Water Cooler Conversations

Written by Pat Perry
President, ERC 

Each year, one of the major networks televises a “Skins Game” among four of the top names in professional golf.  For those not familiar with the “Skins Game”, it is a pretty simple format – four golfers “compete” on each golf hole for the best score…with winner taking all.  If there is a tie, the money carries over to the next hole and the next until someone wins the hole.  I have always found it amusing that we are to believe that these four very wealthy golf professionals are actually competing since they are playing to win someone else’s money with none of their own money on the line.  In an amateur skins game, golfers put up their own money – making for some real competition and intensity.

The current “stimulus package” discussions remind me of the pretend “skins game” on television.  The government has none of their own money in this…just ours.  Interesting how the package as currently proposed has all sorts of “pork” in the bill like including replacing the grass at the Washington Mall.

I would advocate a totally different stimulus package and I think one that most Americans would support.  As part of my package I would put a freeze for every American on paying Federal income tax in 2009.  That’s right…no taxes…no April 15^th…ludicrous?  Maybe not.

It would be interesting to see our government run with less revenue coming in…just like so many businesses who have been hit hard by this recession…forced to make tough choices about their business and their employees.  I wonder if the Washington Mall grass would be replaced under such a scenario.

The freeze on taxes would not affect inflation like the printing of $825 billion dollars, it does not create debt that our children will have to deal with in the long term and it might actually help the average American.

Americans were pumped a week ago with the changing of the administration…what we really want is politics (as usual) to go away, real reform to occur and legislators to stop with the spin and start getting real.

It’s time the folks in politics put their business on the line…just like the rest of us.  Otherwise, it’s just a game to them without the skin.

Written by Pat Perry
President, ERC 

For many Americans and people across the globe, there is real excitement.  A new beginning…a renewed confidence in
America.  Regardless of your political persuasion it is hard to argue that we have someone in the White House that inspires.  Gosh do we need that…someone to encourage all of us to step it up…to make a difference.

I am truly excited about the next few years…the new administration is not going to be perfect by any stretch – but name one administration that met that lofty goal.  Yet, I wish they could be perfect in one area – honesty.  We can take bad news as well as the good news.  Just give it to us straight.  We can handle it.  If we get into “spin”, then nothing has really changed.  And that would be a shame.

It’s time to drop the political rhetoric and get moving as a country again.  How cool would that be – working together, rather than remaining the fragmented America of so many years gone by…

Go get em’ folks…let’s get behind the President and truly change.

Written by Pat Perry
President, ERC 

Government officials must really love us these days.   After blowing $350 billion of our money they are ready to blow even more.  And, we just sit idol, hoping that everything will get better.  What happened to the “60’s” when we let
Washington know that some of their policies stunk?  We have lost our spunk…our fire…our anger.  The government has run amuck and we just keep merrily rolling along.  Seems we get more upset with a CAVS, Browns or Indians loss than when the government mismanages programs and money.  And, if that wasn’t enough, they can’t even mismanage well – corruption seems to be peeking at a time when you would think that many of these folks would be keeping their hands out of the cookie jar.

So here we go again…get ready for another “stimulus” package with one proposed component a “tax cut” for taxpayers…unbelievably with our own money!!!!  Are you kidding me?  When will we sober up?  Plus, we shamefully have our own State of Ohio reaching out for money…for crying out loud Governor – take a look around and clean up the inefficiencies, duplication and waste.  Live within your means like the rest of us.

If you are waiting for this upcoming package to rescue our country, to be the 100% solution; don’t hold your breath.  It might make a slight dent, but that is only part of the equation.

We encourage you to do what we see some of our members doing – moving on…working hard, making sound investments and reaching out to reconnect with their customers.  This is the year of action…it should not be the year of watching and hoping.  

I had an interesting conversation with a good friend of mine who lives in Chicago.  I was sharing with him the almost daily news of the alleged corruption identified in our local county government. In the course of the conversation he laughed…he shared with me that the State of Ohio and our county government look like saints compared to his state and local government “leadership.” He did point out a startling difference.  He stated that their corruption at least yields new construction projects and a decent economy while Ohio’s corruption erodes the standard of living and faith in elected officials.

I don’t know if he is right or not, but right now it looks like a peaceful dictatorship seems to be the way to go – because the chef’s in our kitchen are making a meal that is hard to swallow.