One of the interesting things about writing this Blog is the readers might surmise that I am not tremendously optimistic about what is happening in this country. What is ironic though is that by nature I am an optimistic, or glass half full type of individual. That said, as a country, we are on the proverbial roller coaster ride and the scariest part has yet to come.

If Warren Buffet’s (the Oracle of Omaha) recent pronouncement that “the economy is a ‘shambles’ and likely to stay that way for some time” didn’t grab you, perhaps this little tidbit from Sprott Asset Management’s recent Newsletter will cause you to put down that cup of coffee, and pay attention.

Comments (11)

In September 2007, when Senator Clinton was questioning General Petraeus about the war in Iraq, she commented that his report on Iraq required "a willing suspension of disbelief." Little did we know that what she was really doing was giving the nation a “heads up” on what we need to understand what is currently happening in Washington DC.

How else can one explain the spectacle of hearing our President tell us that he now supports P...Read More

Comments (9)

A couple of months ago I was attending a dinner with 30 other CEO’s and Senior Executives. After dinner our host asked the following question: “How has the economy impacted your business?”  As we went around the room the answers were fairly predictable; the economy was having a significant impact on everyone’s bottom line.

Things changed when the CEO of a multi-billion dollar enterprise stood up and shared how the economy was impacting his business. He shared insights from a strategic planning session he had recently had with his senior executives. Part of this process involves answering the following question:...Read More

Comments (0)

Well, it has finally happened. General Motors filed for bankruptcy this morning. Going back a couple of years, who among us could have even fathomed that we would ever be reading or writing that GM, an icon of American industry, would file for bankruptcy protection? While the news of GM saddens me, what really frightens and angers me is witnessing the war on business and commerce that continues in Washington.

Recently I had an interesting conversation with a seasoned business executive about the risk assessment process that companies use...Read More

Comments (6)

Having recently completed an interview with a columnist about the imminent Cap and Trade legislation and its potential impact on transportation costs, I was all set to use this Blog to talk about how our politicians are doing more things to harm our economy. But honestly, as I started writing the Blog, it was too discouraging and depressing. I mean if Representatives Waxman and Markey, and their fellow Democrats want to continue their attacks on commerce and business in this country, who am I to prevent their assault?

So instead, let’s talk about something positive...Read More

Comments (1)

In the 'true confession' category, I was getting a little bit nervous with what was happening in Washington D.C. First, there was a stimulus package with a $778 Billion price tag. Then there was a supplemental appropriation bill with a price tag over $400 Billion. And then the President announced a budget that will carry a $3.4 Trillion price tag. Factor in the extra couple of billion here or there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.

For those who are wondering: “How will this country pay for all of this spending?” I have great news. According to our President and politicians, this country isn’t going to be spending any money; it will be “investi...Read More

Comments (1)

With the decision to release yet another trillion dollars into the financial system, the United States continues to pursue a strategy of printing almost inconceivable amounts of money as the best way out of this economic crisis.

Last week I attended a dinner with approximately 40 CEO’s and senior executives. After dinner, our host facilitated a discussion about the impact the economy was having on our businesses. The CEO of a multibillion dollar enterprise really got our attention when he talked about his company’s recent business planning meetings. He noted that one of the first questions they ask in this process is: What will the economy look like 12 to 24 months from now? This year, ...Read More

Comments (5)

"I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts". Will Rogers

You have to give credit where credit is due. Since January 20, less than 60 days into their rule, the Democrats and a couple of Republicans have spent over 1 Billion dollars – that’s Billion with a capital “B” - for every hour of the day. They have now voted in favor of spending over One Trillion (with a Capital T) dollars, but I have news for our readers, there is still lots more fun to vote on and spend in 2009.

On the spending side, transportation professionals know that there is a Highway Bil...Read More

Comments (0)

During last year’s election I would ask people why they were voting for their candidate.  Obama supporters would frequently tell me that they were voting for him because they wanted “hope and change.” When I asked them what hope and change looked like, very few people could offer specifics. They just wanted “hope and change.”

Last week, I watched as President Obama explained the justification for the Budget he submitted to Congress on February 26, 2009: “Americans are getting the Hope and Cha...Read More

Comments (12)

Can we talk? 

This economy has significantly impacted a whole bunch of people. While people still respond to the “How are you doing question?” with the stock answers: “OK” or “Good,”  it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that just beneath the surface, some people are hurting. These people are not doing “OK”, “Fine” or even “Good.” They’re either...Read More

Comments (6)

In our previous Blog, we addressed the need for the government to protect airline passengers who are subjected to/victimized by the airlines’ terrible customer service policies. In this Blog we’ll look at the railroad sector.

Just so you’re up to speed, the railroads had pretty strong fourth quarter earnings. In fact, looking at their earnings reports, you’d never know that the economy was in a recession. As a full fledged capitalist, I’m all in favor of solid earnings reports, unless these earnings are driven by anti-competitive - some would argue monopolistic - models that hold shippers hostage to the railroads’ demands. The railroads are so good at exploiting t...Read More

Comments (3)

Please Reregulate the Airlines and Railroads

Never in one million years could I ever fathom writing a blog like this. Traditionally, I have been a staunch supporter of smaller government and less regulation. But sometimes you have to face up to the facts and admit that things are broken, and absent government intervention, it’s highly unlikely that they will ever get fixed.

What kinds of things are broken? Seeing as this is a logistics publication, we’ll overlook the mess in the financial sector and confine our discussion to the transportation sector. In the ...Read More

Comments (2)