Obama's Anti-Business Policies Are Our Economic Katrina

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Of course the burden of rules are many... and some come with entire agencies to enforce them.
OSHA (and in California, businesses also have to deal with CalOSHA)
The EPA, etc.
Then there are major acts like the Social Security Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, The Family Leave Act, etc.
But these well known regulations are actually not nearly the bulk... the thousands of smaller and relatively unknown laws make up the bulk regulations, like sand on the beach.
Then there are the things that are so common that we forget that they are an expensive government imposition, for example:
The government mandates that companies become agents of the government, and act as tax collectors... keeping records and providing data, and collecting and transferring funds (as taxes from employees) directly to the government, and in turn provide information about the collection and the process to employees. (who hasn't received a W2 from an employer, mandated by government?) Entire departments are dedicated to this task in many companies... the office space, employees, data services, record storage etc. etc. all just to give the government what it wants with respect to EMPLOYEE tax collection, leaving aside the resources needed to comply with corporate taxation.
A simple example: the OMB estimated that environmental regulations costs went from 192 Million in 2001, to about 8 BILLION in 2008. (2001 dollars)... and the OMB admits that many environmental regulations were not included in this tally.
Dollars are of course only a proxy for "burden". The reality is that human thought, time, and action are required to address these laws... in other words, one has to actually DO something, and often times buy or create something (using resources) to comply with the laws. These activities are harder to measure than dollars, but one can keep them in mind when going over the dollar costs.
Of course I am only touching the tip of the iceberg here... but you get the idea.

Ryder of CA 2:08PM August 20, 2011

I have yet to see a list of all the horrible things the President wants business owners to do that forces you to move a business out of the US? Let me guess, he wants you to pay your bills and taxes in a timely manner (like private non-extremely wealthy citizens do) and not hide your cash in off shore accounts in the Caymans,Ireland etc? America is broke?
It only made 12 trillion last year.
Who could live on 12 trillion these days?
And those poor corporations. They're so oppressed. Why, things are so bad, they're sitting on two trillion dollars, after breaking all previous records for highest profits two years running. And taxes? Well, even though most corporations pay no taxes at all, we're still broke because of that tyrannical effective tax rate that brought in roughly 110 billion dollars on more than 1.5 TRILLION in profits.
Oh, and we only have 400 billionaires and just 5 million millionaires. Life's really tough for them, too, what with their 15% tax rates on capital gains and carried interest and their bank accounts in the Caymans. It must be awfully lonely for them these days, now that they're leaving the rest of us far behind, what with their control over more than 42% of all wealth in the country, and their share of the income pie going up to 25%.
Yep. America is broke. No way could we squeeze out another dime in taxes from billionaires, even though Americans paid just 9% of all of their income in taxes last year, and the Federal government took in just 14.8% of GDP . . . . and that counts corporate, personal, excise, gift, estate and payroll taxes.
See? Isn't it obvious that Americans are "taxed too much already"? Isn't it obvious that if Americans pay 9% of their income in taxes, there is no room left for even a penny more to be raised?Those wealthy Americans who control half the country's wealth don't pay income taxes. Their income is largely in the form of stock options and capital gain taxes (15% rate). Which they want eliminated! They pay a lower percentage than Repub voting dupes. The truth is, there were rich people during Eisenhower's day, during LBJ's day, during Nixon's day and during Clinton's day. Liberals aren't talking European style taxes, they're talking Clinton level taxes. You remember the 90s? 22 million jobs were added despite all that "confiscatory" tax....
Yep. We're flat busted.

roots of NY 10:12AM March 20, 2011

In this article see reference to "new generation of regulatory rules". I want to know where I can read all those new rules, if in one place? So I can understand what new rules are inhibiting me? I have very small corporation and I don't know any new rules which are a problem for me!? So let's cut the chit chat and give to me one single clearly written list of rules in one place so I can read them! now!
Somebody answer me!
Here is mention of them again (oh the scandal):
But it's not just the rhetoric that undermines the confidence the business community needs to find if it is to invest. Consider the new generation of regulatory rules, increased bureaucracy, and higher taxes created by the Obama administration. For example, the new financial regulation bill includes nearly 500 "rule-makings," studies, and reports, compared with just 14 in total for the controversial Sarbanes-Oxley bill, passed after the financial scandals of Enron and WorldCom.

BKK Willy of PA 11:21PM February 25, 2011

In logic, contrary to many posters, there is An ad hominem (Latin: "to the man"), also known as argumentum ad hominem, is an attempt to link the validity of a premise to a characteristic or belief of the person advocating the premise.[1] The ad hominem is a classic logical fallacy.[2]
So, an idiot moron, thinks, I don't like what this person is saying or writing. Since I am too ignorant and/or stupid to refute what he is saying I will simply post some comment saying that I do not like him, or he is an idiot, etc.
How can NASA continue to function with all these rocket scientists posting here?

