One week after President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress and proposed the American Jobs Act, House Speaker John Boehner responded for the Republicans. Not with a plan to address the U.S. jobs' crisis, but with conservative talking points that indicate how difficult it will be to pass meaningful legislation.
The Problem: The two Parties disagree on the origin of the crisis. In his September 8th address Obama indicated the crisis resulted from erosion of America's social compact: "[belief] in a country where everyone gets a fair shake and does their fair share -- where if you stepped up, did your job, and were loyal to your company, that loyalty would be rewarded with a decent salary and good benefits."
In contrast, in his September 15th response Speaker Boehner blamed the Federal government, "there's a fundamental misunderstanding of the economy that leads to a lot of bad decisions in Washington, D.C." "Private-sector job creators of all sizes have been... slammed by uncertainty from the constant threat of new taxes, out-of-control spending, and unnecessary regulation." "Job creators in America are essentially on strike."
Neither side admitted the real problem, the American economy is broken. A healthy economy depends upon steady consumption by working Americans. But starting with Ronald Reagan, Republican ideologues have assumed that rich folks buying yachts and vacation homes would catalyze the consumer economy. This didn't happen. In 2011 average Americans aren't consuming because they either don't have the money or are saving it because they are fearful. Republican dogma fractured the U.S. economy and caused massive unemployment.
One Solution, Cut Taxes: Obama's plan would cost $447 billion. Of this amount, tax cuts comprise more than half. $175 billion would result from cutting employee payroll taxes in half in 2012; this would affect 160 million workers and typically result in $1,500 tax savings per household. Another $65 billion in tax cuts would result from cutting employer payroll taxes in half in 2012.
Speaker Boehner didn't reject this aspect of the President's proposal but he minimized it: "It strikes me as odd that at a time when it's clear that the tax code needs to be fundamentally reformed, the first instinct out of Washington is to come up with a host of new tax credits that make the tax code more complex." Boehner trusts business to do the right thing so long as the "threat of government" is eliminated -- "[Businesses] are trying to help create more jobs, but the government is getting in their way." The speaker called for reduction in regulations, taxes, and "the spending binge in Washington."
Another Solution, Rehire Workers: After tax cuts, the remaining $202 billion in Obama's plan funds reemployment programs. Of this amount slightly less than half -- $99 billion, goes for two items: infrastructure and Unemployment Insurance. Obama proposed $50 billion for "immediate investments in infrastructure." After infrastructure, the next largest amount, $49 billion, is allocated to "reform our Unemployment Insurance system to provide greater flexibility, while ensuring 6 million people do not lose benefits."
Speaker Boehner chose not to address most of the President's specific proposals and instead spoke in generalities: "...much of the talk in Washington right now is basically about more of the same. More initiatives that seem to have more to do with the next election than the next generation... initiatives that seem to be more about micromanaging economic decisions than liberating them." "We need to liberate our economy from the shackles of Washington."
Boehner did comment on the infrastructure proposal: "...if we want to do it in a way that truly supports long-term economic growth and job creation, let's link the next highway bill to an expansion of American-made energy production."
The Price Tag: In his September 8th speech, President Obama proposed to add the additional $447 billion to the work of the Joint Select Committee of Congress: "The agreement we passed in July... charges this Congress to come up with an additional $1.5 trillion in savings by Christmas. Tonight, I am asking you to increase that amount so that it covers the full cost of the American Jobs Act." On September 12th, the White House said they believed the bulk of the cost of the American Jobs Act could be raised by: "limiting the itemized deductions, such as those for charitable contributions and other expenditures, that may be taken by individuals making more than $200,000 a year and families making over $250,000 a year." Speaker Boehner rejected this notion: "Tax increases... are not a viable option for the Joint Committee."
The Bottom Line: The latest New York Times/CBS News poll indicated that Americans support Obama's jobs plan. Strong majorities favor his proposals for small business tax cuts and infrastructure investments. Nonetheless, "two-thirds of Americans from broad majorities across party lines are doubtful that Congressional Democrats and Republicans will be able to reach an agreement on a job-creation package."
Obama has staked out a strong position but Republicans will do everything they can to deny him a win. That's the nature of politics in 2011. Bad news for an economy that's been shattered by 30 years of misguided Republican policy.
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We know that it was the repeal of regulations in the Bush administration that allowed Wall St. and the banker thieves to send our economy into crisis mode. And as was recently reported, this country gives as many tax breaks as it receives in revenue...... which gives us zero net gain. As for the spending binge.....the republicans should know all about that, since it was their malfeasance during the Bush years that took a budget in the black and turned it into a massive deficit.
