Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Obama Can't Keep His Jobs Story Straight


IBD Editorials 


Jobs: Just how inept is the White House these days? On Friday, President Obama was demanding that Congress put "teachers, cops and firefighters" back to work. But his own website says he's already accomplished that.

At that press briefing, Obama complained that while the private sector has been "hiring at a solid pace," the "biggest weaknesses (have) been state and local governments, which have laid off 450,000 Americans."

"These are teachers and cops and firefighters," he said. "Congress should pass a bill putting them back to work right now, giving help to the states so that those layoffs are not occurring."
On the official White House schedule, this briefing was billed as Obama "delivering remarks urging Congress to act on the 'To Do List.'"

Maybe Obama should have checked that list first, since, of the five items on it, not one has anything to do with saving state and local jobs.
Nope. The only things on that list are tax incentives for companies to create jobs at home; help for underwater homeowners who want to refinance; some targeted small business tax credits; more money wasted on "green" energy; and a silly new "Veterans Jobs Corps."
Not that it matters, since Democrats have entirely ignored Obama's picayune To Do List anyway.
However, on that same White House web page, Obama lists all his amazing job creation accomplishments, with little green check marks to show they've been done. Things like "Rescue the auto industry" and "Sign 18 tax cuts to help small businesses."
And right there on that list are these: "Keep 400,000 teachers in the classroom" and "Keep police officers, firefighters and other first responders on the job."
So, help us out here. If Obama's already saved these jobs, why is he saying state and local governments are cutting them and putting the economy at risk?
Either they aren't doing that, or Obama needs to uncheck those boxes.
The truth is, states are doing just what they should be doing, which is responsibly adjusting spending to meet current revenues. After more than a decade of massive growth — which saw state spending climb an average 6% a year and employment leap 10% — it's about time.
All Obama is doing is trying, with utter ineptitude, to pin the blame for his lousy economic record on someone else.

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