[yellowline]

I disagree with the original argument.

The cost of doing business is too high here. In addition to tax laws, we have environmental obligations, and people live longer. Pensions and health care adds up. 50 years ago, a company paid health care and pension for perhaps 10-15 years. Life expectancy and the price of healthcare has gone up. The retirement age hasn't moved with life expectancies.

The automakers are a prime example. How can you justify running underproducing factories, all the while subsidizing workers with $27/hour, full health care and a pension? It's a great wage, perhaps in line with factory workers in the postwar years. But the companies need the money to do it, and with the consumer haggling and complaining over every little price increase, the money isn't coming in. This is from the CEOs eyes. I don't support moving our industry overseas, from national security and economic standpoints.

When you have a viable alternative to all this (China), companies are going to move there. We all know this. I'm not pretending to give a lecture, just reiterating something from my admittedly limited viewpoint. It's sad but true.

As far as "A" students, I don't think it's a prerequisite for college. I've spoken in private with well-respected members of the board who I look up to. They classified themselves as average students. Whether "average" is in comparison to Mensa candidates, I don't know, but I've seen it comes down to work ethic, not just natural ability.