Obama Pushes Green Tax Through House

The House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 by a narrow margin on Friday as the attention of both the nation and the world was turning from the abuse of the Iranian regime to the death of the King of Pop Michael Jackson. The bill which is a cornerstone of the Obama progressive agenda required the votes of 8 Republicans to vote in favor of the bill as 44 Democrats voted against it with a final tally of 219 to 212 for HR 2454.

This legislation should it become law will impose e clean energy tax upon the American Public that will amount to the single highest tax increase ever impose upon American tax payers. Given the narrow margin of passage in the House it is increasingly doubtful though that this bill will pass the Senate despite the urgent pleadings of Barack Obama.

The bill, which proposes its will on every aspect of American life and will create a bureaucratic nightmare, will also cost this nation millions of jobs more then the mythical Green  jobs it purports to create. Nancy Pelosi called it transformational legislation while doing Obama’s bidding and she is indeed correct. It is transformational in that it moves America further away from a free enterprise based economy toward the central planning models of the totalitarian economic models that failed in the twentieth century.

Americans may fight back against the tide of environmental and progressive fascism by contacting their representatives in the Senate and urging them to vote no on this bill when it comes before the Senate this fall. The nation may have been distracted when the House voted but we must wake up and act before this legislation is allowed to further cripple our economy.

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Obama Distraught Over Death Of Michael Jackson

White House rumours indicate that Barack Obama is distraught over the shocking death of the pop icon. Jackson, was rumored to be considered the leading candidate by the Obama administration for the position of music czar. Obama appeared distracted this morning during meetings with Angela Merkel the German Chancellor which was later attributed to his concern for the loss of Jackson, his family and his fans.

The timing could not have been worse for Obama, a long time Jackson fan who is also a Merkel fan and pines for an American political and social model that emulates the German model a leading Eurotopian state. In recent weeks Jackson had apparently emerged from a short list of music icons that included, Whitney Houston, Eminem and Lil’ Kim as the potential music czar.

Jackson, considered by many to be the greatest musical performer ever, was attempting a comeback after languishing on the pop sidelines for years due to numerous financial and legal issues. The performer, with a global notoriety, was preparing for 50 concert dates for a tour of the United Kingdom.

Jackson’s death made headlines around the Globe and has dominated the American media at a time that the House is debating and preparing to vote on the largest tax increase ever proposed for American taxpayers through the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. Despite the impact of the death of the King of Pop Obama is expected to be monitoring the legislation before the House today and it is anticipated he will place the appointment of a music czar on an indefinite hold.

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Progressive Fascists Legislating Our Diet

The attempts by the left in Congress and the progressives in the Obama administration to transform America as we have known it are limitless. Barack Obama continues to promote his progressive agenda and Congress approves spending at stratospheric levels to satisfy Obama’s commitments to the special interests that he is indebted to for supporting his campaign and subsequent election.

The union leaders and the stewards of environmental fascism that fund the progressive agenda, have their President in the White House and are optimizing his position and current favorability to transform America into a Eurotopian nation state in which traditional American goals and objectives are secondary to broader global concerns.

The progressives in Congress and the White House are committed to extending the reach of Government into every element of our lives including our diet. A hallmark of progressive fascism is the good intent of the leaders in caring for the masses while restricting personal freedoms for the benefit of the greater good. The charismatic progressive leader states his case in a methodical and logical manner to the public in platitude filled speeches among grandiose settings.

Hence, the government creates a tax on sweet products such as carbonated beverages like Coke and Pepsi to fund health care while funding research on obesity and gradually expanding the tax to other food and beverage items that are deemed as inefficient nutrient providers or contributors to health concerns such as candy and snack items. Legislation is currently being discussed by the Senate Finance committee on a so called fat tax that would also address products with a high salt content.

The ability for millions of Americans to enjoy the simplest of sweets or snacks will become increasingly costly as groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest continue to promote their agenda to restrict American diets to what they believe are the right food and beverages for Americans to consume.

Oppressive taxes, fewer personal liberties, government intervention as a result of policies that promote class warfare and direct the redistribution of wealth are all indicators of an America in transformation. As our nation evolves under the current progressive leadership of Barack Obama and we slim down to be able to squeeze into our government produced electric powered mini cars we may take solace that our diet is being monitored by the President’s Council for Dietary Requirements and Nutritional Optimization to assure that foods that we merely derive pleasure from are properly taxed with the appropriate amount of guilt to temper our palate.

