U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston today announced a proposal to create two million jobs in depression-era style public works programs and pay for them through raising taxes on millionaires.
The proposal, which likely stands no chance of winning approval in the Republican-controlled House, was announced at a news conference at Goudy Elmentary School on Chicago’s north side attended by about 200 supporters.
Schakowsky said the two-year, $227-billion program would create over two million jobs — 650,000 in construction and maintenance work in public schools, 100,000 for young people in parks conservation work, 250,000 part-time work-study jobs for college students, 300,000 teachers, 40,000 police officers, 12,000 firefighters, 40,000 health care workers in underserved communities, 100,000 child-care workers and 750,000 “community corps” workers to do housing rehabilitation and other projects.
She said her “Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act” proposal would reduce the nation’s unemployment rate by 1.3 percent.
“I’m not talking about ‘incentivizing’ companies in the hopes they’ll hire someone, or cutting taxes for the so-called job creators who have done nothing of the sort. My plan creates actual new jobs,” said Rep. Schakowsky. “The worst deficit this country faces, isn’t the budget deficit. It’s the jobs deficit. We need to get our people and our economy moving again.”
The proposal with give local governments “the opportunity to put our residents back to work on greatly needed projects meaningful to our communities,” said Mayor George Van Dusen of Skokie. “Fulfilling these critical needs will make our communities safer, give a critical lift to the economy, and provide residents with much needed employment opportunities.”
Why don’t we keep jobs here first?
Maybe Jan should try to keep the jobs we already have here rather than use taxpayer money to create new jobs. This article talks about how GE is moving jobs overseas yet the Chairman of GE is the head of Obama's job council.
GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt, The Head Of Obama’s Jobs Council, Is Moving Jobs And Economic Infrastructure To China At A Blistering Pace
"Jeffrey Immelt, the head of Barack Obama’s highly touted “Jobs Council”, is moving even more GE infrastructure to China. GE makes more medical-imaging machines than anyone else in the world, and now GE has announced that it “is moving the headquarters of its 115-year-old X-ray business to Beijing“. Apparently, this is all part of a “plan to invest about $2 billion across China” over the next few years. But moving core pieces of its business overseas is nothing new for GE. Under Immelt, GE has shipped tens of thousands of good jobs out of the United States. Perhaps GE should change its slogan to “Imagination At Work (In China)”. If the very people that have been entrusted with solving the unemployment crisis are shipping jobs out of the country, what hope is there that things are going to turn around any time soon?"
I guess the Dems just want to keep spending!!!
Get a grip
You're comment is neither here nor there. Leave it to the Republicans to avoid paying their fair share!
Get a grip?
What does the article have to do with Republicans? Are you saying there us nothing wrong with the job czar sending jobs from HIS company to China? The man was appointed to deal with the loss of jobs in the US … How do you not see a problem with this??? Guess kool aid is still flowing!
Who pays the taxes
I don't know if they are Republican or Democrat but get your facts:
Top 1% pay 38% of federal taxes
Top 5% 59%
Top 10% 70%
http://ntu.org/tax-basics/who-pays-income-taxes.html
Do they get 38, 59 and 70% of all government benefits ?
Do they collect Social Security when allowed or live off income/investments ?
Do they use Medicare or pay their own plans ?
Gates, Buffet and others who complain that they don't pay enough, can make a donation to the IRS.
Who did they use when making their education, health and other grants ? U.S. Treasury—No. Private charity. There they realized who actually accomplishes things.
Intellectual dishonesty
First, the reason the "Top 1% pay 38% of federal taxes", as you claim, is that in the last 30 years right-wing policies have concentrated wealth so much.
But that is not the point of this message. Your post compares INCOME taxes against Social Security and Medicare. Social Security and Medicare are funded by PAYROLL taxes, which are imposed on working people and only up to a certain amount (around $120K I think) per year….so the superwealthy do no pay a lot for Social Security or Medicare.
