Guest Post from Shaun Fink on the Next Step for CRI
Jan 31st, 2010 by David Anderson
Let’s Roll…
The question I have been asked most since taking the position of Executive Vice President of CRI is, “What is the Caesar Rodney Institute’s biggest goal for the coming year.” It is a great question, so let me answer it.
CRI’s ultimate goal, for 2010 or any year, is to advance the debate over how our state should be governed. We believe in a competitive free market economy where those who have the ambition are given the incentives to work hard and create jobs. We do not believe that the government ought to be in the job creation business. What made our economy the envy of the nation for a generation was the freedom that commerce and industry were given to generate wealth in a market based fashion, where jobs exploded onto the scene because the products of our businesses were in high demand. Conversely, the cause of our recent decline in economic prowess includes a reliance on the state to provide jobs at an alarming rate of 500 per year over the last eight years, coupled with an incremental stifling of the private sector through excessive regulation and tax burden; the most recent instance being the Fiscal Year 2010 budget passed last year. Juxtaposed to an alarming rate of spending growth since the 1990’s, these instruments of an over reaching state government have landed a heavy blow to the entrepreneurial spirit of our population.
We also believe that individual liberty cannot exist, in its rightful capacity, alongside of an ever-increasing and bloated state government. The best government exists in its smallest, most efficient manner possible. Only when the people of this great state are free to come and go, free to take risks, free expand their own horizons, will this state once again flourish.
I will gauge CRI’s success in 2010 as a function of how far that message has resonated. And, we need your help to get there. We win when the policy coming out of Dover is consistent with a good, constitutional government. It is not about specific legislation, rather a systematic change in the mindset of those we send to do the people’s business. Somewhere along the way, we have lost our sense of individual initiative and enterprise and have replaced it with an unhealthy reliance on the state to solve our problems. The battle we wage is for the hearts and minds of our fellow citizens. We must remind them that the government does not provide solutions. In fact, the government is that entity which gets in our way and establishes the problems that we must deal with on a daily basis. If I could change one thing, about Delaware government, it would be to recall its proper place in our lives and not to consider its citizens as unable to live and function without its influence.
Shaun Fink
Executive Vice President
Caesar Rodney Institute
shaunfink@caesarrodney.org
I for one look forward to Shaun’s leadership at CRI. Best of luck to you Shaun!!!
Congratulations on your position! I see only good things happening for Delaware with your conservative values of less government and fiscal responsibility!
Shawn,
You will have no problem getting agreement about the benefits of a competitive free market. We all agree with that. Same with efficient government. So don’t bother preaching Economics 101 to the choir. We all get it. Freedom is good. Not having freedom is bad. What we need are specifics.
It sounds like you are generally saying we less of the bad stuff and more of the good stuff. But what the heck do you actually mean?
What do you mean when you say “We do not believe that the government ought to be in the job creation business.” Do you mean just Government jobs? Or do you object to the State trying to lure automakers back to Delaware or the State trying to find a new operator for Valero? Or do you object to State construction jobs like building bridges. Tell us what the thinking is at CRI? The government should not be in the job creation business? Hmmm.
Regarding your assertion that “excessive regulation” is stifling “entrepreneurial spirit” – what regulations or laws are you referring to? What laws should we repeal to help entrepreneurs? I founded several businesses in Delaware. I consider myself an ambitious entrepreneur. I never encountered the heavy foot of Government you are talking about. I got a business license, paid taxes. My experience is the State is more of a help than a hinderance to the average entrepreneur. Are there any genuine start from scratch entrepreneurs at CRI?
Then you say “Only when the people of this great state are free to come and go . .” Was that a misprint, or is there something about coming and going that is a problem?
Finally, when you say “the government does not provide solutions” what do you mean?
I’m asking you to put some meat on the bones of the slogans we continuously hear all the time from political organizations looking to woo us with their ideas. After the broken promises and backfired theories of recent years, small business operators like me are very skeptical about this business of deregulating.
