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Parting Shots

By Wm. R. Lowry
Editor & Publisher, MiBiz
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note-able quotes

“Members of Congress: On behalf of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace and the undersigned member organizations, who represent millions of job creators concerned with increasing threats to the basic tenets of free enterprise, we write urging you to support H.R. 2587, the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act.”

— Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (600 U.S. business associations)

“The NLRB has gone Rambo on employers and employee rights. If the Obama Administration wants to figure out why job creation is tepid at best and our recovery has stagnated they should look no further than the National Labor Relations Board.”

— Joe Trauger, VP, National Association of Manufacturers

“President Obama’s National Labor Relations Board issued two stunningly unfair, anti-growth decisions as former NLRB chair Wilma Liebman’s term expired. The apparently rushed decisions will harm employees, employers, and America’s economic recovery.”

— Geoffrey Burr, Chairman, Coalition for a Democratic Workplace

just for chuckles

It has never failed to garner universal chuckles, albeit invariably cynical ones, when uttered aloud among gatherings of successful businesspeople. Let’s be transparent here, the classic phrase, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help your business” has all but become the very definition of a semi-humorous oxymoron.

It is no laughing matter, however, what is going on in Washington, D.C. these days as our federal government continues to immerse itself in the affairs of what used to be proudly called “the private sector.”

If you are oblivious as to the extent of the current Administration’s vastly intrusive overreach, ask yourself when the last time Congress was incensed enough to ink a bill entitled, “The Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act.”

Freethinking business folks may disagree as to the wisdom and ultimate results of earlier government expeditions into the private sector world via bank bailouts, clunker bonuses and auto company takeovers. But as myriad government agencies, from DHS to DOL to EPA to DOJ to Treasury and others continue unabated their rush to outdo one anothers’ business-restricting rules and regs, the time for strong collective private sector pushback is and must be right now while reversal is still an option.

Simply sighing and passively complying is not a sufficient response. Otherwise the new chant you’ll soon be hearing may go something like, “I’m from the National Labor Relations Board (or EPA, take your pick) and I’m here to assume control of your business, comrade.”

Who will be chuckling then?

note-able quote

“Private-sector employers (including labor organizations) whose workplaces fall under the National Labor Relations Act will be required to post the employee rights notice where other workplace notices are typically posted. The notice states that employees have the right to act together to improve wages and working conditions, to form, join and assist a union, to bargain collectively with their employer, and to refrain from any of these activities.”

— National Labor Relations Board

laugh track

On a separate but related topic, it is common knowledge that America’s public safety authorities are not permitted to ask for the identification papers that entitle any person to simply exhale within our country’s expansive borders. To do so, argues the PC crowd, would surely constitute profiling and a violation of one’s constitutional rights.

A certain other element of American society, however, appears to be fair game — small business owners and professionals. These unprotected citizens increasingly face government-dictated training, licensing, examinations and all the costs associated with ongoing compliance.

According to the National Center for Policy Analysis, in the 1950s, less than 5 percent of U.S. workers were in occupations that required a license. That had grown to 29 percent by 2006.

Which begs the question: why are our free enterprise, jobs-creating citizens being targeted while the rights of noncitizens is considered no laughing matter?

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