Valley business leaders praise Trump, wary of ‘trade war’ with China
Aug 29, 2019, 4:45 AM
(KTAR News/Peter Samore)
(KTAR News/Peter Samore)
SCOTTSDALE — Valley business leaders have praised President Donald Trump’s economic policies, but they’ve got their eyes on his trade war with China.
They say economic activity improved with tax and regulation cuts.
“We went to a period of real certainty about what the administration was going to do, and that gave business owners the confidence to spend and invest,” said Michael Carlin, president of Henry-Horne Wealth Management.
He also says the trade war with China could harm that confidence long-term. But he’s glad the administration is trying something.
“Business owners have long since felt this is unfair,” Carlin said. “The forced technology transfer in particular. It just doesn’t feel fair that their taking our intellectual property for nothing.”
Another Valley business leader calls the recent market plunges “a little bit of a hiccup” for the U.S. economy.
Richard Luby is betting on Trump.
“He’s going to win this one. I think he’s going to win hands down,’ said the Director of Operations Richard Luby with Pete King Construction.
“China cannot afford not to come to the table. Their economy’s stumbling.”
Luby also says the President’s policies of lower taxes and regulations have boosted his business, but he cannot get enough workers.
He wants Washington to fix immigration laws to fix that.
“Americans that can work don’t want to work in the trades,” Luby said. “And people that want to work in the trades can’t get green cards.”
Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) headlined the President’s “open for business” roundtable tour that stopped in Scottsdale.
