Neal Asbury opened his nationally syndicated “Neal Asbury’s Made in America” show on Radio America (now on 40 stations) by noting that in President Obama’s inauguration address he ignored the topic of job creation – surely one of the most important topics for the 25 million unemployed or underemployed Americans.
Joining the show as a first time guest was Congressman Lee Terry, representing Nebraska’s second district.
Congressman Terry was angry that despite the fact that 53 senators have approved a new route for the Keystone Pipeline (that will bring oil from Canada to the U.S.), and that it has earned the approval of Nebraska’s governor, the pipeline continues to be in limbo. He added that this might be one of the few projects that has received bipartisan support.d
“This pipeline will reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil, and at the same time create thousands of U.S. jobs and add $400 million to Nebraska’s economy. I think we’re all in favor of cleaner energy, but that doesn’t mean shutting down fossil fuels. We have allowed a small group of people to dictate our energy policy,” said Terry, adding that “approving this pipeline also adds to our energy security.”
Neal and co-host Dr. Rich Roffman tackled the topic of government waste, with Neal suggesting that while the government is wasting tax dollars they are raising taxes. He went on to recap 10 of the most wasteful projects that received government financial support in 2012.
These included subsidizing Amtrak to reimburse them for the $84.5 million they lost on its food and beverage services in 2011; The Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $141,450 grant under the Clean Air Act to fund a Chinese study on swine manure; and a $1.2 million grant to the United Nations for clean fuel promotion.
“Perhaps the most outrageous example of government waste is the $325,000 that was spent on a robotic squirrel named “RoboSquirrel” so that the National Science Foundation could study how a rattlesnake would react to it. I had an entrepreneur friend that was turned down for a loan because he couldn’t meet some SBA requirements. Can you imagine what he could have done with $325,000 to expand and hire more employees? And he would even pay it all back with interest,” noted Neal.
Dr. Roffman added “Obama brags about how he is not wasting money, and we hear that in 2008 and 2009 alone, the Department of Justice spent $121 million to host or participate in 1,832 conferences. These did not create a single job.”
Joining the show as a first time guest was Joe Brettel, a solutions-focused public relations consultant.
“Based on his inaugural address, the only job that the president is interested in is his own. He has taken control of the government on issues like energy, the second amendment, and taxes; all at the expense of the American people,” said Brettel.
Brettel predicts that this power grab will play into the hands of Republicans who can campaign for energy and jobs, and support small business. He noted that every time energy becomes an issue, the Republican Party makes gains in congress.
“I think the Republican Party is due for a comeback. The GOP has some great young talent who will connect with voters,” suggested Brettel.
Made in America’s final guest was return guest Fred Wszolek, from the Workforce Fairness Institute, an organization committed to educating voters, employers, employees and citizens about issues affecting the workplace.
“I think you’re going to see a continued drop in union membership. In the private sector, there’s a realization that higher salaries and benefits won’t allow U.S. companies to compete with foreign competitors; and in the public sector, shrinking tax revenue means less money for jobs, especially union jobs, which also means fewer police officers, which nobody wants to see,” said Wszolek, adding that private sector unions have helped enhance workplace safety, while public sector unions are mostly civil service jobs.
He characterized union bosses as leaders building ladders on a sinking ship, as 80 percent of the country today essentially has no dealings with unions.
“There are fewer union members but union bosses are still commanding big salaries and benefits. They have become part of the one-percenters, not the working class as they portray themselves,” concluded Wszolek.
Once again, Dr. Roffman continued his weekly “Cronyism Report,” an ongoing look at how federal funding payouts are wasting taxpayer dollars and hurting job creation.
He noted that XP Vehicles™ is the first company to file a legal brief with the United States Department of Justice via the office of Attorney General Eric Holder, suggesting that the DOE Loan Guarantee Program and the Section 136 ATVM Loan Program showed “favoritism” and blockading of certain candidates seeking grants.
It also appears, according to powerlineblog.com, that the plaintiff in the suit feels that the DOE misappropriated technology from some companies seeking grants that violated confidentiality.
“What we have here is the first cronyism law suit,” concluded Dr. Roffman.
Each week Neal Asbury’s Made in America provides Neal’s insights into the week’s top news stories and their impact on the worlds of entrepreneurship, small business ownership and the overall economy. Neal’s analysis, together with co-host Dr. Richard Roffman, a veteran 30-year publisher with extensive domestic and international experience, takes a non-biased approach based on real life experience in business as an American manufacturer and exporter. Made in America airs nationally each Saturday from 7-8:00 PM on Radio America. Link to Made in America at http://www.nealasbrysmadeinamerica.com.
JAN
