Long-term thinking, leadership needed

If you eat the goose that lays the golden egg, you will get no more golden eggs.

Many people look at the taxpayer as the goose, feeling public employees, global workers, unions and management need to take a bite. Outsourcing by U.S. industries has caused labor to drop radically. The reasons are many - unions, management and consultants looking for short-term solutions. Unions are now less than 7 percent of private industry, many products are produced only globally, many public employees make more than the private employees, politicians are looking for lifelong jobs, while management wants max stock price. Limit politicians to term limits, public employees need to remember who pays their salaries and boards of directors need to think of long-term objectives.

Companies and workers who build on those philosophies grow (John Deere, Rockwell Collins); others (auto, steel) end up in the rust belt. Leadership is needed from our president to the local city council, from the board of directors to the shop foremen, from each of our public service people, from our universities to our preschools.

Each person can be a leader - that is what made America great.

Herm Reininga

Cedar Rapids