Herman Cain

CEO, Businessman

Friends of Herman Cain

Common Sense
Solutions
PO Box 2158
Stockbridge, GA 30281
(678) 601-2772
THE People’s Platform
Paid for by Friends of Herman Cain
Table of Contents

Introduction: We are America!

1. Strengthen Our National Security
2. Unleash Economic Growth
3. Cut Government Spending
4. Release Our Domestic Energy Resources
5. Modernize Social Programs
6. Fix the Immigration Problems
7. Repeal & Replace Health Care “Deform”
8. Redo Financial Regulatory “Deform”
9. Eliminate Excessive Regulatory Burdens
10. Unbundle Education
11. Put “United” Back into USA
Conclusion: In God Is Our Trust

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Introduction: We are America!
People are sick and tired of being sick and tired of politicians of Congress, but 535 Members of Congress can’t lead
talking about problems and not solving them. For decades by committee. The president has to lead. That’s how the
the big three, Social Security, Medicare, the national debt Founders set it up.
and a long list of other problems have only gotten worse,
while the politicians just keep on talking, making promises, But if the president is more of a politician than a problem
and creating new problems. solver, we end up with more half baked or one sided
solutions. We have not had a problem solving president in
We know Social Security cannot be sustained as it is the White House for decades, which is why our big problems
currently structured, so the political elites just keep talking have only gotten worse, little by little.
about the problem. We know Medicare cannot be sustained,
so the Obama administration cuts 500 billion dollars out of This booklet is about solutions, low hanging fruit solutions.
it and says they will make it up in efficiencies. And instead They are not complicated to understand, but they are
of getting government out of the way to make health difficult to get through the political bureaucracy. With a
care more affordable and accessible, President Obama problem solving president and an inspired public they can
and the Democrat-controlled Congress passed a huge happen. These ideas come from people, other organizations
new bureaucracy that’s already making health care more and yes, sometimes from Members of Congress.
expensive and less accessible.
That’s why we call this booklet “The People’s Platform.” This is
People want solutions. The solutions do not have to be what the people want now. They want some common sense,
perfect, but they need to be moving in the right direction. and they are tired of waiting.
Right now they are just getting worse.
America is an exceptional nation. It is exceptional because
Many of our national problems have plenty of “low hanging of its history of success, it’s resiliency through tough times,
fruit” ideas to get us out of this national quagmire, but and the tenacity of the American people to keep America
politics keeps getting in the way. There are plenty of good strong, independent, and free. We refuse to let our problems
ideas about how to fix stuff, but they never go anywhere. fester any longer. We refuse to continue on this fast track to
They get stuck in a congressional committee, stuck in socialism. We refuse to become the United States of Europe.
another proposed legislation, stuck in a compromise, or they
We are America!
get stuck on stupid.
The biggest barrier to solving many of our national problems
is lack of leadership. Leadership is not being the sharpest
knife in the drawer. It is working on the right problem, asking
the right questions, and removing barriers to success (WAR).
So instead of solving a specific problem, both chambers
of Congress will try to pass a “compromised bi-partisan”
solution to any and everything that comes up as a problem,
and we end up with another half baked solution. And when
one political party controls both houses of Congress we will
sometimes get a completely one sided solution instead of
the right solution.
The leadership for solving national problems the right way “People are sick and tired of being sick and
must come from the president. Indeed, the president needs tired of politicians talking about problems
the input, cooperation and approval of both chambers
and not solving them.”
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Chapter One: Strengthen Our National Security
The primary duty of the President of the United States is to
protect our people. In fact, it is the principal duty of a limited
federal government. They must ensure that our military and
all of our security agencies are strong and capable.
Unfortunately, national security has become far too
politicized with our elected officials using the issue as a
means to polarize our country as the “war hawks” and
the “peace doves.” In response, the safety and morale of
our brave men and women in uniform are often at risk
for political gain. The judgment of our military experts on
the ground is often underutilized in exchange for political
purposes. National security isn’t about politics. It’s about
defending America.