PCSTENCH 11:56PM September 06, 2010

Dear Mort
Your comments on U.S. Infrastructure on CNBC struck a chord with us. We think as much as $5 trillion over the next ten years could be needed for the largest industrial rebuild in history with a privately funded U.S. Marshall Plan. This is because only private capital can meet these needs without increasing the deficit. This is a perfect storm we see on a weekly basis as we meet with local governments, engineers, water district managers, politicians, and others.
As the former head of the Global Project Finance business at Paribas in Paris, I guided them to a leadership position in financing private infrastructure internationally. We intend to repeat that with a new model of finance in the U.S. – a “regional infrastructure merchant bank”. In our case for the U.S. Mountain states. Check our web site out at www.yavapairegionalcapital.com
One of the keys is bringing international expertise to local coffee shops. While we have worked mainly on PPPs internationally (because U.S. infrastructure has been funded primarily by public bonds), we are intimately familiar with the nuances of state and local government. We are focusing on some key initiatives including:
• Via the American Public Works Association, we are targeting national and regional level public works engineers who must be empowered and invigorated.
• Through our Rolodex of almost 2000 political, engineering, and elected official contacts, we continue to educate and raise awareness that private capital builds projects much cheaper and quicker.
• Pushing transparency at all levels. This is the most critical aspect of all.
• Figuring out who the winning client governments will be. In our region, these will not be the large dinosaurs with legacy liabilities but instead the entrepreneurial governments that will create jobs. Those we find are inspiring.
We also hope to be the regional origination arm of a National Infrastructure Bank and have invested substantially in Washington credibility, including recently testifying at the Deficit Reduction Commission. U.S. banks abandoned infrastructure lending to the foreign banks in the 80’s preferring shorter term gains in real estate. Consequently, without domestic banking support, U.S. companies in the infrastructure business are as exposed as Silicon Valley would be if Venture Capital disappeared. This can be mitigated by a National Infrastructure Bank until U.S. banks get back into this business.
Please keep spreading the word. It will take hold but the biggest challenge is rekindling the sense of ambition in the nation’s infrastructure. Check out our web site at http://www.yavapairegionalcapital.com/News.html for some letters recently to President Obama, U.S. Bank leaders and Arizona Governor Jan Brewer.
John Sellers

John Sellers of AZ 6:27PM August 10, 2010

Mr Zuckerman,
I caught you on the Ed Show on MSNBC. I am glad you controlled the interview without letting him run over your comments like he does with other guests who disagree with him.
You made the interview worth listening to because you made yourself heard and did not let him trip you up on as you said "every little comment I make."
Ed Schultz's show is a disagrace and anyone who basically is conservative or agrees with policies that conservatives do get strung up and have no chance to actually elaborate on what they want to say.
This supposed defender of the "common man" who feels the pains of the same is a sham. I can not think of any common man who has a syndicated radio show and is on MSNBC. The most ridiculous comment he made was that he had to buy a fishing cabin in Canada .... because he likes to fish. Coming from a State where fishing is a way of life I don't find many Mainers who can afford a fishing cabin because they like to fish.
Thank you for making yourself heard and not letting him verbally railroad you like he does others.

Andy of ME 6:50PM July 26, 2010

Perhaps Mr. Zuckerman and others in the so called news media could spare a few moments between propping up the Democrats to read Congressman Paul Ryan's plan for economic recovery. I know he is a Republican and to even consider his plan would violate every rule you learned in journalism school and the coffee house crowd may scold you for it, but he does have some common sense solutions that may help our recovery. The bottom line is we are now a divided nation; 1/2 believes that government is our salvation, and the productive side believes in the freedoms you describe in your article. Your compatriots may see us as a necessary evil and that's fine with us, but get out of our way and stop with the regulations and we will start to hire again. Every dollar the government spends is one less dollar available to the free market for investment, R&D and yes hiring. Please stop supporting Socialists for office and we may even vote for a Democrat some day. The press has failed in the responsibility to their country to fairly vet those running for office. Most news outlets have become propaganda arms of the left. We don't buy your papers anymore for this reason. We know what makes America great. We know that Socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried. We won't put what is left of our money into Mr. Obama's economy because we see the folly in his approach.

John Egan of MN 4:25PM July 20, 2010

Yes send a message Nevada, get rid of Harry Reid and maybe wake up Obama so he salvage his last two years as president. If there is no budget, why should we continue to pay our taxes?

Mark Anthem of NV 12:46PM July 20, 2010

I agree with Mr. Zuckerman's analysis. And unlike him, I did not support Obama for President for the very reasons stated below. Mr. Obama had no experience as either a leader or manager of anything.
But where do we go from here? The United States is in trouble, deep trouble. We cannot have millions of our citizens without the means to support themselves very long before all hell breaks loose. We need some dramatic changes in Congress in 2010; a bipartisan economic plan that doesn't require more trillions of deficit spending by government; and a seasoned, mature leader (either a moderate Republican or a moderate Democrat) who can win in 2012 with large bipartisan and independent support and lead us back from the abyss. No more lurching from right to left and back again will get the job done. A tall order, but not impossible! (P.S. -- I speak these words as a life long independent and social and economic moderate who also suspects he is part of a large, but mostly silent majority in this country.)

L. Hansen of WI 11:12AM July 20, 2010

I appreciate Mr. Zukerman's way to late criticism of the Big O, but he should have thought of this when he supported and wrote speeches for the most left wing guy in the U.S. Senate for POTUS. What was he possibly thinking? I am not sure I want to know. But I know we are in trouble when powerful and influential business men and media owners like Mr. Zukerman are so delusional. Again, thanks for your second thoughts, but what do I tell my kids and the generations to come when they ask what happened to the United States while they are laboring their whole lives in the jobless, slow growth and poorer new Europe of the USA to pay off the trillions in debt already incurred and that yet to come from all the new entitlements. What does Mr. Zukerman have to say to them?

Tom of the Missouri of MO 9:49AM July 20, 2010