Martha's Blog

The Democrats' Plan for Recovery: More Spending, More Uncertainty, Fewer Jobs

When the Democrats took power more than a year and a half ago, they argued that increased government power and debt was necessary to fight unemployment.  President Obama warned us that without the Democrats’ $787 billion dollar stimulus, unemployment could grow to heights of up to 8.5%, but with government spending, the unemployment rate would stay below 8%. 

Well, we all know the end to that story.  Despite unprecedented government spending and an annual deficit that has surpassed one trillion dollars, we’ve had a net loss of over 2 million jobs across the country, and 10.3% of Alabamians are still out of work today. 

What has been the Democrats’ response to this crisis?  President Obama has suggested another round of stimulus spending and Vice-President Biden stated that the real problem with the first stimulus was that the Republicans didn’t allow it be even larger than it was.

Most Americans know better than to believe this.  What our economy needs is not more of the Democrats’ failed economic polices, but rather a different course altogether.  But Obama, Pelosi, and the rest of the Democratic leadership are intent on forcing more their disastrous policies on our country despite the consequences.

With millions of Americans out of work and the economy stagnant, Democrats decided to focus on pushing though a 2000-page healthcare overhaul that many of them did not read, much less understand.  Speaker Pelosi herself told us that Congress had “to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.”   Now we are starting to find out, as businesses large and small are coming to grips with the legislation’s expensive restrictions, mandates, and penalties.  The clear result is expanded government and a weakened private sector. 

And the Democratic belief in greater government control of the economy extends beyond healthcare. Obama and Pelosi have recently tried to use the disaster in the Gulf Coast to revive their economically crippling cap and trade legislation.  By the Obama administration’s own internal calculations, the law would cost American taxpayers $200 billion dollars per year.  That is an additional $1,761 in taxes for each American household. 

The results of these actions are plain to see.  The Democrats have already increased taxes and regulations, and they threaten to do more of the same going forward. Business owners cannot predict what new powers the government will seize or new regulations it will impose.  This unpredictability has led, quite predictably, to a deeper recession and greater unemployment. 

Over the last 18 months the Democrats have shown themselves to be more committed to their ideology of big government than to the economic needs of our country.  Fortunately, November is just around the corner.  It is time to get the Democrats out of the House leadership, to get the federal government out of the way of private citizens, and to get Alabamians back to work