JOB CREATION & DEVALUATION

Published in El Nuevo Herald on October 23, 2011

Among the various mechanisms that can be chosen to stimulate job creation in the U.S., perhaps the most important is the increase in tariffs for manufactured goods in China. Since then, the measure faces a formidable obstacle: more than 95% of these factories are owned by U.S. citizens and, obviously, they will oppose such a measure even if survival is at stake in the country
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In recent years there has been discussion in Congress that several countries, especially China, deliberately manipulating its currency to keep it undervalued. This deceptive practice makes it stimulates the import of Chinese products.

With a fierce Republican opposition in Congress, has tried to pass a law criminalizing the artificial devaluation. Specifically, Rep. John Boehner, Speaker of the House, said "this legislation exceeds Congress's role and is extremely dangerous." In response, the Democrat Charles Schumer argued: "There is nothing more important for Congress to defend American jobs." The law ended up happening with 225 votes, of which only 61 were Republicans.

On October 4, Sen. Charles Schumer, Democrat of Brooklyn, introduced the bill Currency Exchange Rate Oversight The Reform Act, which among its proposals are: if a nation is accused of keeping its currency undervalued and not set in a period of three months, the tariffs will be increased; prohibits federal procurement of goods and services to those nations; prohibits the Trade Promotion Agency of the United States invest in those countries.

Indeed, if import tariffs significantly increase, you can redefine the domestic manufacturing lead to an increase in employment. We would combat primary labor cost with immigrant labor, which would be compensated by the figure of bonds in lieu of regular wages while processed American citizenship. In this way, we would  face two serious problems: unemployment and illegal immigration. At least it's something we can do.
 





BENJAMIN F DeYURRE
Miami

LUCRATIVE BUSINESS

                                                   
                PUBLISHED IN EL NUEVO HERALD OF MIAMI ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

The late fees and reconnection fees are no longer fair warning to consumers and have become a lucrative business. The costs of delay in payments and reconnections are very high, sometimes 30% of the value of service. The question that arises is: What bank charges interest of 30% financing?

What is the cost generated by this reconnection?  We believe that late fees should be collected only by banks or credit cards, and reconnection fees should reflect the same interest rate prevailing in the market, otherwise business would remain a very speculative indeed.

It is common to notice a marked sacrifice in the face of consumers when they line up to pay the reconnection and the high costs of basic services and cell phone, which often is the only means of communication they have and this should be also considered a basic service.

Many monopolic companies have merged and created centers of power to impose prices and conditions at will while hiring influential political lobbies to set the standard of "deaf ear" to many complaints. In addition, the most feasible way of communicating with these companies is phone to make a purchase.  If the call is for other reasons, hardly communication is achieved.

We believe in free enterprise and Democracy, so we a make public call to politicians with real vocation of service to regulate the costs associated with delays in payments and reconnections, especially now in rampant unemployment and economic crisis in full effect.

BENJAMIN F. DeYURRE

Miami