Republican policy won’t create jobs

Jobs for ordinary Americans will provide an immediate path to economic recovery. Yet Republican policy is aimed more at prolonging economic misery (transparently, to prevent President Obama’s re-election) than treating the wounds of festering unemployment.

Ask yourself and Republicans how long it will take to increase general employment by refusing to raise taxes on those who can justly and most easily pay them (billionaires, millionaires, extremely profitable corporations subsidized by our taxes). A policy of nontaxation to hopefully create jobs is iffy at best; it can do nothing immediately and may perhaps take years if ever to effect.

The Republican policy of cutting government costs to balance the budget also does nothing to promote employment. Such cutting in fact creates more unemployment, threatening the maintenance and safety of our infrastructure (public works, bridges, roads, transportation and traffic systems), the effectiveness of our police and firefighters, and the quality and number of our schools (so essential to an educated, well-informed electorate). President Roosevelt ended the Great Depression by creating jobs, spending tax money to provide for what the private sector couldn’t or wouldn’t do.

The third policy, marking current Republican intransigence, obstructionism and obfuscation, is to allow the federal government to default on its debt by refusing to raise the debt limit. Default on debts will not provide jobs. In fact it will cause economic disaster of an unimaginable magnitude.

Wrong on all three counts, Republican policy, is empty and pernicious, harmful to our common good. Jobs we need, not blocking ideology.

Marion J. Reis

Wheaton