The Government Can't Create Jobs (And It Shouldn't Try To)

Tom Mullen's Blog ^ | 9/12/2010 | Tom Mullen

[Tom Mullen]

As the November elections approach, politicians are doing what politicians do best: making promises. President Obama’s anti-business image, justified or not, will not score points with voters this year as unemployment continues to court 10% on the government’s math and 20% in the real world. With these figures virtually unchanged since he took office, the president has been unable to sell the idea that his economic policies have created any jobs. So, he is doing the best he can with the hand that he has dealt himself and trumpeting the millions of jobs his policies have “created or saved.” In addition, he has rolled out yet another boondoggle from the Keynsian toolbox in the form of a $50 billion infrastructure package designed to stimulate the economy and finally create some actual jobs.

Meanwhile, the Republicans are gearing up for what should amount to shooting fish in a barrel in the coming mid-term elections, getting incredible traction on criticizing Obama policies which largely mirror those of George W. Bush, for which he and the Republicans were tossed out of office just two years ago. They correctly point out that Obama’s policies haven’t created a single job. Americans must put them back into office or face economic Armageddon. Polls show that Americans are largely buying what the Republicans are selling, having apparently forgotten the “jobless recovery” of the early part of the last decade, which occurred while the Republicans controlled the White House and both houses of Congress.

[dalebert]

government need to get out of the way.

[dalebert]

if they really wanted to help they would have dumped fanny and freddy

[Blood of Tyrants]

There is some argument to be made for the government to create what amounts to make-work to bridge short periods of severe recession, but that argument falls flat with unemployment available for +2 years. But this recession was CREATED by the government and will not be solved by more government.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

With these figures virtually unchanged since he took office, the president has been unable to sell the idea that his economic policies have created any jobs.

The only kind of jobs a politician can create is more government jobs.

These are usually created at the expense of private sector jobs.

[dalebert]

you are absolutely right...the government made this mess how about we cut their pay first.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Vote for me. I’ll stand up for the American family.