Milwaukee Biz Blog

After all the hearings in Washington and the intense grilling (not on the barbeque but in the House committee), you would think the arrogance attitude of these bankers would have been slapped in the face by the taxpayer who is handing out millions of dollars from our pockets.

But no, or in the case of Wisconsin's own Associated Bank, a big "HELL NO."

Associated Bank chief executive officer Paul Beideman tells the good taxpayers this is standard operating procedure for his bank! What? 

Paul ol' boy, was it standard operating procedure for Wells Fargo to cancel their trip to Las Vegas for their top 100 folks, was it standard operating procedure for Citibank to cancel the purchase of the new $50 million plane?

Was it standard operating procedure for you and the rest of your bank boys to screw away trillions of dollars on bad investments? Your bank is "currently" profitable, yet the bottom line is you cashed a check from the American public, and we are fed up with the arrogance you and others like you show.

Christopher Carter is the chief executive officer of CCI in Milwaukee.

County Supervisors Elizabeth Coggs and Toni Clark, you make us proud. You believe in spending the hard earned money I give to the county in the form of a county tax every year to spend on a $600 per night hotel rooms, wasted travel and meals.

Of course, you were doing county business, Gwen Moore had all the time of day to assist you in your needs …  Wait, what were those needs again? Oh Yes, front row seats to see the new president maybe?

Yet, we look to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Sir, you spent your own money, drove your own vehicle and did not waste my hard earned taxpayers' money. Thank you. You, sir, you are truly a trusted official, and we can rely on you to do the right thing and not screw over your people and waste our tax dollars on these types of frivolous activities.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask Supervisors Coggs and Clark some questions as I pay your salaries.
1.  What work did you do on behalf of the county?
2.  Did you two share a room to save expenses?
3.  Did you attend President Bush’s swearing in ceremony?

I really want to know as a citizen, as a resident and as a CEO who these two ladies think they are. We are in a recession, people. We are cutting back on trips and engagements. Yet, just because you have the same skin tone as the first African-American president, you feel you can rape the good citizens of Milwaukee County and take a leisure trip.

I expect I will never get an answer from those two ladies.

Christopher Carter is the chief executive officer of CCI in Milwaukee.

So, southeastern Wisconsin loses another company to an adjacent state! Does anyone care in Madison? Where is the magnificent 7?

The state of Iowa comes in and gives Husco International Inc. of Waukesha nearly $4 million in benefits to move to Iowa … $4 million keep that in mind folks …. What does the Wisconsin Department of Commerce of our fair state offer to keep a strong and growing firm in the state? An offer of assistance of $600,000. Oh, and a hardy we would love to have you in Wisconsin speech. Who is running this department? And again, where is this Magnificent 7?

Well, you know the outcome, Waukesha loses a long-time business leader for the corn of Iowa and the true assistance they were looking for. Oh, yes, Wisconsin gained big time … Wisconsin gained egg on their face for being so dumb to think in today's business environment that you can talk to us growing businesses like we are here for their benefit in this state tax hell. Oh, and again, where are the Magnificent 7?

I am not an idiot. I know that firms start all over the country and move, but come on, Wisconsin, get your head out of your bottom. Do you really think Coor's/SAB will choose Milwaukee because of a great marketing tag of "The Brew City?" My god, is your ego that pathetically large? Let's see what Milwaukee has to offer:

• Milwaukee & Wisconsin are a tax hell.
• You have a great airport run by a bunch of idiots.
• You have a great sherriff and a strong new police chief, but they are still weeding out the bad seeds.
• You have a state with a budget shortfall every year and a plan based on not paying this bill this month to paying it next month philosophy.
• You have a strong county executive with a board that is too large.
• We have strong universities, but we have Milwaukee Public Schools that is a failure.

Does the State of Wisconsin and the supposed Magnificent 7 really know what companies in southeastern Wisconsin need to be here for success in the region? Are you two even in communication with each other over companies? Come on, team, get your heads out of your back end. Start acting like a major player state in the United States of America and start working together, or you will soon find this company leaving as well!

Christopher Carter is the chief executive officer of CCI in Milwaukee.

I watched as Lou Dobbs described the package my president was looking to give out to EVERY American to "get them spending" $800 and $1,600 per family, based on single or married status.

