Jobs

Did not Congress promise that this year they would focus on jobs? Why then is Congress focusing again on health care? They are once again trying to spend trillions of dollars we do not have on legislation that the American people do not want. Why does Washington continue to ignore the American people? Where are their priorities? Washington is putting party agenda ahead of the good of the country. Health care is sucking all the air out of the halls of Congress. Every other issue is placed after it. JOBS should be the main issue. Concentrate your efforts on jobs.

The Senate passed a 15 billion dollar jobs bill. This bill exempts small businesses, who hire unemployed workers – What about underemployed workers? – from the 6.2 social security tax until December and allows a one time $1000 tax credit if the worker retains his or her job for one year. This is not really much of an incentive to hire new workers. It may offer a small amount of help, but will not reverse the massive job losses that are crippling this country. The bill is exempted from PAYGO and will be financed by increasing the deficit. Moody’s Investors Services estimate that it may create 250,000 new jobs. This is not cost effective job creation.

Congress wasted 862 billion dollars on a “stimulus” bill filled with pet pork projects. Unsurprisingly it did not work. The Senate proposes spending just 15 billion dollars on jobs. That tells you what their priorities are.

The House’s “jobs” bill proposes spending 154 billion dollars. A portion of it will be used to encourage small businesses to hire unemployed workers. It proposes using 75 billion of TARP funds for aid to states and infrastructure. The TARP bill stipulated that returned or unused TARP funds would be used to reduce the national debt. It is illegal to use this money as the House proposes. The bill also extends unemployment benefits by six months; expands the child tax credit; and extends highway and mass transit programs. This is not really a jobs bill. It’s the “Son of Stimulus” bill.

Washington needs to get serious about jobs. The government does not create anything but short term or bureaucratic jobs. Businesses create jobs. All the government can do is to create an atmosphere that is conducive to job creation. This can mainly be accomplished by across the board tax cuts. Right now the government is a roadblock to job creation. Government needs to get out of business’ way and let capitalism work.

Signed,
The Electorate

Economic Insanity

Yesterday Moody’s Investors Service, the leading global credit rating firm, issued a dire warning to the United States. It stated that if our deficit was not reduced or economic growth was not more robust than expected, that this country may well lose its Triple-A credit rating. This would mean that fewer entities would be willing to loan us money and that the interest rates for future loans would go up. This was to be expected after last year’s borrowing and spending spree. The proposed 2011 budget that was submitted this week was the final straw.

This proposed budget did not seek to stabilize debt levels in relation to gross domestic product nor did it seek to reduce spending. Will someone in Washington get serious about this impending financial disaster? We must stop spending what we do not have. Cutting 20 billion dollars from a 3.8 trillion dollar budget is not getting serious about our debt level.

It is almost impossible for economic growth to become more robust. The uncertainty that Washington has created with current and proposed legislation has seriously frightened businesses. They are afraid to grow and are hunkering down waiting to see the outcome of the governmental storm. They do not know what new taxes or regulations will be imposed on them next. Government has become a roadblock to economic growth.

If we hope to remain a tier one nation, Washington must curtail its compulsive spending and borrowing. You must know that the Jobs/Stimulus bill you are considering is stuffed with waste and pet spending projects. You must know that the proposed budget contains the same unnecessary wasteful spending. You must come to your collective senses and cut these useless expenditures. Irresponsible spending and borrowing did not work last year and it will not work this year. Washington has put the nation at risk.

Signed,
The Electorate

A Real Jobs Bill

Don’t repackage the Stimulus bill and call it a jobs bill. It didn’t work last year and it won’t work this year. It doesn’t matter what you call it. Government spending projects won’t end the recession. Pork projects won’t end the recession.

The government is not an effective creator of lasting jobs. Infrastructure jobs only last for a limited time. We need lasting jobs. Any job created by the government costs vastly more than the job pays. Bureaucracies waste money. Stop wasting taxpayer dollars. If the government is serious about improving the economy, it needs to create a business friendly atmosphere. The federal government needs to lower taxes on individuals and large and small businesses. It needs to temporarily loosen regulations. This will create jobs and help vitalize the economy.

It is the nature of businesses and individuals to seek to prosper – to improve their lot. We will find a way, if government stops stifling us. No one knows what new tax or regulation will next be placed on our shoulders. Business hates uncertainty. The government needs to get out of the way and let capitalism work. Only business can effectively create jobs. Help them do it.

