Ok. . . This is terrifying.

[Gaspar]

Fran Tarkenton on the radio Friday night.  He owns several businesses including a large corporate consulting firm.  He was asked if his business had plans to expand.

Paraphrase (I was driving). "Our business is strong, thank god, but we are not doing any expansion, and we are advising our clients against any expansion until we know what this guy (President Obama) is going to do."

Thought it was interesting to hear this just minutes after hanging up on this thread Friday.

[RecycleMichael]

The Fran Tarkenton I remember had a terrible throwing arm where the passes wouldn't spiral, but wobble. His legacy was running for his life all over the field. The Vikings teams he played on won games with their defense, in spite of Fran's play. In Super Bowls, Fran Tarkenton played poorly and they lost all three.

As a businessman, he also pled guilty to fraudulent activities from his software company that led to overstated earnings and he paid a substantial penalty.

I couldn't care less about what he thinks about our President.

[rwarn17588]

The Fran Tarkenton I remember had a terrible throwing arm where the passes wouldn't spiral, but wobble. His legacy was running for his life all over the field. The Vikings teams he played on won games with their defense, in spite of Fran's play. In Super Bowls, Fran Tarkenton played poorly and they lost all three.

As a businessman, he also pled guilty to fraudulent activities from his software company that led to overstated earnings and he paid a substantial penalty.

I couldn't care less about what he thinks about our President.

+1

Next thing you know, Gas will be citing Jim Kelly on leadership skills. 

[we vs us]

Fran Tarkenton on the radio Friday night.  He owns several businesses including a large corporate consulting firm.  He was asked if his business had plans to expand.

Paraphrase (I was driving). "Our business is strong, thank god, but we are not doing any expansion, and we are advising our clients against any expansion until we know what this guy (President Obama) is going to do."

Thought it was interesting to hear this just minutes after hanging up on this thread Friday.

I'm curious, though . . . what is Fran Tarkington waiting for Obama to do or not do?  What's the legislation that's keeping his business on hold?  Surely it isn't just generic Fear of a Black Planet that's keeping Fran under the bed at night.  I'd love to know what the specific problem or problems are that make him unwilling to hire. 

[Gaspar]

Hey, I just thought it was interesting.  

[Gaspar]

I'm curious, though . . . what is Fran Tarkington waiting for Obama to do or not do?  What's the legislation that's keeping his business on hold?  Surely it isn't just generic Fear of a Black Planet that's keeping Fran under the bed at night.  I'd love to know what the specific problem or problems are that make him unwilling to hire. 

He was just talking about taxes.  I thing the general sentiment is that everyone is holding their breath until a budget is/not passed, and waiting to see if that budget contains the measures preserving tax cuts for the middle class that the President promised again and again. 

If it does not, and the current tax structure is allowed to expire, a significant amount of capital will be taken away from the people.

[we vs us]

If it does not, and the current tax structure is allowed to expire, a significant amount of capital will be taken away from the richest people.

Fixed that for you.

[nathanm]

He was just talking about taxes.  I thing the general sentiment is that everyone is holding their breath until a budget is/not passed, and waiting to see if that budget contains the measures preserving tax cuts for the middle class that the President promised again and again. 

If it does not, and the current tax structure is allowed to expire, a significant amount of capital will be taken away from the people.

Since when are people making over $180,000 a year middle class? That's top 4% territory. Maybe people making $20,000 a year are also middle class?

[rwarn17588]

He was just talking about taxes.  I thing the general sentiment is that everyone is holding their breath until a budget is/not passed, and waiting to see if that budget contains the measures preserving tax cuts for the middle class that the President promised again and again. 

If it does not, and the current tax structure is allowed to expire, a significant amount of capital will be taken away from the people.

Speaking of taxes, you'd better read this piece by David Stockman, Reagan's budget director. He doesn't subscribe to the notion that tax cuts are going to have good effects:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/opinion/01stockman.html?_r=2

[Gaspar]

Fixed that for you.

Um. . .You don't get it.  Obama's budget was not passed.  So, in January everyone's taxes will go up. 

[nathanm]

Um. . .You don't get it.  Obama's budget was not passed.  So, in January everyone's taxes will go up. 

And who has been relieving themselves in the punch bowl, making it difficult to impossible to pass anything?

[Gaspar]

And who has been relieving themselves in the punch bowl, making it difficult to impossible to pass anything?

They haven't even brought it to the floor.  No one has voted on it.  The Dems think that the new spending in the Obama Budget will kill them in the elections, so they tabled it.

[Conan71]

Interesting, you provide people with quotes from business owners who are saying they are not hiring at the moment because of the uncertain political, taxation, and regulatory climate, but it's simply ignored and jeered at and those jeers are propped up with op-ed pieces from academians and bureaucrats who have never created a job in their entire life.

Here's a great local example as three of the global leaders in the combustion industry (i.e. flares and burners for the petroleum, chemical, and heating boiler markets) are HQ'd in the Tulsa area.  Their business is fairly stagnant right now for new orders pending the outcome of cap and tax and uncertain federal emission guidelines amongst other issues.  Local companies like Zeeco, Calidus, and John Zink are not adding any significant jobs right now and putting off capital expansion projects which is having an additional effect on local contractors who work with these companies.

Citing Keynes, Friedman, or a disgruntled former bureaucrat under Reagan still doesn't take into account that real people with logic and emotion run small companies and large corporations.  It's not all about lower taxes as being the key to productivity, it's mostly about government stepping aside as much as practical and creating an environment which instills confidence in which those who make buying and hiring decisions feel confident enough to start spending money in those areas again.

[we vs us]

They haven't even brought it to the floor.  No one has voted on it.  The Dems think that the new spending in the Obama Budget will kill them in the elections, so they tabled it.

The only supporting article I could find re: Obama's budget said that the vote will happen in September, after the August recess.  I couldn't find anything about it being tabled.

[Cats Cats Cats]

Fran Tarkenton on the radio Friday night.  He owns several businesses including a large corporate consulting firm.  He was asked if his business had plans to expand.

Paraphrase (I was driving). "Our business is strong, thank god, but we are not doing any expansion, and we are advising our clients against any expansion until we know what this guy (President Obama) is going to do."

Thought it was interesting to hear this just minutes after hanging up on this thread Friday.

This is excellent news!  They already have strong business and aren't expanding.  So that means there is more work for a new startup and the balls to expand.