JimBJim Bouchard is author and founder of Dynamic Components of Personal Power, and the founder of Northern Chi Martial Arts Centers. Jim combines his experience as a professional martial artist, entrepreneur and speaker to share his philosophy on power for personal and professional success.
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Vigilance is not discretionary!
Feb 6, 2009 01:18 PM
Categories: Government at Work Town: Brunswick
I feel like Michael Corleone in Godfather III. I keep trying to get out; and they keep pulling me back in! I was hoping that I could stop writing about politics for a while and concentrate on entrepreneurial power. I don’t have that luxury right now; we’ve got to keep our eyes open!
I guess the majority decided it was time for a change. Here are some of the changes being proposed that will directly impact the way you do business:
National: From the Associated Press:
“The administration also will propose long-term compensation ideas even for companies that don't receive government assistance, Obama said.”
What does this mean? How far will they push? How much red-tape will be created and trickle down to small business as Fortune 500 executives find ways to dance around the fiddler?
If you don’t want a cap on your potential to earn from your business, you’d better keep a close eye on this one.
More on the “Porkulus” Package:
Hollywood gets its pay-back: $200 million to help the poor folks who make movies. No mention of salary caps on actors, producers or directors.
This just keeps getting better every day!
You might be resigned to thinking you can’t do a damned thing about executive salaries or where stimulus money is going; I can feel your pain and frustration. You had better be watching what’s happening here in Augusta!
Proposed legislation for this session includes:
1) Banning all cell phone use when driving; another business friendly move. (LD 40) We have laws to punish distracted drivers. The issue is distracted driving; not cell phone use. Here's a slogan for Matt Jacobson and Maine & Company when they try to sell Maine as the 4th least business friendly state in the country and now:
Bring your business to Maine; but leave your cell phone in North Carolina!
2) Sending kids to school 4 days a week instead of five. The intention is to save on heating and transportation costs. The fact is that any savings to residents and business will be more than offset by increase child care costs. Teachers better keep an eye on this one as well; how long will it be until a proposal is introduced to lower your pay reflective of fewer hours in classroom? This may finally bring education and business together!(LD 96)
3) An attempt to index the minimum wage to inflation; two problems: inflation indexes can outpace employer’s revenues and other contractual obligations already in place can inflate wages that are currently indexed to the minimum wage. (LD 192) I’ll leave this one up to you; honestly I’m not currently employing anyone; can’t afford to, and when I do I always pay more than minimum wage.
Now there are a couple of good ones, but you better chime in early before we lose these to the back-room deal making and vote trading:
How about a proposal to stimulate capital investment in innovative Maine businesses? This may help decide how we spend any Porkulus money we might get. You might want to get on board with this one. (LD 1)
How about being able to go to out-of-state insurers who want to compete for your health coverage? You might want to voice your support for LD 290.
Here’s the whopper: LD 144 proposes that we reduce the number of representatives we send to Augusta. This one probably doesn’t stand a snow-ball’s chance in hell, but it might be fun to see how much we can scare them!
I don’t care which side you’re on in these debates. I know which side I’m on and from where I sit, I’m right! I hope you feel the same way. The point is to get involved now, before we have to fight an 11th hour battle to block or push some important piece of legislature through before the end of the session.
Contact your reps now and voice your support or opposition. Call or email the committee chairs and let them know how you feel. Write op-eds in your local papers and support the efforts of your Chamber’s Government Liaison Committees. Most of all, when the time comes, vote for the representatives that will protect and serve Maine business. Without us; they’re out of business!
Jim Bouchard is America’s Black Belt Powervator: Speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Visit JimBouchard.org.
Download your free white paper: The Actual Value of Motivation & Engagement in the Workplace.
I guess the majority decided it was time for a change. Here are some of the changes being proposed that will directly impact the way you do business:
National: From the Associated Press:
“The administration also will propose long-term compensation ideas even for companies that don't receive government assistance, Obama said.”
What does this mean? How far will they push? How much red-tape will be created and trickle down to small business as Fortune 500 executives find ways to dance around the fiddler?
If you don’t want a cap on your potential to earn from your business, you’d better keep a close eye on this one.
More on the “Porkulus” Package:
Hollywood gets its pay-back: $200 million to help the poor folks who make movies. No mention of salary caps on actors, producers or directors.
This just keeps getting better every day!
You might be resigned to thinking you can’t do a damned thing about executive salaries or where stimulus money is going; I can feel your pain and frustration. You had better be watching what’s happening here in Augusta!
Proposed legislation for this session includes:
1) Banning all cell phone use when driving; another business friendly move. (LD 40) We have laws to punish distracted drivers. The issue is distracted driving; not cell phone use. Here's a slogan for Matt Jacobson and Maine & Company when they try to sell Maine as the 4th least business friendly state in the country and now:
Bring your business to Maine; but leave your cell phone in North Carolina!
2) Sending kids to school 4 days a week instead of five. The intention is to save on heating and transportation costs. The fact is that any savings to residents and business will be more than offset by increase child care costs. Teachers better keep an eye on this one as well; how long will it be until a proposal is introduced to lower your pay reflective of fewer hours in classroom? This may finally bring education and business together!(LD 96)
3) An attempt to index the minimum wage to inflation; two problems: inflation indexes can outpace employer’s revenues and other contractual obligations already in place can inflate wages that are currently indexed to the minimum wage. (LD 192) I’ll leave this one up to you; honestly I’m not currently employing anyone; can’t afford to, and when I do I always pay more than minimum wage.
Now there are a couple of good ones, but you better chime in early before we lose these to the back-room deal making and vote trading:
How about a proposal to stimulate capital investment in innovative Maine businesses? This may help decide how we spend any Porkulus money we might get. You might want to get on board with this one. (LD 1)
How about being able to go to out-of-state insurers who want to compete for your health coverage? You might want to voice your support for LD 290.
Here’s the whopper: LD 144 proposes that we reduce the number of representatives we send to Augusta. This one probably doesn’t stand a snow-ball’s chance in hell, but it might be fun to see how much we can scare them!
I don’t care which side you’re on in these debates. I know which side I’m on and from where I sit, I’m right! I hope you feel the same way. The point is to get involved now, before we have to fight an 11th hour battle to block or push some important piece of legislature through before the end of the session.
Contact your reps now and voice your support or opposition. Call or email the committee chairs and let them know how you feel. Write op-eds in your local papers and support the efforts of your Chamber’s Government Liaison Committees. Most of all, when the time comes, vote for the representatives that will protect and serve Maine business. Without us; they’re out of business!
Jim Bouchard is America’s Black Belt Powervator: Speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Visit JimBouchard.org.
Download your free white paper: The Actual Value of Motivation & Engagement in the Workplace.
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