If The Rich Are Jobs Creators, Where Are The Jobs?
In the founding days of the Republic, a highly literate and very politically savvy American citizenry would spend hours arguing the pros and cons of various governing ideas presented in a flood of pamphlets, and in tightly reasoned works such as The Federalist and The Anti-Federalist. The kind of political arguments impossible to fit in a 30-second TV special interest rant or a 140-character tweet — not that anyone employing these media would ever be interested in trying.
So be it. In arguing the merits of how to meet the challenge of government deficit reduction today, one is therefore wise to avoid the complex, the subtle, because really folks, who’s gonna pay attention to stuff like that, and just focus instead on a catchy phrase or two that seems to sum up the issues involved in a memorable phrase or two.
With that in mind, here’s my contribution to the present debate. A debate that has pretty much come down to whether all the pain of getting our fiscal house in better shape should come from cuts in government programs for the poor and middle class, or whether some of that pain should be shared by the rich.
Since the Republican argument is that the rich should be let off the hook because they are “jobs creators,” my whack-em-back is: If The Rich Are Jobs Creators, Where Are The Jobs?
Every time some Republican says we can’t tax the rich more because they are job creators, that’s the immediate come back. If The Rich Are Jobs Creators, Where Are The Jobs?
The follow ups should then note that those making over $250,000 a year have been paying less income taxes because of a Bush-era deal that was supposed to help generate jobs. So where are the jobs? The obscenely low “carried interest” tax rate for obscenely over-compensated hedge fund managers that was supposed to help generate employment has been around since the Clinton years. So where are the big job numbers this tax break was supposed to create?
Go through the list of tax breaks for rich, one by one, and ask the same question. Where are all the jobs they’ve created, what has the public gotten for these tax goodies. We know the rich have gotten richer because of lower taxes. But where are the jobs for the rest of us?
The big political focus today (finally!) is on jobs. Republicans say more tax breaks for the rich will produce more jobs. Long existing ones haven’t done that. So it’s worth asking — again and again.
If The Rich Are Jobs Creators, Where Are The Jobs?
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15 Responses to “If The Rich Are Jobs Creators, Where Are The Jobs?”
I believe that most new jobs are created by small businesses, correct me if I am wrong. So depending on how you define “rich”, a much bandied about word, some define as single $200K and couple, $250,000, people do create some jobs.
If Reps holler class warfare, then Dems holler rich too often; these are just war chants.
Yeah no kidding!
We gave them the biggest tax cut in history and it created no jobs at all. However it did wreck our economy putting tens of millions out of work!
Why would we want to continue such Republican lunacy?
duck-
Small business can have up to 500 employees and still be considered “small” for tax purposes and “tax purposes” is the only reason for defining large or small in business. You might think that this is unfair to the mom and pop “four employee” small business. It is because what they reap is jack compared to the 500 employee small business.
IMO, there should be no tax incentives for business at all. A business held afloat by tax money is nothing more than a liability on the people and a damage to the market. If a business cannot, after a time, survive on it’s own, then there was no business there to begin with or they don‘t know what they are doing. Holding it up with government, (the people’s), money makes it unfair for competitors to get started with their new businesses.
I do believe in new business tax incentives if market research bears it out, but they should be temporary not permanent.
Woop it up all you want.
How about the millions of jobs that would be created and supported if the administration would actually support and let the Blue Ridge and Keystone Pipelines get going?
USFWS Impedes America Economy While Supporting OPEC
On December 6, 2010 Obama nominated Daniel M. Ashe to head and direct the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). What is the USFWS and who is Ashe? I feel that both questions are fairly simple to answer.
The USFWS has impeded job growth, slowed the economy, restricted freedoms, restricted access to American lands by American people, is being used as a proxy arm of the government to black mail and beat into submission organizations like Gibson that are not supporters of the regime, and is being used, in a manner of speaking, to promote American reliance on a terrorist supporter for oil.
http://msmignoresit.blogspot.com/2011/09/usfws-impedes-america-economy-while.html
I don’t believe tax cuts have or will create jobs.
I do, however, agree with the GOP that the high costs of labor and affiliated labor regulations are an impediment to job creation. IMO that is really the root cause of slow job growth. That and the wonky banking system, but honestly, it’s the high cost of labor related to the global economy that is sucking the steam from the job creation engine.
MSMII, I don’t know about that particular project and your assertion that this agency is seriously inhibiting the project, but I think part of any “jobs program” should be a bi-committee to recommend fast tracks for projects deemed worthy. We have to get the economy rolling and cut the arguments about who has the best plan to bail out the sinking boat.
And, Barky, high costs, over-regulation are part of the inhibiting equation even if you don’t think higher taxes affect anything.
Duck-
-[Woop it up all you want]-
If you are going to bail out, may I suggest a parachute?
Again, raising or lowering rates while keeping the same incentives is a waste of time. We need some major overhauls, not paint jobs.
Prof, As one group of eunuchs, the Reps, said to the other group of eunuchs, the Dems, let’s paint, it’s easier than growing a new pair.
Obviously, every job that exists was created by some person or business that made a decision to forgo their own resources in exchange for someone else’s time and labor.
Now, to what degree tax rates effect hiring decisions is a debatable and complicated one. Personally, my view is that it affects it less than Republicans think and more than Democrats think, particularly as expressed by absolute talking points that don’t stand up to reality.
But I don’t want my views to win the argument if they are not correct, and I am not conceited enough to think that my views are and will always be correct. I want the best ideas to win the arguments, even if they aren’t mine. That’s what makes democracy great. If we succumb to the expediency of political talking points, then the best idea doesn’t win–just the best marketed one. That would be a great tragedy. Maybe it’s a hopeless cause, but I don’t see any alternative.
Well said……………..
Show us The Money” The Rich and Wealthy are the job creators? “Show us the Money” Show us new Jobs! Its time to build that compassionate capitalist society; Put up or shut up end the republican investment and jobs blockade or stand aside, pay the higher Taxes and the government will create jobs. fah451bks
451, it’s just a bogus mantra that gets repeated so often a certain number of people start believing it. The tactic is famously republican and has quite a history of being employed on a wide variety of issues. I’m sure you already knew that – but I wanted to say it anyway.
We don’t need anymore butt powdering and welfare for “business”. They get far to much consideration in this country.
uck business.