News is spreading that Mitt Romney will make a 3rd
run for the White House. It’s pretty much an official declaration, with Mitt
trying to woo big Republican donors with his promise to run far to the right of
Jeb Bush, while speaking up for the poor. Aside from the difficulty of squaring
radically far right ideology with compassion for poverty, and the ensuing
Tea-Party backlash, there are several things to keep very much in the front of
your mind before you are seduced by Mitt’s good hair and folksy ways.
Outsourcing Pioneer
Mitt Romney founded Bain Capital in 1984. During the time
Mitt was CEO and Managing Partner at Bain, the company specialized in buying up
companies that may, or may not, have been troubled. Although bought is a bit of
an exaggeration, Bain would “buy” the company, but use the bought company as
collateral on its purchase and incur a heavy debt load. The first order of
business would be management fees paid to Bain, and partners, for the privilege
of being heavily leveraged – and which would invariably add more debt.
Next, Bain would begin to chop off “extraneous” parts of the
company and either sell outright, or force each part of the company to meet
financial goals, or face penalties, often with more debt. If the parts were not
profitable enough, they might be outsourced, and those jobs lost forever. Then
the real fun would begin.
Say your business was to make toys for handicapped kids. Over
many years, you perfected a formula of what sold, and what didn’t, which
materials were safe, etc. Well, once Bain bought your firm, the “experts” in
business suits would come in to make things “efficient”. Because your company
had so much new debt, and quarterly management fees to pay, your costs have
sky-rocketed, and in order to “make it” you have to cut corners to meet
standards and goals set by the MBA’s now in management. So you now have to cut
corners, perhaps use sub-standard materials to meet unrealistic quotas.
Ultimately, the MBA’s
couldn’t care less if your company sinks or swims, because they get paid
handsomely whether you sink or not. The only one who suffers, really, are the
workers who now have to work harder for less because their jobs can easily be
outsourced for less, and better to have a crappy job, than no job at all.
And the cycle repeats, huge management fees, costs and
personnel cut to the bone until the company sinks in a swamp of debt and Bain
moves onto the next company.
This long preamble is a major reason why no self-respecting member
of the middle class, Republican or Democrat should ever vote for Mitt Romney.
If you work for a company that downsized recently, or outsourced your job,
thank Mitt Romney. If you live with the fear of your job being outsourced,
thank Mitt Romney.
The business model pioneered by Mitt Romney has done more to
destroy the middle class in this country than almost anyone else, and it’s
important to remember this.
When Mitt Romney says he can run the country like a business
and we should trust him, remember that his business strategy is to NOT look out
for his workers, or the community – only the shareholders. And the question
that hasn’t been fully asked of Mitt Romney is this: “Who are your shareholders
in the government as a business thing”
Remember, that under Mitt’s tutelage, huge swaths of jobs
were lost, not gained, so each one of us should ask if we’re the lucky MBA’s
who’ll get paid to strip-mine the company, or the jilted workers, who’ll lose
their jobs.
For the answer to the previous question, I think we have an
answer.
The Family Dog
During Mitt’s last campaign for president, the story
surfaced of Mitt’s Romney’s dog. For those who missed it, here’s the outline:
On a vacation, Mitt strapped his Irish setter to the top of
his car and drove hundreds of miles, and when the dog got scared and sick; he
hosed the dog off and kept going.
This is a troubling incident, not just because of his dog,
but what the dog represents. I don’t know about you, but my dogs are like
family to me. I love them and worry when they are sick, and would mourn if they
died.
If Mitt Romney can’t be bothered to care for an ostensible
member of his family – the family dog – what makes you think he’ll care for
you, or your family?
I am positive that Mitt cares for people in his circle, but
frankly, I doubt his circle, as a person, or president would include you, or I.
For these basic reasons, any member of the
middle class who voted for Mitt Romney should do so with their eyes wide open
and realize that they are voting to make the rich richer, because when the
chips are down; the rich are Mitt’s peeps,
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