Sen. Scott Brown to support cloture on Dem. jobs bill

[PathosLogos]

Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) tells Fox he will support cloture on the democratic jobs bill:

“I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside, and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families. This Senate jobs bill is not perfect. I wish the tax cuts were deeper and broader, but I will vote for it because it contains measures that will help put people back to work.

“I was disappointed with the continuation of politics-as-usual in the drafting of this bill, as it was crafted behind closed doors, without transparency and accountability. I hope for improvements in that process going forward. All of us, Republicans and Democrats, have to work together to get our economy back on track. I hope my vote today is a strong step toward restoring bipartisanship in Washington."

Source: MA Sen Sott Brown to support cloture on dem jobs bill The Speakers Lobby


Hm...I haven't really been following this, but I don't trust any "job bill" proposed via the Democrats or even Republicans without knowing the stipulations. But I'm guessing this jobs bill is going to entail not only more government spending but also government created jobs. In the long run, I don't see how jobs are going to be created; from what I understand (and this is just what from I've gathered from a scholarly as well as a casual environment--obviously I'm not a professional ), we'll be in the same situation as we were before, only more so in debt. Once the secondary effects are considered, the government is simply incapable of the creation of jobs.

I don't expect any Republican to be "perfect," mind you, but ultimately I don't believe that Brown's making a good choice by settling. Bipartisanship may be the ultimate goal (TBH, I don't see that so much on the Dems side--just a whole lot of double-talk), but some things you just cannot settle on. This is especially true if the other side is unlikely to ever relent.

But that's just my two cents...I'm still in the dark as to the details of the bill (I'm not sure if this is the case for everyone else, too). I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts on this!

[ChevySSP]

I believe the jobs bill would create tax cuts and give money to companies that activly hire and retain employees. Thats what I have gained so far after reading some articles on it.

I'm suprised that the Repubs, as pro business as they are, aren't the ones leading the charge on something like this. I can't imagine anything with a democratic seal of approval containing the word "jobs" in the title being well thought out.

[PathosLogos]

A few hours later I read another article on it that explained a few of the stipulations of the bill (e.g., tax breaks for small businesses, etc.), but I'm still a little skeptical. There seems to be varying opinions on how effective it will be, but largely the consensus appears to be that there is room for improvement.

[ChevySSP]

And when was the last time something came out of Washington that DIDN'T need improvement?

Its another bill that was half-wiped, if you know what I mean. Personally if your taxing the small business and the middle class to death your obviously not going to see much of an improvement in the job market.

[PathosLogos]

Good point. And precisely the reason I remain skeptical...I can see what Brown meant by the bill's drafting being "politics-as-usual."

Insofar as the efficiency of the bill goes, I was referring to this:

Business groups and economist Zandi of Moody's Economy.com say companies are unlikely to hire workers just to receive a tax break. That means most of the tax benefits would go to companies that would have hired new workers anyway.

"Obviously it's not very efficient," Zandi said. "It's something worthwhile doing as an insurance policy but it's something one would want to do in any other circumstance."

Source: FOXNews.com - Democratic Jobs Bill Advances Despite GOP Filibuster

I wonder if any alleged repercussions been discussed in regards to the bill? I'm by no means well-versed in economics, but I'm guessing there will be secondary effects.