This is what your Federal Government can do for your company:
From 6/01/2004 to 6/01/2009 GM has fallen from $46.22 to $0.87. This is directly attributable to our government's energy policies resulting from a marriage of statism and corporatism. Our President has turned into a gravedigger.
You want to blame all of this on George Bush. I will grant you that he is culpable for going along with the beginnings of this. This is the beginning of the end of the U.S. Auto industry. This President says that he doesn't want to run GM and then he states how the company is going to be managed. This country owns 60% of GM stock (Canada owns 12% and the UAW will have seats on the board of directors). The Federal Government will continue running this company into the ground, while continuing to prop it up with taxpayer money.
President Bush should have enforced bankruptcy late last year. It should have been a corporate bankruptcy and none of our tax money should have ever been given to support this sham. We "the Real Government" have no culpable role in the dismantling of our manufacturing industry. The elected officials and bureaucrats moved forward with plans that were never well thought out. Everything they have done has backfired. They have put shackles on American Ingenuity, because they do not understand that they cannot control and direct the marketplace that inspires innovation.
President Obama states that this was decades in the making. How can that be when GM was trading at $38.20 a share on 10/01/2007. That is 21 months ago. The reason why this company fell is because of our governments irrational expectations and actions when it comes to energy. $3 to $4 gasoline is what led to these consequences and how is that issue being addressed. We need more than a dream policy to bridge us to alternative energies and this President has done nothing to lay the foundation of that bridge. Once again, elected officials and this President have let us down.
We still have Ford. That is the last auto manufacturer left in this country and the only one that I would think of purchasing a car from, at this time. Most people don't understand the history of the automotive industry. The automobile was first developed in Europe, but Henry Ford was the man that made the automobile available to the common man. He did this without government help or intervention. Let's hope that Ford can be kept out of the grips of this succubus Federal government.
This country will not solve its issues until it begins to get back to basics. The further we go down this bailout road; the further we enslave future generations. Dealing with current issues, the way we are, are not going to relieve the burdens we are laying for them. We have been lied to from the get-go on this automobile issue and all of the bailouts. We were told that there would be no bankruptcy for GM. We were told that the Financial bailouts weren't going to cost us a penny, that we would get our money back and make a profit.
At what point in time does this become the current President's issue? Will he ever be held accountable for anything? It sure seems he takes us into a lot of situations without thinking of the unintended consequences. I don't see things looking to get any better anytime soon. What about all of the people who have lost their life's savings on these deals? Where is the compassion? It's time to get real people. It is time for some REALITY!!!
Listen to Peter Schiff spell it out in simple terms that can't be denied. Commodities are shooting through the roof. Look at the price of gas over the last few weeks, look at the dollar's sharp declines recently. Since last summer, the dollar had risen dramatically and now it has fallen sharply over the last month, losing nearly 10% of it's value in that period of time US Dollar vs Euro Chart. Look at the price of Silver (Chart). Since January the price of silver has risen from $11 per ounce to a close of $15.79 on Friday. That is a 43.5% gain in 5 months. That coincides with the price of gas we are seeing at the pump, which will soon be back to $3/gallon. That is going to put a serious crimp into any Economic Recovery Plans.
All of this points to the fact that inflation and volatility are here. Now is where the rubber will meet the road and the Federal Government over the next few months will have to make some tough choices. They have two choices:
1) Pull the plug out from underneath the printing press - monopoly money machine. Get the dollar to comeback to reality and the housing market and auto sectors continue their deterioration. -Or-
2) Keep printing the Monopoly money like they have been doing and watch inflation take off, which will further reduce the value of our wages and further erode the purchasing power and the retail sector. Either way interest rates are going to have to rise. Option 1 is the Common Sense solution and the better solution over the long haul. Look at the increase in the money supply over the last 8 months (shown in this graph).
I truly appreciate Danny Hearn inviting me to the meeting this morning and allowing me to address the Chamber's Board. Below is my prepared statement and I am also placing it on the Project 3P website. I hope that you will begin visiting that website to see what the Future Economic Council is up to.
Thank You for allowing me to speak on behalf of the Future Economy Council. The Future Economy Council has given me hope that we can turn our area’s Economic Malaise around.
The last 2 meetings have been inspiring. Rick Smyre is very engaging and he certainly has a way of inspiring innovative communication. There are definitely quite a few forward thinkers in the group. This group seems to embrace the idea, notion, and actuality of an exponentially changing world.
