Stephen linked to Ned Lamont's WSJ op-ed this morning. Some added comments...
Lamont writes:
From the moment I filled out that loan application, I've been in every part of the business—pulling cable, hiring workers, picking a good health-care plan, closing deals, listening to customers and fixing problems. It's been profitable, and it's been instructive, a quintessentially American experience. Here, entrepreneurs have the freedom to be successful in ways the rest of the world admires.
Hmmm. I think Lamont forgot the part about when he decided to run his business as a non-union operation.
Further on in the op-ed:
Second, entrepreneurs invest in human resources. Our business strives to pay good wages and provide good health benefits so that we can attract employees that give us an edge in a competitive marketplace. Well-trained and well-cared-for people are essential for every business these days, particularly in a global economy. It's getting harder and harder for American businesses to compete on price, but we innovate and change better than any economy on the planet. The quality of our work force is one of America's competitive advantages—if our education system fails our children and our employers, we'll lose the future.
Lamont concludes with this:
Finally, entrepreneurs are pragmatic. Unlike some politicians, we don't draw a false strength from closed minds, and we don't step on the accelerator when the car is headed off the cliff.
Ah, yes. The pragmatism of the telco entrepreneur from the late 90's.
Here's a partial list of the telcos that have recently gone bankrupt (it's a long list).
