Deporting the Immigrants - Bad Economics?

Deporting all these immigrants and keeping out those refugees could put a serious dent in our economy.

How an Illegal-Immigrant Crackdown Could Hit US Economic Growth - Wall Street Journal Blog

NY / Region|'Economic Tsunami': Fearing Donald Trump ... - NY Times

Head off Trump-style anti-immigrant politics by using economics to ...  - CBC

Refugees revitalize American cities - Boston Globe

If Trump cuts DACA US loses $433.4 billion in GDP - Fusion

Globalism -- Not Nativism -- Is What Made America's Cities Great - Forbes

The Insane Numbers Behind Trump's Deportation Plan - Money

National Academy of Science: Immigrants benefit US - The Tennessean

Two cities that have seen growth by accepting immigrants? Dayton, Ohio and Ithaca, New York.

So...what's the wisdom of closing the borders and expelling the outsiders? 

Race in America

Post Racist America?

I don't think so!

I see and hear racism a lot. Maybe it's because of how my family embraces diversity. Maybe it's because of how this election has brought a deep divide about hate and bigotry.

I was waiting in line to buy a newspaper this morning. The man in front of me was teasing the woman behind the counter calling her Momma. After he left she confided, "I'm not his Momma. I hate when he calls me that. He works here. They're all like that, you know." 

He was black. She was an older white woman.

There was an implicit bias in what she said. I was on the verge of saying something like, "This man does not represent an entire race. His actions represent himself. Why don't you just ask him nicely to stop?"

I let it pass. Maybe I shouldn't have.

Layoffs - Are they the easy way out?

I was reading about layoffs at a public media company. For this particular company, layoffs are commonplace. They've been a common tool...a regular part of the corporate landscape for nearly 30 years. The human toll created by the constant cycle of hiring and layoffs has mounted over the years. Is this really an effective management tool or is this a sign of poor management? Hiring is done in anticipation of funding from viewers, listeners, corporations and foundations. When the funding doesn't reach anticipated goals, shortfalls result and layoffs follow.

Recently I ran across this article which states, "Layoffs are often a sign of failure by top executives to properly manage a business and forecast needs — and failure of board members to ensure that the right management is in place."


Why Layoffs Are for Lazy Corporate Overseers


Other highlights...

• Compensation insulates most executives from layoff shocks. 
• Layoffs often demolish an employee’s social circle and identity.
• CEO's have come to think of certain employees as deadwood.
• CEOs weren’t concerned with employee hardship, layoffs don’t bother board members much either.
• Boards show a lack of accountability, because rather than ding management for these failures, boards reward management for these missteps.

In reality there is ample evidence to suggest that companies that constantly layoff staff are not really positioning themsleves for a recovery. They are actually in trouble. A recent paper published by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania says that instead of laying off companies should be investing in people and innovation. That's not going to happen if a company hires an innovator and then eight months later lays that person off.

According to the article companies can offer early retirement, slowing down hiring and retraining workers.

For more go to  How Layoffs Hurt Companies.