patrick.net

The way to fix the economy is to stop rewarding sloth and failure and reward work, saving, investing, and success.
There is too much personal debt, too much government debt, and too much government spending.
The productive sector is paying to support the entitlement sector, plus the government gold brick workers. It cannot continue forever.

http://patrick.net/?p=1203503

Zombie talking points must die!

clambo says

The way to fix the economy is to stop rewarding sloth and failure

Please describe how failure is rewarded (outside of corporate CEOs)

and reward work, saving, investing, and success.

"work" is complicated.

"saving" is admirable, but horrible for the economy.

"investing" is already well rewarded, by taxing it at absurdly low rates.

"success" IS the reward. "Congratulations, since you're successful we're going to give you more stuff".

The only way that the economy is going to be fixed is if we can increase economic activity.

The ONLY way to fix the economy is to reduce wealth disparity.

HousingWatcher says

it’s in their vested interest to make things worse,”

a bunch of Charles Mansons's's's ? Even he tried to make things better

tatupu70 says

The ONLY way to fix the economy is to reduce wealth disparity.

OR go back in time.
"Robin Hood" tried to reduce wealth disparity.
Nevermind, let's Go Forward
"Mad Max" will try to protect wealth disparity.
"Alan Greenspan" tried..... wait wait
Gubmint has a different mind set (education) for fixing the economy or creating jobs. Gubmint STRANGLES small business growth with regulations,s,s,s,s,s ! Those clerks are incapable of understanding that as they have no business background. Most Small business owners can not afford to hire a compliance staff. (stifling competition)

TMAC54 says

Gubmint has a different mind set (education) for fixing the economy or creating jobs. Gubmint STRANGLES small business growth with regulations,s,s,s,s,s ! Those clerks are incapable of understanding that as they have no business background. Most Small business owners can not afford to hire a compliance staff. (stifling competition)

OK--let's examine this common complaint. Could you be specific? Exactly which regulations are those?

TOO MANY TOO LIST HERE. There is not enough memory on patricks web to list ALL the regulations.
Bottom line; The word GOVERN opposes the word FREE.

I had heard, 1,200 new laws are created each year. If they are not creating new laws their positions become obsolete.

But start here !
http://www.thefreemanonline.org/headline/fifteen-things-to-hate/

I wager Tulips will grow on your grave before ANYONE could read ALL the regulations.

TMAC54 says

TOO MANY TOO LIST HERE. There is not enough memory on patricks web to list ALL the regulations.

OK--let's not list them all. How about you list the 2 worst offenders. The 2 that really harm small businesses.

Interesting points on John Stossel
http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/stossel/index.html#/v/1317629471001/overcoming-a-mountain-of-regulation/?playlist_id=87530
I have attempted to operate a couple small transport business'. I am not smart enough nor do I end up with enough time or energy to finish the accounting or taxes, let alone EPA rules, Fire Marshall, Dept. of Transportation, Highway Patrol permits, Cal Osha, Insurance regulations etc. etc. Now there is Homeland security regulations. We need balance between total control and consumer protection.

TMAC54 says

I am not smart enough nor do I end up with enough time or energy to finish the accounting or taxes

If you don't have the smarts or the time to do the accounting or taxes, then you shouldn't be running a business.

The only businesses that are harmed by "over regulation" are the ones that only work by harming people:

- Businesses that require exploiting the environment (i.e. dumping waste products into public places) to be profitable.

- Businesses that require exploiting labor (children, unsafe environments, illegal immigrants) to be profitable.

- Businesses that require exploiting customers (defective products, false advertising, scams, health / safety concerns) to be profitable.

I've been deeply involved in the creation of three very different types of businesses in my life:

- One business was a small pizzeria. Our primary regulatory issues were labor (safety, pay) and health / sanitation concerns (no rats in the store, proper temperature for the perishables, etc.). None of these things were significant factors in the business, and our biggest challenge by far was the fierce competition from big chains.

- The next businesses was a company that sold point of sale systems. Our primary regulatory issue was accurate record keeping. This had little to no impact on the business, and our main challenge was (again) competition.

- The last business was a company that ran a series of niche internet community sites and services. Our primary regulatory issue was customer privacy, but regulation in that area is kind of a joke so it didn't really affect us at all. Our biggest challenge by far was customer acquisition.

