Almost immediately after President Obama unveiled his proposed American Jobs Act (AJA) to create jobs in the United States and put Americans back to work, many Republicans in Congress, including key members of the Republican leadership, were proclaiming to the media that the plan wouldn't work; some said that the plan was also too little, too late. One of the examples they used in order to support their claim was the stimulus package that the President used early in his administration to resurrect the American auto industry.
Apparently, these Republicans must think that the American people have really short memories, or are really stupid, or both. The approximately $800 billion stimulus bill, including the "Cash for Clunkers" program, which was signed into law by President Obama two years ago, boosted the ailing American auto industry, creating more demand for American cars and allowing American automakers to add jobs. The stimulus package also positively impacted other businesses associated with the U.S. auto industry, such as auto suppliers. With more money in their pockets, auto industry employees also energized local businesses by spending more money in local restaurants, retail stores, etc. As a result of the auto industry stimulus package, the American auto industry is doing well even to this day.
Adding insult to injury, some Republican members of Congress are now claiming that the earlier stimulus package didn't work because the President didn't spend enough to revive the American economy two years ago. This is both frustrating and ludicrous because two years ago, many of these same politicians tried to block the President's stimulus plan.
The Republicans who say that a stimulus plan from the federal government won't work were wrong then, and they are wrong today. The stimulus package worked for the auto industry two years ago, and most economists agree that federal government spending to stimulate the U.S. economy would work now. Moreover, President Obama's "American Jobs Act" like FDR's "New Deal," is focused on creating actual jobs, and not just on increasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); in other words, it wouldn't just create more work, but it would put more Americans back to work. According to former President Clinton, the American Jobs Act would result in a 1-3% decrease in unemployment and would grow our GDP by 1.3-2%. In addition, the AJA would seed an infrastructure bank that would support public-private partnerships for investment in the American infrastructure, and would cut taxes for the American middle class, giving us more money to spend on goods and services.
So, Republicans, what specifically don't you like about the American Jobs Act - and why? Other than lowering the corporate tax rate, and doing away with regulations that protect our air, water, earth, and employee safety, how would you help the American economy and the American worker? Be more specific! Lately, I have heard Republican lawmakers, and a few corporate CEO's saying that any job is better than no job. Really? Do you apply these same rules to yourselves? What about to your children? Would you like American families to breathe toxic air like the Chinese? Would you like the American worker to be paid less than fifty cents an hour like the Vietnamese? Sure, we can increase our employment numbers with these kinds of measures, but at what price to our quality of life and to the quality of life of our children?
The American Jobs Act is essential to reviving our economy, as well as to the quality of life of American families. With more money in American workers' pockets, just as it did in the revival of the auto industry, more Americans will be spending money and creating a demand for other products. Let's make sure that the American Jobs Act is passed by contacting our representatives in the House and Senate and urging them to pass this bill. Let's also try to reward companies who are keeping jobs here by buying "Made in USA" goods and services whenever possible. If we do this, the AJA will not only boost the American economy, but it will create a win-win situation for American businesses and the American worker.
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We create and keep U.S. jobs when we demand, promote, and buy Made in USA
goods and products.
This week's recommended products:
Now that the 2012 models are out, are you thinking about buying a new or new used vehicle? I don't ordinarily recommend products that have less than 95% Made in USA content, as well as being manufactured/assembled in the USA. However, finding such vehicles in the auto industry is nearly impossible these days. I have done some on-the-ground research, plus used the findings on the web site cars.com (see hyperlink under "Blog Source" below) to come up with these results. The vehicles listed here are 2011 makes/models that contain at least 75% Made in USA parts, and are assembled in the USA. Please feel free to post your own research to this blog, or on our blog FB page!
·
Chevrolet:
Corvette - Made in USA by
General Motors in Bowling Green, KY; Malibu - Made in USA by General Motors
in Kansas City, KS (union)
·
Chrysler:
Dodge Ram 1500 - Made in USA
by Chrysler Group, LLC in Warren, MI; Jeep
Wrangler - Made in USA by Chrysler
Group, LLC in Toledo, OH (union)
· Ford: Escape - Made in USA by Ford Motor Co. in Kansas City, MO; Focus -
Made in USA by Ford Motor Co. in Wayne, MI (union)
·
Honda:
Accord - Made in USA by Honda
Motor Co. in Marysville, OH and Lincoln, AL; Odyssey - Made in USA by Honda in Lincoln, AL (non-union)
· Toyota: Camry - Made in USA by Toyota Motor Corp. in Georgetown, KY and
Evansville, IN; Tundra - Made in USA by Toyota Motor Corp. in San Antonio, TX;
Sienna - Made in USA by Toyota Motor Corp. in Princeton, IN (non-union)
Blog Sources:
http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/article/stimulus-package-report-card-has-it-worked/343932/
http://www.economy.com/mark-zandi/documents/The_Economic_Impact_of_a_750_Billion_Fiscal_Stimulus_Package.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/business/01view.html
http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/interview-eric-schmidt-14546842
http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/interview-bill-clinton-14546621
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/44568123#44568123
http://discovermagazine.com/2011/apr/18-made-in-china-our-toxic-imported-air-pollution
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2010/09/28/121397/sanders-chamber-vietnamese-americans/
http://moneywatch.bnet.com/spending/blog/cars-money/made-in-usa-5-great-american-cars-made-here/3164/
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