Citizen Staff Writer
Reward businesses that keep or boost jobs
It’s time the government starts placing huge fines or taxes on companies that are cutting employees but do not need to. This is getting ridiculous.
Companies like Microsoft, Symantec or TI are cutting staff now because they can get away with it with no major ramifications to their stock.
Microsoft just laid off 5,000 employees, yet its revenues during the last quarter grew year over year and quarter over quarter.
Microsoft is a $60 billion-plus company; will 5,000 employees make or break it?
Symantec, another multibillion-dollar company, also just had layoffs.
So why are these companies cutting? The bottom line.
Do you think Microsoft cares if your 150 shares of its stock makes you money? No, they care about the major investors, who have seats on the board and direct the business, the people who are forcing CEOs and other executives to make cuts to increase profits.
And where do we find these major stockholders and investment companies? All over Wall Street – the same Wall Street that you and I just bailed out to the tune of $1 trillion!
The same Wall Street that just imploded is driving these companies to grow their bottom line by cutting employees.
They know they can do it now and make more money.
President Obama, keep the stimulus money you were going to give me. You want to grow this economy? Give people jobs.
People will spend when they are working and confident they will have a job.
How about major tax incentives for companies that hire this quarter, next quarter or for the whole year? If you come out of this quarter with more employees, you get a tax break.
Putting people to work will do a whole lot more for confidence and the economy than giving everyone $500 or whatever you intend to give.
Jay Allen
Oro Valley
One-time stimulus won’t build confidence
I grew up during the Great Depression. I remember marching with my schoolmates in the NRA parade, all wearing eagle-adorned beanies.
None of the adults could tell me what the (National Recovery Administration) was. Historians have since revealed that FDR was impressed by Mussolini’s national socialism program and was endeavoring to duplicate it here.
Fortunately, the Supreme Court turned it down and unfortunately, FDR then tried to pack the court.
Next followed the WPA, CCC and other infrastructure stimuli programs. None had any impact on my small town with the exception of the Diego Rivera-type murals that appeared on post office walls.
The reason for this lack of impact was the complete uncertainty about the future.
Businesses were afraid to invest and hire because they never knew what Roosevelt would do next.
All that infrastructure spending only affected a few people. What was needed was something pervasive – something that would help everyone and give them a feeling of control.
The only way to do this today is to keep the tax cuts in place and lower the rate even more, especially for corporate taxes.
Assured that they could keep more of their income, taxpayers will then buy that appliance or contract for that home repair.
They would know their future income would be available to make the payments.
A one-time stimulus would not do that. Also, businesses would have the income flow to invest in equipment or make hires. The economy would grow.
The certainty of future income is paramount. Certainty about the future and one’s control over one’s destiny is critical.
In the newspaper picture of me and my fellow students in our parochial school uniforms marching in the parade, we were virtually indistinguishable from pictures of Nazi youth marching in Germany. Let’s hope expansive and aggressive federal fiscal programs do not lead us in the same direction.
Anne L. Probst
Ways to fund Az are via those with means
Arizona should have a Legislature with the public service leadership attitude that would be willing to raise taxes to keep the state from falling further into the Third World abyss.
Arizona ranks sixth as one of the most regressive tax states. How long will we tax the poor more than the rich? This is especially true if we add the federal system with its capped Social Security taxes.
Arizona has great economic disparity. How about we make those with extreme wealth who come here for the sun ante up for a change?
Arizona ranks 50th in the smartest states survey. The biggest factor is not paying to support education despite having the ability.
It is time for those with the means to step up and pay.
Michael W. Simpson J.D., M.Ed
Painting a rosy picture of Romero’s dedication
Tucson City Councilwoman Regina Romero continues to be unfairly maligned for the recent graffiti controversy.
She has intelligently, rationally and calmly explained the past events and explained her position without attacking anyone.
Tucson is extremely lucky to have an elected official who is so sincerely committed to providing opportunities for alienated and/or low-income youth.
Frank de la Cruz