While diplomacy is a critical tool in solving the complex
security issues we face, it must never compromise military
might. Because we are such a free and prosperous people,
we are the envy of the world. Many regimes seek to destroy
us because they are threatened by our ideals, and they resent
our prosperity. We must acknowledge the real and present
danger that terrorist nations and organizations pose to our
country’s future.
Further, we must stand by our friends and we must not be
fooled by our enemies. We should never be deceived by
terrorists. They only have one objective, namely, to kill all of
us. We must always remain vigilant in dealing with adversaries.
We must support our military with the best training,
equipment, technology and infrastructure necessary to keep
them in a position to win. We must also provide our men and
women in uniform, our veterans and their families with the
benefits they deserve for their tremendous sacrifice. These
heroes have served us. We must never forget to serve them.
“We must support our military with the
best training, equipment, technology and
infrastructure necessary to keep them in
a position to win.”
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Chapter Two: Unleash Economic Growth
America has long been a beacon of prosperity throughout
the world. The American Dream has been attained by those
who were willing to think, work and sacrifice to achieve
it. Each dream was different, but each dream was made
possible due to the freedoms this country provides.
The role of the federal government should be to encourage
economic growth by ensuring conditions that will allow
businesses to thrive, not just survive. That means less
legislation, less regulation, lower taxes and business-
friendly policies.
The federal government should not be in the business of
picking and choosing industries they support financially. This
happens in the form of subsidies, and special tax breaks in
which the government “plays favorite” with one industry and
in turn, hinders the competitiveness of another. There are
some exceptions, but in Washington it has become the rule.
The federal government also impedes economic growth by
interfering in the employer and employee relationship. While
labor unions once provided a representative body to lobby
for fair wages and safe working conditions for employees,
they now principally serve as a political mechanism for the
Left. Forced unionization through the dishonestly named
“Employee Free Choice Act,” or “card check,” would drive
up the costs of goods and services, cause hundreds and
thousands of jobs to be lost and ultimately, a more powerful
system of liberal fundraising to be maintained.
Currently, the federal government taxes too much and
too often. Meaningful tax reform should be implemented
immediately to alleviate that suffocating tax burden placed
on businesses and individuals in America. This means
across-the-board tax cuts to provide long-term relief,
including reducing the capital gains tax, suspending taxes on
repatriated profits and permanently eliminating the death tax.
“The role of the federal government should be
to encourage economic growth by ensuring
conditions that will allow businesses to thrive,
not just survive.”
Chapter Three: Cut Government Spending
It is no secret that federal government spending is out of
control. They view the American taxpayers as a bottomless
piggybank for their wasteful programs and expansion of
power. And we the people will not tolerate it any longer.
The massive debt caused by liberal policies will be passed
onto our children and grandchildren if we do not stop it.
They will be stuck with the tab for the government takeover
of health care, industry bailouts and failed stimulus packages.
They will be the ones approached with outstretched palms
by the Chinese to pay back the billions upon billions we owe
them. Each generation of Americans should seek to leave
behind a better and more prosperous nation for the next,
not saddle them with debt from reckless spending.
Though it might not be politically popular to modernize and
eliminate some of our entitlement programs, responsible
leaders should be willing to do it all the same. They must be
prepared to make tough choices and learn to simply say “no.”
This can only happen when our elected officials stop being
politicians and start being leaders. Simply put: there is no
“Department of Happy” in Washington, D.C.
Nothing should be off the table. Every federal agency, every
government program and every single expenditure must be
reviewed and revised with a keen eye and a red pen. Leaders
should be willing to shrink budgets by target percentages,
and those charged with implementing those changes must
be held accountable.
And it works! I have served as an executive of several major
corporations. When times were tough and money was tight,
I asked our employees to cut back drastically, and explained
why it was necessary, and they did. We have all had to make
difficult decisions in our own household or at our work place.
Serious but responsible belt tightening can save businesses,
and it can also save our country with the right leadership.
“It is no secret that federal government spending
is out of control. They view the American
taxpayers as a bottomless piggybank for their
wasteful programs and expansion of power.
And we the people will not tolerate it any longer.”