The realities are that we need new skills, new approaches, and a different Philosophical framework for the world of tomorrow. And the world of tomorrow is actually here today. That is the reason why this area continues to fall behind. We have allowed innovation and technology to pass us by.
We are in a new age of enlightenment. We can’t cordon Hickory off from the global experience. Mr. Smyre believes that Catawba County's Future Economy Council is comprehensively setting up the initial conditions to deal with this New World effectively. One concept that Rick mentioned was the idea of looking at our community and organizations and building in resiliency. We have to develop capacities in our thinking, skills, and leadership to be able to adapt quickly in this exponentially changing world.
My role has been to develop a blog that will be the first in a number of websites dedicated to the process of rebranding Hickory as an area of innovation. I started a blog about the Hickory Metro’s political, economic, and cultural landscape called the Hickory Hound last August. I have received over 10,000 unique visitors to the website, in that short span, from cities around the world. I do not tell you this for self-promoting purposes. I am telling you this so that you might understand the possibilities of engaging the Global Community and helping them understand the Rebranding of Hickory and what we are setting out to accomplish.
The goals of this and subsequent websites will be to provide content, including books and links to websites, about what the Future Economic Council is trying to accomplish and what the Creative Molecular Economy entails. I will provide summaries of the agenda and the minutes of Future Economic Council and related meetings. We will create a message board forum that will allow for interactive communication between members and other interested parties.
My next goals are to interact with council members and devise a Mission statement. We want to outline a division of labor for both efficiency and effective purposes.
I really enjoyed Terry Bledsoe’s presentation of the Broadband upgrade opportunities for the area and the discussion that ensued. Since last Thursday I have had a couple of offshoot discussions that spoke to the limitless possibilities of upgrading our Broadband connectivity. If given the chance, this process will bear fruit. This is not the be-all, end –all, but it could enhance and attract entrepreneurs and forward thinkers from around the world to seriously enter Hickory into their equation.
In our last meeting, just last Thursday, Jay Adams said that he believes that the thing we need to aim at, is that there is going to be a lot of money thrown at solving problems like this (the Broadband issue). The project is going to have to be well formed and well thought out, it's going to have to look good on paper, it's going to have to be comprehensive. After the implementation, the maintenance is what local government and businesses have to cooperate to maintain. Hickory, because of size and layout, is in a much better position to implement these kinds of things than a major metro area.
Folks, the average citizen has been kept out of the loop on Economic Development Issues in this area. We are told that we are doing all the right things. We are told that it’s not the local government’s fault. It’s all caused by Washington and Raleigh. We have all the right ingredients, but we just can’t get over the hump. Apparently close only counts in Horseshoes, Hand Grenades, and Hickory.
I truly believe that the Future Economy Council is the missing ingredient. We have no plans to hide what we are doing. We are here and we are open to be approached from all angles. I believe in leaving the egos at the door. If this community will give us the tools and get behind what Danny, Rick, and this council are doing, then I 100% believe that we will bear fruit in the not too distant future.
I have started a new blog per the request of Catawba County's Future Economy Council, which is a venture that was established by Catawba County Chamber of Commerce President Danny Hearn.
Project 3P is a play off of the idea of the future economy that is currently evolving. That economy is called the "Creative Molecular Economy." The 3P's = The Progressive Productive Proton Project. Progressive = the Future ( favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform) + Productive (Produce) = Create + Molecular = Proton (Positive Charged Molecule).
This website is just the first step in an ongoing process that we hope will evolve into something truly special. Let's work together to bring this community to the cutting edge of innovation. We already have so many tools at our disposal. This forum of open dialogue will lead to the innovation needed to bring us to an Advanced Economic Establishment for this community.
