When I am not blogging and I am running my business here is what I am thinking.

If the health care requirements will only affect businesses with 50 or more employees, is it possible for me to shed 12 employees to get under that requirement?

Will my customer with only 45 employees turn down more work with risks if it requires hiring 5 more employees and putting him under federal scrutiny?

Now that the 15% capital gains tax will likely rise to 20% and 3.8% Medicare tax will now be added to that income flow ( for a 59% tax increase on investment ) would I be better off just spending the money on a second home or some collectable item that I can enjoy that I won’t have to pay a tax on? How will this incentive to consume instead of invest affect job creation and unemployment?

With unemployment likely to remain high or even increase, should I upgrade my alarm system at work?  (I already have at home.)

Will the extension of unemployment benefits cause an increase in my state unemployment insurance premium for all workers?

All of these considerations serve two objectives:  avoid hiring new workers or retaining any marginal workers, and avoid any new investment unless a strong short term return is assured.  Stop thinking long term.

I speak with lots of business people daily. There is nothing unique about my thought process.

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