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Chapter Four:
Release Our Domestic Energy Resources
America is a land blessed with abundant natural resources
and the capability of the people to obtain them. From the
oil-rich states of Louisiana and Alaska to the mighty dams
along rivers across the states, the options for many forms
of energy are real and plentiful. Still, liberals continue to
perpetuate the misunderstanding that the high energy
consumption of a thriving nation and conservation of our
precious planet are at odds with one another.
Because they have perpetuated such a myth, liberals have
forced excessive environmental regulations which have
stifiled our domestic energy production, and instead, forced
American consumers to rely far too heavily upon foreign oil.
In many cases, this oil comes from Middle Eastern countries,
some of whom are not friendly to the U.S., who end up
dictating the prices of our energy consumption. In return,
Americans have seen no improvements in our environment
or in the cleanliness of our air. We must expand our domestic
energy resources by loosening government’s grip responsibly.
Subsidies on agricultural products, like ethanol-producing
corn, have become a mechanism for the government to pick
and choose industries it favors, while doing little to enhance
our ability to harness real alternative energy resources.
Instead, we must allow all forms of energy the ability to
develop in a free market system.
Alternative energy sources, such as wind, solar, nuclear and
hydroelectric are certainly part of the solution long term,
but private industry must take the lead for true innovation
to be a bigger part of our future energy needs. If alternative
energy sources are found to be inexpensive, safe and
plentiful, American consumers will choose to purchase them.
Let the markets decide which forms of energy fuel our cars,
heat our homes and which ones will keep America working.
America can develop a path to energy independence…and
we will. We have the resources but we need the leadership.
“Let the markets decide which forms of energy
fuel our cars, heat our homes and which ones
will keep America working.“
Chapter Five: Modernize Social Programs
Big government enthusiasts designed social programs to
provide a financial safety net, but, in turn, dependency on
the government for the most vulnerable in society became
an expected entitlement. Decades since their inception, far
too many Americans have shifted their expectations from
government assistance to entitlement. Too many people
have exchanged their freedom for a false sense of security
that these programs are perceived to provide.
Unfortunately, this has not only been to the sociological
detriment of America, but also to its economic detriment.
Simply, ever-expanding social programs are compromising
the current and future financial stability of this great
country. According to a May 2009 article in Newsweek,
current projections indicate that Medicare will go bankrupt
by 2017 and Social Security will bottom out by 2037.
These figures are advanced from 2008’s estimates, which
forecasted Medicare’s bankruptcy to occur in 2019 and
2041 for Social Security. Some experts believe these
programs’ demise will arrive even sooner.
For the generations who have paid into Social Security and
Medicare, the federal government’s inevitable failure to pay
them as they retire is undeniably stealing. These are
generations who have worked and sacrificed to leave this
country a better place for their children and grandchildren,
and we have an obligation to make certain that their
financial futures are secure. The current behavior of an out
of control federal government does little to ease their minds.
It’s also imperative that we revamp our social and welfare
programs, so America’s less fortunate can be offered
a “hand-up” instead of a “handout.” The government
should help people to be able to help themselves.
We must return to free market-based solutions that
empower our nation’s workers to take control over their
professional and retirement futures. It is essential that we
modernize our Social Security and Medicare programs, which
began in 1935 and 1965, respectively. What worked then will
not work today, and the government has a responsibility to
support America’s Golden Age population by empowering
them instead of restricting them.
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Chapter Six: Fix the Immigration Problems
America is an exceptional nation. We are also a prosperous
nation because of our liberties and our free market system.
That’s why people from all over the world want to come
to America to create better lives for themselves and their
families, because we are truly the land of opportunity.
Americans have embraced their role as the world’s premier
“melting pot,” welcoming immigrants from every corner of
the planet. We readily learn about other cultures, customs and
beliefs. We appreciate those who are willing to come to this
country and make America a more vibrant and enriched place.
Americans do resent, however, the willingness of some to
circumvent our laws and enter our nation illegally. While
many, if not most, illegal immigrants are peaceful people
simply seeking to provide for their families, some are not.
In fact, some are quite dangerous, jeopardizing the safety
and well-being of American citizens.
