Managing Automation - August 2008 - (Page 19)

readerresponses 7 NEARLY 40% SAY TAX CHANGES NOT SIGNIFICANT Q: With regard to taxation, should the next administration: 9 34.2% MANUFACTURERS RECOMMEND MORE AID FOR SCHOOLING Q: With regard to higher education, the next administration should: 21.5% 35.4% 19.6% Adopt a free, European-type system. Keep the current system but provide more aid to low, middle-income families. Focus specifically on increasing math, engineering graduates. Government should stay out of higher education. Don’t know 21.5% Aggressively lower taxes? Lower taxes somewhat? Focus on other issues because tax changes won’t improve competitiveness? Don’t know 39.8% 17.5% 4.1% 6.4% 8 SURPRISINGLY, MORE THAN A QUARTER FAVOR A EUROPEAN-STYLE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Q: With regard to healthcare, the next administration should: 10 27% 14% GLOBAL WARMING ON MANUFACTURERS’ RADAR SCREENS Q: With regard to government regulations, the next administration should: 25.3% 23.6% Create a European-type universal healthcare system. Keep the current system but increase coverage, lower costs. Create a hybrid system that will expand coverage but have a strong private-sector role. Government should stay out of healthcare. Don’t know 28.9% Reduce regulations significantly. Reduce regulations somewhat. Leave regulations as they are. Expand the scope to cover global warming. Expand regulations significantly. Don’t know 9.8% 28.5% 3.5% 9.3% 23.4% 6.5% *Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. U.S. manufacturers, according to the National Association of Manufacturers — no single formula or solution commands the attention of a majority of survey respondents. Nearly 29% of respondents, for example, want to expand healthcare coverage, but with a strong role for private healthcare providers. But 27% said they would favor a European-style universal healthcare system. Another 23% said they don’t want the government involved in healthcare at all (chart 8). Respondent opinions on higher education are also quite diverse. About 35% of respondents said they want to keep the current system but provide more aid to low- and middle-income families, but 21% would opt for a European-style system. Less than one-fifth — 17.5% — said government should stay out of education (chart 9). But when it comes to government regulations on industry, a stronger consensus emerges. Nearly 49% of respondents said the regulator y burden has become too heavy on industr y, and they want regulations reduced. Even as they said that, though, the issue of global warming was on their radar screens. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said the federal government should expand the scope of regulations to cover global warming (chart 10). All in all, the overriding message of the Thomas Industrial Competitiveness survey this presidential election year comes through loud and clear. Manufacturers want to compete and win in the global industrial market and they are willing to change — in some ways significantly — in order to do so. They want Washington to take an active role in helping industry to compete and they are willing to consider fundamental changes in such areas as healthcare, higher education, and job creation to create a more competitive industry. Perhaps most important, they want their national leaders to pay attention to who they are and what they do. Manufacturing’s future can’t be an afterthought. It must be center stage in the national conversation this year. ■ 19 August 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - August 2008

Managing Automation - August 2008 Contents Take 1 After 18 Months, the Oracle/SAP Suit Has Little Effect on Maintenance Sales At 100, Foxboro Reinvents Around Its Customers New Private Equity Firm Eyes Software A Software Suite Just for Manufacturers i2 Chief Focuses on Services Plan Notes It's Time for Action Examining U.S. Competitveness Leveling the Field An Unhealthy Situation Exploring Alternatives Math and Science: Key to the Future Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - August 2008

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