The most heavily regulated industries in the united states are:

- Energy (by far the most profitable companies in the world!)

- Health care (oh man, those guys are really hurting!)

- Finance (bwahahahahahahahaha)

I really wish that the last company I started was as "regulated" as the energy sector. Maybe then we would have been getting the billion dollar handouts instead of worrying about how to make payroll.

YO TATUPU !

You read the word, "attempted" right ?

A cloud over each of these strings is attempting to decide between more or less government. We are all aware of the failures of communist ideology and Bernie Madoff et.al. has shown us that mega controls do not always protect.
So what are we paying a quarter to half of our earnings for ?
If while driving, we were all required to wear helmets, knee pads and fluorescent apparel and had to file a daily "commute plan" with the department of transportation, would accidents cease ?
Will we demand gubmint protect us from EVERY wrong turn we make ?

TMAC54 says

So what are we paying a quarter to half of our earnings for ?

A lot of jet planes, missiles, soldiers in the Middle East...

You say we have too much regulation but you can't name one specific law that bothers you.

Well done.

Kevin says

The only businesses that are harmed by "over regulation" are the ones that only work by harming people

Um..I don't know about that. Having worked with home improvement just the idea that nearly every little thing caused liabilities and thus we could not do a number of things. State law restricted what consumers could do in their homes. Plumbing laws state you cannot do anything within walls, ceilings and floors..only if exposed outside (sink, water basis, toilet etc). So that comes with a cost to the consumer as they have to hire a plumber even though there are plenty of books and documentations for how to do various projects.

I grew up in a town where you could not pump your own gas. So each gallon costs 10-15 cents more creating a regressive tax that hurts more on those that cannot afford it. Why subsidize someone who pumps gas all day? And this also comes to a cost to the stations since they have to have someone all day man the pumps rather than maintain a shop.

I can't tell you how many actions that have been denied due to a single accident that then becomes a precedent and create a possibility of being sued. It is to the point where entire policies are scrapped because of this fear.

Insurance requires can lead to different forms of cutbacks because it comes as a added cost. More costs mean less spending to go and that means a higher cost of business. I know of a restaurant chain that incorporated into separate units so they wouldn't have to pay the health mandate...otherwise they would have to let some people go.

Regulations do hurt. Just take a trip to the northeast sometime and look at the old mill towns. Blaming things on taxes is too simple. Regulations take time and energy to become in compliance with.

My opinion about why Republicans classically go after regulations as a bad thing is that they probably correctly assume that their constituency doesn't have a clue what any of those regulations are about.

One thing I notice about Republicans is that they all live in an echo chamber and refuse to listen to countering view points.

Post liberal comments on a coservative blog like RedState, and you will be banned.

Post conservative comments on a liberal blog like HuffPo and you will be attacked, but not banned.

Republicans absolultely will not listen to liberal viewpoints. There is no argument allowed. The only argument allowed is a debate that focuses on who is MORE conservative.

mdovell says

Regulations do hurt. Just take a trip to the northeast sometime and look at the old mill towns.

You list a bunch of anecdotes that are about liabilities and and lawsuits--those are not regulations. Then you finish with a generic statement without providing any evidence that regulations caused the mills to close.

I'll ask again--people, please be specific. Which regulations were responsible for the mills closing?

Kevin says

- Businesses that require exploiting labor (children, unsafe environments, illegal immigrants) to be profitable.

Which is why we need to ban imports from countries that use child labor, allow unsafe environments, etc. to create a more level playing field.

I live in a state where you cannot pump your own gas, New Jersey, and our gas prices are consistently below the national average.

So that means one thing: Gas stations in states that allow customers to pump their own gas are POCKETING the saved money instead of passing on to the consumer in the form of lower prices.

mdovell says

Regulations do hurt. Just take a trip to the northeast sometime and look at the old mill towns.

Yet you cannot name a single regulations that hurts business.

zzyzzx says

Kevin says

- Businesses that require exploiting labor (children, unsafe environments, illegal immigrants) to be profitable.

Which is why we need to ban imports from countries that use child labor, allow unsafe environments, etc. to create a more level playing field.

If the homeowner isn't insulted by your offer...you didn't bid low enough!!!

Yes. I'm surprised nobody has gone to the WTO about this stuff. It's not possible to have a stable free trade arrangement between nations with fundamentally different ideas about how human beings should be treated.