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The Bain Capital Blame Game

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  • Description

    FBN’s Gerri Willis on the criticisms of private equity firms.

  • Duration 3:52
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-- is mine and President Obama is launching a new ad campaign.

Trying to score -- by blasting Mitt Romney and his tenure as the head of Bain Capital a private equity firm.

-- capital what's the majority owner.

They were responsible.

Mitt Romney was deeply involved in the influence that he exercised over these companies.

They've made as much money offered as -- could can they close today on the file for bankruptcy without any concern for the families of community.

Like Kandahar.

-- and -- from my house.

It was like watching an old friend bleed to death.

Vampire.

Look calling this that an attack is if anything an understatement.

Even prominent Democrats are coming out against that for being over the top.

But he does raise some interesting questions is bing or private equity investing in general.

Morally bankrupt.

A romp is Romney a corporate raider more ruthless than Wall Street.

Well to answer that you first have to understand what private equity is which the critics clearly -- Private equity firms they look for companies that have lost value -- down on their heels.

The private equity companies by those smaller companies and then invest more money and then.

Now that means everything from new strategy to new equipment to new paint on the walls.

That investment costs more money -- usually that leads to borrowing and that's funding the company could never have gotten on -- down.

Consider Axel tech and manufacturing in Michigan that supplies are soldiers in Afghanistan.

The Carlyle group took over the company in 2005.

With their backing Axel tech was able to double both production and employment.

Likewise the victims of bank were out of favor and performing -- -- Which is to say -- had come along these companies might and close their doors shut down entirely.

Not a recipe for job gains what about the charge -- was a hit and run investor in it for a quick buck.

Well let's look at the facts the Wall Street Journal analyzed 77 of the company's Bain invested in their relationship lasted.

As long as eight years banning short term investing -- -- Look the real critics of private equities seem to believe that these failing companies would have been better off still rumbling along on their own.

But it doesn't make it doesn't it make more sense to turn a business around rather than watching them hang on by their fingernails hoping things get better.

That's really what the critics are talking about here wishing hoping and waiting.

Now the charge private equity firms fire people it's true often the first out the door in senior management.

And if the company is dying everyone's losing their job anyway but -- the firm is successful.

More people are hired.

Even the federal government knew they had to slim down the auto makers when they bailed them out three years ago pressuring them.

To trim their bloated dealership networks slashing thousands of jobs.

It's fair to look at how well -- perform to think about that 22% of his investments went belly up.

But the firm also -- Staples Domino's Pizza the sports authority big companies.

Today those companies employ a total of nearly 1161000.

People and Bain investors.

Tripled their money.

Other companies that have benefited from private equity investors include the W my -- -- GN saying you know that Burger King HCA.

-- -- -- -- -- -- Ruthless well in their quest for profits yes but many people benefited from their efforts.

In other words companies like -- -- more good than harm not to mention its top of the president to be too hard on those so called vulture capitalists.

After only took three and a half million dollars from private equity executives in the last election and you can bet he'd like even more this time around.

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