Broken record political promises in the Maine primary.

[turbo]

Every single GOP candidate for governor (Primary is next Tuesday) is saying the same things. "I will create jobs, I will cut taxes, and I will cut wasteful spending." It all sounds so rosy, but how can a governor create jobs? Most of them, if pressed, will say that they will create jobs by cutting taxes on businesses (the failed Reagan-Bushes model). Everybody is for lower taxes (their own!), but the GOP in this state, like in DC, seems to think that the smart thing to do is to cut taxes for the people most able to pay them - the wealthy and businesses. And "wasteful spending"? What is that? Head-start, food stamps, funding for welfare-to-work training programs? There is never any explanation for what is "wasteful spending" but you can bet that it won't include cutting any corporate-welfare initiatives - the centerpiece of the "I will create jobs" claim.

Perhaps the most irritating ads are for Wes Otten. He claims to have created "1200 jobs" and says he will do the same for our state if elected. As the head of American Skiing, he "created" seasonal jobs (you don't need a lot of snow-makers or lift-attendants for most of the year, here) and made himself a tidy personal fortune while leaving stock-holders with worthless paper as he ran the company into heavy debt. Anybody who invested with that snake-oil salesman in the past should have plenty of incentive not to vote for him in the primaries.

 

[Visigoth]

The rudimentary framework for job creation and growth is infrastructure development and spending. This principle is found ubiquitously in any and all economic regions. "Wasteful spending" is a fuzzy euphemism for social benefits, which are inherently troublesome during times of recession.

That said, I agree that the philosophy of reduced taxation during a contractionary period is pure malfeasance. If you want to get out of this mess, tax, tax, tax.

 

[Averagesupernova]

I've never understood most of the claims about creating jobs. Jobs are typically created out of necessity (everyday items and services we all need), and boredom (something that people who have the money can spend it on to relieve their boredom like movies and entertainment fo instance). In tougher economic times the frills go away and so do the jobs that support those frills. a lot of jobs that support the necessary goods and services have gone across the pond over the years. So what kind of jobs are left for Americans to do in tough economic times when people are spending less on unecessary services?