Hi Jan,

Of course it's unfair to lay the responsibility for the problem at Bush's feet, since these trends were clearly in place long before 2000. That doesn't mean I don't think he has a responsibility to take action on the issue. It all stems from a larger issue of corporate ethics, or lack of it. I think it's pretty well established that we cannot count on corporations to do the right thing on their own. Companies exist to maximize their own profits. The extreme case I heard of was a couple of years ago where AT&T was using prison labor in Colorado if I remember correctly for telemarketers... I think it is Bush's resposibility to set the tone, if not the law, concerning corporations' responsibilities to America. Instead,

1. There's been little response from the administration as corporations such as Stanley Tools establish sham headquarters offshore to avoid paying taxes,

2. I haven't heard much from Bush about the declining manufacturing base in America,

3. Until very recently, there weren't even ANY cases brought by the federal government against executives who had committed massive fraud at Enron, WorldCom, et. al. Most still walk free. This is not justice! Thousands lost jobs and saw their 401k accounts decimated. Bush should have been out in front on this important issue. Instead, the only justice is being delivered by prosecutors in states such as Oklahoma and New York, who got tired of waiting for action from the Feds.

I would like to see Bush make some really solid statements regarding corporate responsibility to America tonight in the State of the Union address, and follow this up with action.

--Slade

By the way, what do you think of your fellow North Carolinian John Edwards? I was surprised by his performance in Iowa last night. Your admiration for Bush aside, do you think he would make a good president?

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