John A. Parnell, Ph.D.
The Occupy Wall Street movement has been a fascinating exhibition to say the least. We’re told that the motley crew gathering in New York’s financial district is organic and represents average folks from all walks of life. Obama’s spin on this circus is that it typifies a growing frustration with corporate America. But this protest—as […]
Read MoreI really like Ford’s ad campaign featuring average buyers as celebrities at a news conference. It’s really effective from a marketing standpoint. But the ad featuring “Chris” really caught my attention: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwKbItOQNKc Chris praised his F-150 in the ad and commended Ford for not taking bailout money. The fact that Chris turns out to be […]
Read MoreI’ve long been a proponent of a overhauling the individual tax code and now might be the perfect time to promote the issue. President Obama’s TAX THE RICH jobs proposal officially launched his 2012 reelection campaign. His plan lacks economic substance, but the class envy card has been played successfully in past elections. The ball […]
Read MoreObama’s latest stimulus (AKA “jobs bill”) is more of the same. Raise taxes on the rich to finance popular government hiring—teachers, firefighters, police officers, and construction workers. Unfortunately this stimulus package is fraught with the same four problems as his previous proposals. First, Obama’s proposal is a classic false choice. If his spending package is […]
Read MoreAccording to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, the U.S. Postal Service is on the brink of insolvency and will default—probably in 2012—on a mandated $5.5 billion payment to the Treasury unless Congress intervenes this month. Calls to save the post office are already coming from the likes of Susan Collins and Joe Lieberman. Interestingly, Donahoe is […]
Read MoreI try to focus my blog on issues, not politics or personalities, but something has become too obvious to avoid any longer. The GOP has split into two factions and they don’t seem to be getting along very well. I’m oversimplifying here to make a point, but follow along and let me explain. In one […]
Read MoreTexas Governor Rick Perry raised eyebrows Tuesday when he said he would consider it almost treasonous if Ben Bernanke plays politics by printing more money between now and the election to boost the economy. Eager to castigate the Republican presidential candidate as a rogue, unpolished Texas radical, the “mainstream media” was quick to reframe the […]
Read MoreI had an interesting discussion with Bradley Rees on the Sons of Liberty show the other day. The last two weeks have been interesting to say the least, so we took a few steps back to do our own state of the union assessment. I’m astonished that the American people appear to be spreading the […]
Read MoreMcDonald’s is changing the Happy Meal. Instead of including french fries or apples, kids will get a small portion of both, without the caramel dipping sauce. McDonald’s says it’s responding to consumer preferences and wants to make its meals healthier. If true, this is how capitalism is supposed to work. Of course, I don’t really […]
Read MoreI am frequently asked if there will be any adverse financial impact if the debt ceiling is not raised. The inference here is that the ceiling should be raised to avoid any negative repercussions (higher interest rates, lowered credit rating, etc.). I expect there to be some negatives if the ceiling is not raised, but […]
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