The Obama Jobs Plan, which will be highlighted in a speech to a joint session of Congress on Thursday, is expected to offer various measures to deal with the sagging US economy. The speech has now become even more significant, as the Labor Department reported this week that the economy failed to create any new jobs in August. Growing frustration is apparent in all sectors, including many in Obama's political base such as trade unions and minority groups.
Many analysts expect the President to propose a varied approach, which will include a mix of tax breaks, homeowner incentives and spending on public works projects. The Obama jobs plan may also include infrastructure bank and corporate tax reform.
Gene Sperling, Obama's top economic adviser, said "The economic case is quite compelling that we need to do something that can have a definitive and meaningful impact on projected economic growth over the next 12 to 18 months and on ... job growth and the President felt very strongly about that even before the job growth number today."
President Obama faces an extremely difficult political landscape, with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives expected to block many of his proposals. When heated debate arises over small details, such as what day the president will address Congress, we should all be concerned. Even the phrase "Obama jobs plan" is a misnomer - it should be viewed as a "US jobs plan", one intended to drive economic improvement for the nation. Strong leadership is desperately needed in Washington. Debate is healthy, but at the end of the day there needs to be agreement and commitment on a definitive and comprehensive plan.
In all fairness to the President, he did not create the economic conditions we are now facing. He is at the helm of a ship that has been poorly steered for decades. However, it is clear that his economic policies have made things much worse. With the Democrat-controlled Congress in place, the president went on a two-year spending spree which included failed stimulus programs and a major new entitlement program. The Democrat ideology, embodied by the President, collided with the US economy at the worst possible time and now we are all faced with the consequences.
Bold and drastic measures are now desperately needed. The President demonstrated such leadership this week when he shelved an Environmental Protection Agency proposal to tighten smog standards. US industry has been stifled with over-regulation, which has cost an untold number of jobs and significantly added to trade deficits. The pendulum needs to swing back towards pro-business policies, ones that drive economic growth and place the United States in a position for success.
Dormant Bethlehem Steel Factory (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)
Photo source: Flickr
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Comments: 17
Under the Bush tax cuts our country enjoyed a record setting 52 straight months of job growth and only ended in Jan 2007 with the dems taking control of the house and senate.
For the first two years of the Obama administration he enjoyed total dem control with huge majorities in the house and a filibuster proof majority in the senate....the repubs had no way to stop anything he wanted to do.
You would think he would have concentrated like a laser on jobs but did he, no he did not....why should we trust now that he knows anything about stimulating jobs or what it takes to create one.
But will he get a bill which gives him something to work with?
He did what was orthodox. He appointed an orthodox staff and took orthodox advice and compromised to get an orthodox result (more money for the already rich) and got the orthodox consequences (the problem didn't go away).
Obama had no clue what would work and what wouldn't, you do realize that this administration has the lowest percentage of people that have had real business world experience....yes they have degrees and are supposidly smart....but not for the real world.
Remember Obama is not the worst possible President. I can think of several candidates that would make Obama look like a saint.
Real world experience is good for organized crime and for massive fraud. It never solved any problems for the public. Look at all the real world experience Lincoln had.
Right now its a toss up between Carter and Obama as to who did the most harm to the country......and Obama's not yet done for another 16 months so he has time to move to the top.
Facts are that none of Obama's plans hatched by his pointy headed intellectuals with zero working experiences have worked, in fact in most cases they have hurt us worse.
The country is going to be looking for someone with a lot of executive or business experience next time.
Interesting perspective you have on history.