I GUESS THIS IS WHAT THE OBAMANS CALL SMART POLICY – AT 9:14 A.M. ET:   The Obamans claim that our economy is improving, but too many Americans still don't feel it.  And this country is doing little to improve conditions that are needed for a soaring economy.  From Forbes: 

The U.S. is the world’s undisputed economic superpower representing nearly one-quarter of global GDP with $16.7 trillion last year. It is the financial capital of the world and has largely recovered from the Great Recession. The economy recently posted its best six month performance in more than a decade and unemployment stands at 5.9%, down from its 2009 peak of 10%.

Yet for all of its financial might, the U.S. lags behind many other developed nations when it comes to its business climate, and the gap is growing. The U.S. ranks No. 18 in Forbes’ ninth annual ranking of the Best Countries for Business, down four spots from last year. It marks the fifth straight year of declines since the U.S. ranked second in 2009.

Blame an expanded government, as well as expensive new regulations in finance and health care. The U.S. is the only country to record a loss of economic freedom seven straight years in the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom. More than 130 major new federal regulations on starting a business have been added since 2009 at an annual cost of $60 billion, according to the Heritage Foundation. Monetary freedom for the U.S. ranks 81st out of 146 countries with only the U.K. and Turkey faring worse among OECD nations.

The U.S. also gets knocked for its corporate tax climate, which ranks 43rd (out of 146 we ranked countries) in the World Bank’s Doing Business report. The statutory corporate rates in the U.S. are the highest in the world among developed countries and the complexity of the code keeps an army of accountants busy. Companies get a break on their taxes thanks to numerous deductions, but the reality of having the highest published rates in the world makes for bad PR.

The best country for business this year is Denmark, which ranked No. 1 three straight years between 2008 and 2010.

COMMENT:  We can't blame it all on Obama, but a socialist-tilting government is not doing our economy any favors.  The Democrats complain about income inequality, and they indeed have a legitimate point, however it has increased under Obama's administration. 

December 19, 2014