Jobs (February 2012)

J-O-B. In Washington, we hear that word spoken on the floors of Congress, see it plastered all over national headlines, and have watched the numbers of those without one hover between 8 percent and 9 percent each month. But in what I like to call real America — anywhere outside of Washington, D.C. — that three-letter word means something much more. It means food on the table. Gas in the car. Heat in the wintertime. It means everything.

While the payroll tax cut deal was by no means ideal, extending the payroll tax holiday and unemployment insurance for the rest of 2012 was essential for America’s continuing economic recovery. My hope is that Republicans’ compromise on the measure signals their willingness to put aside partisan stunts and manufactured crises in favor of working with the president and Democrats to protect and expand the American Dream for all.

Our country has been struggling through a severe economic downturn for four years now. We constantly hear from both sides of the aisle about the need for “JOBS, JOBS, JOBS,” but very few leaders seem willing to offer specific solutions. There continues to be a disconnect between politics and reality.

How are a majority of American jobs created? Two words: small businesses.