this month. UPI/Brian Kersey
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) — U.S. President Barack Obama Saturday renewed his call for a “balanced approach” to reducing the federal debt, saying “we can’t just cut our way to prosperity.”
In his weekly radio and Internet address, the president reminded listeners his plan for “reigniting the true engine of America’s economic growth — a rising, thriving middle class,” involves bringing good jobs to America, making sure U.S. workers are skilled and making sure “hard work leads to a decent living.”
“I believe all that starts by making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing,” he said. “After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. What we need to do now is simple. We need to accelerate that trend.”
Obama once again called for establishing “manufacturing hubs across the country that will transform hard-hit regions into global centers of high-tech jobs and manufacturing.”
The president called once again for tax code reform, to reward businesses that create jobs in the United States and do away with tax breaks for companies that “ship jobs overseas.”
“And we need to invest in the research and technology that will allow us to harness more of our own energy and put more people back to work repairing our crumbling roads and bridges,” he said.
Obama repeated his call for a higher minimum wage.
“These steps will help grow our economy and rebuild a rising, thriving middle class,” the president said. “And we can do it while shrinking our deficits. We don’t have to choose between the two — we just have to make smart choices.”
Obama said Democrats and Republicans in Washington have reduced the federal deficit by more than $2.5 trillion during the past two years, “which puts us more than halfway towards the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our finances.”
He argued against further cuts in education and job training or Medicare and Social Security benefits.
“That won’t work,” the president said. “We can’t just cut our way to prosperity.
“Instead, I’ve proposed a balanced approach; one that makes responsible reforms to bring down the cost of health care and saves hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax loopholes and deductions for the well-off and well-connected,” he said. “And we should finally pursue bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform that encourages job creation and helps bring down the deficit.”
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).
Obama said Democrats and Republicans in Washington have reduced the federal deficit by more than $2.5 trillion during the past two years, “which puts us more than halfway towards the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our finances.”
ROFLMFAO.
It is amazing that voters selected this character as a leader. He simply is clueless about job creation and the basics of economic growth while he continues to propose government programs (more spending of non-existent tax dollars) as the way to generate jobs.
In his address he proposed establishing “manufacturing hubs across the country that will transform hard-hit regions into global centers of high-tech jobs and manufacturing.” What utter nonsense. Manufacturing fled to foreign shores due to the costs of operations driven in part by government regulations, taxes and cost of labor. The process of exiting was enhanced by such legislation as NAFTA. It is as though he thinks he can simply take his magic wand (fueled by our dollars) and “poof” good things happen.
All the while the national debt continues to grow & grow. Timmy Geithner even suggested that the “debt ceiling” was outmoded and no longer needed. Really?? Do they think we are so stupid that we’d allow them to spend into the future without constraint? Are they paying attention to serious matters being talked about – like currency wars? Even the G-20 issued a statement regarding stating they would step back from taking steps in currency valuation that could be interpreted as currency devaluations. If it is not an issue looming in the wings – why are they having to talk about it?
Take a look at the front page of Barrons this week – Obama is way out of his league when it comes to the real world of governance.
http://online.barrons.com/this_week
This guy has no clue, he continues to punish business owners with restrictive regulation and higher taxes and then on the other side of his mouth said we need to build the middle class. Guess what, the business owners are the ones that pay for the payroll of the middle class.
Then he states: “Instead, I’ve proposed a balanced approach; one that makes responsible reforms to bring down the cost of health care and saves hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax loopholes and deductions for the well-off and well-connected,”
Guess what, your health care costs are not going to go down do to Obamacare, they will go up in a drastic way, the major costs of this bill start kicking in this year and increase, if you have not felt it yet in your job, you will start seeing it mid this year and more next year. (The dems had to push this law through without the votes needed.) None of them read the law at all, Nancy said, “We have to pass it to see what is in it.” These are the people that we vote for in this country. They don’t even read the bills that they are voting for, they vote on the Title of the bill because it sounds good.
Talk about having no clue.
I’ll ask you the same thing I ask every other lemming who has memorized the talking points.
When has pandering to the top worked? When? Cite an example.
Ok, I will give you a clue. Destroy your companies income and you will destroy your job.
Want to take a risk Anonymous, start your own business and earn all you want.
If you work for someone, you have to take the same hits in earnings that they do, it is just that simple. If an individual owner that now pays the higher rates under the new tax law going to give you a raise when they are getting stabbed with taxes going to give you a raise? I don’t think so. How does that help you as an individual that the “Government is sicking it to that rich guy?” It makes you feel good inside, doesn’t it, but think about it, it is not helping you one bit because now, your head could be on the cutting block. If a “Rich guy,” over $250,000 a year as a private business owner doesn’t make a profit, they will shut it down, they do not do this for a hobby, they do it for profit.
An employer sticks their neck out and hires people so that company is profitable, some times they win, sometimes they lose.
You lose every time you try to destroy them, the Unions are making the same mistake every day in this country and are learning fast. Time you start thinking about it.
Well John, I have to agree with you. Your posts show you know what you are talking about. So many people don’t have a clue and don’t want to know either.
Hey Anonymous, go back to watching CNN, MSNBC, etc. and continue your hypnotization of the leftist liberals talking points and status quo. It takes money to make money. It’s called investment, financial security, jobs, overhead, and so on. Business creates jobs, government does not. Government jobs are paid with tax payers money, you know, workers and businesses that pay taxes when they work and make money. Government is a leech. Leave the businesses alone and let them make as much as they can and we’d all be in a much better state. The problem with Iowa and the rest of America right now is all the brain dead morons that voted for people like Obama and hold socialist/fascist views.