Myth Busting

Yesterday, the United States Senate voted down the American Jobs Act. By doing so, 1.9 million Americans were denied a job. This is unpatriotic. This is un-American. This is morally bankrupt. This is wrong. How does House Majority Leader Eric Cantor respond? Does he have a jobs plan? Of course not, he just smirks and calls for a Thursday vote on an anti-abortion bill that the House has ALREADY PASSED. Republicans have, without question, demonstrated that they do not give a good god damn about jobs, nor about the American people. Polls demonstrate overwhelming support for President Obama's policies, yet despite this reality, Republicans continue to spew their usual rhetoric: cut taxes on the "job creators" and eliminate regulation(s). Let's briefly analyze these points (actually this is where I dismantle the entire Republican ideology in two paragraphs).

Tax cuts for corporations and millionaires/billionaires do not create jobs. They never have, and they never will. Why? Because people don't create jobs. Demand for products or services creates jobs. This is the fundamental aspect of our free market system. The claim that the extra money millionaires/corporations pocket from tax cuts will be recirculated into creating new jobs is false. Employers will not hire workers if there is no demand for what they are selling. This is simple economics and common sense. Cutting taxes will not create jobs. That said, what WILL create jobs? Well, if you ask business leaders, as Obama did the other day, they were unanimous in their response: investing in infrastructure. Infrastructure jobs are immediate, and will get those workers spending money on products and services, thus increasing demand and opening up the market for... NEW JOBS!!! Of course, Republicans ignore this, despite being "pro-business." How else can we create jobs? Research, development and innovation, which are priorities that our country has abandoned (excluding our miltary, but good luck seeing that technology being used to actually benefit society). How else can we create jobs? We need to invest in quality, public education. We need to create a strong work force, rather than a society of consumer drones. Yes, that means education reform, and yes, that means more spending, and yes, that means tax increases on the wealthiest Americans. It's the right thing to do and Democrats need to follow Presiden't Obama's example and hammer that message across the country. Tax cuts: MYTH BUSTED.

Eliminating regulations is the other Republican talking point which makes no sense, at all, in any plane of reality. One need not look back further than the 2007/2008 financial collapse to see not only the result of a lack in regulation, but lax regulation enforcement as well. Republicans, when asked which regulations they would like to repeal, generally say they want to end the EPA (I personally like clean air and water) and end the Department of Education. They are never able to cite specific regulations, because, it's an empty talking point. You know what happens when regulations are repealed? The current financial mess: the death of 29 miners in West Virginia (Massey Energy CEO Blankenship should be in prison); commercial airlines neglect their aircraft, compromising customer and environment safety; cars get recalled and lose efficiency (although the market is demanding more efficient cars, so maybe that's an exception). These are just a few examples. Interestingly, if regulations are followed, they can actually HELP businesses, as fewer screw ups, deaths, injuries and bad press can INCREASE consumer confidence, and, as a result, demand can increase... wait a minute... demand creates jobs!!! Sorry GOP, but corporations can not self-regulate. Regulations keep consumers safe, they keep workers safe and they hold those responsible for the actions of their business(es) accountable for wrong-doing. As for the government's role, regulations need to be enforced, and violations need to be corrected, in EVERY industry. The reason no one has been held accountable for the financial crisis is because there were no regulations in place that would HOLD anyone accountable. This is wrong. So, logically, following regulations can help businesses. Eliminating regulation: MYTH BUSTED.

People, take to the streets. Blog. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Call your Representatives and Senators. This country has been brought to its knees from 30 years of right-wing policy. It's time for progressive, liberal ideas and progressive, liberal leadership. It's what America wants, and it's what America needs.