The changes business wants from Obama

[justaregularperson]

Source: MSNBC News

The enormous victory won by Sen. Barack Obama in the presidential race came from the backing of voters desperately unhappy with the state of the economy and eager for new direction from the top.

Many in business, though, still view the president-elect with a wary eye. (Perhaps the markets do as well: The Dow dropped more than 400 points the day after Obama's election.) Indeed, if a recent survey by Chief Executive magazine is any indication, Obama has his work cut out for him in wooing America's executives. In a survey of 751 CEOs published in October, the magazine found that 74 percent feared the consequences of an Obama presidency versus just 19 percent who worried about John McCain assuming the Oval Office. The surveyed executives feared that Obama's emphasis on big government and his plans to hike capital-gains taxes on big earners would stifle growth and job creation. They also worried he doesn't understand the links between trade and growth well and that he will not be aggressive enough in solving America's immediate energy crisis.

Business executives and lobbying groups around Washington say that whatever questions or disagreements they might have over the policies Obama is likely to pursue, they are gearing up to work closely with his administration. Even the staunchly conservative U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which threw its weight heavily behind numerous Republican congressional candidates in the hopes they could help keep the Democratic majorities in check, is sounding a conciliatory note these days. "We're always concerned when a new president comes in, but the business community is a uniquely practical constituency," says R. Bruce Josten, the Chamber's top lobbyist. "We may lose some more battles than we would have gotten in recent years," he adds. "But they're in charge now."





Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27597955/

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Translation:

Business Lobbiests are already on the move in order to sway the president elect from his more populist policies and to keep him in tow.

The work is only beginning. We need to keep the support, and yes pressure, on. These formative months will be when the rubber meets the road. I hope Obama enacts a policy of giving the common man as much access to his offices as business interests.

[aquart]

1. "Business" needs to STFU. They were WRONG.

[sui generis]

17. yep. "Business" in America needs to remain American

Manufacturing, employment, living wages, respect.

If "Business" doesn't like it, then they can move to India, and stay there.

I am a strategic officer in the proverbial "major company" who SHOULD be vested in outsourcing, union busting, cheap laber, and anti-employee labor regulation to keep from being forced to pay overtime, yet, my company does not outsource (overseas), does not hire or sponsor H1-B candidates, for the time being, and in some cases at a loss of talent and opportunity for us.

If my relatively conservative financial markets company can do this thing, be enormously profitable anyway, and actually have a reasonably happy and well adjusted workforce, then anyone can do it.

There may be a time when there is less unemployment and less of a manufacturing, trade and earnings imbalance in which we would be more open to outsourcing or sponsorship, but right now we have to give Americans jobs in America building American products and delivering American services.

It's the right thing to do, right now.

[bulloney]

19. We had eight years of listening to business. They had carte blanche on federal policy.

Are we stronger economically today than we were under Clinton?

I have to think that even the staunchest conservative has to say no.

I'm with you, aquart. Business needs to STFU for a while.

[FrenchieCat]

2. LOL!

That's funny.

Everyone is making shit up waiting with anticipation.

Hillarious!

[justaregularperson]

6. They are not "waiting". They are trying to weasel their way in

Have you seen how the process works for lobbiests and business interests? They have special access, meetings. While "the people" wait in line, they have an express line. They are extremely entrenched and it will be a temptation. They will make every promise and act completely like they are changing their ways.

I am not sure people get it. No matter how strong we think our candidate is, this article is a call to action. I will be getting on the phone Monday. He needs to feel the pull, and yes, at times push, of the people at every step if we really want effective change

[napi21]

3. Maybe those CEO's should recognize that they got as much as

they're going to get during the Shrub years, and NOW'S the time to take it on the chin!

[truthisfreedom]

4. Suggesting that the market drops are related to Obama's election is true, but only in this way:

The "Plunge Protection Team" that manipulates the market was working overtime to stabilize it so that McCain would be elected.

When Obama was elected, they stopped trying to game the market and let it correct itself.

You can find more information about the "Plunge Protection Team" through google or searching DU.

[justaregularperson]

7. Yes, that was Balooney. The market also went up when it looked like he was winning

[angstlessk]

5. you fuckers have not created jobs in the U fucking S of A....a job is a job is a job

ain't gonna cut it in an Obama administration...WE WANT GOOD JOBS...you know those ones you are sending out of the country into India and China...THOSE are the jobs we want created HERE...get over your selves...YOU CREATED THIS MESS..and now Obama AND the American worker will have to get us OUT of this shit!!!!

[endless october]

11. hear, hear.

it was so frustrating to listen to neocons brag about the "jobs" they created. yeah, you created a bunch of low paying temp jobs with no benefits.

guess people couldn't pay the mortgage working two crap jobs.

Americans can now hope for good paying jobs with real benefits. fatcats can take a lower salary to make up for it.

let's rebuild unions and the American worker.

[bulloney]

21. About the job creation by business:

They make it sound like they've been nobly starting up and maintaining businesses solely to create jobs.

That's not entirely true. They create and expand businesses to make money. Nothing wrong with that, but that's the primary reason why they create or expand business. The reason they create jobs is because they need to hire and pay labor in order for them to make that money.

The dialogue needs to switch to this context.

[Idealism]

8. Well no shit CEO's would defend supply-side economics...

we can't blame these people for voting in their economic best interests, but the reasons they give have been proved false for almost 30 years now, but they can keep clinging to their guns and religion- its not going to work this time

[underpants]

26. They are trained to think so in their formal education

I've been in a business school back in the 90's and they are taught this as a matter of curriculum

[justaregularperson]

9. I wonder how many insurance lobbyers are in washington right now trying to "help"?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

10. It is times like this...

My scientific curiosity is piqued and I wonder, in the interest of science, how long these motherfuckers would last, dragged behind an old pickup truck.