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Despite Obamacrats; Vegas Unveils M Resort

Ceo4aday is in Las Vegas this week where the housing bubble and the global recession have clearly impacted a city that is famous for hosting an industry long believed to be recession proof. Las Vegas enjoyed a boom from through 2007 but has seen its’ fortunes diminished as the recession has taken its toll.

The icons of the gaming industry, including the Wynn Corporation, which operates both the Encore and the Wynn resorts, the Las Vegas Sands, whose premier properties include the Palazzo and the Venetian, as well as  MGM which include its’ namesake as well as the Bellagio and Mirage among its’ properties have seen their stock prices collapse from their historical highs in excess of 90%. They are not far from from becoming penny stocks.

Las Vegas though is more than just the entertainment and gaming capital of the world, it has also become a premier destination for business conferences and conventions, an industry that is currently under fire from no other than Barack Obama. The President who appears to lack an  understanding of the most basic of business practices, fails to recognize the importance in the business process of meeting with business peers to promote strategic alliances, inspire innovation and provide information on the latest trends in a given industry. Business conferences and conventions provide an environment for executives to step out of the confines of their office and allow them to think outside the box while they become more informed on issues that are relevant to their particular industry.

The conduct of business concerns the successful development of relationships. Business conferences promote the development od relationships and are integral to to conducting business. Barack Obama and a number of the Democrats in Congress have created an environment in which the conduct of attending a business conference or convention is considered unacceptable behavior and should the conference take place in Las Vegas then it is clearly a gross abuse of fiduciary responsibility. Obama and his disdain for business, is having a dramatic affect on the hospitality industry, as executives unwilling to subject themselves to the contempt of an administration intent upon transforming the behavior of business professionals, to conform to a leftist bureaucratic ideal in which business is a collective pursuit to support the working class.

This has meant great pain for Las Vegas. However, in the midst of this current crisis a new Billion dollar resort, the M Resort and Casino opened on March1st south of the Las Vegas strip near the Southern Highlands Golf Club. The new facility hosts an exciting gaming floor, a number of excellent dining alternatives and an elegant hotel and conference facility. The M has been drawing great crowds and provides a lift to a Las Vegas economy that remains committed to providing world class facilities for those who desire to indulge and remember a nation that was built on a committment to prosperity by innovators and entrepreneurs as opposed to Obamacrats.

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A Case For Consumerism: Buy Something Save America

 The advent of the Obama Administration has seen markets continue to fall, retailers continue to shutter their doors and daily announcements from corporate America regarding right sizing and lay offs. This has led to a continued decline in consumer confidence as fear becomes a prominent factor in decision making.

American consumers are being  informed by their President that the current economic crisis which dominates our news media is catastrophic. In speech after he speech the President has lowered expectations for America’s economic performance. He seems to be wavering at times between the rhetoric of Lincoln and FDR as he seeks early in this term to find a mantle upon which to place the hand that has been dealt him. 

As the President and his administration, continue to talk down the economy and erode what little confidence remains among America’s consumers, we begin to hear increasingly, that an economy based on consumerism, the conscious consumption of goods and services to yield an economic benefit, is coming to an end.

As an alternative, we are being offered a society in which individual sacrifice for the greater good will be the mantra of the day. We find nothing wrong with wanting to help others and in fact we encourage the practice. However, our economy and the global economy is based on consumerism. We are a culture that generally yearns for more. We are aspirational by nature. We are products of a capitalist system that has proved resilient over centuries by relying on the aspirations and initiative of individuals.

We as a people must stay strong of heart and true in our conviction that we will overcome the current economic malaise. We are a gifted nation that has weathered many economic storms through our history and will once again sail through these rough waters to find a calmer economic sea where the currents are running toward consumption. Feel good today. Buy something and help save America form a crisis in confidence.

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An Indulgence

 My father was the most passionate businessman I have ever known. I had the opportunity to work with him at an early age and it was those years, working with my father, that no doubt shaped many of my own business principles as I grew older and eventually began a corporate career.

