes on industry and consumers, than it was for environmental protection.

                       

So what does the Administration do, in its effort to help reduce emissions it claims the bill will reduce? Especially when global warming is not scientifically proven.

                       

It imposes controls through unelected bureaucrats in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

The Job-Creating Maneuver

                                      

While economists may differ, spending for a government job is known to have an economic multiplier effect of 1.4 or 1.5, On the other hand, private jobs have an economic multiplier of close to 3.5.

                       

Beware of job claims during a recession, especially when you get those politically-inspired varieties. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

Real Job Creation

            

When you hear that jobs are being created, stop to consider:

One: Are jobs make-work for government or are they permanent?

                       

Two: Are the jobs full time or part time? And if so, for how long?

                       

Three: If the work is for government, are they unionized with special pension programs?

If the answers are that they are overwhelmingly government-oriented, you know they may be phony and costly. Particularly when so much of the past stimulus went to states which added government jobs.(See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Extended Unemployment Checks

                                       

Unemployment benefits have an impact on unemployment statistics. Extending benefits tends to make the unemployment rolls greater because it’s generally a disincentive for seeking jobs.

                       

Studies show that most unemployed who are not desperate, put off looking for work until unemployment checks are ready to run out. But the media operates with just selective reportage. They find a small percentage who truly need more benefits and make it appear that all the unemployed require to be on a dole forever, or else they starve.With no remedy other than an unemployment check. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

The Average Unemployment Numbers Deception

                  

Average unemployment numbers are what we get, covering all age groups. That average can consist of different classes, each of which is affected differently. Classifications contain teens up to age 25. Or all adults 25 and older. Or high school graduates, or college graduates; skilled and unskilled.

                       

The adjusted unemployment rate is not about 5% reported by the media and the government. The youngest job- seekers are suffering the most from the current doldrums, at over 20%. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)