The right-wingers claim that there is a deficit crisis. Instead of raising INCOME taxes to pay the cost of the wars going on, they want to cut Social Security and Medicare and keep income taxes (which are at historic lows) low for wealthy people.
Facts – Who needs facts?
Should you care to do any research, you will see every change to social security and Medicare was enacted by the Democrats. In the latest round, it was your "dear leader" who used seniors as pawns and threatening their benefits. I know facts tend to confuse the issue, but couldn't resist.
To Amy W
First, learn to spell (You're when it should be Your). Typical Democrat – tax the rich, tax the rich, tax the rich!
A proud day for the Democrat Socialists of America
Sorry Jan, you're about two years late.
If you remember, you and other Democrats voted for the $1 trillion stimulus bill that you failed to read and was passed by Democrats in less than 24 hours after it was introduced on the floor.
If you recall, BILLIONS of the stimulus money went to state-construction projects. You might have seen some of those BIG green signs that say Recovery Reinvestment Act Project. Heck, Evanston got $18 million in a neighborhood stabilization fund.
Billions also went to states to keep government union employees working another year.
About $2 million of the stimulus money went to one of your largest campaign donors for a geothermal energy system at their union office in Countryside.
Say Jan, did the $1 trillion create jobs? Do you suppose there are a lot less millionaires out there since 2009?
Jan, you are a member of the Democrat Socialists of America. I am sure you make them proud.
This is another attempt to take money from taxpayers to keep government union members employed so they have money to donate to Democrat politicians like Jan Schakowsky.
Simply shameful.
These kinds of jobs only re-distribute wealth.
I feel for people without jobs, and I wish that this plan would work. However, if this plan passed, it would only solve the employment situation for the few lucky ones chosen to receive salaries, but it would not solve anything for the large majority of this country. The kinds of jobs she is proposing will not create new wealth, they will only re-distribute wealth. We need jobs that grow the pie, not try to equalize it into communist style pieces.
Meet the new boss, just the same as the old boss……
The proposal is nothing less then 'work for votes' campaign and it will never happen. Those days are long gone.
Jan needs to wake up and deal with reality. With the exception of gays in the military, raising the minimum wage (which raised the unemployment rate of at-risk youth), and Obamacare, the Dems have followed the Bush Doctrine almost to the tee.
Opposite of what was promised – We are still in Iraq. still in Afghanistan, we're bombing even more countries who didn't attack us and without a declaration of war, no budget or plan to solve the budget crises, still participating in rendition, Guantanamo is still open for business, still bailing out Wall Street and the banks, still ignoring famine in Africa, still ignoring the environment, we still have high unemployment, and we still have a government we don't trust.
When are 'We the people' going to say enough is enough and vote them all out of office?
Jan’s type of jobs
Knowing her type of legislation and view of government, I'm sure she will create jobs like:
1. Hire someone to dig a hole under a one year contract [even if job takes one day]
2. Hire another person to fill in the hole [even if job takes one day]
3. Count two jobs added to society—both at above union wages as senior soil engineers and probably working on Sunday so they get double time and full benefits..
4. When job done put both on unemployment compensation
5. Enroll both in government education and training for a two year period at senior soil engineer salary + benefits
6. Of course several levels of inspectors, EPA, OSHA and others will have to be on site for the work and return each day for at least a year to make sure there is no danger from oil leaking-up, soil becoming too soft, etc.
==================
Schakowsky
More class warfare from Congress' most liberal spender. She's clueless that the Private sector creates the jobs, not the government. Hopefully she'll be voted out of office soon, or better yet, let's establish term limits on our elected officials. Like fish, they seem to turn bad, before too long!!!
Sitting on two trillion
It would be nice if the private sector would create jobs, but instead it is sitting on hundreds of billions waiting for Godot. When demand is non-existent, supply is abundant and there are still no jobs, the government is the investor of last resort. There are many points in the economic cycle when it is less than optimal to have government spending spur growth for sure. A year of 9% unemployment and over two trillion sitting on the private sector sidelines is not one of those points.