Republicans have repeated these lies so many times, that those without intelligent curiosity simply believe them. Democrats have the facts to back them up, we must not allow republican fiction to become accepted as the truth.
Same here. We want Obama gone as we work to restrain wasteful spending (Solyndra for example) and pointless regulations. Notice that after the BP spill Obama disbanded the MMS that was supposed to oversea drilling and of course just wasted money.
Look at the reason for these companies to crash. Hello, China!
Did America get it right during World War Two when all of our citizens contributed to the cost of that war and shared in the sacrifices made, or has our recent policy of having only the poor and the middle class suffer from the cost of our current decade of wars been the more appropriate policy?
Until recently, I had been a proponent of communal involvement where all of us would be called upon to support our nation based upon our ability, be it financial and otherwise. I thought in the end that such a policy helped all parts of our nation, that it gave the poor and the needy a supporting base to keep them above the water while also allowing the well to do and the wealthy to sustain their lives.
Have I gotten it wrong. Are we no longer a community? Are we simply a group of individuals seeking only to make good for ourselves? I need clarification.
Dems think they have a right to seize other people's property to reward their constituents, whether it's black farmers, solar company execs, or unions. I guess forced charity is more palatable to all of us.
http://www.flixya.com/blog/3201910/Beautiful-Butterflys
Faved
So, I would think that the GOP would listen or at least care, but they are staying in their stubborn mode of protecting the richest 2% over the 98 %-ers. Too bad they embraced the tea drinking lunatics of the religious right and the "I've Got Mine, You Are Own Your Own" crowd. We so plainly what they are and the sign carrying bunch that the PRESS monkey forced down our throats for two damn years, co-produced by FOX lies of inflating their numbers and we now have these know nothing, do nothing loons letting lobbyist for the BIGs write bills.
Guess Bush and these SAME REPUBLICANS who crashed our economy and handed it all to Obama, haven't learned a thing. Just more of class warfare and eliminating every social service that protects and helps the middle class plus deregulating everything in sight.
They still haven't learned that the "job creators" are not the rich, or we would be swimming in Jobs, instead of losing 8 MILLION while they and Bush was in power. The small businesses which Obama is taking care of, are the true job creators.
“Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure than they have it now, They may change their Rulers and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty. They will only exchange Tyrants and Tyrannies.â€
Letter to Zabdiel Adams June 21, 1776. (John Adams)
John Adams was viewed by the king of progressivism “Woodrow Wilson,†as post modern in his views of the Constitution’s intent and meaning.
We are now exchanging Tyrants and Tyrannies... this is the some total of our political discourse.
There is nothing post-modern about virtue. It created this nation, it will sustain this nation and it will save this nation.
It is your choice.
Today, progressive education is constantly researching human behavior… and instead of disseminating the information back to the people to their various occupations for them to use at their discretion it is off to Washington to be processed into more policy and regulation. This is how you use virtue. Jefferson called this being self-governed.
 Of liberty I would say that, in the whole plenitude of its extent, it is unobstructed action according to our will. But rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add “within the limits of the law,†because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual. (Thomas Jefferson)
As in the past they figure with all their money most from special interest, lobbyist, and large corporations again, they can run campaigns that will overrun any challenger. Americans are sick of their games and come 2012 will make some changes that I hope will rock Congress to its roots. Vote carefully in 2012 if you believe in a challenger support them for a win for America.
You think Republicans gave 525 million to bankrupt Solystra?
You think Republicans let Barney Frank force banks to lend to minorities and poor people who didn't normally qualify for gov't backed mortgage?
Puhleeez. The tide has gone out on Democrats, they lied, they were inept, and now you lost your keys to drive.
DEBT, PORK, Minimum Wage, Earmarks, Unions, Medicine, Energy, Etc. all add up
to no Business or Tax Revenue for America.
Americans are lazy, wasteful and decieved by Pols who still promise the Stars when they
can deliver a Ballons ?
Time to lower Spending to 20 % of GDP ? Only the Tea Party seems to get IT !
DEMS/GOP are the SAME ! ! !
If we do not get rid of these failed ideas we will have no hope for the future. But the current GOP/Tea Party sees nothing wrong with this failure and has doubled down on this by adding an element from Ayn Rand--that no one has any obligation to others.
The ideas of the recent past can no longer help us.
http://redwriteblue.blog.com/2011/02/17/polaris-snowmobile--heads-south/
Faved already your fan.
then they can outsource the people.