Wall Street Journal (June 2)
“Exxon Mobil shareholders last week voted to support management’s decision to move its corporate domicile to Texas from New Jersey. It’s a smart move that raises a question for other companies: Is it becoming a corporate governance duty to leave states that punish business for states that don’t?” While some companies may opt for higher taxes and costs to take advantage of talent clusters, “don’t be surprised if Exxon is a harbinger of more shareholder-driven relocations.”
Tags: Companies, Corporate domicile, Corporate governance, Costs, Duty, Exxon Mobil, Harbinger, New Jersey, Punish, Relocations, Shareholders, Smart move, Taxes, Texas, Voted
Wall Street Journal (April 3)
“The tariffs Trump announced would lift the average duty above the previous peak of 1930. It is by far the most disruptive component of an agenda that may be one of the most disruptive of any new president since the 1930s, one that includes slashing immigration, government spending, taxes and regulations.” The timing for all this is striking. “The economy he inherited was the envy of the world with growth of 2.8% last year, faster than almost every other major developed economy, an unemployment rate of just 4.1% and inflation of 2.8%. Stocks were at record highs.”
Tags: 1930, Disruptive, Duty, Economy, Government spending, Growth, Immigration, Inflation, Regulations, Stocks, Tariffs, Taxes, Timing, Trump, Unemployment
The Guardian (September 9)
“Whatever your views of the monarchy, it is hard not to admire Elizabeth Windsor’s stamina. As of today, she has sat on the throne for longer than anybody in a line of predecessors…. Fast approaching her 90s, she continues to meet, speak and travel her way through an itinerary that owes a great deal more to duty than to whim.” And she maintains her demanding schedule without “putting a foot out of place.” Her “achievement has been to take the politics out of the monarchy.”
Tags: Achievement, Demanding schedule, Duty, Elizabeth II, Itinerary, Monarchy, Politics, Throne
Financial Times (September 25)
“Congress needs to regain its senses before disaster hits.” Without Congressional action, the government will shut down next week and in several more begin defaulting on its sovereign debt. “As the sole superpower and provider of the international reserve currency, the US owes a duty to the world, as well as to itself, to uphold one of the most basic functions of a nation state. Flirting with a government shutdown is pantomime enough. Toying with whether the US will honour its sovereign debt obligations is pure recklessness.”
Tags: Congress, Defaulting, Duty, Recklessness, Reserve currency, Shutdown, Sovereign debt, Superpower, U.S.