I'm married, so I would receive $1600. Great. Now what? We will put it into our daughters' 529 accounts for their future.

Most folks will spend it within a week, and good for them. Yet, we are going to give that money to EVERY American? Everyone, even those who don't work, even those who pay no taxes whatsoever? Then watch as a bubble bursts over everyone … OK, right, and Republicans and Democrats will hold hands and sing "Kumbaya!"

Ok, now let's be serious. Why don't you give a tax stimulus to the businesses in the USA who employ Americans? Allow us to hire more Americans! Allow us to grow, so more hard-working American men and women who are not afraid to work want to work, so more Americans who are willing to come to work every day can?

Here are the benefits: You don't have a class war on those who pay taxes and those who do not.

You get more tax dollars in the state, local and yes, the federal economies, because we business owners spend more than one married family's $1,600 windfall.

Government gets more tax dollars for needed projects, and in Wisconsin's case, to try to balance the budget.

We in turn hire more employees, which we could use, to grow our business. We buy more consumer products, computers, office supplies and even toilet paper.

Let me put it this way. We have 52 employees, you provide a package for us based on those employees, let's say $2000 per, so $100,000 (ballpark, play with the numbers whatever you like). I would hire three to four new employees, give them health care, 401k, a health savings account and pay 33 percent tax on them, so basically I am then investing. We average $50,000 or so per employee per salary, so we could create $150,000 to $200,000 in new salary, not including all the taxes and benefits to the government.

So, don't just look to the financial markets, the home lenders and the homebuilders to give a stimulus to. Look to the other companies in the USA who are ready to help now.

Now, I call that a stimulus package for America and the hard-working American worker!

Christopher Carter is the chief executive officer of CCI in Milwaukee.

How hard it is to do business in Wisconsin? Let me count the ways …

So, I bought this little Oil & Gas company in Texas this month, several million in revenue added to the bottom line and 11 new employees, nothing major.
Well, let me assert this point. It was made a whole hell of a lot easier by the State of Texas and the cities of Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The folks in their offices of Business Development and others went above and beyond anything I have ever encountered in the state of Wisconsin.  They were courteous, they were willing to assist with needs based on how we wanted to handle the purchase, how to keep jobs, how to license, how to deal with a number of layoffs. They even paid for lunch in Houston that I asked them to come to in order to drill into more questions.

Now, compare that to the hassles of no call backs, standing in lines with an uneducated person who felt I was bothering her and asking too many questions before she was to go on her cigarette break, (yes, she asked me to hurry she needed a ciggy break!)

So once she went on her break, I was asked questions rather than being the question asker, and all the new man wanted to know was if the new company was going to funnel monies into the current company and how much? (His quote, "Milwaukee needs to tax you on that you know!") Milwaukee needs to tax me? Are you nuts? Milwaukee needs to tax me?

So, this is the BS that I had to face for three weeks out of my life, and I am sure no one from city hall is going to give me those three weeks back, so no, the company is purchased but it is going to stay in Texas - every last cent until I retire or sell it, and then I will be in another state with no state taxes or even the scent of a universal health care program.

The City of Milwaukee should wake up and smell the dollars running from this city. As I said to the Future 50 program, I love Milwaukee and I want to grow here, but man alive, be happy companies like mine stay here with all this taxing bull, because it is a full tax break to pick up and move to a Texas or an Atlanta where they cater to our business and not try to choke it by stepping on our throats.

Food for thought!

Christopher Carter is the chief executive officer of CCI in Milwaukee.

OK, people are we finally getting it after the recent economic numbers that the U.S. economy is in a slump? The housing market is in a free fall, gas is at all-time highs again and we have more unemployment claims again this month.

So lets look at this.

First, gas. Speculation is killing the market, first it was over the war, then it was over Iran, now Nigeria. What the real problem is is the idiots who are speculating over all these issues. Are you serious, Nigeria? Even OPEC wants gas at or near $35 per barrel. Yet, we have these morons thinking because there is a disruption possibility in Nigeria we are going to lose production. Hell, the USA and the rest of the world cannot keep up the way it is with production. But yet, we as consumers bark and moan and do nothing, no one protests, no one talks with their wallet, or their VOTE.

