Time for U.S. manufacturers to declare independence -- from government

[Geee]

Washington Examiner:

Big industrial lobbies continue to rail against overregulation and overtaxation, but they don't hesitate to come to Capitol Hill with open palms.
In June, the manufacturing lobby pushed hard in both chambers of Congress for the preservation and expansion of a federal corporate welfare agency - the Export-Import Bank of the United States. The lobbyists don't have to apply too much pressure, though, because both parties love the subsidies.

Ex-Im is a federal agency that subsidizes U.S. exports by issuing or guaranteeing loans to foreign buyers of U.S. goods. Originally created by Franklin Roosevelt, the agency comes up for renewal every few years. Its current authorization expires at the end of 2011, and so the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee is moving ahead on passing reauthorization.

I was at the subcommittee markup earlier this month, where a dozen or so lobbyists watched in relieved satisfaction as Chairman Gary Miller sped through the formalities and passed the bill in about 10 minutes.

The biggest group represented at the markup appeared to be the National Association of Manufacturers, the $10-million-a-year lobbying operation headed by Republican operative Jay Timmons. NAM is a powerhouse on Capitol Hill, especially among the Republican Party, which shares NAM's antagonism toward Big Labor, high taxes, and burdensome regulations.

Despite their free-market rhetoric that the business lobby and Republicans often employ, both entities happily embrace Big Government when it comes in the form of subsidies and bailouts. Ex-Im reauthorization and expansion is a prime example of Democrat-Republican-Big Business comity.

[Valin]

Despite their free-market rhetoric that the business lobby and Republicans often employ, both entities happily embrace Big Government when it comes in the form of subsidies and bailouts.

 

Alas all to true. Welcome to the wonderful world of practical politics.