Illegal immigration has only exacerbated illegal activity, such
as the horrendous crimes of drug smuggling and human
trafficking. Illegal immigrants who are repeat offenders are
harder to track, making it difficult for law enforcement to
prevent crime. Further, weak borders have caused
a compounding problem of terrorists assimilating with illegal
immigrants, crossing the border with them and entering the U.S.
Illegal immigration also puts a tremendous strain on
America’s entitlement and health care systems. Illegal
immigrants are typically uninsured and cannot afford to
pay for their medical care, driving up costs for all Americans,
even those actually insured. In fact, several hospitals in the
U.S. have declared bankruptcy as a result of the costs of
caring for illegal immigrants.
We must secure our borders, enforce our laws and promote
the existing path to citizenship. Protecting our nation’s
sovereignty should be a paramount concern of those elected
to lead us, not an afterthought or a reaction once the
problem becomes even worse. Further, taking a stand on
the issue does not mean one lacks compassion, but instead,
that one respects the rule of law and the importance of not
becoming a lawless nation.
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Chapter Seven:
Repeal & Replace Health Care “Deform”
President Obama and the liberals in Congress have
dismantled the free market health care system and replaced
it with health care “deform.” They have passed measures
that compromise the sacred patient-doctor relationship,
eliminate patient choice, stick a bureaucrat in the examining
room, ration care and do nothing to limit frivolous lawsuits
that drive up the cost of health care. In all these provisions,
they made health care more expensive and less accessible
for American families they claimed to protect.
Under the guise of making health care a “right” for all
people, President Obama and the liberals in Congress instead
extended the tentacles of government, expanding their
control and diminishing patients’ rights. They have also
made it more difficult and more expensive for doctors to
practice medicine, including specialized practitioners who
are desperately needed to save lives. In reality, their attempts
at reforming the system have actually deformed it.
The majority of Americans agree: it’s time to repeal and
replace Obamacare with patient-centered, free market
reforms. It’s time to institute legitimate and sweeping tort
reform that lets doctors practice medicine without fear of
frivolous lawsuits. Looser pay laws would be a great start!
And loosening the restrictions on Health Savings Accounts
would help to empower Americans to save and invest their
own money to expand their options for care.
Let’s level the playing field under the current tax code
and allow the deductibility of health insurance premiums
regardless of whether they are purchased by the employer
or the employee. That would help shift ownership of one’s
health care back to where it belongs, the individual.
Patient-centered free market health care reforms have
already been developed and introduced in Congress, but they
are stuck in committee and they can’t get out. With the right
leadership we can get them out and get them passed.
“The majority of Americans agree: it’s time to
repeal and replace Obamacare with patient-
centered, free market reforms.”
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Chapter Eight:
Redo Financial Regulatory “Deform”
In the summer of 2010, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank bill,
better known by its misnomer, “financial reform.” This bill,
which exceeds 2,300 pages, will cost $30 billion and take
many years to implement. Unfortunately, it does little to
shield Main Street from the alleged risks of Wall Street.
This move for comprehensive reform, or really, deform, stems
from the concerns of the American people following their
bailouts of Wall Street with TARP (Toxic Assets Relief Program)
to prevent the forecasted collapse of our economy. The
sweeping legislation posed new restrictions and created new
regulations for many sectors of the financial industry- from
credit card companies to massive banks to accounting firms.
Like many things in politics, however, the devil is in the
details. While Democrats sold the measure as a means
of the government playing watchdog on behalf of the
American people, the Dodd-Frank bill actually compounded
the problems facing our nation’s economy. This financial
overhaul created a protected group of “too big to fail”
firms that allows the federal government the power to bail
them out whenever “deemed” necessary. Additionally, the
bill would allow the federal government to seize private
property without judicial review if the owner keeping his or
her rightful property results in “serious adverse effects on
financial stability.” The bill also adds $20 billion in taxes for
the next ten years.
What’s worse: the former chief of the FDIC, Bill Isaac, says
that this bill does nothing to prevent a future financial
crisis, the very concern that Democrats say the legislation
was meant to address. It also did not include provisions
to investigate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two
government entities whose failures cost the American
taxpayers more than $6 trillion. It’s also worth mentioning
that the bill includes special protection for Big Labor and
perks for President Obama’s supporters.
