Of course, Barger wasn't the only CEO jumping on board this cynical train. Fix the Debt's press release quoted Reid Hoffman, co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, as saying "The national debt is a problem that's not going away, so neither are we."
But that's exactly what Fix the Debt should do: Go away.
And when it comes to LinkedIn, the website for connecting professional colleagues with one another, I think I'll go away too. It's a good website. But when it comes to using social media for professional purposes there are good alternatives, like Facebook and Twitter. Their CEOs aren't on Fix the Debt's list: I checked.
But Microsoft's Steve Ballmer is, which makes me glad I'm no longer using Windows. DirectTV's CEO is there, which makes me glad I went back to using ground cable. (Well, almost.)
Bridgestone's CEO is there too, which I'll remember the next time I need tires. Macy's CEO is there, too, but I can meet my department store needs at the many other fine establishments which anchor our nation's malls.
You may want to review the list to see which companies are using their clout to ruin your old age. Maybe it will help you make your next "buy" decision.
A Memo to the Board
Some of these corporations will argue that they haven't endorsed this lobbying campaign; that their CEOs are acting merely as individuals. Sorry. It doesn't work that way. Fix the Debt is capitalizing on corporation names: "JetBlue" is in their press release's headline, not the obscure name of David Barger.
That means JetBlue is responsible for Barger's actions. Same goes for the other CEOs and corporations. If they're acting without the authority of their boards of directors, that's a matter for the boards to take up at their next meetings.
And if any of these CEOs are running their corporations with the same financial illiteracy that Fix the Debt displays in its propaganda, the boards should consider that too.
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