Letter: Romney jobs claim needs a look

Jobs are a major issue in the presidential campaign, but Mitt Romney’s claims deserve close scrutiny (Romney: “Lots of jobs needed,” The Advocate, Aug. 31).

He would do well to start with the GOP-controlled House of Representatives, which has blocked every initiative that President Barack Obama has proposed since they took control in late 2010. Prior to this, President Obama was able to pass a stimulus bill that created 3 million jobs over two years and to put U.S. job growth into positive territory for over two straight years starting in 2010.

That is no small accomplishment — the U.S. was losing an average of over 700,000 jobs a month when he took office (over 800,000 in that month of January 2009). During 2011 and 2012, the economy added an average of 150,000 jobs a month, with 163,000 added in July. The president does have a plan — it includes the American Jobs Act he put forward in 2011, which would have added 1.9 million new jobs through measures that were all paid for, so that the deficit wouldn’t increase.

But that bill never made it out of Congress. Giving an arbitrary time limit of four years to recover from the worst downturn since the Great Depression is clearly a fiction, but it’s one of many Mitt Romney is telling.

He claims that he’ll create 12 million jobs in his first term — why 12 million? His one-page plan didn’t say, but the number sounded familiar to observant commentators. In fact, the financial firm Moody’s Analytics had already projected that the economy is set to add 12 million jobs over the next four years. So Romney is promising jobs that were projected to be created anyway. But Moody’s stipulated that their assumptions include extension of the Bush tax cuts only for those making under $250,000, which is what President Obama is proposing, and exactly the opposite of what Romney is proposing, which is greater tax cuts for top incomes on top of the Bush cuts.

Romney’s sleight of hand on his jobs pledge is in line with his entire campaign. Voters need to wake up and look past the slogans, because they’re the ones who will feel the effects of going back to the policies that caused the collapse of this great country.

Linda Perkins

retired AT&T governmental affairs employee

Baker

Comments

1) Comment by DMJ - 14/09/2012

Leave it to Republicans to, in the same breath, say how government can't create jobs and also how, if they're elected, they'll create millions of jobs. How big of a rube do you have to be to not see the irony in statements like this?? If only we give rich people and corporations more money, then they'll start creating jobs. Yeah right. Re-hashed voodoo economics never gets old, does it? It does for me.

2) Comment by Scrooge - 13/09/2012

So if less government and deregulation of the private sector is a Republican campaign platform, how does Romney justify the claim of creating 12 million jobs unless he created bigger government and meddled in the private sector? Should we just diregard all the claims that have been stated right here on these forums that government does not create jobs? C'mon this is lala land stuff. Is it because Romney said it on tv that its true? Speaking of the "news" Mr. O' Reilly, the self-righteous paragon of side show conservatism was on tonight and stated that those with college degrees have an unemployment rate of 4% and therefore his point was a college education is a key to reducing unemployment. So why would the staunch and determined Louisiana conservatives cut higher ed including its research so badly if the intent is to create jobs? Sure doesn't make a lot of sense to me to see the old folks here complaining about their lack of return on their life investments while simultaneusly failing to invest in the young who might spur the growth which would benefit them and change their circumstances.

3) Comment by tradewinns - 13/09/2012

oh yeah, under obama everything has gotten so much better, except for me. i try and be objective but i see no silver linning in my clouds. wages down, taxes, including local, up, 401K may have found the bottom but doesn't seem to know which way is up, my cost of living is way up from medical (i'm getting old) to fuel to food. i now have zero entertaiment (except tv). one of the comedians made a joke about marriage saying when you state till death do us part, you're setting an objective. the way things are going death is going to be my next entertainment.

4) Comment by DMJ - 13/09/2012

Whatnow, you've got a point, but I don't think it's equal on both sides. I know lots of liberals who criticize the President. I don't know a single conservative who's complimented him....not even when we got Bin Laden.

5) Comment by Whatchange - 13/09/2012

Linda while your head is stuck in the sand say hi to DMJ for me please, he hasn't come up for air in a while.

6) Comment by Whatnow - 13/09/2012

DMJ, People will disregard facts and figures that don't support their pre-conceived notions about the President. Same thing goes for the Democrats. Except now that Obama has been President, there are no longer any per-conceived notions. They have all been put to the test and found lacking.

7) Comment by DMJ - 13/09/2012

Other comments proving my point to follow...

8) Comment by DMJ - 13/09/2012

8.6, please refer to letter above. (read it this time) Great letter, Linda. Still, I think you're spinning your wheels. We live in Louisiana, where blaming Barack Obama is a cottage industry, a hobby and a source of self-identity for hundreds of thousands of people. People are emotionally invested in personal hatred for this President.... so much so, they're going to step in the voting booth and vote for a guy obviously unconcerned with the working class....and they'll do it by wide margins. Admitting that the President is doing a good job and that Mitt Romney is a corporate shill is unthinkable (literally) to Republicans, particularly those in the deep South. People will disregard facts and figures that don't support their pre-conceived notions about the President. To see proof of this in writing, see letter "No, we're not better off."

9) Comment by 8point6 - 13/09/2012

Please refer to "Letter: No, we’re not better off".

10) Comment by Lannonmac - 13/09/2012

Excellent letter! Mitt Romney has played fast and loose with the truth and has a history of misrepresentation. Ms. Perkins' letter helps shine a light on Mr. Romney’s manipulation of facts so that it sounds like he has a game plan, when he really does not have a clue.