Neal Asbury opened his nationally syndicated “Neal Asbury’s Made in America” show on Radio America (now on 44 stations) by noting that the cost of Obamacare is predicted to add $6.2 trillion to the national debt, further hurting the 26 million Americans that are unemployed or underemployed.
Joining the show as a return guest was Republican Representative, John Fleming, an MD and small business owner who represents Louisiana’s Fourth Congressional District.
“I’ve talked to constituents throughout the country and they are starting to panic, especially small business owners –who create 75 percent of jobs — due to the Obama administration’s dire warnings about the sequestration. They are also panicking about the higher health cost they will incur under Obamacare, which will add $6.2 trillion to the nation’s debt,” said Dr. Fleming.
Dr. Fleming suggested that Obamacare should be renamed the “No business over 49 employee law,” referencing that fact that once employers hit the 50 employee count they are required to offer health insurance. Rather than pay the mandatory healthcare insurance costs Obamacare calls for, employers will simply refrain from reaching the 50 employee count and start laying off employees or converting workers to part-time status.
“Under Obamacare the nation is in double trouble: more rationing and incurring more debt. Reimbursement for physicians has been going down for 20 years and under Obamacare it’s going down further. Physicians will simply stop practicing, which will hurt everyone,” said Dr. Fleming.
In keeping with Made in America’s mission to promote entrepreneurs, the show’s next guest was Isabelle Benoit, owner of Bullet Blues, a company whose blue jeans and fashions are made in America.
The company’s origin began when Benoit, French by birth, visited the D-Day cemetery in Normandy and was struck by a cross marking the unknown soldier with the inscription, “Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God.”
This symbol inspired the name ‘Bullet Blues.” Benoit’s goal is to somehow honor the bravery and selfless achievements of these soldiers.
“By creating American-made clothing using only American-made materials, the company’s name serves as a reminder of our country’s greatness and of the great men that sacrificed themselves, be they known or unknown,” said Benoit.
Her goal is to expand distribution throughout the U.S. at the retail level and prove that good quality products can be made in America.
Neal and co-host Dr. Rich Roffman circled back to a discussion of sequestration. Neal expressed disbelief that with a national budget of $3.6 trillion, the government is fear mongering over a figure of $85 billion, less than 3 percent of the total budget with only $44 billion going into effect over the next few months.
“We wouldn’t even be in this mess if the government didn’t waste $900 billion. What this country needs is some tough love, encouraging Americans to engage in a little belt tightening and make a small sacrifice for the good of the country,” said Neal.
Dr. Roffman agreed and proposed that it’s sad and unfair that the President is going around proposing that the world will end if sequestration occurs, when all it requires is to reduce a small amount of spending.
“People don’t understand that the $85 billion figure is not contingent on eliminating this debt in one day, but over time. We only need reduce the debt load immediately by $22 billion, and none of the cuts will be entitlements,” said Dr. Roffman.
He reminded listeners about the waste inherent in the Obama cell phone program, whereby the government spent $2.2 billion to buy cell phones and call plans for the needy—of which close to 40% might not even be qualified. And now Obama spends his time scaring and misleading people about sequestration, which he and the Democrats initiated.
“As an entrepreneur, I have to make cuts all the time on spending for equipment that would help me grow my business and hire more employees. But I have to live within my means and I can’t do that if I have to pay more taxes and healthcare costs. What really angers me is that my taxes are being used to address waste,” said Neal, who added: “Let’s get our priorities straight. When we reduce waste we can help the nation’s entrepreneurs and create jobs.”
Joining the show as a first time guest was Amber Abbasi, the Chief Counsel for Regulatory Affairs at Cause of Action, a non-partisan organization that uses public advocacy and legal reform tools to ensure greater transparency in government, protect taxpayer interests, and promote economic freedom. The organization has gone to court to protect Drake’s Bay, a third-generation oyster harvesting family in Point Reyes, California that is in danger of being shut down by the National Park Service.
“Drake’s Bay provides 31 local jobs and a sustainable food product that supports local businesses. Their stewardship of the oyster farm has resulted in award-winning oysters, and has protected the pristine waters of Drakes Estero and its abundant wildlife for decades,” said Abbasi.
She accuses the government of using flawed data and bad science to justify not reissuing the harvesting permit.
“Drake’s Bay deserves a fair shake and the ability to continue operating as they have for generations,” concluded Abbasi.
“I hate to see a small business take it on the chin. This has to stop,” proposed Neal.
Dr. Roffman and Neal continued their ongoing segment on government waste and cronyism.
Dr. Roffman began the discussion by looking at Abound Solar, a Colorado-based firm that was developing thin-film solar panels, but after receiving a $400 million government loan, it went into bankruptcy after going through $70 million. No gain and no reward to the taxpayer. No jobs as well.
“But that’s not the end of the story. The EPA has found that the panels were built with toxic materials and it will cost the government another $2.2 million to clean up the Abound Solar site,” related Dr. Roffman.
He shared a story originally broken by MSNBC’s Chuck Todd that continues the Obama tradition of cronyism. Now for $50,000, donors can gain access to gatherings featuring Obama officials. For $500,000 donors can attend sessions with chief advisors, including some with President Obama—including quarterly meetings.
“They should just issue rate cards, letting people know what they can get for their donations. It might include the price of an ambassadorship,” 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.
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