We must repeal financial regulatory “deform.” We must enact
real reforms that protect the roots of our economic system.
We must not compromise them with excessive regulation
and the federal government’s “pay-to-play” politics.
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Chapter Nine:
Eliminate Excessive Regulatory Burdens
The federal government has amassed incredible amounts
of control through its ability to regulate everything from
emissions to food to businesses. Certainly, some regulation
is necessary to protect American consumers and taxpayers,
but excessive regulation has driven up the price of the goods
and services we want, need and desire.
According to the Heritage Foundation, burdensome
regulations have increased at an alarming rate. In 2010
alone, Washington forced 43 major new regulations on us.
The cost of complying with these additional measures is
more than $26.5 billion, which according to Heritage, is “far
more than any other year for which records are available.”
Experts anticipate that with health care “deform,” financial
regulatory “deform” and other liberal agenda items, next
year’s regulatory costs will skyrocket farther.
We pay for regulations with every bite of food we eat, with
every drop of gasoline we put in our cars and with every
good or service we obtain. While we might not immediately
recognize the impact of such drastic regulations, they are
laced tightly in the cost of everything we buy. In fact, the
Small Business Administration estimates that complying
with regulation costs around $1.75 trillion annually, which is
actually twice as much as all revenue from individual income
taxes last year.
Alleviating the burdens of cumbersome regulation would be
an immediate boost for our weakened economy. It would
signal to businesses and investors that the government
intends to maintain conditions that allow for them to thrive,
not to bog them down with additional costs they must
inevitably pass on to their consumers. No one is arguing
for lead-based paint in toys for kids or unsafe food. We just
want reasonable regulations that cut down on bureaucracy
and help businesses succeed. And ultimately, the free
market, aided in part by the watchful eyes of investors and
consumers, will regulate itself.
“The federal government has amassed incredible
amounts of control through its ability to regulate
everything from emissions to food to businesses.”
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Chapter Ten: Unbundle Education
Education is the key to unlocking a prosperous future.
At the heart of education should always be the students.
Unfortunately, education has become weighed down with
administration that has shifted the focus from educating
students to maintaining an excessive level of bureaucracy
through expanded unionization and regulation. It’s time to
unbundle education from the federal government down to
the local level.
Of course, most teachers are in the field of education to
foster intellectual development for eager minds. Through
a system of accountability, we should reward those teachers
whose students excel and better evaluate those whose
students perform poorly. Performance incentives work in
business, and they will work in education, too.
A critical component of improving education in our country
is to decentralize the federal government’s control over it.
Children are best served when the teachers, parents and
principals are making the day-to-day decisions, coupled
with the leadership of local municipalities, school boards
and states. What might work for a third grader in Oklahoma
might not work for a third grader in Hawaii.
Another way we can put kids first is to offer school choice
as a real option for educational competition. This means
expanding school vouchers and charter schools. Such
measures have proven time and time again to best serve the
students, many of whom do not have the economic means
of attending better schools. In a post-Katrina New Orleans,
these programs were immensely popular with both the
parents and the students, giving opportunities to children
who might otherwise have been stuck in poor-performing,
if not failing, schools.
Unbundling education means putting kids first. It means
rewarding those teachers who enrich the lives of their
students, and it means holding those accountable who do
not. It means putting students before union interests, and it
means keeping their development paramount. Unbundling
education means localizing education- making those on
the ground responsible for the teaching and learning that
happens in our local communities. Unbundling education
means offering parents choices for their children to create
a truly competitive educational system.
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Chapter Eleven: Put “United” Back in USA
The mainstream media would have you think that Americans
are more divided than ever. They think that we are polarized
politically, with each side becoming more and more extreme
with each passing year. I tend to disagree.
American are united on what we want for our families,
ourselves, and our grand childrens future: to live in a safe, free
and prosperous nation. That is what President Ronald Reagan
saw. He saw America made of people-- good people-- who
loved and cared for each other. He believed that our best days
were yet to come, and that the American Dream was attainable
to anyone who loved it enough to reach for it.
