Host Neal Asbury opened his nationally syndicated “Neal Asbury’s Made in America” show on Radio America (now on 69 stations) with his ongoing critical analysis of the economy under Obama, including a report that 56 million American women are not in the workforce. This is on top of new data that shows only 62.8 percent of workers are in the labor force—the lowest in 37 years. And finally, almost 47 million Americans have been collecting food stamps for at least 40 months.
Co-host Dr. Rich Roffman wondered how the Obama administration can continue to trot out unemployment numbers of only 5.5 percent when 93 million Americans aren’t in the workforce – one in three. And in a bit of irony, even as Hillary Clinton extols the virtues of women empowerment, women in the Clinton Foundation make less than male counterparts, according to Dr. Roffman.
The first guest on Made in America was Kathleen White, director of the Armstrong Center for Energy and the Environment at Texas Public Policy Foundation, who expressed alarm about ongoing legislation from the EPA that is setting standards that are impossible to meet because the supporting technology to meet these standards isn’t yet available.
“A real example of this is the new ozone standards. Ozone is just one of six pollutants included in the Clean Air Act, but the EPA has taken the acceptable ozone standard to an absurd level by changing the formula for risk. Ozone is everywhere in the atmosphere so it is nearly impossible for industries to meet a zero tolerance standard,” maintained White.
Neal Asbury noted that by implementing these strict ozone standards, it would cost America $140 billion a year and lead to a job loss of 1.4 million.
White noted that the EPA is setting a moving target when it comes to standards that can’t be met.
The discussion turned to the Obama veto of the Keystone XL Pipeline—a project which White very much supports.
She also is an advocate for allowing energy companies to export more oil, especially since shale reserves are growing and storage facilities are quickly filling up – attributed to shale companies becoming the “victim of their success.”
“Even as shale reserves have risen, OPEC has continued to pump oil, and there has been a downturn in energy use in China, the EU and in Latin America. It’s time to lift any exporting regulations and let the world energy market set its own level,” concluded White.
Neal and Dr. Roffman segued to a discussion of new immigration policies, including an extremely controversial proposed IRS ruling that illegal immigrants will receive tax credits for the years they worked, even if they did so as illegal workers.
“This is absurd. It is projected that there will be 800,000 claims that will cost American tax payers $2 billion over the next five years. It amounts to an amnesty bonus,” according to Dr. Roffman.
Neal noted that Loretta Lynch, who is being considered as the next Attorney General, told a panel that illegal immigrants have a right to work, at the expense of naturalized citizens seeking work. Neal couldn’t help comment on the irony of an administration that fights against right-to-work legislation, but is allowing illegal immigrants the right to work.
“The real damage of this legislation is that it will further keep unemployed Americans from getting a job, and even those who work will find diminished wages; the result of adding 5 million more people to payrolls, who will be willing to work for lower wages,” said Dr. Roffman.
Returning to Made in America was Trey Kovacs from the Competitive Enterprise Institute, who likes Scott Walker as a political candidate, owing to his willingness to stand up to big labor.
“When it comes to unions, it’s not right that people have to pay any organization—especially ones that they don’t support — just so you can keep your job. There is a great deal of data that shows that workers in right-to-work states make more money than those in union jobs. In Wisconsin, for example, if they had been a right-to-work state since 1970, the salary for the average Wisconsin worker would have risen by $3,800 a year. As a result of Indiana becoming a right-to-work state in 2012, there has been an increase of 3,000 jobs,” noted Kovacs.
Dr. Roffman added that a new study by the Department of Labor Statistics revealed that the 2013 per capita income in right-to-work states was $38,000 compared to the $36,900 being paid to workers in union jobs. He added that another survey found that 82 percent of Wisconsin workers supported right-to-work.
The final guest on Made in America was Derrick Green, from Project 21, who proposed that blacks have been marginalized in America, and that blacks have been supporting a Democratic Party that doesn’t support them.
“The Democrats have taken blacks for granted. If Obama was not black, there would be black picketers surrounding the White House. He has helped other minority groups, but has ignored the growing unemployment rate among blacks. No progress can be made for blacks unless blacks receive the attention they deserve,” said Green.
As part of his ongoing segment on the rise in robots and cronyism, Dr. Roffman began his report noting that the Pentagon is testing two-legged robots that can replace humans in disaster areas. Of interest is that China is invited, which has dominated the worldwide robot market.
The Pentagon is also inviting 25 teams from around the world to compete in a $2 million robot challenge.
On the cronyism front, Obama has really supported his Hawaiian roots by having taxpayers pick up some $15,000,000 in transportation-related expenses for his Christmas vacations to Hawaii over the past 3 years. His trips to Martha’s Vineyard cost taxpayers $400,000 for transportation alone.
Harry Reid, a frequent name in crony-related issues, continues to funnel millions of dollars to friends and staff involved in Green energy.
Each week Neal Asbury’ Made in America provides Neal’s insights into the week’s top news stories and their impact on the worlds of entrepreneurship, small business ownership and the overall economy. Neal’s analysis, together with co-host Dr. Richard Roffman, a veteran 30-year publisher with extensive domestic and international experience, takes a non-biased approach based on real life experience in business as an American manufacturer and exporter. Made in America airs nationally each Saturday from 7-8:00 PM on Radio America. Link to Made in America at http://www.nealasburysmadeinamerica.com.
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