My father gave me many gifts during his life, but perhaps none as meaningful as those days, when we worked together during a period of several years through the 1960’s. By working with my father in southwestern Arizona, on the Papago Indian reservation, in mining towns like Ajo and tourist traps like Gila Bend, I was provided a glimpse of a world that was teetering along a path to modernity, while still firmly planted in the shadow of a frontier.

On narrow two lane and often deserted highways in southern Arizona and on dirt roads in Harquahala Valley, my father taught me to drive at the age of ten. For several summers, we would wave goodbye to my mother at 5:00 am on a Tuesday morning and roll out of Phoenix heading south, in a truck filled with candy, salted snacks and potato chips, returning home late on Wednesday evenings with an empty truck and a few new tales. 

In the hours between our departure and our return, we would wind our way along some of the most remote areas of the country where we would stop at trading posts on reservations and numerous bars, stores and service stations along our nearly 400 mile trek. My father would be selling all along the way.

 He would plan each sale and bound out of the truck greeting each customer with an unsurpassed enthusiasm, leaving with an infectious laugh whose echo still lingers. He would set sales goals for himself and each week seek to improve his performance. Some days he would challenge me as we each worked a different side of the street to see who could sell the most of a featured product. He always won.

In time, he would leave the Arizona roads behind and head north to Colorado where, with the help of my mother, he would build a successful business before retiring and returning to Arizona. My father was a great believer in and advocate of the power of self confidence and positive thinking. He was also intensely competitive and relished any opportunity to demonstrate his unsurpassed sales skills.

He was a kind and sensitive man who set the bar high and taught me focus, discipline and the importance of execution for which I will be forever thankful. As I think of him now, I am reminded of a community we would visit outside of Buckeye, Arizona.

 It was a clapboard, shanty shack, solely black community, with a few tiny stores scattered along the two or three dirt roads that comprised the town. The people in the community were poor and black. Visitors to the town were few. My father discovered the town one morning by following the dirt road that led to it. He then went methodically door to door until he was directed to the few “stores” that existed in Allenville at that time and he began to sell. He was viewed as suspect at first, but in typical form he returned week after week, calling on the Allenville merchants and winning them over with that infectious laugh and providing an indelible memory for me.

Today is my fathers birthday. He would be 80. I miss him. Happy Birthday Dad. 

 

A  MOURNING IN JANUARY                                                                                                

Where are the dirt roads?

In my youth

many

did I walk

alone 

eyes waking to sun

sometimes clouded

a vision of self

proclaiming

thoughts

clear crisp precise 

like the morning

random rolling along

dirt and gravel beneath me

comfort sought in

confidence

that I am

free to wonder

free to wander

while still  

breathing

the air

of my

Father  …………………………………………

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Economy In Crisis? Breathe Deep Take Control

The current economic crisis, that is being vigorously debated throughout this nation and around the globe by political leaders, economists, financiers, business leaders, academicians and pundits of all shapes and sizes has been increasingly described as the worst economic crisis of our time.

As asset valuations decline, unemployment increases and the fear of impending doom rises, with White House rhetoric in support of an economic stimulus, we have little reason to doubt that this is indeed the worst economic period that we at Ceo4aday have experienced in our lifetime. That being said, there is a tendency in human nature toward drama.

This economic crisis, provides a limitless amount of drama, for both the mainstream and financial media. There is no end to the reporting on the minute by minute, play by play actions of the White House, Congress and the Treasury Department, as they pursue actions that they and we trust, will assist in a sustainable recovery and shorten what for many has become the Age of Austerity.

All this noise about an economy in crisis can become a great distraction as well as an excuse for an under performing business. CEO’s during this crisis, need to breathe deep and take control of those areas within their enterprise that they can best impact. Commerce will continue. Banks will remain open and within time, credit markets will loosen. This is a time to focus on the basics of execution, to assure that when the economy turns up, you are prepared to recognize opportunities and benefit from them.

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Change Attire,Change A Culture:Dress For Business

I was recently in a meeting where a comment was made that I looked the part of a CEO. I was wearing a navy suit, white shirt, striped tie and black shoes. What I consider to be appropriate business attire. The meeting took place in San Francisco and I was in the company of people dressed in casual business attire. San Francisco, the home of  The Gap and of course Levis,  has led the country over the years in thel movement toward casual business attire so I was not surprised that mine was the only suit in the room.