Harry has been a good friend of mine for nearly 25 years and he is the person that inspired me to start this site. We have come a long way in a short time with the Hound. This weekend we will hit the 10,000 unique visitor mark. Harry has a great philosophical mind and I highly value his opinion. I can assure you that this Q&A is the real Harry Hipps. (#3 in the series) 1) Can you give us some background and a history of yourself? (Where were you born? What is your educational background? Why did you come to or stay in Hickory? Tell us about your professional accomplishments.) - I was born in Newton and was a graduate of Newton-Conover High School. I was elected Secretary/Treasurer of my class by write in vote, one of few to do so. I am a graduate of ECU with a degree in Music Education, a life long musician, currently doing some Church music and a member of the Newton/Conover Community Band. I am a volunteer for Rescue America Ministries, which was spun off from Charles Colson's ministries. Its focus is prison ministry and has focused on the Alexander County Juvenile Detention Facility. My home church is Gateway Baptist Church. I'm a baker by trade, formerly of Stone Hearth Bakery, now Pretzeltime at Valley Hills Mall. 2) Tell us about the accomplishments you are proudest of achieving in your life? Something besides having a family or raising children. We all recognize that those are common goals that we all aspire to. What’s the most exciting thing you saw/did/experienced/were a part of in your personal life? In your professional life?I have shown sales growth every year in the high single digits to double digits in good economies and bad. I've had the opportunity to employ and befriend numerous younger people and help mentor them. My relationship with God is paramount and Spiritual growth is a joy and a challenge. Engaging people on the greatest and deepest issues of life is a passion of mine. 3) If I were to ask people that know you to describe you what would they say? Well, if they were from my younger years they would say I'm a real jokester and should have been a comedian! Those who know me now would, hopefully, say that I am well read and have a passion for education, intelligent discussion on the issues we face in the world today and have a number of creative ideas. 4) How much bearing do the opinions of the people around you have on your decisions?They have a great deal of impact on how I view what is happening in the world today and what I need to be aware of, but I also have to bounce them off my core values and ideas, beliefs, and practices that have proven to have lasting value. I am not too influenced by the buzzwords, trendy attitudes, and the "herd" mentality except to be aware of the influence it has on the people around me. I am comfortable in my own skin and have a solid framework for viewing the world. 5) Can you tell us of a professional mistake that you have made that may have had an impact on who you are today? Does it still bother you? Can you share with us how you came to grips with that error?In my early days of managing people I was somewhat of a perfectionist and wanted the same in others. I frustrated some good people by not knowing what is enough and when to leave well enough alone. Now I can better gauge what is possible and find different avenues to reach what is needed. 6) If you were given enough money to tackle one project (think nearly unlimited) that you felt was important to the Hickory Area, what would that issue be?To conserve land and open spaces, while using the already developed areas in Hickory to better effect. You could write a book on this topic, but it involves public transportation, densifying Hickory's residential, office and institutional buildings, and other structures, to allow for fewer car miles and easier access to the goods and services we want and keeping as much of the woods, farmland and fields as possible. 7) Let’s say there is no money available for the foreseeable future. What one project (priority) would you push as part of your agenda that can be done with little or no money?The democratization of City and State government. We can and should engage more people. With the internet we can give out public notices and save advertising costs. E-mailing links to interested citizens to the council and committee meetings could inform them what is coming up and they could respond to representatives with their concerns or suggestions. There are other ways we can include more people more often. To just hear from the population once every two, four, or six years at election time is simply not a vibrant or healthy way to run a democracy in the fast paced world of today. 8) What is your overall philosophy of the development of this area? Where would you like to see us in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?The overall theme would be transformation and revitalization. The globalization of the economy, leading to the loss of furniture and textiles, has fundamentally changed our future. I would like to take the great land, climate, cultural community, proximity to beaches, larger cities, mountains, lakes, and the other great assets and attract creative, productive people that can work in the global economy from Hickory and bring their distinctive talents to the area. We need to stop looking back, lamenting the loss of the things we can't control anyway and look to what is desirable and possible. Now is the time to recognize that we have to rebuild and we have opportunities to rebrand Hickory as a unique blend of the friendly hometown culture of Americana and the limitless possibilities of the high tech, molecular economy we are moving into. 9) If you could define your Personal Legacy what would you like it to be? What would you like to be remembered for? My hope is that I would be remembered as a person that came through turbulent times in my personal life and as a member of our society in times of transformation and finished the race well. I strive to serve God by being faithful to Him and to serve others. Jesus said the greatest gift was Love and I would hope to show it by living as purely as possible and serving others. 10) How do you define Leadership? There was a god of ancient mythology named Janus. Janus had a head that was looking in two directions at one time. I think a leader has to be somewhat like this. A leader has to be a really good listener and be able to understand the situations, ethos, and stivings of people and work on the modalities to see people achieve what they want. At the same time, a leader can't just see which way the wind is blowing and jump out in front of it. Sometimes a leader has to be an innovator or a person who sees what the crowd doesn't see and take the initiative when it may cause personal stress and unpopularity in the short term. How someone balances these disparate impulses is a critical feature of leadership.
