The GOP’s Mythical Jobs Agenda

[MrScorpio]

By Guest Blogger on Aug 26, 2011 at 1:15 pm

Our guest blogger is Adam Hersh, an economist at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

This is the House Republican’s idea of a “jobs agenda”? They must be joking. In fact, the policy platform outlined by House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) offers a laundry list of half-baked policies that are resounding jobs killers. That’s because, across the board, the Republican “jobs agenda” reduces demand, undermines middle class families, blocks development of renewable energy industries, and recreates the possibility of future financial crises.

The Republican budget plan, for instance, is the most complete articulation of the GOP’s flawed strategy for job creation and economic growth. Passed by the House on a party-line vote in April, it was rejected by the Senate. But the plan still illustrates core party principles that voters should know are at stake in the 2012 elections. The Republican budget:

Ends Medicare as we know it, kicking low income and middle class retirees into the Kafkaesque and inefficient private insurance market.

Tears gaping holes in public investments in education and lifelong learning, efficiency enhancing infrastructure and energy modernization, and science research and
technological R&D that create jobs today, “crowd-in” private investment, and provide a foundation for long-run sustained economic growth.

Offers tax cuts to U.S. billionaires paid for by raising taxes on the middle class and shredding social protections for those hit hardest by the economic downturn, the most efficient policies to boost jobs and economic growth in the short-term.

All told, the Republican budget would kill an estimated 1 million jobs.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/08/26/305252/gops-mythical-jobs-agenda/

[safeinOhio]

1. My jobs plan.

Companies only get tax breaks based on how many jobs they create in the US. No new jobs, no tax breaks.

[louis-t]

2. Essentially, the same plan that didn't work for bush.

Or did it? Did what repugs wanted, but not what they said it would do.

[johnaries]

4. Einstein defined "insanity" as doing the same thing over and over

expecting a different result.

[edhopper]

3. Tax cuts do not

and never have created jobs.
But no one in Washington will say so.

[MadHound]

5. As opposed to Obama's plan,

Which is looking to include tax cuts, tax credits, and more free trade.
<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4972809>

Not to mention that Obama is wanting the Super Committee to come up with even more deficit reduction.

Just because the 'Pugs are way worse doesn't mean that the president is coming out with a strong, effective plan. Tax cuts, tax credits are the least effective form of economic stimulus, and they do little to nothing to create jobs. Yes, the President has an infrastructure plan, but the questions are how much and will that provision get negotiated away in Congress.

[saras]

6. Their jobs agenda works just fine - you just have unrealistic expectations

It's not SUPPOSED to create jobs. It's supposed to create a right-wing extremist position that lets the DLC implement right-wing policies by saying "look, it could be worse."