9th Congressional District hopefuls spar on jobs, economy

Republican Congressional hopeful Joel Pollak says he doesn't believe the federal economic stimulus program has created any jobs, while his opponent, Democrat Rep. Jan Schakowsky, argues it has created and saved 3.5 million jobs.

The two presented very different views on the program during a recent interview with the Daily Herald editorial board.

"Government can't create jobs and doesn't create jobs," said Pollak, a Skokie attorney who is challenging incumbent Schakowsky, of Evanston, for the 9th Congressional District seat in the election on Nov. 2.

"I don't think the stimulus has helped create jobs," said Pollak, a former Democrat. "We've actually seen a 5 percent decline in jobs since my opponent took office."

Schakowsky defended the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, saying it has created and saved 3.5 million jobs, according to leading economists.

"There is very little dispute that it would have been far worse had the (stimulus) not been passed," Schakowsky said. "Maybe the Democrats made a mistake in not giving it in one clear lump sum."

Schakowsky said the nation was bleeding jobs well before Obama took office.

"Now we have seen for the last eight months a private sector job growth," she said. "We inherited these problems from the Bush administration. We are crawling out of the ditch they drove us into and now they want the keys back to the car that drove us into the ditch."

Pollak said the Obama administration's policies of high borrowing, spending, taxing and regulating is hurting small businesses.

"I believe we need to get government out of the way of small businesses," he said.

To that end, Pollak believes Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, those making $250,000 or more, should be extended and expanded before they expire at the end of the year.

"We ought to extend those tax cuts for the time being, particularly because of the recession," Pollak said. "I would propose an amendment to make those tax cuts for everyone."

Democrats insist keeping the tax cuts alive takes away billions of dollars in revenue that could help lower the national deficit.

Under Obama's plan, every American, including those in higher-income brackets, would be entitled to some tax cuts. Obama proposes changing the amount of money those in the uppermost brackets would keep.

Schakowsky said the proposal extends tax cuts for the middle class.

"The vast majority of people of income beyond $200,000 are those who make a million or more," said Schakowsky, who is running for her seventh term in the House. "Only 2 percent to 3 percent of tax filers will not receive a tax cut. Even rich people would benefit but not for income at the highest end."

The 9th Congressional District spans from the North Side of northern Chicago and North Shore suburbs west to include Des Plaines and Rosemont.