Every semester, the students in my business writing class are divided up into teams and are assigned a real-life challenge from a company looking to elevate its performance in any number of ways. It's an opportunity to research the complexities of a market, to create an entrepreneurial solution and to effectively communicate all of it to the company looking to grow. And it's an opportunity for me. I get to teach them the value of feedback. The worst ideas I've seen in my career come from organizations that spend too much time only talking to each other. The habit skews logic and rationality and creates blind spots allowing for fantastical outcomes that ultimately prevent actual success. So, let's talk about this lesson plan in the context of "The One Big Beautiful Bill Act," or "OBBBA." First, the name itself. What likely started as a spasm straight from the mouth of President Donald Trump has become the dumbest title of landmark legislation in history. It communicates nothing of what the legislation actually does, good or bad, and sounds unserious, sarcastic and irritating in its vagueness. On Tuesday while researching the latest in the U.S. Senate, I spotted the first commercials for Trump's new men's cologne and women's perfume on social media. I, of course, thought it was a hoax at first, but confirmed it's reality. The scents, called "Fight, Fight, Fight" and "Victory 45-47" must feature a refreshing aroma; sweet, soothing and subtle with a sort of locker room-esque approachability. After that brief rancid distraction, I went back to looking for the talking points from those who support Trump's legislation. I came across the promotion of "OBBBA," on the White House webpage. This document is truly stunning in its silliness. Please look at it. It honestly looks like an ad for the smelly cologne, or possibly an ad for a pride-swallowing memoir about the smelly cologne. But I'm a professional, so I scrolled past that embarrassing half page to get to the words part of this debate. There are endorsements rolling by on a ticker under an oversized header, "Backed by American Industry." This list is actually pretty short: Verizon, Comcast, Dell, 3M, Delta and Uber. Hmm. Uber? The company that finally turned its first annual profit in 2023 is supporting OBBBA because of the bill's elimination of taxes on tips. But that elimination doesn't appear to apply to Uber drivers in its current form. This endeavor is so gimmicky, even those who support the idea in theory often overlook its limited impact. The Economic Policy Institute's February piece is a valuable source on the issue.   Connect with Michael Leppert Visit michaelleppert.com to read the full post and links to any resources or articles mentioned. Twitter @michaelleppert  Facebook at Michael Leppert Michael Leppert is an author, educator and a communication consultant in Indianapolis. He writes about government, politics and culture at MichaelLeppert.com. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Indiana Citizen or any other affiliated organization.    

Ver todos los episodios