Demand is non-existent?
Adam Smith-
Have you ever met a woman who didn't want a new pair of shoes? Demand is always existent- The problem is never demand. Humans, by nature, will always desire to improve their life and have more.
The problem is production. We americans don't produce enough things/ideas that the rest of the world wants at a competitive price. This is what needs to change. Employing teachers, fireman, and construction workers sounds great, but we need to start exporting more products/ideas and re-balance the trade deficit.
The private sector around the world continues to create jobs, but the manufacturing jobs have left the country in pursuit of cheaper labor.
How many of us shop at Walmart, looking for deals on cheap socks, cleaning supplies, toys, etc. and then complain that the manufacturing jobs have left america? We, the market, have helped create the trade imbalance by voting with our dollars- we voted for more goods for less money.
For years, Americans have metaphorically wiped our butts with the cheapest possible price, and now our working class is left in the shits.
Either Americans need to start paying more for American made products, or the union working-class needs to accept wages more comparable to the Chinese worker.
Why Evanston won’t be a leader
You wrote:
"The problem is production. We americans don't produce enough things/ideas that the rest of the world wants at a competitive price. This is what needs to change. Employing teachers, fireman, and construction workers sounds great, but we need to start exporting more products/ideas and re-balance the trade deficit.
The private sector around the world continues to create jobs, but the manufacturing jobs have left the country in pursuit of cheaper labor."
================
Evanston had a great chance to become a leader with the Research Park but blew it. Between [the Council] debating for years about it being a 'nuclear free zone', animals rights protestors and general obstruction/delay that Evanston has become famous for, the city blew it.
Then any business that gets off the ground, we charge such high rents—owners because of property and city headaches of zoning, and silly regulations], and make the business environment so hostile that they move out once their business becomes viable. Remember Larry Page of Google once worked for a software company in Evanston—how many others have we pushed out.
Of course the city is not discriminating—they do the same so manufacturing, sales, etc.—not just the 'idea' people.
Spend it?
Why on earth would these private companies want to spend money to hire people with the goverment as unstable as it is? As a small business owner, I'm not hiring anyone. My taxes will likely go up because I'm one of those "rich" people by the current administrations definition. Not to mention, i love how we encourage these companies to spend…isn't that what got us into this mess in the first place? If there is one thing Obama has proven is that random spending doesn't create anything but debt.
History is on Jan’s side.
It’s easy for Anonymous people to be arm chair politicians and say what should be done with the country. To sit and complain that the democrats and republicans are doing nothing and we should vote them out of office. For the most I agree with the last statement, but bashing everything that comes out of their mouth is getting to the point of absurdity.
Jan’s idea is a good one, and one that has worked in the past.
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1586.html
I think a lot of people around here might be upset, because hopefully in the very near future they will be paying their fair share and helping to support projects like this.
I’ve got news for the North Shore republicans, to be patriotic and wave flags and wear pins on your lapels, you need to have a country, and right now this one is suffering. So quit whining, and do something. You’re not being punished for being wealthy; you’re doing your patriotic duty.
Tearing down bridges, just to build new ones
Remember last year when central street, evanston was ripped out and replaced by new pavement? This was paid for by Obama's job-creation plan to re-invest in america. Sure, it's nice having shiny pot-hole free pavement, but did Central Street incur new business because of the new road? Did the new road save time for drivers so they could be more efficient with their means of production?
Jan's plan sounds like more of this- Yes, it provides some jobs and gives us shiny new construction, but is this the way to prosperity?
Yes, the NY Times tells you that the government needs to take from the rich to create new jobs, but just think in terms of common sense- When your family can't pay the mortgage, is it the time to employ yourself by remodeling the bathroom?
The only difference here is that your family can't print money to pay for the new bathroom, and the federal reserve can.
History on Jan’s side?
