...and they're more than a little schizophrenic.
A survey by the Association for Financial Professionals of corporate treasurers and finance executives indicates that these corporate chieftains:
believe that no additional fiscal stimulus is necessary to boost the U.S. economy.
However,
48 percent of survey respondents expect business conditions to improve moderately in 2011, while 42 percent said they expect their organizations to resume hiring in the new year, but they noted a lack of consumer confidence holding back business expansion.
So let me get this straight: we don't need any more stimulus to improve the economy, but a lack of consumer confidence is holding back efforts to expand hiring. Got it.
What are they more worried about?
55 percent said an "anti-business" sentiment among Washington policymakers was hurting economic prospects.
Anti-business sentiment? Like Obama's kowtowing to business leaders? Or the 1.66 trillion in 3d quarter profits netted by American corporations?
So we have business leaders who don't want stimulus so their businesses can expand and hire, and who are afraid of an "anti-business environment" in Washington that's handed them record earnings.
Our business leaders are completely schizophrenic. Given that our government is effectively owned by corporations, it's no wonder the U.S. economy is practically rudderless.