Politics and Economics New Administration Comes with Both Hope and WorryWhile many small business owners hope that President-elect Barack Obama's policies will benefit them and improve the country's economy, many worry about how Democratic control of both the House and Senate will play out. How Should the President Help Small Business?Expert opinion on the most important thing the incoming President could do for small businesses. Your Business and the Financial CrisisBank failures are causing anxiety among small business owners who wonder what is going to happen to their financial agreements. Here is w... [Read Full Article]

October 1st is just around the corner and regardless of what the Congressional leadership does at the end of September; it will be a seminal day in American political history. If Pelosi, Reid and their compatriots slip another oil drilling ban in the annual appropriation or continuing resolution that they will have to pass to keep the government running, it will demonstrate just how hopelessly indifferent they are to the needs of the American people while highlighting with perfect clarity their fealty to the leftist fringe. On the other hand, if they do nothing then we will be well on our way to developing domestic energy again, lowering the price at the pump and generating revenue that will ultimately lead to the kinds of alternative renewable energy sources that the environmentalists have been carping about for years. It will also mark one of the few times in history when Congress has seen the wisdom in shutting its collective mouth and getting out of the way, which may actually be more im... [Read Full Article]

Check out these recent headlines: “Crude Oil at New High Just Above $114; Gas Also at a Record” (Associated Press) “Producer Inflation Mounts, Fanned by Energy” (Reuters) “Wholesale Prices Soared in March” (Associated Press) “McCain Calls for Summer-long Suspension of Gas Tax” (Associated Press) And my favorite: “Stocks End Higher, Led by Energy and Bank Shares” (Reuters) I am happy to see that at least someone is benefiting from the ridiculous energy policies that have been foisted upon the American people over the years. If you have stock in the oil companies, if you trade oil futures, then these record high prices are great news. The environmentalists with their lobbies and their cohorts in the legislature that work so hard to keep us from developing new sources of oil here in the U.S., not to mention new refining capabilities, must be ecstati... [Read Full Article]

“Energy Independence” is an idea that’s been kicked around for a long time. Back in 1973 during the Arab Oil Embargo that sent prices rising, gas lines lengthening and speed limits dropping, Richard Nixon first brought up the idea of an energy independent America. It seemed to make sense at the time. The Arab world was punishing us for their losses during the Yom Kippur War with Israel. Curtailing their control over our energy production was logical. After all, we were importing nearly 35% of our oil from the Middle East.  Since then, every president has paid lip service to the concept of energy independence but have you noticed that it hasn’t gotten any better? In fact, since Nixon’s first, tentative words on the subject, we have increased our dependence on foreign oil. We now import over 60% of our oil each year and pump prices go up far more than they go down. In other words, we have had an “energy crisis” of one sort or another for 35 years and... [Read Full Article]