H/T Milwaukee Business Journal's Rich Rovito On Badger Meter Inc. Chairman Rich Meeusen. Meeusen took part in a three person panel discussion he offered up a few cases of foot-in-mouth disease:
“In a city like Milwaukee, one of the major products we produce are high school dropouts,” he said.
After a slight pause, he added this unsolicited comment about economic development: “And our major exports in Milwaukee is corporate headquarters.”
We will address the education quote in a bit, but in terms of exporting jobs, Meeusen would know.
During a later discussion about area companies working to attract the necessary talent, Meeusen pointed out that Badger Meter has shipped most of its low-skilled factory jobs out of the country.
“I will say that I don’t believe it’s my job to create employment for high school dropouts,” he said. “It’s the government’s job and the family’s job to figure out how to keep kids from dropping out.”
So he likes to ship jobs overseas where I am sure he looks for the most educated workforce he can find there, but do not blame him. Its not his fault, it’s the damm Gubamint. Then after showing disdain for government, he turned into a political pundit where he offered unsolicited advice to President Obama first:
“If I could give President Obama three pieces of advice they’d be: One, I’d ask him for a corporate tax rate that is competitive globally. The second is to repeal Sarbanes-Oxley. It’s been a disaster. It didn’t work. The third one is to not run for re-election,” he said.
Speaking of uneducated. One, We have the second corporate tax rate in the world, so it appears that he wants the president to RAISE corporate taxes. The Second is Meeusen wants to repeal Sarbanes-Oxley, which holds public companies accountable for their past accounting fraud practices. The fact that Meeusen wants to repeal this very successful law, makes me wonder exactly what he would like to do without these regulations in place(hint if it ever gets repealed I would be careful in investing in Badger Meter Stock). The third one speaks for itself.
Then he turned his “brilliant political punditry” to Scott Walker.
“For Governor Walker, I’d ask him to first win the damn recall,” Meeusen said. “After he does win the recall, I think he should do something that he should have done from the beginning.”
Meeusen then recalled a telephone conversation he had with Walker during the governor’s transition period.
“He asked me what one thing he could do to really show that Wisconsin is open for business. I said, ‘That’s real simple.’ Make Wisconsin the first northern state and the 23rd state in the union to be a right-to-work state. His answer to me was, ‘I’m not sure I want to tick off the unions.’ Well governor, that ship has sailed. You might as well do it now and get it done,” he said.
Let’s review, Meeusen, wants world class schools, wants to pay no taxes for these schools and wants to continue to lower wages in Wisconsin and the Country while enacting right to work for less laws, all the while shipping as many jobs as he can overseas. People care what he has to say?
Well let’s give Meeusen the benefit of the doubt, as a leader of the panel discussion for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, he must be a wildly successful CEO right?
Ah well… I know that some (or maybe most if not all) wide-eyed screaming liberals don’t like the message delivered by Rich Meeusen, but fact is he is spot on ! Long past time to quit making excuses for our dumbed down society and dysfunctional governments, and start making things right. Maybe when Scott Walker gets things straightened out and steps down, Meeusen might be convinced to run for governor!
actually I think I pointed out quite thoroughly how is has no clue whatsoever.
He should run for Governor becuase he runs his company like scott walker runs our state…backwards
Meeusen pointed out that Badger Meter has shipped most of its low-skilled factory jobs out of the country. Many of the jobs went to Mexico where workers had only a primary educational level. These low wages and NAFTA tax advanges ment higher profits for Badger Meter and higher compensation and bonuses for Rich Meeusen.
If Badger was a good corporate citizen they could offer work study to a few of those high school kids that would help keep them in school.
Badger Meter management has acted like many of the other Greedy Bastard corporation in our country. Driving wages down, exporting jobs and importing product, complaining about taxes and regulations being too strict; these GB have continue to destroy the US economy for the profit of a few.
It is past time that we require corporations in the US to make a Pledge of Allegence to the US, and increase taxes on imported products. 20 year of free trade rather than fair trade has ruined our economic system and destroyed what used to be the middle class.
well of course we have to keep a large number of our citizens dumb! who else will fight the wars that profit the few. wrap them in a flag, pump them full of god and country and send them off to make profit and when they return give a few heartfelt speeches, maybe shed a tear or two and kick them in the ass when they ask for help because they don’t have any skills and we don’t have any jobs. how about we outsource our military to low wage countries?
I can’t believe this ba$tard makes $1M+ a year. Must be some sort of affirmative action hire for the terminally incompetent. He could use a beer over his head.