>> ben? >> earnings growth has slowed the last few weeks but i look for continued earnings growth. american business is adaptive even in bad circumstances. >> speaking of resourceful and adaptive, here's dave. >> big labor boss, just launching a website exposing how much company c.e.o.s make but big labor's plan to spend $400 million in union do yous and nearly all expected to help president obama and other candidates many members don't support. i'm david asman, steve forbes, rich karl approximate >> receive, even though a lot of union members, up to about 40%,

support republicans over 90% of the money unions spend on candidates go to democrats. >> you would never know but in 1988, the supreme court said you can't force union do dous. you shouldn't get them for political purposes unless the union says take it out and has written permission. >> rick if i was a union member, i would be upset about this, no? >> you know, let's set aside steve's interception of financial core. we greatly appreciate this outpouring of affection for union members and your heartwarming concern. let me make a suggestion. maybe you can direct it towards mistake's public companies making contributions to political organizations and not telling their shareholders. how do we know that? just this week, some of our

nation's largest companies publicly withdrew support from an organization supporting causes their shareholders didn't like, their customers didn't like. when they complained, these organizations pulled out. why didn't shareholders know? they have no obligation to tell them. >> hold on, a lot of complaints by shareholders get results. a lot of complaints by union members don't. the union bosses continue to put the money where they want, democratic coffers. >> we talk about government members, rich is referring to companies. that's a big difference. the other thing is what he's doing with the aflceo is comparing the pay with teachers and firearm. we should compare it to fat cat union boss pay. he makes nearly 300,000 a year. the issue is, nine out of ten --

it's just about up there. you can quibble with the numbers but you're right, david, nine out of ten union members basically are not democrats. a lot of them are republicans and they get corralled and bullied into voting for spending and taxing at the state level when they don't want it. >> rich? >> i'm for full disclosure. if trumpka wants to publicize c.e.o. salaries, that's fine. he was a member of the united mine workers an sanctioned i by a virginia judge. he left the communist party back in the afl/cio and was one step below a socialist, admitting he's worse than that. people should know about his background and i'm for full

disclosure. >> dennis, what about this, 37% in the last election -- 37% of union members voted republican. over 90 percent of the dues went to democratic. >> you want to talk about union issues? let's divert to fat cat salaries. that's the business of their shareholder. when a company makes politic -- may i speak? >> we'll give you a chance, rick. >> it doesn't dock worker pay. when a union make worker contributions it comes from worker pay. we'll collect dews and push for benefits and for our political fund we're asking for a second source of money for the political fund then let the workers have a voice. >> rick, we haven't heard from victoria.

>> dennis, that's a genius idea. it gets rid of the corrupt issue in unions but it's the reason you are not a union boss. because clearly this would not be in the union boss's interest to make this separation. the way they have it now is incredibly powerful for them, for their organizations. it's completely wrong. the fact is there is no choice for the union to join -- >> rick unger, it always comes down to choice. if there's less choice, it's not a good thing, don't you agree? >> yeah, except number one, dennis, i said nothing about what people get paid in corporations. that had nothing to do with the point was making. >> yes you did. >> no, i didn't. nobody recognizings the financial core rule. if the union member doesn't want their dues to go to political

corporation they have a right to opt out. >> except for the right-to-work states, they have no right whatsoever to tell unions to jump. dough. >> go ahead, rich. >> yeah, yeah. >> you're out of your mind. >> rick, you really think that union members under the leadership of trumpka would exercise that freedom? in the 1980's he said we should kick the [ bleep ] out of workers that get out of line. >> he's a tough boss, you have to admit it. >> you have you're saying they're terrified to exercise the right. >> yes. >> wait, wait, you should come out. >> they don't have the right at all. >> steve, go ahead. >> rich, in terms of union dues you should only being allowed to collect for bargaining collective purses. they should be able to write a separate check, voluntary, not automatic. >> by the way, emac in

