Job Creation and the Economy

Recently, the American people have suffered through high unemployment rates and a sagging economy.

As a response, Speaker Pelosi and President Obama pushed their so-called ‘stimulus’ package through the 111th Congress as one of their first acts. Including the interest that will accrue because the money must be borrowed, the total cost of this package was $1 trillion. We were promised that it would create or save between three and four million jobs and pull this country out of the economic recession. However, it is more than a year later and we have seen our unemployment rate rise to ten percent, and even higher in some areas. Huge portions of the “stimulus” package have yet to be completed and many projects are still incomplete. The website for the stimulus package, www.recovery.gov, listed congressional districts that don’t exist as receiving hundreds of millions of dollars and there are wide reports of stimulus projects costing double what they should in order for cities and states to comply with the regulations of the bill. While Oklahoma has done a very good job of quickly putting their money to use, they are unfortunately the exception to the rule.

The American people are hurting right now. Many are having to make tough choices and are finding it difficult to provide for their families. However, rather than focusing on passing legislation that will help our economy recover and put money back into the pockets of the American people, Congress and the White House continue to focus on passing unpopular and costly bills, like the government takeover of health care and the $600 billion national energy tax.

We need to put money back in the pockets of the American people by cutting taxes on American families and small businesses. This will raise the standard of living and encourage economic growth by lowering the cost to do business. As we have learned from history, increased taxes do nothing but grow the size of government and stifle economic growth. Second, just as families across this country are doing right now, the federal government must begin to tighten their proverbial belt and cut back on spending. For the 2009 fiscal year, almost half the money allocated by Congress was borrowed and similar numbers are expected for 2010 and 2011.

That isn’t just poor fiscal planning- it’s mortgaging our children’s futures to pay for the present.

Frankly Speaking on Job Creation and the Economy

• (08-13-2010) The Trouble with a Bailout
• (07-26-2010) Lame Duck Plan Is a Lame Idea
• (06-11-2010) Drowning in Red Ink
• (05-21-2010) To Budget or Not to Budget � That Is the Question
• (04-16-2010) Town Hall Recap: Your Voice Is Important
• (03-11-2010) A Disconnected Congress
• (02-04-2010) A Budget of Historic Proportions
• (01-20-2010) Change We Don't Want
• (10-28-2009) One Trillion, Four Hundred Twenty Billion Dollars
• (07-10-2009) Fiscal Responsibility is the Best Policy
• (05-19-2009) Farewell to an American Institution
• (03-25-2009) The True Cost of Our Rising Deficit
• (02-10-2009) The Myth of Government Created Wealth
• (12-05-2008) A Bailout on the Bailout
• (10-03-2008) My Concern with the Bailout Bill