Boehner's Speech

Representative John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives

Representative John Boehner is the bane of my existence.  We are back to dueling speeches. That he gave his own Jobs Speech is a bit sad because it was the same old, same old - criticizing but not giving specifics of what he would want different.  Enough with the criticizing all ready.

He claims the reason for the economic mess and the malaise in this country is because government has let us down.  It is the Republicans that have let us down.  They are the ones who refused to negotiate the debt ceiling.  They are the ones who took our country hostage during that awful time.  It was Representative John Boehner who walked out on the President and refused to take his phone calls. 

What we need is for our government to come together and work to pass the American Jobs Act.  But, it doesn't look like that is going happen.  When we need bipartianship the most  is when the Republicans turn away and go off on their own tangent.  

Representative Boehner, we need you to work WITH the President, not against him.  We need you to work WITH the President to create jobs in this country.  We need you to work WITH the President to get us through these tough times.  And all you do is criticize, turn away, and give a specious speech that has no substance. 

You say the private sector businesses and corporations need to be the job creators, and  that they will create the most jobs in America.  You say we have to rely on the "good judgment" of the private sector to do their thing.  However, it was the private sector businesses and corporations that got us in this economic mess in the first place.  It was the "good judgment" of Wall St. investors and American bankers that caused our economic disaster.  Now, you want us to trust them and their "good judgment"  to create jobs in America.  I don't see that happening.  Banks and corporations are hoarding money today even as we speak.  They are not spending it on new innovations or on new job creation.  That is the reason for the American Jobs Act.  To entice them to spend this hoarded money in the job creation direction.  What is your specific plan to get these corporations and banks to create jobs, because they are not doing it on their own volition.

You say there are too many government regulations on American businesses.  Then, you give the example of the Gibson Guitar Company in Tennessee.  You claim they were raided by the federal government because they bought the wood to make their guitars from overseas.  But, what is the rest of the story?  Why were they raided for this?  The government doesn't raid companies without a good reason.  Did they break any laws or statutes in buying this wood?  Did they abide by all the import rules, regulations, and laws?  What caused the government to raid their company?  It wasn't solely because they used wood from overseas.  There is obviously something more to it.

Then, you mention the Boeing Company in North Carolina.  You claim the federal government is suing them.  What are they doing that the government would bring a lawsuit?  Our government just doesn't file  lawsuits against companies without reasons.  Again, are they breaking a law or statute?   You make an accusation, but you don't give the complete story. 

You want to blame the government for intrusion and micromanagement of business, but you don't want to look at what has already happened.  There wasn't enough government regulation of Wall St. and the banks.  That's how we got into this economic mess.  Wall St., the banks, and corporations do not self-regulate themselves, that is why the government has to get involved.  If we could trust and rely on our businesses to be honest and do the right thing, we wouldn't need the government to intervene and come up with stimulus programs.  But when investors and businesses make shady deals and shady investments and trades that affect the stock market and our economy, then I want the government to intervene and regulate them.  Businesses have only brought government regulation down on  themselves because of the corrupt way in which they do business.

You say the tax code needs to be revised and simplified.  I agree.  So, when are you going to get the House of Representatives together and do this?  I don't see you or any other Republicans offering any bills in the House to revise the tax codes.  Yet, you want to say that any tax credits President Obama proposes only makes the tax code more complex.  Then start some legislation to simplify our tax code.  You want to pass the buck to President Obama and claim he has to propose all new legislation to congress.  That is not his job.  That is in your job description.  So propose some revision to the present tax code.  If it is fair to all Americans, I would support it.

And, when are you or the Republicans going to do anything about the Interstate 71/75 bridge that spans the Ohio River between Ohio and Kentucky at Cincinnati?  I drive that bridge every time I drive down to Florida.  It needs repairs, enlarged and practically rebuilt.  Millions of cars drive across that everyday.  It is a traffic jam going in both directions.  Are you waiting for it to collapse as the one did in Minnesota a few years ago and then fix it? 

I think President Obama has come up with a good American Jobs Act and it should be supported by all. It's not perfect.   If you feel you need to tweak it, by all means do so.  But let's stop with the divisiveness, pull together and become one.  United we stand; divided we fall.