environment, do you think the nlrb would get anywhere trying to enforce rules? this is the guy the president practically hugs every time. >> most of the nlrb officials are political appointees from union land. david, you see this issue played out in the state level n california with teachers, they want -- i know teachers to want to vote for fiscal reform, for spending reform in the state for things like stopping voter fraud but they're stopped bit teachers union and corralled to toe the line. it happens across the country. >> victoria. >> i agree, i have several friends, either local government or teachers, they're in unions and don't want to be but they feel like they don't have a choice and they don't agree with the political outcomes they're funding. >> to paint on a bigger canvas, unions are out of control. they represent less than 7% of

the private workforce. yet richard trumpka is on the phone or in the white house every week. when is the last time a c.e.o. was there? if we want unions to do good, we should have right to work across the country and let unions earn -- i was told that detroit news in 19 -- they'll crack my head open if i cross a picket line. >> in a handful of cases where workers had a choice of writing checks, 95% say no. >> rick unger, go ahead. >> i'm stunned by the things i'm hearing. you talk about diversion. it's unbelievable. you're quoting things that haven't happened. trumpka is bad because he gets invited to the white house? >> he said he was going to beat the crap out of anybody to crosses the picket line. he's a thug. >> why should someone to represents 7% of the private economy talk to the without.

>> you know what none of you responded to? my request you tell the private companies to disclose their contribution. why aren't you speaking to that? >> all right. >> why don't you do that? >> quickly. >> because what shareholders want to do with their money is their business. >> they're not telling shareholders what to do. >> share holds did not contribute. i should have a right to say -- >> we have to leave it at that. rick unger raises a good question. we have to get. it's the one think americans are saving money on, their utility bills. but ahead of earth day tomorrow is a brand-new epa regulation about to change all that? you don't want to miss this, your pocketbook is at stake, we report you decide. [ scott ] i grew up playing with little toy trains

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republican senator chuck grassley is calling for an expanded investigation including all white house and communications staffers who were on the trip to colombia or helped plan it. the number of agents implicated up to 12. six already fired or forced to resign. the united nations is meet to go tackle the crisis in syria. the council voting on a resolution to expanded size of the un monitoring mission. it calls for a six point peace plan to stop the violence and authorized deployment of 3 million unarmed military. >> i'm jamey colby back here at 1:00 p.m. eastern for american headquarters. natural gas prices plunging nearly 30% the past three years

pushing down utility bills. ahead of earth day tomorrow, the epa passing costly emission rules and steve says leave it to the government jack up the one price that's falling for americans. steve? >> david, this thing is not going to hit until after the election because these things are phased in over the next 2.5 years but this is a warmup. most of the drillers do what the epa wants so the epa is establishing precedent. we're coming after you and after we know longer have keystone stuff we're going to hit you hard. >> the one price that's coming down, in utilities, and it may go up because of more regs, that ain't right. >> i'm not worried. natural gas producers are curbing production because the price is so low. >> the price drops are passed on to us, the consumers. >> yes, that's a beautiful

thing. but you know what? so is clean air. clean air is a beautiful thing. i've been to beijing, you can't walk five feet without coughing. i'm not suggesting fracking will cause that level of pollution but there's a place for environmental regulations here and the industry is onboard. >> the fact is a lot of -- when natural gas prices come down, a lot of the energy plants are switching from coal, which is dirtier, to natural gas, which is much cleaner. even environmentally it makes sense, right? >> we should be encouraging them, as you say. what troubles me is is this is an executive order passed on a friday night so the obama administration tried to slip it out the door. she's a lifelong consumer