Currently, small businesses are creating nearly all of our new jobs. They, in particular, need their burdens lessened. Reduce their taxes and offer incentives for job creation. However, do not ignore large corporations for they can create jobs in larger numbers.

I implore Congress not to repeat the mistakes of last year. An expanding government impedes the economy. Government is not the solution. Do not block a recovery. Have faith in the people and the country. Help us help ourselves.

Signed,
The Electorate

Jobs and Recovery

The government is working under a flawed premise. The government does not create wealth. People create wealth. Businesses create wealth. This country’s wealth and prosperity has come from the ingenuity and industry of its citizens. The government can only provide an atmosphere conducive to wealth creation. Right now business is frozen. No matter which way business turns it faces new taxes and regulations. Money is not available. The government has sucked up available funds with its insatiable spending.

The solution to our economic problems is not complicated. History has proven, over and over again, that these solutions work. They work for Democrats and they work for Republicans. The federal government needs to exercise some self-control and reduce its spending. The federal government needs to offer a stable, business friendly environment. If the government reduced individual, small business, and corporate taxes and loosened regulations, business and the economy would recover. As businesses recover new jobs are created.

The government is a poor creator of jobs. Infrastructure jobs are temporary jobs and the cost of each job is astronomical. True job growth can only come from the private sector. Small business is the engine of job creation. Currently the government is standing in the way of small and large businesses. The government needs to get out of the way and let the people correct our economic problems.

Signed,
The Electorate

Economy: Congressional Priorities

Congress needs to readjust its priorities. It should be concentrating on reviving the ailing economy. This is the vital issue. Unemployment will soon be ten percent. Instead Congress is concentrating on an energy bill and a health care bill. These may be important but are not vital. In fact, both these bills, as they are being proposed, will adversely effect the economy.

What we need is more jobs. Small businesses drive our economy and create most of our new jobs. These bills will cripple small businesses and many will cease to exist. These bills will cause job loss. Agendas can wait. The economy can not. Ask someone, who is out of work, if he or she would rather have a job or guaranteed health care. Ask them if they would rather have a job or reduce carbon emission by under one percent by the end of the century. The answers would be unanimous - jobs.

Any bill that is passed should not be detrimental to the economy. Every bill should be looked at through the prism of the economy. That should be Congress' priority.

Signed,
The Electorate

Jobs and Small Businesses

To Congress:

The majority of new jobs comes from small businesses. If the growth of small businesses can be stimulated, new jobs would be created.

What is the best and most immediate way to accomplish this? Some have suggested using TARP funds for this. The TARP Bill stated that all returned funds would be applied to the national debt. It can not legally be used in this manner, nor would it be a good idea. Government money always comes with strings and government controls. If the government made loans to small businesses, the government would be able to control how this money was used. Other restrictions would most likely be added.

Small businesses know what would most help their businesses - not the government. Soon we would have thousands of mini GM's. They would, in effect, all be controlled by the government. No doubt a Small Business Czar would be appointed. We have enough bureaucracies. It has also been suggested that the government could guarantee small business loans. That didn't work very well with Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac.

The most EFFECTIVE way to stimulate the growth of small businesses is to lower their taxes. It is direct and immediate. No applications have to be filled out. No approval is needed. It would help all small businesses. Businesses could use this saved money in the way they know would most help their business. They know what they need. Most small businesses file taxes as individuals. Most new proposals would raise - not lower - their taxes. This would create job loss in a time we desperately need job growth. If Congress is concerned about the high rate of unemployment, it needs to address this by lowering small business taxes.

Signed,
The Electorate

Energy Bill: Results of Cap and Trade

Politicians are saying that the Energy Bill that includes Cap + Trade is first and foremost a jobs bill. That is like saying black is white. If a lie is big enough and repeated often enough, that does not make it any less of a lie. It will cause the loss of an unbelievable amount of jobs. Look to the economies that have tried this. Green jobs were created, but Cap + Trade so dramatically increased the price of all goods that many, many more jobs were lost. Can we not learn from their mistakes?

To stay in business, after Cap + Trade, companies will be forced to raise prices and cut costs. They will lower costs by cutting jobs. The higher prices will force people to buy less. Less merchandise will be needed, which will again force job cuts. Do you see a pattern? Isn't unemployment high enough? Does Congress have to make it worse?

Congress can pass legislation to develop new green energy and create new green jobs. It can do this with a bill that does not include Cap + Trade and save the jobs we have now.

Signed,
The Electorate