DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING "Cost of Freedom Recap" CONTAINS STRONG OPINIONS WHICH ARE NOT A REFLECTION OF THE OPINIONS OF FOX NEWS AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS INVESTMENT ADVICE WHEN MAKING PERSONAL INVESTMENT DECISIONS. IT IS FOX NEWS' POLICY THAT CONTRIBUTORS DISCLOSE POSITIONS THEY HOLD IN STOCKS THEY DISCUSS, THOUGH POSITIONS MAY CHANGE. READERS OF "Cost of Freedom Recap" MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN INVESTMENT DECISIONS.
LAWMAKERS FOCUS ON BUDGET CUTS AS FOOD PRICES SOAR: IS THIS A REAL THREAT TO ECONOMY?
Scott Brown: When prices rise Super markets and business owners are going to pass that off to the consumers. Then you throw in the scare tactics and it is going to lead to higher costs. They need to stop with the scare tactics and get down to business.
Jonathan Hoenig: Yes this is inflation. It is it caused by government and the artificial expansion of the money supply to support all of that deficit spending. Prices go up and the value of people's savings go down and hurts the economy. It's devastating to poor folks and folks on a fixed income and both parties are guilty of this. Goods that cost a thousand Bucks a decade ago cost almost $1,300 today.
Wayne Rogers: What is happening isn't good. Inflation kills us all at some point in time. The problem with food prices is wide spread. Supply is low. That means both chicken and beef suffer as a result. When a farmer's cost go up, he will pass it on to the consumer and the consumers pays more.
Gary Kaltbaum: For a family of four every dime counts and when they are sitting at the table, everything matters and looking at the checkbook, Jonathan is it right. The fed is printing money and we are seeing inflation. I am worried about the hyper-inflation.
Margie Omero: I have gone around the country and talked to Walmart moms and they express concern about making their dollar stretch and that's true when prices are going up. They are thinking of how much gas they need to go to the cheaper grocery store and where they're going to have to cut back in they buy for the kids. Is it a real concern that Americans feel and they want to make sure in Washington we are hearing the concerns and speaking the language that demonstrates understanding for those concerns.
CHINA'S NEW HACK ATTACKS: IS OUR NATIONAL DEBT PUTTING OUR ECONOMY & NATIONAL SECURITY AT RISK?
Jonathan Hoenig: The debt is a threat no matter who we owe it to. We ask why we don't have a back bone with China when it comes to hacking? We haven't even had a back bone with the military threats from Iran. I am not surprised. We should have the guts to stand up and say it is a violation of intellectual property and the United States will not stand for it. It hurts china more than anyone. No wealth will be created for anyone.
Scott Brown: If we didn't have that $1.2 trillion that we borrowed from China we would be in a different situation. We'd have less hesitation. We'd be able to say enough is enough. The time for talking is over and we need to draw a line in the sand.
Wayne Rogers: Attacks are going to take place regardless. That is it a given. The stuff the administration is talking about where they are going to do something about is bull. They cannot. You can't stop and it is going to happen and you better get used to. You are not going to do anything about the hacking and all of the talk is ranting and raving. It has nothing to do with the real problem.
Gary Kaltbaum: Intellectual property theft cost the U.S. $48 billion in 2009. It is it a lot more in this point in time. This can affect all kinds of industry, who knows what they will go after next? But again. What are you going to do and who are you going to prosecute? I think you hack them back twice as hard.
Margie Omero: The President mentioned it in the state of the union. The White House released a strategy report and you have the attorney general talking about it. Sounds like the administration is doing a lot.
NEW LAWS ALLOW JOB SEEKERS TO SUE FOR "JOBLESS DISCRIMINATION"
GARY KALTBAUM: The problem is is that it is it a blanket law and affecting all business and another problem is costs are going to go up, and lawsuits are going to be all over the place. It's ridiculous. If I am en employer, I want to hire, whoever I want to hire, it is my business. Part of hiring is if somebody is out of work for a year, I want to know why. This is plain stupidity.