While our nation faces complex problems, it is also made
up of a people who are industrious, intelligent and decent.
Take for instance the response to the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001. Americans of every race, religion and
background rallied together to support this great nation.
This unity sent a strong message to our enemies: we will
stand together and we will never forget.
No matter our political philosophies, there is so much
upon which we can agree. Using our common ground as a
starting point, we can make real progress in improving this
country for generations to come, while still cherishing the
foundation that has made it great.
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Conclusion: In God Is Our Trust
Our Founding Fathers recognized a higher power in the
formation of this nation when they said in the Declaration of
Independence that all men are created equal and that they are
“endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.”
It was no accident that in some of our earlier years as a free
and independent nation that our leaders added “In God We
Trust” to all of our currency.
And to send a message to the rest of the world when
Communism was on the rise in the 1950s, Congress added
the words “under God” to our pledge of allegiance. They
were not just words. It was a collective reaffirmation that
we know the ultimate source of our greatness as a nation.
America’s moral foundation does not need to be rewritten.
It needs to be respected and taught to our children and
grandchildren. It is the basis for our concept of freedom. As
former President Ronald Reagan reminded us many years ago:
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from
extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the blood
stream. It must be fought for and protected and handed
on for them to do the same. Or one day we will spend our
sunset years telling our children and grandchildren what it
used to be like in the United States when men were free.”
We are free because “In God Is Our Trust.”
“America’s moral foundation
does not need to be rewritten.
It needs to be respected and
taught to our children and
grandchildren.”
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Herman Cain’s Bio
Herman Cain has a unique personality and multi-dimensional
background in business, politics and life. Herman Cain is
an accomplished speaker and writer on the subjects of
leadership, motivation, national and economic policy, politics,
and achieving one’s American Dream.
This is Herman Cain:
· Recipient of eight Honorary Doctorate Degrees from
Morehouse College, New York City Technical College; Suffolk
University, Johnson & Wales University, Creighton University,
Purdue University, Tougaloo College and the University of
Nebraska
· Recipient of a 1996 Horatio Alger Award and the 1991
International Foodservice Manufacturers Association’s
Operator of the Year/Gold Plate Award

· Chief Executive Officer and President of THE New Voice, Inc., · Graduated from Morehouse College with a B.S. in
a business consulting company, and Head Coach of HITM Mathematics in 1967. Earned his Master’s Degree in
(Hermanator’s Intelligent Thinkers Movement) Computer Science from Purdue University in 1971

· Former Chairman of Godfather’s Pizza, Inc. after serving as · Author of four books, Leadership Is Common Sense (1997),
CEO and President for ten years, 1986 - 1996. In 1988 he Speak As A Leader (1999), CEO of SELF (October, 2001), and
bought the company from The Pillsbury Company They Think You’re Stupid (May, 2005)

· Former President of the Tax Leadership Council, the public · A native and current resident of Atlanta, Georgia.
educational component of Americans for Fair Taxation Married for over 40 years with two adult children and
three grandchildren
· P ast Chairman of the Board of the National Restaurant
Association (1994-1995), and former full time CEO and
President of the Association (1996-1999)
· Past Chairman and Member of the Board of Directors for the
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
· Member of The National Commission on Economic Growth
and Tax Reform (1995), chaired by former Republican Vice-
presidential candidate, Jack Kemp
· Former Member, Strategic Air Command (STRATCOM)
Citizens Advisory Board, Omaha, Nebraska
· Radio Talk Show Host, “The Herman Cain Show”, News Talk
750 WSB – Atlanta, Monday - Friday, 7pm-10pm EST
· FOX News Business Commentator and Columnist with
NorthStarNational.com, World Net Daily and DailyCaller.com
· At a nationally televised Presidential Town Hall Meeting
on Health Care Reform (1994), challenged President Bill
Clinton’s health care proposal when he said, “Mr. President,
with all due respect, your calculations are incorrect…”
· Serves on the Boards of Directors of AGCO, Inc., Georgia
Chamber of Commerce, Hallmark Cards Inc., Whirlpool, Inc.,
and Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia
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