Times Journal | Skepticism in state over plan
Skepticism in state over plan
By David Clemons | Times Journal | September 9, 2011
DeKalb County's congressman is skeptical about the jobs program President Barack Obama proposed this week.
"While I appreciate the president addressing Congress [Thursday] evening on one of the most critical issues our country is facing, I think what is missing is the realization trillions of dollars of stimulus spending simply did not work," Rep. Robert Aderholt said in a statement.
"I did not work because we cannot spend our way to prosperity; if we could, then the country would be at full employment by now."
Obama on Thursday asked for $447 billion in tax cuts and government spending in an effort to restart the economic recovery.
"This is the American Jobs Act," Obama said. "It will lead to new jobs for construction workers, for teachers, for veterans, for first responders, young people and the long-term unemployed.
"It will provide tax credits to companies that hire new workers, tax relief to small business owners and tax cuts for the middle class."
Aderholt, R-Haleyville, noted the lack of job growth in the U.S. last month. DeKalb County's unemployment rate increased to 13 percent.
"The current unemployment situation is a clear indication the administration's idea of spend, stimulus and regulate does not lead the way to job growth."
Obama proposed $4,000 tax credits to companies that hire anyone who has spent more than six months looking for a job. It extends unemployment insurance for another year.
"The typical working family," Obama said, would get a $1,500 tax cut next year if the bill is passed.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, said the plan "makes a mockery of the recent debt limit deal."
"That agreement cut $7 billion in appropriations next year, but the president now wants to borrow hundreds of billions more to finance a second stimulus package," Sessions said.
Aderholt said he wants the Obama administration and Congress to support a bill that would modernize the Generalized System of Preferences, a bill he said would help the domestic textile manufacturing industry.
"Americans are looking to Washington to allow businesses to retain and create jobs through deregulation and fair trade agreements that level the playing field for American businesses to compete," he said. "This is what will get our economy back on track."
Sessions called the $700 billion-plus stimulus of 2009 "one of the most spectacular policy failures in modern history."
Obama hit the road Friday in an attempt to drum up support for the plan.
"We're tougher than these times," he declared. "We are bigger than the smallness of our politics."
Venturing out of Washington to promote his initiative, Obama's first stop after addressing a joint session of Congress Thursday was on the home turf of one of his top Republican antagonists. Speaking at the University of Richmond, in the district represented by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Obama made a full-throated appeal for public support, punctuating his remarks with a sharp refrain: "Pass this bill!"
"It will jump start an economy that has stalled," Obama said, conceding that a nation stuck at 9.1 percent unemployment is no longer in recovery.
The largely supportive crowd cheered enthusiastically as Obama outlined details of his jobs plan and broke into chants of "USA!" when the president ensured that America can compete with growing global powerhouses like China.
"I know that folks sometimes think they've used up the benefit of the doubt but I'm an eternal optimist, I'm an optimistic person," Obama said. "I believe if you just stay at it long enough, after they've exhausted all the other options, folks do the right thing."
The White House communications team went into overdrive in the hours after the speech, sending out dozens of emails from lawmakers and organizations offering their support for the president's speech. Nearly all were from lawmakers in the president's own party or organizations that traditionally support Democrats.
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