advocate so do you think natural gas will get a fair hearing? >> you know what else is a beautiful thing? people living in the area not getting cancer when methane is released into the air. we can be sensitive about regulations. i understand many people don't like regulation, especially from democratic administration. >> they come from other places. >> you're decent people and don't want to see people in the area getting sick. that's what would happen if we don't capture the gases. >> i would rather -- >> hold on. i would rather breathe air that is exhausted from natural gas energy plants than coal-fired natural energy plants. the lowering of the price is leading to these conversions. >> absolutely. only a government organization removed from the world like the epa would tout this as positive cost benefit. the cost is $745 million

directly to the gas producers and the benefit only $19 million. one day the economy will get better and our demand for energy will increase. this is going to hurt the cost of natural gas. >> john, nothing wrong with pricing falling because we're finding more ways to use it. boon pickens wants to convert cars and trucks. maybe they'll find more ways to use it. >> to answer rick's point. i don't like regulations because they simply never work. in this case regulations will be a barrier to production which, on the margin, will drive up cost. in the case of natural gas, so much investment has chased this weak dollar driven money illusion that natural gas prices go down in the coming years. what a shame the government's got to get in the way of something that's working that ultimately will drive up prices. >> rick, go ahead. >> i'm shocked by john's statement. i live in los angeles.

i remember all too well what our air quality used to be like and what it's like today. >> i grew up there. >> you ought to come out today. it's a different story. how can you say these regulations don't work when it comes to cleaning the air? i understand you don't like overregulating. i get that, but come on ... >> steve, i think we would all admit that some of the quality of air and you look at the hudson river or the pa toe mick. some regs do work but the question is excess regulation. >> it's about excess res legislation. fracking, companies have incentive to capture the methane and sell it for money. the rules are mild, preelection rules, but they don't like gas or oil and they think windmills are it. we're in a modern world. >> isn't it always a balance? there's a balance between the regulators and the free market and in this case, when natural

gas is getting cheaper, you don't want to stop that trend, do you? >> well, yes, you don't want to stop that trend. but at the same time you want to have environmental protection when companies aren't incented to take the measures to protect the environment when doing intensive projects. at issue is there isn't a free market in energy. we're subsidizing technology that's very costly. >> a major automaker choose to go build a new plant in mexico. what it says about our business environment in the u.s. coming up. first right here, banning hiring smokers to save tax dollars. a government plan that some say all bosses should follow.

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cigarette smoking could cost your job but save taxpayers money. also questions over what to do with your tax refund. refund

>> snuffing out hiring smokers to lower medical bills and save tax dollars. the city of fort worth is looking into this ande mac says --z we would save money from lawyers suing on behalf of employees who want clean air. look, i hear what smokers are saying, they have a free right to do it but a violates my constitution right to protect myself from dirty cigarettes. i'm about life, liberty and pursuit of clean air. i'm aware smoking kills an

secondhand smoke is killing people who don't smoke. lawyers will be ready with massive lawsuits against companies. >> what about employers doing this? banning smokers from bothering to apply. >> it's one thing to ban smoking at the workplace, another that you can't do it on your own time. what is next, fat people, people who salt and eggs? come on, we're going to have a food -- >> so it's a slippery slope. >> yes, if you want to save taxpayers money, encourage smoking. they die earlier, saves the government on medicare and social security and -- >> hilarious. >> net savings to the government. if you looking out for taxpayers, get more people to smoke. >> hurry people into the grave. victoria? >> he is kidding, i think.

>> let's hope. >> yes, no, i'm with steve. it's a slippery slope. smokers are attacks on the rest of us and as we work toward a nationalized healthcare we all pay for people who overeat or smoke. you can't enforce this. you can't smoke in buildings so secondhand smoke issues are removed. >> what about this being a slippery slope. if you do this, it will give the food police a chance to get their licks in. >> i don't like the slippery slope either but in this instance, i don't see it at play. i see more so that smokers want to have their way in buildings smoking or even outside. i hate walking along new york city streets behind smokers. we've had smoking problems in my family so i know a lot of americans have this too. i'm for free market rights but smoking kills. >> steve, last word. >> bottom line, don't smoke at

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