Off the Cliff

Off the Cliff

First let me wish all of the readers of Executive Watch a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Frankly, I am happy to have 2012 behind us. The long and painful election process, followed by daily, hourly, and by the minute coverage of the “Fiscal Cliff” and even worse, foreboding of a “Fiscal Abyss” drove me crazy. Thankfully the Senate bureaucrats voted a budget compromise on Monday and the House Bureaucrats voted it into law on Tuesday. The rhetoric, political jockeying, and self serving approach by the executive and legislative branches is embarrassing, and frankly we Americans deserve better than what is dished out by our lawmakers. There were two themes that were woven into every speech are divisive. The first is the reference to the middle “class” reinforcing unhealthy class distinctions. I like “middle income” better. The second was President Obama’s attack on the “wealthy.” Everyday in every speech we hear how the “rich” do not do enough. I’m looking forward to the day that the President is out of office and he (and the First Lady) cut their first book deal for millions of dollars, and go on the speaking circuit at $100,000 a pop. At least at that point he’ll be among the wealthy and we can put him into the same bucket as all of the other rich folks out there.

Tony LoPinto is the Global Sector Leader of Korn/Ferry International’s Real Estate Practice and founder of SelectLeaders. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.

Job Opportunities LOCATE A JOB COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL Director, Strategy and Innovation (ATLANTA) The director, strategy and innovation will provide leadership and strategic direction focused on a consultative approach toward portfolio optimization, site selection/location strategies, business process improvement and the design of targeted key performance indicators (KPI’s) for Colliers’ clients. The successful candidate will exhibit a proven track record in leading multi-disciplinary teams and have the ability to develop and execute customized client engagements focused at solving complex business and real estate problems.