Thank you to TW and Ed, I appreciate the encouragements and look forward to working with you as we move forward. This is going to be a team effort, and we will all need to be involved.
Think123, you ask very good questions, and I would love to answer them all. Give me a call at 302-542-7174 and we can get together over coffee to discuss in detail. This was, of course, an introduction and salutation to those who may not know me. At CRI, we are about solutions. As time unfolds, you will see our solutions and are free to debate them with me on their merits. I look forward to the discussion.
think 123 i’ll give you examples of government regulation that stifle entrepreneurial spirit,and we don’t even need to have coffee together . 1 the fact that governments create excessive taxes and force businesses to move elsewhere.2 the fact that government forces businesses to hire certain races a genders instead of the best people for the job.3 And how about “Card check” that will force businesses into forced government arbitration between employers and employees. There are of course many more .
fightingbluehen,
1.Exactly what excessive taxes are you talking about? There is a difference between having a hunch or a feeling about something, and actually backing it up with facts. You sound like you think we can do without taxes and maybe cut the deficit at the same time eh? Get real. Jobs go overseas because there are lots of people who will work for $1 an hour. Will you?
2. Are you really complaining about the Civil Rights Act? Yes. The Government says you can’t discriminate because of race or religion when you hire people. Remember when DuPont was all white? Woolworth’s would not serve non-whites? University of Delaware was all white? We voted to change all that. I worked for a Fortune 500 in my twenties. All white. I would never hire a black guy – just because I like hanging with my own kind, and that’s the way it was. One day I got a memo saying I had to hire non-whites. That was in 1967. It was a good thing for America. I feel stupid that I had to be “forced” to do the right thing.
According what you have said so far . . this business of being over regulated comes down to hiring blacks and paying taxes eh? Cool.
think 123 the US has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world ,and like Martin Luther King jr said “judge not by the color of skin but by the quality of character”
Yep, that’s what King said, that’s the way it should be, but that’s not what was happening in 1960. That’s why the Government, backed by the voters, had to step in with Civil Rights laws and regulations. There were many people with quality and character who got shafted just because they were not white. It took a big court case here in Delaware just to get non-whites into U of D.
Would it be nice it everybody did the right thing and we did not need Government stepping in? Sure. In Utopia. Would it be nice if every corporation was decent enough not to dump trash and poison in the air and water or sell us contaminated food or scam us with phony investments? In some dreamworld maybe.
I’m just encouraging us not to get caught up in the same crazy Utopian politics the communists used to preach. They said we could have a world were there are no rich no poor. The new anti-government dreamers are telling us we can have a world without Government, where everybody is a self sufficient individual entity. It’s just plain nutty. Like some kind of cult with no connection to reality.
think123 I’m still waiting for a phone call…
It’s easy to pontificate our beliefs on a faceless blogsite. Some of us are out there purporting solutions in front of people, ready for the debate. Call whenever you have time.
Shaun, why do you want to state your claims in public, but then take it private when you are challenged? What’s the big secret?
You said you wanted to “advance the debate,” but those are some pretty crummy debating rules.
Interesting. Think asks some great questions, looking for some detail to a public statement… then it needs to be taken private? Everyone else wants to say what Shawn meant.. why doesn’t Shawn say it in public?
I do believe we will hear some good ideas but to take it private then taunt the original poster as to why there has been no call? I am starting to think that those that post here are using others names…
Notice how ‘think’ wanted specifics, yet when ‘fbh’ mentioned the extrodinarily high US corporate tax rate, he simply ignored it and rambled on? This should teach you, fbh, not to be drawn-in by ‘think’s’ tactics. Evasion, distortion and bulls#!t are his stock-in-trade.
The new anti-government dreamers are telling us we can have a world without Government, where everybody is a self sufficient individual entity. It’s just plain nutty.
Yeah..’nutty’ people like Washington and Madison.
