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Posted on 02/01/2014 11:00:44 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
At the House Republican retreat in Cambridge, Md., Thursday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor called on GOP lawmakers to take a new approach to the nation's economic anxieties. Dividing his remarks into four categories -- Obamacare, jobs and economic growth, the middle-class squeeze, and opportunity -- Cantor's goal was to try to identify specific problems middle-class families are facing and spark discussion on conservative solutions that might help those families.
"Ninety percent of Americans work for someone else," Cantor said, according to a source in the room. "Most of them not only will never own their own business, for most of them that isn't their dream. Their dream is to have a good job, with an income that will allow them to support their family."
"We shouldn't miss the chance to talk to these people," Cantor continued, according to the source, "which is why we will present and pass our plans to relieve the middle class squeeze."
What was extraordinary about that portion of Cantor's presentation was not that it was out of place -- it was entirely on-target for a political party hoping to win elections in 2014 -- but that it came six years into the economic downturn, and decades into a protracted decline in middle-class standards of living. Could it actually have taken Republicans that long to realize they should address such problems, especially when Democrats have made huge gains appealing directly to middle-class voters?
Apparently, yes. And even now, not all House Republicans are entirely on board. "It's something that's been growing and taking time for members to get comfortable with," says a House GOP aide, "because they did spend the last decade talking about small business owners."
In fairness to Cantor, it should be said that he has been moving toward a middle-class agenda for more than a year, not only in speeches but in legislation like the SKILLS Act and the Working Families Flexibility Act. So his remarks at the retreat did not reflect a born-yesterday revelation.
Also, Cantor's presentation was just one part of a much larger current of conservative thinking -- in Congress, among political strategists, in think tanks, journalism -- urging Republicans to devote more effort to middle-class concerns. But the fact is, the GOP as a party has been out of sorts with a large swath of middle-class voters for quite a while. So many will welcome the new emphasis among House GOP lawmakers as better late than never. But some will still ask: What took them so long?
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Cantor's presentation was that it included a recognition that in the past Republicans have focused more on the nation's employers than employees, have talked about small business owners and entrepreneurs to the exclusion of the far greater number of Americans who don't own their own businesses.
>>”Ninety percent of Americans work for someone else,” Cantor said, according to a source in the room. “Most of them not only will never own their own business, for most of them that isn’t their dream. Their dream is to have a good job, with an income that will allow them to support their family.”
>>”We shouldn’t miss the chance to talk to these people,” Cantor continued, according to the source, “which is why we will present and pass our plans to relieve the middle class squeeze.”
That’s an epiphany that’s been a long time coming in the GOP. Now if the talking heads on the Right would figure this out and start talking like paychecks are more important than dividends and stock values to most Americans, we might be able to swing some voters.
Bring in millions of low-wage illiterates to take away their jobs?
Start your own business if you dare. Over time you begin to discover new and exciting ways that you are out of compliance with some agency you have never heard of. So at great expense you come back into compliance. Only to discover a new entity with it’s hand in your pocket. It never ends.
The system is designed to reward established businesses and discourage the start up.
“How about getting out of the way of the job creators?”
There are different perspectives on that. Global capitalists may create jobs but they are in Mexico and China instead of the USA. Millions of Americans have seen how unfree trade works out for them and it hasn’t been a positive.
I was reading an article the other night that made be think about this so-called job creation myth touted by some that has ultimately resulted in our jobs going where they are done at least cost. In a consumer economy the real job creators are not investors, but those who spend their money in the marketplace.
As a conservative I don’t view a political Party that supports and encourages globalization from multinational corporations, and policies that ultimately will destroy our national identity, security and sovereignty as being in my interest. What I’m seeing are two Parties with neither putting USA first.
Don't be deceived, he's probably referring to amnesty.
DANGERFIELD: Oh-ho, you left out a bunch of stuff.
PROFESSOR: Oh, really? Like what, for instance?
DANGERFIELD: First of all, you're going to have to grease the local politicians for the sudden zoning problems that always come up. Then there's the kickbacks for the carpenters. And if you plan on using any cement in this building, I'm sure the Teamsters like to have a little chat with you, and that will cost you. Ho, and don't forget a little something for the building inspectors. Then there's the long-term costs, such as waste disposal. I don't know if you are familiar with who runs that business, but I assure you it's not the Boy Scouts.
I had occasion to watch The Time Machine on TMC last night.
The scene where the time traveler was eating with the Eloi struck me.
He was trying to find out how this new world worked.
Who makes your clothing? shrug.
Where does the food come from? shrug.
Who plants the trees, prunes, harvests? blank look.
Doesn’t anyone work? total puzzlement.
Only slightly less thoughtful responses than “obama’s stash”...
Welfare recipients every one.
The government caused the problems with 'free' trade deals with other countries. The 'job creators' created the jobs in China rather than here.
Yep. Those ten percent create the jobs. Big Business eliminates as many jobs as it creates. Big Government can only create jobs by going into debt or taking money from others.
“The system is designed to reward established businesses and discourage the start up.”
We don’t even have a real capitalist system where private investors are required to take a risk and are rewarded if success. Too much is based upon a rigged system where business gets taxpayer handouts, and taxpayers get nothing in return except some pie in the sky promise of job creation. Creating jobs and handing out investment capital should not be taxpayers responsibility unless we get a piece of the pie as do VCs.
We have a crony capitalist system where big business buys politicians and rig the system to exclude competition through mergers and acquisitions. Start ups and small business are squeezed out.
I get pxssed when I see what has happened to the USA economy and it isn’t just because of liberals. A huge part is due to inherent corruption and schmoozing because of the huge money in politics, where USA taxpayers are put on the hook for the global corporations who have no USA loyalty. We’re required to outright bail them out or subsidize them with interest free loans, and just like the NFL with their overpaid players and we forced to build their stadiums.
Once big business realized the inevitability of progressive control, they jumped into bed with them attempting to buy “protection”.
Look at this list of companies supporting Podesta’s Center for American Progress:
http://www.americanprogress.org/about/our-supporters/
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