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NEW CALLS FROM DEMOCRATS FOR THOROUGH VETTING OF PRESIDENT-ELECT'S WEALTHY CABINET PICKS
John Tamny: I don't exactly love when talented people leave the private sector because I think that can potentially have affects on the economy. But I do love that these people are rich and have conflicts at the same time. Let's look back to the '80s and '90s when asset prices were rising the electorate were happy. If in fact Trump's appointees leave them richer, because of what they brought to the office, the economy is better off.
Mike Ozanian: I'm more interested in people who believe in the principles of the Constitution and favor individual liberty. Beyond that, they've been successful in business, it could be a plus. One of the things I like about his top Cabinet picks, he's much more heavily tilted towards people with business experience who had an also not been in government, what we've had for the past eight years is exactly the opposite.
Rich Karlgaard: I support what he's doing. Look, investment creates prosperity, prosperity creates wealth, wealth creates more investment, and the cycle repeats and that's how you get from 2 percent growth which we've had the past eight years to 3 or 4 percent growth, and that's what the country really needs right now.
Sabrina Schaeffer: You're referring to this revolving door we have here in Washington where people go in and out of public service and they do get very rich. I think the one thing I do like about some of the ideas of pulling people in from business is that they have real experience and all sorts of different fields, from industry, to medicine, to law, that's a great thing. It means they've experienced firing and hiring, ups and downs, they understand regulation and political red tape and that can only help us.
Elizabeth MacDonald: I don't want to see any corruption probes or any corruption from the incoming, Trump administration, that's what Elizabeth Warren was getting at with Ben Carson, saying is Trump’s real estate empire going to benefit from HUD money. I can see the question, I understand what she's trying to say, I don't see that happening, but trump still has a stake in his empire and he's going to get dinged for that.
Bruce Japsen: Well, here is the deal and by the way, you know, President Obama has Penny Pritzker, the head commerce secretary, took six months to disclose her conflicts and whatever. I think that the cabinet people, one of the things I’m listening for, what are they going to do with the little guy? When Steve Mnuchin gets up there and testifies will he get rid of the loophole and tack cuts for the middle class? I want the Cabinet people to be transparent. That's the problem with Donald, we don't know where he made his money and who he owes debt to.
PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP URGES SUPPORTERS TO SHOP AT L.L. BEAN AFTER LIBERALS CALL FOR BOYCOTT
Mike Ozanian: You have to act promptly or otherwise this'll paint you as something that you're not. Good for President-elect Trump tweeting out. He has nearly 20 million followers, they want to know what he has to say.
David: What about her attitude, that's the way you stand up to these things, right?
Rich Karlgaard: I applaud her for doing that, at the same time I think this grab my wallet campaign is going to burn itself out. There are 80 companies on the black list. I thought that liberals hated black lists, but they've got 80 companies and the sheer noise of it all and the weight of it all is going to burn itself out.
John Tamny: I love that she's standing up, but I think that Rich is right. This is absurd. Look, we all produce in order to get what we don't have. The idea that suddenly people are going to compromise their living standards to fulfill some idiotic black list is going to die of its own absurdly.
Elizabeth MacDonald: Critics could say why are you saying buy L.L. Bean. A retailer a rival to L.L. Bean could say, listen, I make clothes in U.S. why are you favoring that over my company you shouldn't president the presidency in that position.
Sabrina Schaeffer: I'm glad she came out and said what she wanted to say, free expression, give money to any candidate or pac you want to give to and I'm with rich, this is absurd the idea that you're going to black list certain conservatives, the liberal side or the conservative one. I don't care who people support if they're a good surgeon or a good electrician or a good actress, I just want them to do their job, we don't have to agree on everything.
Bill Baldwin: I can't follow them all. I'm supposed to boycott Macy's because I like Donald Trump or boycott Macy's because I don't like Donald Trump?
GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS IN FOCUS AS CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR SAYS LOW-INCOME HOUSING IS TOO EXPENSIVE TO BUILD
Mike Ozanian: The problem is you have an elite group of people in politics making rules for a vast majority of people when they know nothing about what it's like to start a business. So they put in rules and regulations. It stifles economic growth, and that's what hurts revenues coming from businesses that would go to the government.
Rich Karlgaard: California has 45 million people. The world wants to live here. We've generated companies like google, facebook, apple, et cetera, et cetera, plus the entertainment industry. That kind of prosperity drives up prices, so, I think it more has to do with market demand than regulation, even though we are overregulated.
John Tamny: Yeah, well politicians don't realize that housing is a market just like every other. If you free up the market there will be different prices.
Elizabeth MacDonald: I don't think it's an epiphany any for Jerry Brown. You look at the inland empire, suburban sprawl and it's an interesting caveat he made.
Bruce Japsen: Jerry Brown said he didn't know what was going on at the federal level. We could have tax cuts that will blow a hole through the deficit. There's not going to be any money or anything, we don't know what the wild card of Dr. Ben Carson is going to be on housing so he doesn't know that. Maybe one of his only qualifications is that he lives in a house, we'll see.
Bill Baldwin: If you want more housing, repeal rent control and land use regulations and don't bury every building permit in seven years of litigation and environmental impact statements.
STOCK PICKS
Elizabeth MacDonald: AAPL
Bill Baldwin: DPS
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