Blog for Boomers

The candidates are squaring off in South Carolina. As an independent voter, I watch the candidates with despair. This is prime time and they could be spending their energy being genuine and honest with voters. Instead republican hopefuls are pandering to special interests and raking sand over their pasts. What would this independent like to hear and see from the candidate most likely to be the republican nominee?

1. Here are my tax returns for the last decade. I earned a lot and my accountants did their jobs to ensure paying only the required taxes.  I took advantage of tax shelters. I am one of the richest Americans and like Warren Buffett want to step up to the plate and pay my fair share. Middle class Americans should not be the only ones shouldering a heavy burden. If Ronald Reagan can enact a 28% tax on earned income and capital gains, so can I.
2. I did something bold in my state as governor. We provided health coverage to citizens. I applaud President Obama and his healthcare program. As President, I would enact something different, but with the same goal of providing affordable health coverage to all.
3. I am not going to pander to any group for the rest of this campaign. This includes the religious extremists who do not speak for mainstream America. This will cost me votes, but I can live with it.
4. I am going to become the republican candidate that is the most honest straight shooter. Flip flopping is going to be a thing of my past. My goal is for voters to be astounded at how fortcoming I can be. People will soon be saying, can you believe he said that?! And the typical response will be, yes and it is so true!

It is an uphill battle for republicans to regain the whitehouse. The race will not be won by hypocrisy, flip flopping and pandering to small interests groups. Independents are watching and waiting before making their choice.

While reading Dana Milbank’s column distributed by the Washington Post Writers Group, titled “Romney’s “regular-guy’ efforts as odd as Gore’s”, (see Tweet) I recalled several life experiences related to the debate around Mitt Romney and how many jobs he really created.

Anyone old enough to have been working during the 1990′s will remember huge international corporations loaded with cash  acquiring small corporations and some companies that were family owned from inception. The prices these corporations were willing to pay were as unbelievable as salaries demanded by our best athletes. Small corporations could not resist.  During the long acquisition process employees would be assured their jobs were secure. Of course, this was not totally true.  Positions were eliminated as headquarters were consolidated. The true intentions were not revealed until the corporations were ready to deal with a huge attrition rate. Until the end employees were told their jobs were secure and not to worry. In some cases they were told their jobs were not only safe, but  would become more interesting.

Were jobs created in the above example? It is very possible that jobs were created at headquarters where jobs were consolidated. Was creating jobs the goal? Absolutely NOT. It was all about acquisitions and making the founders, conglomerate and shareholders wealthy.

The same can be said when corporations and government improve their technology and become more efficient. They assure workers during IT projects that their jobs will not be eliminated. Executives often suggest to employees that their jobs will only change and/or become more interesting. Is this accurate? Of course NOT. There will be fewer jobs because the goal is efficiency and eliminating tedious work that can be automated. Employees are told their jobs are safe until they are no longer needed. Executives and managers do not want employees to depart early.  Will jobs be created? Yes! Jobs will be created for those with the skills needed to maintain the systems.

In the above examples one could argue jobs were created. Mitt Romney may have seen jobs created while at Bain, but that was not the goal of the corporation during acquisitions.