In the interest of science, I assure you. Just a mental exercise. Nothing more.

[bertman]

30. Scientific analysis is vastly overrated, Tandalyo. Maybe you should try some of the old

trial-and-error techniques. Hook up, drag, stop, check the time. Maybe check the dragee.

You get the idea, being the scientific type that you are.

[Zorra]

12. Things have changed. Now, "The business of America is regulating business".

[depakid]

13. The Chamber of Commerce has been working hard against their own interests

as well as the interests of Main Street for longer than most of us can remember. Its organizations have become a parody of what they once were- and the results of the ideological bent have become painfully apparent for everyone (especially small businesses) to see.

If reason has truly come back to Washington D.C., that particular set of groups will be left to figure out who they actually represent before they're allowed any sort of say in policy matters- not only nationally, but in every state and every community acrosss America.

[notadmblnd]

14. There hasn't been job creation under the bush admin

so they can just throw that boogeyman away.

[ibegurpard]

15. I really, really hope

that Obama is NOT another Clinton when it comes to the "business" community. I don't believe in putting onerous regulations onto businesses nor do I believe in complete protectionism but there HAS to be some regulation. When the market has no checks on it then the entire economy is at risk. Deregulation has been nothing but bad news for everyone except CEOs and shareholders of the affected companies.

[OwnedByFerrets]

16. I wish everyone would understand that "the market" is not

our friend. The market goes UP when the workers produce more at less pay. The market goes UP when corporations make more money at the expense of middle class workers.

[tclambert]

18. That is not correct. The stock market rose tremendously during the Clinton years.

And it has gone down over the eight years of the Bush administration. Eight years under Clinton and it tripled. The stock market has been more rational than Bush's supporters or business executives. Remarkable, isn't it?

[OwnedByFerrets]

32. It was a fucking bubble that helped very few

middle class people. Do some homework. People have been working more hours and getting less money for 30 yrs. This all began with Regan. Go bow at Clintons feet all ya want. His economy didnt help me one little bit. If you are different, great. But it was still a bubble built on the same dreams and illusions that the housing bubble was built on.

[NashVegas]

20. Fuck You, You Fucking Incompetent, Corrupt Fucks

Freeze the bailout!

[customerserviceguy]

22. There are only two alternatives here

If existing businesses get some of what they want, they can create the jobs that we're all looking for. Otherwise, if we want to punish them for the past eight years, then we have to be willing to support the new businesses that will need to take their place.

Are millions of Americans going to be willing to starve the Wal-Marts in order to support the new corner store that pays a living wage with benefits, but charges 25% more for their products, since they don't have Wally World's buying power? Or should the tax code give some temporary long-term phaseouts to small businesses so they can sell the products for about the same price?

Anybody see a solution to the problem of creating jobs without overly supporting the businesses that create them? It's not like President Obama is going to nationalize Home Depot and Standard Oil, just so he can pay a living wage to the employees that are working there.

[ccinamon]

23. Businesses want a bailout...then bring the jobs the back FIRST!

And close down H1B until unemployment is back down to 2%.

[MJJP21]

24. Follow China's Lead

Barack should start by following China's lead in relation to trade unions.By doing so it puts the rest of the world on notice that workers do have rights and no doubt will raise the living standards of all concerned and levels the playing field of those countries committed to free AND fair trade.


http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/21/content_10230509.htm

[LatteLibertine]

25. I hope President Obama will be able to resist the temptation

because you know they will try to buy him.

[underpants]

27. People WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THIS given their outstanding track record and everything

:sarcasm:

[glinda]

28. Dismantle the Chamber of Commerce for the good of the Country

as they are truly a Republican political organization and not a fair representation anymore of mixed businesses. I also have read they put pressure on new members in order to get them to promote or side with strictly Republican candidate. They need to quite getting bennies from the government in Cities as well as put the name "Republican" in their title. They also need to remove themselves from prime real estate sites and move into smaller offices.

[badgervan]

29. Eight Years...

... is enough of rewarding the rich and screwing the rest of us.

[bertman]

31. I'm a general contractor and I'm here to tell you that the Home Builders Association is

just like those Chamber motherfuckers. I joined the HBA because I wanted to take advantage of their training for things like green building, mold remediation, etc. That place is INFESTED with No-Government-Right-Wing-Assholes. All they think about is what is going to affect their profit margin. Environmental awareness? Screw that. We need to BUILD. Wetlands are swamps that need to be filled and turned into subdivisions. It is enough to make you want to puke.

Thank goodness there are quite a few smaller builders in our area who are progressives.

It's the corporate greed mentality, the maximize-the-profits-at-all-costs mandate that creates this short-sighted, destructive mindset. And it's written into corporate charters of most businesses that are publicly held. I am not sure how to change that, but it has to be changed if we are going to move toward a sustainable future for America. And the world too, for that matter.

As far as the Chamber, we dropped our membership years ago. Got tired of the constant anti-regulation drumbeat. That's their lifeblood. We were getting an anti-government email a day. Everything is portrayed as a choice between personal freedom and government control of business. It's a false choice. You can have profitable businesses that are environmentally responsible, provide safe workplaces, produce non-toxic products, treat their employees with respect, and are good for their communities, but to do that SOME government regulation is required.

At his first news conference, President-elect Obama snubbed Faux News. I'd love to see him give the cold shoulder to the Chamber and the HBA. They are not his friends. Then, when they realize they need to become part of the solution, maybe he will allow them to get on board.