Like some kind of cult with no connection to reality.
Sort of like ‘think’s’ fatuous ‘hope and change’ fealty to the cult of Obama.
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think123 thank you for the phone call. I look forward to our meeting. As the days and weeks unfold, I will not be shy in detailing our solutions to the budgetary and legislative issues before the General Assembly. CRI appreciates everyone’s support and we look forward to working with you.
I did talk with Shawn. I doubt he is trying to take anything private. He sounds more like a guy who is looking for suggestions. CRI is hoping to be a new wave conservative group. That means looking for alternatives to policies that were tried and found wanting. Looking to fill the conservative slogans from the past with some meaning for today. So far so good.
Rick, the corporate tax rate in the USA is about the same as Japan. We’re somewhere in the top five along with Germany. Corporate tax applies to profits – income after all expenses. Does not apply to S corporations, has little impact on small business. Our Commerce Department, Congress, The President are all keenly aware of avoiding steps that will damage our ability to compete in global markets. I hope you agree that the USA with the world’s most expensive military – something that I want to keep – we do have a need for taxation. If you do
Here is link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_tax_in_the_United_States
The President proposes we go back to “pay as you go”. No cutting taxes, no new programs – unless they are paid for.
We got run into this horrible debt ditch by fighting trillion dollar wars, extending a new Medicare Drug benefits, and cutting taxes – all at the same time – without any – none – no – thought of paying for any of it – except borrowing. That is what we trying to repair. Fighting the deficit, and cutting taxes at the same time is tough to do given current circumstances.
Regarding Washington and Madison. George Washington and James Madison are dead. They are not coming back.
We are now dealing with contemporary political leaders like President Obama, Reid, McConnell, Bonier, Pelosi McCain.
A lot of people yearn for the simple times of Colonial yesteryear. With little teeny Government, no taxes, nothing standing between a man and the great wilderness of his dreams. Things were so de-regulated you could even own another person, whip him good if he did not do the work. Sell his children. If you want to return to Colonial times get yourself a time capsule or something. We are living in a whole new much better world.
I did talk with Shawn. I doubt he is trying to take anything private. He sounds more like a guy who is looking for suggestions.
Jeez, are you trying to get him fired?
Think123 i agree the Bush administration created massive debt. The thing i don’t quite follow is how compounding that debt is the answer. The analogy that i keep thinking of is lets say your wife goes out and maxes out the credit card. So you say to her well you maxed out the credit card so i’m going to have to max out three credit cards now.It just doesn’t make any sense to me.Then again i didn’t go to Harvard.
The analogy that i keep thinking of is lets say your wife goes out and maxes out the credit card. So you say to her well you maxed out the credit card so i’m going to have to max out three credit cards now.
You have the situation reversed. The wife maxed out three credit cards. Now we have to use the fourth credit card to put gas in the car, keep the Internet on, and buy a new suit so we can go look for a job to get back on our feet. It won’t do to just cut up the credit cards and wait for the power to be cut off and the repo man to come.
Rick, the corporate tax rate in the USA is about the same as Japan..
Right..until you factor-in state taxes. In twenty-five states, the combined federal and state tax burden is higher than in Japan. In Delaware, for example, the combined state/federal burden is 40.07%…ahead of Japan’s 39.54%, and higher than the rest of socialized Europe.
Hence, we have ‘an extrodinarily high’ tax rate.
Rick,
I have no idea what the ideal corporate tax rate should be, but there is no evidence rates are too high. 2/3 of all US companies pay no income tax http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/12/national/main4342535.shtml
Americas foremost corporate investor guru, a man who profits from corporate profits, Warren Buffett, thinks corporate rates are too low. Says corporate income tax accounted for only around 7% of Federal Revenue when they used to kick 30% in the 1950′s. That means individual personal income tax for you and me has to be more. Here’s more on Buffett and corporate tax rates
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0306-01.htm