On the brink of government shutdown — again
By David Gura
This time Congress is fighting over how to pay for disaster relief. If they can’t agree, the lights go out Oct. 1. Businesses worry this might be the new normal. David Gura: Karen Petrou advises big banks and private equity investors. She’s paid to explain the ways of Washington. Karen Petrou: What they want to know is, what is the government going to do? So they can figure out how to invest their money. These days, Petrou’s clients are confounded by Congress. Petrou: Bringing the country to the brink — for fun, essentially — is viewed by, at least the business people we speak with, as enraging. Government contractors are most directly on the hook. Because manufacturers make a lot of the components government contractors use. This is really all about how to get companies to invest and grow. Karen Petrou says that’s hard with this — the new normal. Petrou: The money, the prudent money, is on the sidelines. And I don’t know how to get it out until Congress can get its act together.
To listen to the full story click: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/09/22/pm-on-the-brink-of-government-shutdown–again/