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Reich: Republicans Chase Debt Bogeyman Instead of Jobs

Last updated on 2011.07.30

Robert Reich laments that the Republicans have effectively used a manufactured debt crisis to divert everyone's attention from the real problem they don't want to solve: the jobs crisis:

If and when the economy begins to grow faster &ndash if more Americans get jobs, and we move toward a full recovery &ndash the debt/GDP ratio will fall, as it did in the 1950s, and as it does in every solid recovery. Revenues will pour into the Treasury, and much of the current "budget crisis" will be evaporate.

Get it? We're really in a "jobs and growth" crisis &ndash not a budget crisis.

And the best way to get jobs and growth back is for the federal government to spend more right now, not less &ndash for example, by exempting the first $20,000 of income from payroll taxes this year and next, recreating a WPA and Civilian Conservation Corps, creating an infrastructure bank, providing tax incentives for small businesses to hire, expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, and so on [Robert Reich, "Don't Fall for the GOP Lie: There is No Budget Crisis. There's a Job and Growth Crisis," 2011.07.28].

Say, Kristi, whatever happened to that jobs bill you and your House GOP colleagues promised us? What you and Boehner are doing so far doesn't seem to be helping....

Update 2011.07.30 08:36 CDT: More proof that jobs are not Congress's #1 priority: they would rather wrangle about rural airport subsidies and rules to weaken unions than authorize funding for the Federal Aviation Administration that would put 4,000 federal workers and 70,000 construction workers back on the job. Learn more from Secretary LaHood.

4 Comments

  1. Steve Sibson 2011.07.29

    Silly Riech, he doesn't understand that the GOP is pinning the economy/job tail on Obama. And the GOP is pinning the debt/ceiling crisis tail on the Tea Party. So the GOP Establishment is killing two birds with one stone for 2012.

  2. Guy 2011.07.29

    Steve, you are definitely on to something here and it confirms what I've believed since I left the GOP in 2005 and that was the motivation of the Republican Leadership (not all Republicans): POWER. You know, go ahead and let them pin both of those tails, so, they can win ALL their POWER back. Let them have ALL the POWER since they want it so badly. Yes, they will probably WIN most of it back, ah, but ONLY for the short term will they hold on to this TEMPORAL power. Personally, I'm happy without power. I find power to be a curse in this life and the ultimate destroyer of one's soul. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” – Mark 8:36 To anyone who plays with peoples' lives to gain their own POWER and CONTROL over them: enjoy your POWER, for it comes with a price and it will not last very long.

  3. MC 2011.07.29

    I was about ready jump through my computer and choke you, Cory. However, the suggestions that you mention lets people keep more of what they earn. When people have money they spend it. Right now that is what we need is people earning and spending money.

  4. caheidelberger Post author | 2011.07.29

    (Hey! Hands off my neck!)

    ...and to get people earning and spending, we need jobs.

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