A Republican Congressman from Wisconsin says there are some good and some bad ideas in President Obama’s American Jobs Act. U.S. Representative Tom Petri (R-WI) says he’s glad the president is working to get the large number of Americans who are unemployed back to work and trying to get the economy back on track. However, Petri says the devil will be in the details when it comes to Obama’s proposal.
The Sixth District Republican questions whether ideas, such as offering tax credits to companies for hiring unemployed workers, will motivate them to expand. He says tax credits are nice, but they are not the reason jobs are created. Petri says many employers do have money but the economy needs to get moving again before they will be willing to make that investment.
Petri also questions how much Wisconsin will benefit from funds designed to help states avoid layoffs. He says Wisconsin already “bit the bullet” with budget reforms earlier this year that addressed those concerns. Petri wonders if the Badger State will be able to benefit from additional federal funds since they have already taken steps to cut costs and avoid lay-offs.
Petri does agree with the President that lawmakers should avoid delaying any action to improve the job market and the economy just because there’s an election coming up next year. He says it’s pretty clear the public is frustrated with lawmakers from both parties.