Obama jobs plan vs. GOP proposal: No comparison, really

[babylonsister]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20111025,0,442445.column

Obama jobs plan vs. GOP proposal: No comparison, really

Obama's American Jobs Act would raise economic demand and boost employment, while Republicans' Jobs Through Growth Act would do little except protect corporate profits.

By Michael Hiltzik

October 25, 2011, 8:18 p.m.

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That's assuming Congress skipped one big element of the GOP plan, which is enactment of a balanced budget amendment. If that got passed during this period of economic strain, he said, "it would be catastrophic."

Prakken's firm estimates that the near-term stimulative provisions of the Obama program — infrastructure spending, the temporary payroll tax cuts and extended unemployment coverage — would create 1.3 million jobs in the first year and raise gross domestic product growth by 1.25 percentage points.

It's only fair to observe that buried deep within the GOP program are a few initiatives that would make sense over time, such as improving the president's authority to negotiate fair international trade agreements and examining more closely the economic effect of regulations. But one has to dig pretty deep to find them.

Some of the plan's elements, indeed, seem to have been conceived largely to produce telling acronyms, such as the Freedom from Restrictive Excess Executive Demands and Onerous Mandates Act — yes, "FREEDOM." This measure aims to eviscerate environmental and occupational safety regulations, suggesting that it's all about your FREEDOM to succumb to polluted air and water and to get disemboweled at work.


snip//

What's desperately needed today on jobs policy is clear thinking. Instead, the Republicans have produced gimmicks such as Rick Perry's do-it-yourself optional flat tax and Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan, the latter of which gets murkier the deeper one dives into it, like a polluted lake. Now there's the Jobs Through Growth Act, which is all smoke. The best thing one might say about it is that where there's smoke there's fire.

But it may be more pertinent to quote President John F. Kennedy's famous observation, that where there's smoke there's usually only a smoke-making machine.

[wiggs]

1. Thanks. For those who don't carefully read both and make judgements

for themselves (most Americans), it must seem that Obama is the only one making major statements about where we are economically and campaigning for a jobs bill. On the other hand, you hear from many congressional republicans every day and of course you hear from FOX and talk radio all day long. That's what many, many Americans base their decision on, unfortunately: Who is loudest, most strident, most certain, most repeated.....

Where are the business leaders who would stand to profit from higher middle class demand?

Where are all the dem congressional leaders? I know they support the jobs bill, but they aren't getting a message out

Where are the union leaders, especially teachers and public safety employees? Why don't they have a higher profile?

OWS is not about this bill...the bigger picture is their target. But on this one, narrow, clear, jobs issue you would think the dem message could be stronger and more comprehensive. After all...while this is about a jobs package it is also about whether or not government has a role in smoothing economic downturns, improving lives, regulating activities, running a country (as opposed to the free market running all). This is as easy a stand to make not only for short term but long term. So where are they? Where's the creative messaging and media exposure?