In looking at the 224 billion spending and the job number I did a quick back of the envelope calculation and came up with about 190 billion, so I believe the 224 billion number is realist.
The question is it creating real jobs? Many of the positions already exist, police and firefighters – for example, is the program just going to be giving communities cash to keep currently employees on the payroll? Also I thought there was a government program in place to help communities that are in deep trouble ( not Evanston we have too many well to do people the city can tax ) keep some level of service. ( Gary Indiana as a example )
Some of the other program also seem to lack a long term perspective, such as construction jobs, If the project are just to make work that is no good, it appears to we the recent stimulus did most of the road resurfacing cities needed, and other major work would take a lot of time to plan – more than the time the program is going to be in place?
We have a very different ecomnoy in place than in the 1920's so I do not think the answers of the 1930's will fix it.
Taxes for the ‘rich’
Under the President's new math $250,000 = [a] million = [a] billion, so he will tax a family of two with combined income of $250,000 as if they are million/billionaires.
One way to take the loopholes and 'richman's' deductions away is to do away with all deductions, mortgage, charity, childcare, depreciation on assets like equipment [small business owners should like that !], and give everyone a $20,000 personal deduction—none of course for those greedy businesses—and that is it.
Then tax the rest at one rate—-(Income – $20,000 * #familymembers) * X% and then send that to the IRS.
For business (Revenue – cost of goods) * X %, and send to IRS. With no deductions [depreciation] for plant and equipment, guess how many plants will be built and equipment purchased.
What would Steve Forbes do?
Under the President's new math $250,000 = [a] million = [a] billion, so he will tax a family of two with combined income of $250,000 as if they are million/billionaires.
Isn't that what Republicans want? A flat tax?
Are you suggesting a more progressive tax structure?
Taxes …
US Corporate tax rate – 35%
Irish Corporate Tax Rate – 12.5%
Amount the US would gain if they lowered the tax rate – $1.2 TRILLION
Amount of US jobs lost due to tax rate – 100,000
You'll never guess who is against lowering the tax rate to bring companies and jobs back to the US?????
You got it!!
Thanks Mr. President!!!!
More right wing intellectual dishonesty
So how are things in Ireland these days? How are those 'free market' policies working out for the 'Celtic Tiger'?
14% unemployment. Source: Eurostat – Seasonally adjusted data – May 2011
And of course, that doesn't include the many Irish who are just leaving the island:
Ireland, formerly one of the star economies of the EU, is now facing an emigration crisis of historic proportions, according to a new report.
The study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found that 60,000 Irish people emigrated abroad in the 12 months leading up to April of 2010. Another 40,000 are expected to emigrate in the next 12 months.
Unemployment in Ireland is the third highest in Europe, at 13.5 percent, which has resulted in many of it's citizens trying to find work abroad. Many are leaving for countries such as Australia, the UK, the United States, Canada, and even Germany.
And since you chose to compare the US with Ireland (cherry picking, since Ireland has one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the western world)….are you aware that the marginal income tax rate in Ireland is 41%…and that starts pretty low at €45,400, for married couples ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland ).
Intellectual dishonesty
Look at the entitlements. That is what has brought the EU to its knees.
Facts … again!!! Darn those pesky facts..
I just love how liberals hate facts that don't support their way of thinking. I won't disagree with one point you made. However, can you explain why so many American companies are now registered in Ireland and Switzerland? Ps … Wasn't aware 60 minutes was right wing! The facts I quoted were from their segment last night.
Vive la Suisse!
If you want to compare the United States to various tax havens around the world, then you need to think about defense spending.
Unlike Ireland , the United States maintains a huge army, navy , and air force with bases around the world. Switzerland, which is well armed, confines itself to self-defense – not invading Iraq or Afghanistan.
Speaking of Switzerland:
"Healthcare in Switzerland is universal[1] and is regulated by the Federal Health Insurance Act of 1994 (Krankenversicherungsgesetz – KVG). Health insurance is compulsory for all persons residing in Switzerland (within three months of taking up residence or being born in the country). International civil servants, members of permanent missions and their family members are exempted from compulsory health insurance. They can, however, apply to join the Swiss health insurance system, within six months of taking up residence in the country."
