‘92 POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE : How Business Views the Election

To monitor business’s pulse on politics, The Times will present California executives’ and business owners’ opinions about the presidential election. This is one in a series of snapshots.

Name: Fred Starrh

Company: Starrh & Starrh Cotton Growers, Shafter, Calif.

Position: President

Registration: Republican

Q. For whom are you going to vote?

A. I’m going to vote for Bush.

Q. Why?

A. The primary reason is his position on business and its impact, particularly in environmental areas where we’ve been hit so hard. He has taken a position on trying to correct or modify some of the excesses of the Endangered Species Act and trying to ameliorate the cost of these activities and the over-regulation we’re faced with.

Q. What are the main issues for your business?

A. The monetary policy is a critical area. For us, the interest rates being down is very positive; we have to borrow a lot of money to operate our farms. The free trade policies, such as the free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, will be good in the long run for business. I would say, though, that the environmental issues we’re faced with are among the most important and they would be impacted more adversely under a Clinton-Gore (Administration) and that would be very negative for us. Bush’s foreign policy--to expand markets and move products around the world--has been sound.

Q. What are your concerns about the economy?

A. My strong feeling is that the overreaching environmental regulations are really hurting the economy and (other) regulations and the (accompanying) added costs of doing business are hurting the economy. I believe that Bush’s proposals to try to stimulate the economy, including the capital gains tax reduction and enterprise zones, are good, sound policy.

Q. Are there other steps you feel should be taken to improve the economy?

A. I think we should move some of the savings out of defense into projects that will create economic growth and job development activity.