Reaction to Obama's Speech from Independent Office Products Dealers

[Patsy Underwood]

My husband and I own an office products company.  I received an interesting article from one of our industry e-magazines today and I thought it might be interesting to put in some of the comments from office product dealers around the U. S.  Here is the article:

OP reaction to Obama’s jobs act

A number of office products figureheads have shared with opi.net their reaction to US President Barack Obama’s plan to create new jobs

Speaking to a joint session of the US Congress yesterday, President Obama unveiled his proposition of a $450 billion package that includes tax cuts and spending plans.
 
The American Jobs Act will fund construction projects, schools and services, and reduce tax on small businesses, with the aim of creating jobs to tackle the current US unemployment figure of 9.1%.
 
Obama said: “The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working.”
 
As creating more jobs could provide a boost to the US office products industry, opi.net asked a number of industry members to give their opinion on this new drive.
 
Mike Gentile, President at Independent Stationers, said: “I am interested in plans that help small business. They are the job creators and, yes, they are also our independent dealers and their customers.
 
“You cannot legislate job creation. We have to create a job creation environment that stimulates investment so people start working again. Then we'll see our economy and especially our industry rebound.”
 
Michael Brown, President of HiTouch Business Services, said: “I was very intrigued by the speech. If the plan can get passed we will be highly incentivised to look to hire people who are classified in the plan such as American veterans and people who have been unemployed for more than six months.
 
“There needs to be a little more clarity on the tax reforms and what the final plan will be but we will be taking a hard look at this.”
 
Jay Baitler, EVP North American Contract at Staples, said: “While the President's total ineffectiveness to date and the dysfunctional history of how this congress has politicised every initiative makes me skeptical about the ability for them to collectively accomplish anything, I thought that there were good common sense ideas within his speech.
 
“If something happens quickly, good can come from this. If the rhetoric starts by morning tomorrow, the initiatives will be watered down and rendered completely ineffective, as has been the case with every other opportunity of the last two and a half years.”
 
Among other comments to date on Obama’s plans, Walter Johnsen, Chairman and CEO of Acme United Corporation, said: “As an American, I want the President to succeed. Relative to his speech, it is an empty suit.”

“When he said five times that Congress needed to pass his programme right away before he gave any details I turned the speech off. None of this is going anywhere. It's just a ploy to help him deflect blame for his re-election campaign,” said Bernie Garvey of Garvey's Office Products.

“Washington needs to focus on commitment, cooperation and continuity. Earlier this summer, with their individual paychecks on the line, the California legislature actually got a budget passed. Congress needs the same accountability lesson,” said Radstons President Diane Griffin.

“Obama was correct that 14 months is too long to wait to address our economic problems and that it must be done in an inclusive manner, for all Americans. If that happens, then I for one am hopeful that small business and the office products industry will get their fair share,” she added.

"The president's plan is a rehash of earlier efforts. One example is that we're going to see 500 fewer regulations but there are 4,200 new regulations in the process of implementation. And when would the 500 go away given the process to do away is lengthy?," stated Dave Guernsey, President and CEO of Guernsey Office Products.

"The bottom line is that businesses are starving for sales with consumer spending currently standing at 70% of GDP. Most of what is in the plan will extend current programmes which will extend the current malaise."

[JL Gawlik]

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[Patsy Underwood]

Amanda - while Dunder-Mifflin might be a fictional company - those of us small business owners are in a battle for our survival.  President Obama and his inadequate cronies have no clue what the "Real" world is like.  Thanks for the comment.

[JL Gawlik]

Do not hold your breath. This man waited until he spent over $400 billion dollars given to him in early August by raising the debt ceiling. He spent it in less than 30 days, after he gave his speech, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had the Senate pass a increase of over a half trillion dollars in the debt ceiling last night. 

 

IF this President was serious, he would not have waited to unveil his job plan after his 10 day vacation. He would have it all in writing, he has yet to submit anything in writing. Now he wants the American people to wait two more weeks for him to unveil how ALL of this $400 plus billion dollar America Jobs Act that in reality is just Stimulus #3. 

Go to speaker.gov  house.gov and gop.gov and read what the House has been trying to do since Jan 2011, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid keeps shelving all passed budgets, job bills, any bills that are coming out of the House passed by bipartisan votes and not allowing a open debate on the Senate floor, he and all the Progressive Democrats are obstructing legislation from operating properly and legally, they are not allowing the peoples' voices to be heard and have been doing so since they took over Congress in Jan 2007. They have allowed our country to run without a budget being passed thru the House since April 2009. All the while being disingenuous to the American people and blaming the GOP. 

 

It is clear they do not want the American people to know their agenda or true intentions. 

[amanda choate]

Where is the Dunder -Miflin president. No one understands officie supply needs like Dunder Miflin.