WAYNE RODGERS: I think they mayor of New York is right. The mayor of New York is saying the same thing that Gary is saying. A guy who has made his fortune in the private business and he's unimpeachable in his integrity. He is making one dollar a year to be the mayor of New York and he is governing an ungovernable city and he says this won't work and he's right. It will end up in a lot of lawsuits. If I am an employer I have the right to anybody. By the way, Scott was a United States senator, does that mean because he didn't get elected this time he has no competence? No, it means he's a hell of a guy who can get elected again. So why should that make any difference?
SCOTT BROWN: Wayne thank you, I am a fan of yours too, so thank you. I agree with Mayor Bloomberg, It should be one factor. The employer should have the opportunity and the right to inquire as to what you have been doing. Have you done retraining or part-time or hustling to get re-employed or are you sitting at home doing nothing? I want to hire the person that is hungry and I agree the lawsuits and early Christmas present for plaintiff lawyers. To bring these suits, the cost of business will go up. I feel like employers will just hunker down and just not hire. It's not a good idea.
MARGIE OMERO: I can appreciate the concern about small businesses. I run a small business. I don't want to face lawsuits. It would be tough to fight that. What a lot of voters support is carrot rather than sticks. Encouraging businesses to hire the unemployed through tax breaks or some other incentive because you have folks that are chronically unemployed and we had a recession. how do you get those folks back in the works force. We should be encouraging and making it easier for those folks to get back to work.
JONATHON HOENIG: If it is in the business owner's best interest to hire somebody, they will hire them. They have the right to discriminate. Discrimination is a slur term for judgment. To be a successful business person, you need to have judgment. Especially about to Wayne's point you want to invest your own money and whom you want to hire, whom you want to fire, and laws like this are an insult to man's mind and an individual trying to use his brain to grow his business and hire the best person for the job.
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?
Gary Kaltbaum: Stock market about to get tricky. Get defensive with companies like Phillip Morris (PM)
Wayne Rogers: New Immigration reform will be costly. Lawmakers will have to take from other programs to help pay for this one.
Jonathan Hoenig: Make big profits from small companies like WMCR.
GARY KALTBAUM: The problem is is that it is it a blanket law and affecting all business and another problem is costs are going to go up, and lawsuits are going to be all over the place. It's ridiculous. If I am en employer, I want to hire, whoever I want to hire, it is my business. Part of hiring is if somebody is out of work for a year, I want to know why. This is plain stupidity.
WAYNE RODGERS: I think the mayor of New York is right. The mayor of New York is saying the same thing that Gary is saying. A guy who has made his fortune in the private business and he's unimpeachable in his integrity. He is making one dollar a year to be the mayor of New York and he is governing an ungovernable city and he says this won't work and he's right. It will end up in a lot of lawsuits. If I am an employer I have the right to anybody. By the way, Scott was a United States senator, does that mean because he didn't get elected this time he has no competence? No, it means he's a hell of a guy who can get elected again. So why should that make any difference?
SCOTT BROWN: Wayne, thank you, I am a fan of yours too, so thank you. I agree with Mayor Bloomberg, It should be one factor. The employer should have the opportunity and the right to inquire as to what you have been doing. Have you done retraining or part-time or hustling to get re-employed or are you sitting at home doing nothing? I want to hire the person that is hungry and I agree the lawsuits and early Christmas present for plaintiff lawyers. To bring these suits, the cost of business will go up. I feel like employers will just hunker down and just not hire. It's not a good idea.
MARGIE OMERO: I can appreciate the concern about small businesses. I run a small business. I don't want to face lawsuits. It would be tough to fight that. What a lot of voters support is carrot rather than sticks. Encouraging businesses to hire the unemployed through tax breaks or some other incentive because you have folks that are chronically unemployed and we had a recession. how do you get those folks back in the works force. We should be encouraging and making it easier for those folks to get back to work.
JONATHON HOENIG: If it is in the business owner's best interest to hire somebody, they will hire them. They have the right to discriminate. Discrimination is a slur term for judgment. To be a successful business person, you need to have judgment. Especially about to Wayne's point you want to invest your own money and whom you want to hire, whom you want to fire, and laws like this are an insult to man's mind and an individual trying to use his brain to grow his business and hire the best person for the job.
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