Romney promises more jobs - how?

By Jeff Orvis

We've got about six months before we decide who will be the leader of the free world for the next four years. Now that the Republicans have somewhat unified and quit openly criticizing each other the Democrats can declare “open season” on Mitt Romney. It's going to be an interesting, brutal, wicked, insanely expensive six months. We can only hope that the last man standing won't be too bruised to lead us forward.

Both political parties seem to be banking on the notion that since we all live in a world of sound bytes, their message has to be brief and to the point and, hopefully, accurate. If you believe Romney, then I'd better get my work clothes rounded up, since I'll be assured of having a job on Jan. 21, 2013, if he's elected. 

Meanwhile, if Obama gets another term, the day after this whole tax inequity question is answered, we will all be in a better place, if you believe what he says.

One of the things that troubles me about Mitt Romney is his pledge that more jobs will be created if he's elected. There's that sound byte again. I have yet to hear anyone challenge him on how this is going to happen. As near as I can figure, his idea is to keep giving preferential tax treatment to the wealthy. He apparently figures that the rich folks, out of the goodness of their hearts, will use those tax savings to create jobs for the rest of us.

Pardon me if I'm a bit skeptical. We've seen this trickle down theory before and it just doesn't seem to work. I don't begrudge anyone who strives to be able to live a life of privilege. I just don't think that privileged life should be paid for on the backs of the rest of us. But I also don't think the government ought to penalize wealth with tax rates higher than the rest of us pay.

It would seem to me the best way to create jobs and reward business owners for job creation would be to first of all close some tax loopholes, make such things as property taxes on business property more equitable, then provide tax breaks to business owners when they hire more Americans. Instead of giving them the money up front in the form of unfair tax breaks, make them prove they are serious about improving the American job climate, then reward them for that good business sense.

A lot of us dream about what we'd do if we suddenly came into more money than we would ever need. If the folks from Publishers Clearing House come knocking on my door, I admit my first thought would not be “how can I go into business and hire a bunch of people?” I'd help family members, buy some things I want, then invest the rest of it in something safe, sound and conservative.

So if Romney is serious about this more jobs promise, he'd better let us know how this is going to happen. And it had better include something instead of simply cutting taxes for his rich friends.

Romney is apparently starting to look at who might be a suitable running mate. One word of caution for my Republican friends. Dick C heney has a new heart. Remember how well that went nearly a dozen years ago? Cheney was put in charge of a committee to find a vice presidential running mate for W. After several hours of exhaustive research, he had a devine revelation that he would be the ideal candidate. It will undoubtedly be years before we discover the full extent of the damage shadowy figure may have done when he was our vice president. At this writing, there might be a battery of constitutional attorneys researching whether he could run again as vice president. What a scary thought!

After the seemingly countless and pointless serious of debates by the Republican presidental wannabes I never thought I would say this. But I can't wait for the Obama-Romney debates. Obama is a great orator. Romney is slick. Romney will probably be armed with all sorts of economic statistics and accusations. His shortcomings will probably emerge when the President begins talking about world affairs.

How ever this turns out, we've only got about six months before we find out. Then the next day, the two parties will probably start looking ahead to 2016. Maybe it just seems that it never ends....