“Jobs Creation Commission” Hearings, Sadly,
Distract Public From Ways State Government Is Killing Jobs.
Bogus Effort of Politicians to Demonstrate, “We Really Care . . . .”
November 19, 2011
Hi Conservatives,
As you know, I urged many of you to attend and shout down the Bogus “Jobs Creation Commission” listening tour being run by democrat politicians. I suggested it was really just an effort to distract the public from the state government’s known failings to control spending, taxes, and regulations which are killing jobs and driving businesses out of the Commonwealth.
Last Friday, I and a handful of other conservatives suffered through such a “Hearing.” Sadly, it appeared exactly as I thought it would be.
Below is the agenda for the three hour session led by Senator Karen Spilka, (D-Ashland) and a phalanx of 11 other assorted elected and appointed public officials - - held at a Teamster’s union hall during working hours. So anyone attending had to either be unemployed, retired, or taking time off from their productive work.
Those “testifying” faced the panel away from the audience which totaled 30 at most. The total number in the room dropped to only 13 when public “testimony” was heard at the end. Those “testifying” sat so close to the panel they spoke softly even with one microphone. Audience members could barely hear over the 3 ½ hour period. What was heard, unfortunately, was troubles job seekers are having finding work here, (Duh – there aren’t any JOBS) defensive assertions by job training groups and others as to how hard they are working to align training programs to area needs, (hoping desperately to be re-funded for their efforts) and human resource managers explaining how attractive areas like health care can’t find sufficiently trained applicants and other companies where applicants walk away from available jobs where the atmosphere is hot, humid and noisy or “beneath” the previous pay and/or skill level of job seekers..
Yes, the panel did hear faint assertions that regulations and high taxes were a “factor” restraining job “growth.” But like an elephant in the room, everybody already knew that.
Like a moth to the flame, however, I did give the following “testimony.”
Hi Folks, I’m Len Mead, a conservative activist from Westborough. Can I assume the jobs you want to create are jobs in the private sector? (That brought uncomfortable looks from the panel members, now down to only 8 or so). If so, here are my specific suggestions.
1) Cut Taxes. MA is now the 6th highest taxed per capita of all 50 states. What business would want to expand here or what business not here would want to move here facing that? We voted to lower our income tax to 5% and you stopped lowering at 5.3% You just raised our sales tax to 6.25% Lower both to 5% immediately. Business will then expand here or possibly look to move here creating he jobs you say you want!
2) Cut Spending. There are 100,000 now on the state payroll and 30,000 or so consultants. Fire 20% of them – just like we are doing in the private sector. You guys get a daily stipend to come to work. Nobody in the private sector gets that! Stop it. You are the only guys with a constitutionally guaranteed annual pay raise! What do you think John Adams would say if he woke up and found you added an automatic pay raise to his constitution? Kill that!
3) Fix the $22 billion unfunded state pension system. Change all state pensions to defined benefit 401K plans employees contribute to – do it tomorrow.
4) Change MA to a RIGHT TO WORK State. Competition for labor is restrained because you protect monopoly government and private unions. This will lower costs of doing business and construction and allow for profitable growth creating jobs. Why do you think most Hondas and Toyotas are made in Kentucky and Tennessee? Because they aren’t manufactured by union labor. There’s more domestic content in those cars than Ford now.
5) Eliminate the PREVAILING WAGE LAW When we have to build a needed public building or school, taxpayers now have to pay costs 30% higher. Jobs and spending would increase if you kill this union favor.
6) Exempt Teens from the Minimum Wage When school’s out each summer, unskilled teens can NEVER be hired by small businesses to sweep the floors or do other menial jobs if they have to pay a minimum wage. The unskilled kid just can’t produce the value of the minimum wage. Business simply can’t pay employees more than they produce. Without a mandated minimum wage thousands of urban kids might actually find their first job, show up regularly, perform a menial but needed task, learn how to be dependable and work in an organization instead of possibly turning to a summer of delinquency or crime. And small businesses could more easily schedule vacations for their existing workers and train young people who might later want to work at those businesses. .
7) KILL ROMNEYCARE Because of exploding RomneyCare health costs, every small business lives in terror even dreaming of hiring any new person. Existing health costs are now the highest in the country and there is no known way to predict how much more costs are coming, or will be mandated, or what fines will be imposed. Then, God knows what new nightmares will fall on employers if Obamacare isn’t stopped. With RomneyCare stopped, costs of doing business will be lower allowing more hiring. I helped organize a Northborough Tea Party seminar last Tuesday on, “How’s RomneyCare Workin’ Out For You?” by two brilliant non-partisan Massachusetts think tanks, The Beacon Hill Institute and the Pioneer Institute. The Beacon Hill Institute presented data indicating RomneyCare has cost the state at least 18,000 jobs and added $8 billion to health care costs. These healthcare costs would actually have been much higher if federal “help” hadn’t come in added Medicaid, Medicare, and one-time “stimulus” funds from “the federal government.” I asked, “If we get Obamacare, are we going to send the added cost bills to Canada?”
8) Rescind Hundreds of Burdensome Regulations These are killing job growth and adding terribly to existing costs of doing business here. It is great to hear you are now “cost benefiting” NEW REGULATIONS, but that’s not enough – kill many old ones to open up cost savings so jobs might be created.
In conclusion, I said, Folks, you already know this. Creating jobs from your standpoint is simple. Lower taxes and regulations so businesses can grow that are here and more might decide to come here with jobs. This is not rocket science. Please take these steps if you really want jobs created.
Thank you.
My impression is that these comments were about as well received as a turd in a punch bowl.
Best,
Len
Len Mead