Once again, CNN's Piers Morgan is pouting that corporations like Apple
should bring jobs back to the U.S. simply because they should. Morgan
was rebutted by Chris Christie the last time he made that reasoning at
the expense of shareholders' profits, but he was at it again on Monday
night.
He has a "constant nagging problem" with Apple making money overseas.
"So they are making squillions of dollars. And yet they still employ
massively larger sums of people in China than they do in America," he
fretted to guest Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.).
According to Morgan, Apple is successful enough that they can "take the hit" to move jobs back home. "And my argument is why don't they just bring 10 percent of that workforce from China back to America? Take the hit. Because I reckon they'd sell four million iPads next time. What is wrong with that?" he posed to Brown.
[Video below. Click here [1] for audio.]
The Republican senator responded that he would love to see that happen,
but America needs to create a "competitive" business environment first.
He added that "they have an obligation to their stockholders," which is
a similar argument Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) made to Morgan last
month.
He challenged Morgan to "leave CNN, be the CEO of a company, and lead
them in a way that's both profitable and beneficial to all the different
people you want to be beneficial for. I think that would be fine."
A transcript of the segment, which aired on March 19 on Piers Morgan Tonight at 9:44 p.m. EDT, is as follows:
PIERS
MORGAN: What about my constant nagging problem with a company like
Apple, say, who are – they sold three million of the new iPads in one
day, apparently, last week. So they are making squillions of dollars.
And yet they still employ massively larger sums of people in China than
they do in America.
And my argument is why don't they just bring 10 percent of that
workforce from China back to America? Take the hit. Because I reckon
they'd sell four million iPads next time. What is wrong with that?
BROWN: Well have the president from Apple on.
MORGAN: What do you think of that argument?
BROWN: Well I think that you need to make America competitive again. There's a lot of –
(Crosstalk)
MORGAN: But shouldn't it be the –
BROWN: There's a lack of certainty and stability right now. People and
businesses don't know what's next. There's this wet blanket right now
over people. There's so much indecision, the high corporate tax rate,
the high cost of health care and what's happening with that. And it's
draining businesses. They don't know what's next.
In Massachusetts, the medical device companies are getting crushed by
the medical device tax that's part of Obamacare. That's why I voted to
repeal it. I think – I think for Massachusetts especially, it's crushing
Massachusetts.
MORGAN: Wouldn't it be nice if a company as phenomenally successful as
Apple, said, we are taking the lead here? Because they're creative
geniuses. I love all their products. I don't like the fact they employ
so many more people outside of America than in it.
BROWN: Listen, that'd be great if they would come back. But you need to
make it competitive. You need to create an environment to hire and grow
not only in Massachusetts but throughout this country. And when you're
paying a 35 percent corporate tax rate compared to Ireland, which I
believe is around 12 percent, and you're in the lower cost of health
care, the lower cost of unemployment, lower cost of energy – they have
an obligation to their stockholders, and they – I'd love them to come
back. Hey, amen. Bring them. Come. Come to Massachusetts. We'd love to
have you.
MORGAN: Senator, we are in agreement.