Fourth in a series.
Steve Rose doubtless reflected the opinion of perhaps millions of Americans about last week’s presidential candidates. “If Mike Pence and Tim Kaine had been the presidential nominees, Trump and Hillary never would have passed the vetting tests for vice president,” said the Culver City Republican.
In his second century as president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Rose exhaled, pointedly.
“This is hard for me to say,” he began. “I am not overthrilled with who the potential Supreme Court nominees are going to be. I believe it is wrong for the (Republican-led Senate, then and now, after the election) Senate not to advise-and-consent. You can advise and say ‘no.’ But for the Senate to just ignore President Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland, that was wrong.”
As leader of the community’s largest group of business owners, it was surprise that Mr. Rose hopes that revision of the tax code will be a Trump administration priority.
“Corporate taxes should be lowered,” he said, “to benefit the middle class. I don’t mean the poor. I don’t mean the wealthy. “I would also like to see (Washington) allow all of the American money that is I foreign banks to come back here without penalties – untaxed under certain regulations.”
Mr. Rose identified Apple as “the biggest abuser” of stashing money in banks abroad. “Apple has almost $200 billion in foreign banks,” he said. “I don’t think they should be able to bring it back and give it directly to shareholders (without a penalty). I say this as an Apple shareholder.”
(To be continued)
