WHEN I SAT DOWN WITH STEEL
DYNAMICS CHAIRMAN KEITH BUSSE A
YEAR
AGO, HIS TOP CONCERNS WERE OUR
SPIRALING DEBT AND OUR
SPUTTERING
ECONOMY.
AND AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE
2012 ELECTIONS, THAT HASN'T
CHANGED.
IN NOVEMBER 2011, KEITH BUSSE'S
MAIN CONCERN WAS FEDERAL DEBT,
WITH
THE GOVERNMENT RUNNING MORE THAN
A $1 BILLION YEARLY DEFICIT.
A YEAR LATER, HE SEES THAT
PROBLEM ONLY GETTING WORSE,
ESTIMATING
THAT WHEN OBAMACARE TAKES FULL
EFFECT, WE'LL BE PILING UP 2
TRILLION
DOLLARS OF ADDITIONAL DEBT EACH
YEAR.
"AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IT ALL
COLLAPSES.
IT WILL ALL COLLAPSE UNDER
ITS OWN WEIGHT.
BUSINESSES WILL FAIL AND GO
BANKRUPT.
JOBS WILL BE FEWER
THAN THEY ARE TODAY.
THERE WILL BE UNHAPPY PEOPLE ON
THE STREET," SAID
BUSSE.
SO HOW DO WE PREVENT ALL THAT?
HE SAYS WE CAN START BY GETTING
A HANDLE ON ENTITLEMENTS,
WHICH WOULD INCLUDE STEPS LIKE
RAISING THE ELIGIBILITY AGE FOR
SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE.
"WE ARE ALL LIVING LONGER,
THANKS TO
THE BEST MEDICINE ON THE PLANET
BECAUSE OF THE BEST HEALTH CARE
SYSTEM
ON THE PLANET," SAID BUSSE.
"AND I THINK WE REALISTICALLY
HAVE TO THINK
ABOUT...
NOT 62, AND NOT 65 AND NOT 67,
BUT TO THINK ABOUT 'IT DOESN'T
START,
BOYS, UNTIL 65, AND YOU DON'T
GET FULL BENEFITS NOW MAYBE
UNTIL 70.'"
NEWSCHANNEL 15 ASKED BUSSE,
"YOU'RE NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT
CONGRESS
BEING READY TO MAKE SUBSTANTIVE
CHANGE IN ENTITLEMENTS?"
"NOT IN ITS CURRENT
CONFIGURATION," BUSSE REPLIED.
"I MEAN, IF THE
DEMOCRATS RETAIN CONTROL OF THE
SENATE, HARRY REID'S GOING TO
BLOCK
EVERY PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT
EVEN SMELLS LIKE IT MOVES THAT
DIRECTION." WHICH IS WHY BUSSE
HOPES THE COUNTRY
GIVES REPUBLICANS ANOTHER CHANCE
TO TAKE OVER THE SENATE, AND
PUTS
MITT ROMNEY IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
"HE'S OBVIOUSLY THE BEST MAN FOR
THE
JOB FROM AN ECONOMIC
PERSPECTIVE," SAID BUSSE.
"HE
UNDERSTANDS THE ECONOMY.
I REALLY THINK MR.
OBAMA DOES NOT TRULY
UNDERSTAND ECONOMICS."
BY THE WAY, BUSSE SAYS IF ROMNEY
AND THE REPUBLICANS CAN'T REIN
IN THE
DEFICIT AND PROVIDE GOOD
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS...
VOTERS SHOULD TOSS
THEM OUT, TOO.
SOME OF THE STEPS HE RECOMMENDS
TO
BOOST THE ECONOMY: GET TOUGH
WITH CHINA ON ITS CURRENCY
MANIPULATION, CUT THE U-S
CORPORATE TAX RATE, AND LOWER
EVERYONE'S INCOME
TAX RATES...
WHILE ALSO REMOVING MOST
LOOPHOLES AND DEDUCTIONS.