I have long advocated that people in the conduct of business, should dress accordingly. I am probably considered a traditionalist in that sense, but I have seen the effects on businesses where casual attire, has resulted in casual performance of the enterprise. I have fought the trend toward casual business over the years to the point of initiating dress codes that require appropriate business attire including, suits and ties for men and appropriate professional clothing for women in businesses that I have led.

A CEO recognizes, that the appearance of  associates and team members is a function of the pervasive culture within the organization. A serious business requires focused and disciplined associates, if it is to be successful. The tone that the CEO establishes by dressing appropriately in business delivers the message that we are a focused team prepared to be successful.

In my experience, I have found that though there may be a few disgruntled associates on the team when business attire is required, the majority of team members will rcognize that the bar has been raised and choose to respect and appreciate a disciplined culture that will accelerate their path to success.

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Trends In The Age Of Austerity

The current economic recession,  has awakened a desire for many consumers to embrace  a back to basics  lifestyle, as our political leaders continue to prepare the nation for the Age of Austerity, by hypeing dismal economic news and lowering recovery expectations.

As corporations around the globe,  wrestle with the implications of a deepening recession and implement their own back to basics plans,  consumers are altering their behavior by spending less, seeking greater value and saving more.

Who will the winners be and what trends can we expect in this new consumer environment ?

 Banks will see savings grow as a reluctant investor class that has lost faith in the stock market returns to a least risk portfolio.  The very institutions that were principal catalysts in the financial crisis that contributed heavily to the recession,  will benefit, as billions flow into low cost savings accounts.

Savings clubs as opposed to investing clubs will become the new rage as people compare their spendthriftness and brag about their latest value purchase from WalMart or Costco.

Family nights will become popular. With less money to spend and more meals eaten at home,  parents will incorporate more family activities into their week. Social networking will continue to expand to a point where entire families present themselves to the world on new family oriented sights and spend their evenings surfing without ever getting wet. 

White table cloths, will give way to more buffets and value meals,  while comfort foods (  beef stroganoff, pot roast, grilled cheese sandwiches ) will rule the kitchen,  providing  big wins for marketers like Campbell’s, Con Agra and Kraft as soups, canned foods and Velveeta find new fans. Kids may even become familiar with Betty Crocker as they learn their way around the kitchen.

In  retailing, WalMart , will continue to benefit from a value consciousness that will permeate consumer decisions over the near term as consumers delay major purchases. Retailers will also look to increasing their bond with consumers by increased promotion of their own signature brands.

It remains to be seen,  whether or not consumers have the discipline to fend off creative marketers over the longer term and ultimately,  as an economic stimulus winds its’ way through the economy and consumer confidence normalizes, if they will return to the carefree, spend easy days of the recent past.

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The Upside OF Unemployment: Internet Entrepreneurship

As the 2008 recession rolls into 2009 and unemployment rises,  a new wave of entrepreneurship is likely to sweep across the country as enterprising individuals seek alternatives to traditional forms of employment and identify new opportunities for income generation.

In a tight employment market amid a slowing economy, job seekers will have to be extremely resourceful. Some will be successful in their quest to find new employment and return to similar environments as to those in which they were previously employed, while others, bitten by the desire to be their own boss will stoke their entrepreneurial fire and create their own enterprise.

 For many,  the Internet will become the principle source for their entrepreneurial venue, as they apply skill sets developed in more traditional business platforms and enter the world of e-commerce. The Internet is abundant with opportunities for innovative entrepreneurs to carve out their own slice of real estate. Who could not be tempted by the lure of a relatively low cost point of entry that promises a business platform that is operating around the clock, around the world, every day of the year.

Get rich quick or easy money schemes often touted in periods of economic trial and currently offered across the Internet universe, will continue to attract those individuals looking for a quick and easy path toward their slice of the economic pie.  However, the winners in the battle for Internet entrepreneurship, will be those entrepreneurs who build off the successful business models that have proved themselves on the net to date and apply the necessary focus, to formulate innovative solutions, extending those models to new business formats.

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