Second, the housing market. People ... if you work for $7 per hour and are trying to buy a house for $400,000 dollars with no money down, you are going to lose it in six months because you can not afford it! What idiot loan officer approves these loans? Now, everyone deserves the American dream of owning a home, but be smarter on your choices, people. And you, Mr. Home Loan financial person, your job should be based on the number of foreclosures that you give out, not the number of loans you give out.

Third, employment. Everyone should work, now not everyone can, it's a given. Family issues, disability, medical, what have you. But if you are an able-bodied American with the capability of even holding up a sign for the Domino's Pizza lunch special, then you better get your lazy butt off the couch and work.  I am sick of hearing, as I overheard at a coffee shop this week, "I wish some one would give me a job," to which their friend asked, "What are you looking for?" "An office, where I can come and go as I want, do what needs to be done and get paid serious money!" It was too funny because as I overheard, (was hard not too) he had no education, no skills and currently did not work because he got fired from his job for smelling like pot and failing his drug test! Are you kidding me? Son, grow a brain and think about where your life is! "The world needs ditch diggers," as stated by Judge Smales, in 1985.

There is a famous Milwaukee radio personality that states it best: "We are big, fat, lazy Americans. We want it when we want it, how we want it, whenever we want it, and we want more of it"

Let's start using the seven pounds of space between our ears rather then the 20 pounds of space on our backside, people.

One last piece … People, learn how to drive! You say FIB's are bad … Wow, Wisconsinites, you are the worst drivers I have been around. God created the lever near your left hand. It is called a directional. Learn to use it, please!
 

Christopher Carter is president and chief executive officer of CCI, a Milwaukee-based technology company. Additional information is available at www.ccierp.com.

As the president and CEO of a Milwaukee-based SAP services firm, I am in agreement to fully support and back U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) to reintroduce the Buy American Improvement Act in Washington, D.C.

"Under the Buy American Act, the federal government is supposed to support American manufacturers and American workers by buying goods made in the United States, but the law is full of loopholes that give agencies broad discretion to waive the requirement," Feingold said. "The Buy American Improvement Act will strengthen American manufacturing by making it harder to waive the Buy American requirement."

Our staff is proud of our efforts to keep U.S. citizens working and providing them with a strong wage right here in America. Every day, we are helping companies choose U.S. workers with integrity and skill over cheap under-skilled firms offshore. I am proud of the work the senator is doing and proud to support him in his efforts.

OK, so with all the outsourcing and offshoring, why is it taking Washington this long to take notice of a law that has been on the books to assist the U.S. worker? Why was it fashionable to send millions of jobs to foreign countries when American companies can do the exact same work at the exact same wage as the foreign entities, even though the LAW states we need to look at U.S. companies first for purchases?

It is because of the hype. Look at the recent bombings in India. When was the last time you saw that in Milwaukee, Wis.? NEVER! 

You get some high-profile media experts in a room, and they hear one side of a debate to cure all the ill's of a company's misfortunes, and they begin to steamroll the issue. They say outsourcing is money saved, outsourcing is job saving.

Well, let's start there.

Outsourcing is not money saved. There are new surveys out talking about just the opposite, how there is a higher degree of cost due to outsourcing rather than buying American. You would have to deal with a culture who does not understand U.S. business practices. They are still a Third World country!

Have you been to India or China? I have. They do not have nearly the infrastructure we do. Sure, they have a few nice campuses, but you get out, and they are riddled with electrical and technology issues that we take for granted on a daily basis to run our businesses.

Their costs are as high as ours, and there is less lag in the "business side of the equation." Can you speak the language? Can you understand the computer support rep on the phone when you have an issue?

Look at buying American first. To tell me that we are sending jobs and buying products and services from companies in other lands because no one here wants the job and no one here wants to make the products is plain old stupid!

Not everyone in this country is a white-collar worker. The fabric of the U.S.A. is and was made on the backs of the strong workers and the strong companies who employee U.S. workers to do those jobs.

We support keeping jobs in the U.S.A. by building an environment for manufacturing knowledge and experience in our day-to-day jobs and by helping firms to buy American. It is the "in" thing to do.

Buy American, use American firms, grow a global economy and watch the successes around them prosper. Thank you, Sen. Feingold, for standing up for America!
 
Christopher Carter is president and chief executive officer of CCI, a Milwaukee-based technology company. Additional information is available at www.ccierp.com.