In his weekly radio address this morning, President Obama implored Congress to pass his “American Jobs Act,” asserting that “Economists from across the political spectrum have said that this jobs bill would boost the economy and spur hiring.”
I beg to differ.
During the 2009 stimulus (oh, that seems so long ago now), the Cato Institute ran an excellent ad with the names of over 300 economists – including three Nobel Laureates – who did NOT believe that spending several billion dollars would boost the economy and spur growth.
Alright, alright, so economists don’t all agree… let's just ignore that little point for now! Later on in the radio address, the President states that “This isn’t just about what I think is right. It’s not just about what a group of economists think is right. This is about what the American people want.”
Well actually, Mr. President, you’re wrong on that count, too.
The programs that have been shoved down our throats are unpopular. Two recent polls from Rasmussen show that 59 percent of Americans oppose government loan help for alternative energy companies like Solyndra, while just 22 percent support government-assisted mortgage payments. A CNN/ ORC poll out this week shows that trust in government is at an all-time low – only 15 percent of respondents said that they trust the government in Washington to do what's right just about always or most of the time (think it’s any coincidence that this is at a time when the government is doing more and more?). And Gallup has found that 57 percent of Americans believe the federal government today has too much power.
Let’s be honest – not even your own party’s on board with your "jobs" plan.
You can say it all you want, but that doesn't make it true.