Congressman Brad Miller

I know the tough spot our economy is in right now – unemployment still remains high, the housing crisis is forcing people from their homes, and our largest employers are just getting by, and still not hiring.

North Carolina has seen unemployment rates at their highest point in more than 30 years. We're seeing some jobs being created and hearing about more on the horizon, but we have a very long way to go.

Our country has faced major economic difficulties before and I believe if we don't waste time in ideological and partisan fights and focus on solutions, we'll recover from this crisis as previous generations have done. This country survived the Great Depression, and we didn't do it by thinking small.  If we show the same kind of imagination and courage that F.D.R. and other's showed more than 60 years ago, we can get our country moving again.

The financial meltdown dramatically shows the dangers of a government that is on the side of powerful financial special interests and not on the side of ordinary Americans.  When a lack of accountability on Wall Street nearly leads to the collapse of an entire economy, perhaps there is some room for restored balance between government and private enterprise.  Sensible regulation of the financial services industry can allow for companies to make profits without taking advantage of folks.   

From my position on the Financial Services Committee, this has been my number one priority during my time in Congress.

Creating more security and certainty in the Financial Sector is one way to get our economy on track.  I have also worked to make sure that small businesses have the access to capital they need to start or expand their business, creating new jobs.

Business as usual just won't work in this economy.  We must not cut our investments in green energy and education.  We must keep up the fight for energy reform to create green jobs that can never be outsourced, with the added benefit of eliminating our dependence on foreign oil.  The countries that beat us in education today are the ones who will beat us for the best jobs tomorrow, so we must keep up the commitment to education.

We not only want to create jobs, but good jobs – the kind you can raise a family on.  We can't go back to the old economy of overleveraged banks, inflated profits and maxed-out credit cards. Corporate profits soared while wages and incomes remained stagnate. As we recover from the recession and work to cut the deficit in half, we have to build a new foundation for sharing the American dream.

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