Taxes are cut for everyone, now we need the promised jobs
We have been told repeatedly by various members of Congress that one of the main reasons for continuing to give tax breaks to the wealthy is because the wealthy are the ones who create jobs.
When it has been pointed out that they haven’t exactly excelled at job creation during the eight years that they have had the current tax reductions, they explain that they haven’t been sure of which way government policies, inflation, the world situation or any of a number of other iffy situations were going.
When they are more confident, we are assured, they will act. That sounds like the fix we are all in. Fear of the unknown is always with us.
People who have jobs are afraid of losing them, even as they are having to work harder than ever because of personnel cutbacks around them.
A couple hopes that the refrigerator that is making new and mysterious noises is going to last a while longer because they fear laying out money to buy a new one.
A church board fearfully avoids spending on outreach, insisting that, “We have to take care of ourselves first.” Pervasive fear narrows our outlook and our choices when what we need is a broader outlook.
Let’s try an exercise in supposing.
The United States Senate has long been known as a millionaires’ club. The House of Representatives is catching up.
According to a number of news sources, there are now 235 millionaires in Congress. That comes to 44 percent of the 535 members, and 50 of those have a net worth of more than $10 million.
They belong to the group that they have been telling us creates jobs.
Shouldn’t they begin to take that job seriously and create real jobs? Steady jobs. Jobs that contribute to the common good. Jobs in the United States. Jobs with living wages. Jobs with health care benefits comparable to those enjoyed by members of Congress.
They could pool their tax savings and make a real difference in our country’s wellbeing. It shouldn’t take any more legal or organizational expertise than getting elected.
Wind power is an appropriate choice for this project. It’s a small but promising part of our economy, and contributes to the balance of trade, because other countries are buying the technology. It would contribute even more if more of the equipment were manufactured in the United States.
Jobs could be developed at all levels and throughout the country: research and development, constructing factories, skilled industrial work, selection of sites and installation and maintenance of sites.
Everyone could find something to be happy about: an expanded job market, lowering the deficit, green energy, becoming a positive role model.
It’s an interesting pipe dream.
The point, however, is that we’re all in this together, and each of us needs to do what we can to make a positive contribution—even if it requires something radically different from us.
Nancy Minard - Editorial Team
Copyright © January 2011 - The Fig Tree