Compulsory health insurance? Universal coverage? Regulated by the FEDERAL government? I love it.
Swiss healthcare: caution
Swiss healthcare is compulsory — but only at a minimum level of coverage. Additional coverage is optional and at additional cost. Do not stretch reality.
Switzerland is also very expensive.
Citizenry for immigrants is very difficult. The decision is up to the local canon.
BTW they allow citizens to own arms. Military service is mandatory.
Ready to move?
Define ‘expensive’
"Switzerland is also very expensive."
The cost of labor is high. What this means is that Swiss workers enjoy a high standard of living. Compare this to 'poor' countries, where there are plenty of unemployed or unskilled people, and it is easy to hire a housekeeper or taxi driver or fast food worker for little money.
It sounds, dear Karl, like you want labor to be cheap so that the non-working class ( what your friend Lenin called the "coupon-clipping rentiers" ) will be able to live comfortably off of other people's work, much like the infamous financial criminal Chuckie Dawes lived in his splendid McMansion while the working people of Chicago lived in coldwater flats.
Expensive
Dear Mr Who Knows?
Have you been to Switzerland?
As in most EU countries they have a VAT (15% to 20%) which makes things expensive for the ordinary folk. Note that if manufacturers export, that VAT is rescinded.
Nice to make things expensive for the ordinary folk and cheap for those that import.
Who said anything about cheap labor.
Labor in Europe does enjoy high taxes.
As for the "coupon-clipping rentiers", do recall Thatcher's statement that "socialism is great until one runs out of other people's money". Evanston and Illinois are excellent examples of that.
If interested, I know some great restaurants near Montreaux.
Re; Vive la Suisse!
All these comments on the evils of the European economies …. Still, no one has answered the question as to why US companies are relocating their businesses to these countries. Are these countries tax havens? YES … Does the EU have bad points – HELL YES …. Are American companies relocating to the EU to get away from US taxes – YES … So, slam European countries all you want, but they are still luring companies and jobs away from the US.
The CEO of Cisco stated, in an interview, he would love to run the company from the US. However, due to the corporate tax rate in the US, Cisco has moved the corporate section out of the US. He said they would come back to the US in a heart beat if the US would even come close to the tax rate they are paying in Europe. If the US lowered the corporate rate, there would be revenue from the companies that are here, or come back. However, with the current rate, the US gets ZERO from the companies that left ….
Someone needs to use common sense …. guess that's another commodity leaving the US too ….
Government Job Spending
The last few years were the perfect laboratory for the Keynesian policy of spending when the private sector could not or would not [taxes, lack of clarity what new policy/regulations/tax policy government would make].
Clearly they failed in that. The 'shovel ready' projects they said were there—were not. Thus they did things like $8,000 car rebates—which just pushed up sales a couple of months.
I think many will look at a new proposed jobs bill as likely to be just as badly handled. Congress will channel the money through more government employees, to the politically connected who will take a very large share [government is not much better in handling money that what happens with food aid to Africa–government siphons it off for their patrons].
If business knew what new restrictions government would make, then they would create more jobs. Instead they see more regulations and taxes and uncertainty and why invest in plants, equipment and people if you don't see demand for products—they go broke otherwise.
Shaking my head at this country
It is a shame that all people from both parties can do is point the finger at each other and say the other party is wrong. The bottom line is BOTH parties are wrong and have brought this country to it's knees. You all can put up all the facts and studies that you want the bottom line is this country is in trouble, both parties are at fault and all they are going to do is grandstand and showboat while we keep arguing with each other instead of holding government officials, not only on a federal level accountable, but also local and state officials as well. We need to hold all of these politicians accountable for the direction this country has taken and not just back someone just because they are a Democrat or a Republican.