Misleading Unemployment Numbers

                       

Monthly government unemployment numbers often have little to do with reality. If corporations spewed out such faulty figures they would be hauled off to court and their officials jailed.

                       

The media  usually goes along with the official government charade by placing a spin on what you are supposed to make of the raw figures, depending on the political party of media favor.

                       

One exceptional  illustration was the past administration’s creation of the “jobs saved” number. Jobs saved were merely estimates of the “coulda, shoulda, and if” variety, that could not be truly measured.

                       

Worse, unemployment statistics leave out those who have given up looking for work. They also count part-timers who cannot find full-time work. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

Corporate Income Tax Cuts Can Create Jobs

                       

The U.S. corporate income tax is too high, in relation to what is being imposed by other countries, many who unabashedly claim to be socialist or who have otherwise managed economies. They definitely don’t profess to have capitalist underpinnings.  I include Communist China in this category.

                   

                                       

They all realize the importance of relatively low corporate tax rates.

                   

                       

Yet, one major party in America has a social mantra of “soaking the rich” and the corporation is targeted as rich, though the taxes paid are really a cost of doing business and must be priced into what’s sold.

                       

There is no logic in keeping U.S. corporate taxation as high as it is, when you want to keep American business competitive in global markets and at home.

                       

And while we’re at it, let American corporate already-taxed earnings overseas come back home, tax free, The funds can be used here. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

Health Care Quality

                       

Much is made about how much Americans spend on health care, compared to others; the French, as one example.

                       

We spend about 16% of the GDP on health-related services. It’s perfectly acceptable to do so, if we get the best care available. Provided it’s not directed and controlled politically by the government. That is when mismanagement sets in, as it has whenever government runs any business or service,

                       

And while the French spend about $6,000 per household less on health care, they get far less in services and quality than Americans do, a fact that proponents of ObamaCare never disclose,(See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

“Experts” Usually Stumble

                                                   

Steve Forbes, on Forbes.com, April 21, 2010, wrote a piece of basic economics for the laymen, which I repeat here, for the public to learn and also remember. Today and in the future.

                       

The media does a poor educational job, but Mr. Forbes sums up a bit of Education 101, also for those whose parents have bankrupted themselves to send kids to college.

                       

Mr. Forbes’article  reflects on the erroneous supposition that there are always ”wise” men around who try to manipulate economic problems and fine-tune the necessary financial remedies necessary to mitigate and rectify them. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

Find Good Jobs Without College

                       

About 60% of jobs in 1950 did not require some special skills. According to ETS, Educational Testing Services, there were plenty of jobs for those looking for work requiring no special abilities.

                       

Now about 80% of jobs are considered skilled and need training, not all of which are available to high school graduates.

                       

This is a fault of high schools. You don’t need a college degree for most non technical work positions. You would not, if K-12 standards in English and mathematics were adequate.

                       

We send non-scholarly kids to expensive college where they become useless graduates. All we have to do is train them for useful, profitable work while in high school. They can go on to master good paying jobs once they have the basics. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

Using Medicaid and Medicare as an Example?

                       

Congress created Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, Politicians kept expanding benefits, while talking about controlling costs. Yet costs kept skyrocketing.

                       

This couldn’t happen in private business because of the likelihood of bankruptcy. But government intervention prolonged losses and made matters much worse and expensive. As long as taxpayers continued to pay the bills. Eventually enormous amounts have been paid.

                       

This same government failure, as we see with fraud-infested Medicare and Medicaid, is on the menu with ObamaCare. (See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)

Analyst Lawsuits?

                       

Law suits can arise when credit rating agencies, who judge the quality of bond or derivative issues, are considered the cause of investors’ loss of money. Making it easier to sue can thus open a can of worms.

                       

The First Amendment is supposed to guard free speech. That usually protects financial analytical reports. Including opinions on Structured Investment Vehicles or SIVs, or derivatives, or any form of corporate and municipal bond.

                                       

Can analysts and their employers be sued for malpractice if their opinions have been wrong? Or are they covered by the First Amendment? What does any court decision do to those who evaluate due diligence in the future?

                       

Every so often a move is made to sue credit agencies for alleged malpractice.

(See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole tweets.)