Jonathan Sukup

Government and Growth in Iowa

Jonathan Sukup

 

We started today at the State Capitol where discussion centered around the impact of government on businesses. Because of this we were asked to reflect on the ways government would impact a business of our own in our “dream” career. I guess my “dream” job would be a food critic (you get paid to eat and talk about it!), and really the government affects everything the business would. Taxes add significantly to costs as well as the disposable income of potential customer. More importantly, the regulations that businesses have to follow are all determined by the government. Everything from safety to building codes would need to be up to date. A business would also depend on how other partners follow these regulations. This factor would be especially important in this field, because it would be essential that all visited restaurants would follow the health codes.

The sessions as a whole were really interesting. A couple of the highlights included Brad Magg who started his catering business in middle school and currently serves as a city councilman. Needless to say, nearly everyone in the group felt rather inadequate after that conversation. Alec Zama who was originally from Moldova spoke about the differences between living under a totalitarian government and the American Democracy.
Following the capitol, we rode to Pella where we visited Vermeer, a massive manufacturing firm that makes everything from bailers to stump grinders. We did not get the opportunity to tour the factory, but I had no idea that they had such a diverse product line. Our last major event was a business simulation. While it was not the most realistic exercise (we had a monopoly that allowed us to charge almost $10 for a box of cereal), it was a really exciting way to explore various options available to business owners.

 

Aug 9, 2010 10:51 PM |Add a comment |Comments (1)
Comments
I definitely like your dream job! Sounds like the life! I agree that it would be very dependent on the law. I also found the presenters very interesting yesterday, they really are examples of what determination can bring.

Derek Robison | drobison@iastate.edu | Aug 10, 2010 10:35 PM
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