Who is the real job creator, Mitt Romney or Barack Obama? Fiercely debated, the question remains a central theme in both presidential hopeful’s campaigns.
Republicans attacked Obama’s economic record during a Wednesday morning conference call.
During the call, U.S. Congressman Mike Kelly, (R-Butler), and Bruce Hottle, owner of Eagle Concrete Products (a manufacturer based in Somerset), discussed why the President’s economic, environmental and health care policies are detrimental to job creation and small business.
Kelly used his previous experience as a family car dealership owner to illustrate the difficulties caused by the Obama administration.
“I don’t know if I have ever seen another president that has more hostility towards American job creators in both his rhetoric and his policies. You look at what the president is doing, you can’t be so hostile to businesses and you have to be friendly to job creation.”
Citing unemployment and long-term unemployment rates as evidence, Kelly called the economic recovery “anemic” and job creation “absolutely impossible.”
“This is a person who has never actually worked in the private sector the way we have…He’s never created a job, he’s never run a business.”
Contrary to Kelly’s argument, Obama campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Austin said the president has assisted over 150,000 small businesses by granting Small Business Administration-supported loans, which allow for expansion in size and staff.
“Facts are facts – under the President’s leadership we have seen 26 straight months of private-sector job growth, in which businesses have created more than 4.2 million new jobs.”
In addition to job growth, Kelly also attacked Obama’s environmental policies.
“This is a country that does not need to rely on anybody from outside our borders for our own success. But you can’t do things like blocking the Keystone Pipeline that would have created 20,000 jobs and got those refineries back and got things going again.”
He further criticized the high cost of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly called ObamaCare. Both of these policies, Kelly claimed, “cost Americans jobs, good jobs.”
On the other hand, Kelly praised Romney for working both in the private and public sector, and his long history as a job creator.
Despite these claims, the Obama campaign has repeatedly dismissed ‘Romney Economics’. Austin, in an email, refuted Romney’s business record.
“Romney’s record stands in stark contrast with the President, who has cut taxes for small businesses 18 times helping them grow and create jobs while lowering their costs,” she said.
“Romney economics means tax cuts for large corporations and the wealthy, but no help for small businesses, it is about doing whatever it takes for him and his investors to profit, regardless of the cost to workers, companies and communities.”
On the call, Hottle, who has owned Eagle Concrete Products for 35 years, echoed much of Kelly’s message when he talked about how the president made life more difficult for him.
“I run a small business…(and) I can tell you that our bottom line has been negatively affected by this recession. What’s even more frustrating is President Obama’s desire to add even more roadblocks to job creation.”
Besides Obama’s economic record, Hottle blasted the health care act, calling it a “big mystery.”
“For small businesses to survive, the key to it is controlling your costs and your bottom line. We don’t know what (health care) costs are going to be a month from now and that’s what makes it difficult for us to plan and to expand our business and create more jobs and hire additional people.”
The call wrapped up on the same note with which it began: a criticism of Obama for not understanding the private sector in the same way that Romney does.
“Romney has been in the private sector, he understands the risk involved. There’s always some risk: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you have to be willing to take the risk. Government needs to get out of the way and let us take those risks.”
8 Responses
I applogize for the second half of my comment as I was referring to Congressman Fitzpatrick instead of Mr. Romney but the basic facts are the same.
Mr. Romney offers no difference regarding the trade policies that have picked our nations bones.
I like opinions and I like facts to back them up.
Would someone please tell me where President Obama ever demonized profit as greed?
The presentation of propaganda and sentiment in the place of solid facts is not worthy of legitimate discussion.
Mr. Fitzpatrick is no different from most of the representatives in Washington who take donations from local business interests to fund their campaigns. He is no different from others that mindlessly continue trade policies that strip jobs in America or fail to understand the proper regulation of trade polices away from the international banking systems that refuse to fund our infrastructure as we become a third world entity only revered for the ability of our military to defend trade routes.
Recognition that he presents no difference to the present madness that is present in our Congress is the main reason that I cannot support him.
PS the same thing can be said about Tom Smith and Senator Bob “98%” Casey and Mitt Romney of Bain Capital and President Obama.
Who is more likely to create jobs and revive the economy? Mitt Romney, Tom Smith, Mike Kelly or their Union Financed opponents. Union workers benefit from work and a strong economy. Union Leadership’s interests do not always align with workers, UMWA, for example.
Rep. Mike Kelly has met a payroll. President Obama never did.
Rep. Mike Kelly built a business, made a profit which paid people who worked, saved and invested. Pres. Obama demonizes profit as greed.
Pres. Obama never had a job in private, productive, real economy producing real goods and real services people want and need and are willing to pay for.
Rep. Mike Kelly is a Tax Maker; President Obama and his supporters are Tax Takers.
Ironic that Romney and the Republicans, who claim government doesn’t create jobs, are blaming the President for not creating jobs.
Mike Kelly would not still be in business without the auto bailout for GM.
“Citing unemployment and long-term unemployment rates as evidence,”
Wow, that Obama…his policies of unemployment and long-term unemployment are really bad for the country.
“I run a small business…(and) I can tell you that our bottom line has been negatively affected by this recession.”
Ya think?
Now tell me, whose policies created the recession?
People actually voted for Kelly? I’m sure if there was more *demand* for his small business, he’d be hiring in a flash.
Mike Kelly, really? The guy with a sixth grade education…..