Corporate Devils

My mom was here last weekend and we were discussing a couple of campaign commercials we saw during breaks in the ice storm coverage.



Now, here I have to interject that I see many more commercials for Hillary & Obama than anyone else on the local CBS affiliate. I'm not sure why, though I'm sure it has to do with the time the TV is on (just a few minutes in the morning for weather and sometimes in the afternoon around Dr. Phil & Oprah).



The commercials that are bothering me now are by the two candidates mentioned above. Let me begin with Hillary. Her recent commercial (Strong) tells just how the middle class is getting "slammed" due to oil prices going up and home prices going down. And both of those statements are true. She goes on to say that as President she will end the corporate tax breaks "the administration" has given to big corporations. She says she'll create new jobs focusing on renewable energy and reduce the deficit.

Now, overall, her commercial sounds all well and good, but let's look at it in pieces. Yes, oil is going up. We have a dependence on it. Everyone knows that. Oil is about supply and demand. If we would drill our own oil out of Alaska you would immediately see the price of Middle Eastern oil drop dramatically. It's really not going to hurt the caribou.

Next- home prices. Yes, they are going down. What goes up must come down. Inflated home prices couldn't last forever. Or am I the only one who remembers the stories about people over bidding on homes. It was a sellers market for years. Now it's a buyer's market. I am sure she is also referring to the fiasco of subprime loans. I happen to believe that the lenders are fully responsible for this mess- to a point. No, they shouldn't have offered loans that they knew would be defaulted on. But people, c'mon, be responsible for yourselves, too. You know what you can afford. And if the payment seems "too good" it probably is.

Now, about those tax breaks... I'm a little annoyed at the "the administration" comment as tax breaks for big business have been in place since the democrats created the IRS. And while it doesn't seem right, let's look at why these tax breaks are given. They are given to bring businesses into a state or city. This then provides jobs. Tax breaks are also given because the employer provides benefits- namely health coverage- for it's employees. A tax break is not a one way street- it's a give and take. Now, I am not agreeing with tax breaks by any means as there are so many loopholes in the tax code that I am not sure any corporation pays enough in taxes but if they are completely taken away I am afraid for the what the "middle class" will be "slammed" with.

And, just because I aman evil conservative, I will ask: these new jobs focusing on renewable energy... What corporations will be providing these new jobs if you don't give them some sort of tax break to begin the process? Just curious...

On to Mr. Obama... I am searching his website for the commercial I am thinking of but can't find it. In the commercial I am thinking of he says that it is wrong that there are "CEOs who make more in 10 minutes than many people make in a year". And I have to say that I agree with that... To a point.

I can't think of anyone who should be paid millions of dollars. (Now, if you build a company from nothing I rescind my comment. You are worth every penny you make) But $60 million for a football player? $60 million for an actor? Per film? Please.

But these weren't the people Mr. Obama was talking about. No, he was talking about corporate CEOs. In all honesty I'm not sure these people are worth what they are paid, either. Then again the CIETC scandal is still stinging us Iowans and the numbers weren't near the millions of dollars mark... So I will go back to supply and demand. People can only be paid what the market will allow. Which is why so many CEOs only have their jobs for a short time- it's about results. And if you can't up the bottom line, well, in the famous words of Heidi Klum, "You're OUT!"

No one ever said life is fair. I've been from dirt poor to quite comfortable (in our "middle class" way). I'm not really sure when working hard to get ahead became a bad thing. Immigrants come here (legally and illegally) for opportunity and a better life. Anything is possible in America. If you work for it.