I dig my country, and one of its most representative traits is capitalism. We all have the opportunity to one degree or another to generate wealth if we so desire.
Problem is, there are a few folks who just can't get enough wealth-- even when they've accumulated enough cash to pad every piece of furniture in a Holiday Inn.
Even though much of the accounting trickery responsible for the corporate troubles of '02 and '03 has vanished (for now), the shell games have been replaced with a new form of graft-- excessive thrift in order to generate impractically high profit margins. This is happening in many companies that are ALREADY highly profitable.
I have personally observed it, and continue to hear stories of, companies over-wringing every last bit out of their employees and their corporation's physical assets during heavy business activity without willingness to beef up staff or maintain physical plants.
Inevitably, this penny-pinching creates serious issues. Some of them eventually hit the news, even.
Granted, the reason to operate a business is to earn income. But the best businesses that I have seen were not only about making money, but running a sound business. Are your employees safe, happy, glad to be working for you? Is your firm constantly "dodging bullets" from customers, the public, even regulatory agencies because your assets aren't being maintained as well as they could be?
I'm all for the American Dream, and for a guy making an honest buck. But it's time that some outfits start spreading around their bucks so others can live the American Dream, too.
Posted by petedude
at 6:34 AM PST