Senator Kerry’s Plan on Restoring Jobs and Rebuilding Our Economy

Restoring Jobs and Rebuilding Our Economy

George W Bush has chosen tax cuts for the wealthy and special favors for the special interests over our economic future. John Kerry’s priority will be middle class families who are working hard to cover the mortgage, pay the high cost of health care, child care and tuition, or just trying to get ahead.

The first thing John Kerry will do is fight his heart out to bring back the three million jobs that have been lost under George W. Bush. He will fight to restore the jobs lost under Bush in the first 500 days of his administration. Kerry has proposed creating jobs through a new manufacturing jobs credit, by investing in new energy industries, restoring technology, and stopping layoffs in education.

John Kerry has a plan to secure America’s economic future and ensure that workers can achieve the American dream in our changing economy. John Kerry has the courage to roll back Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can invest in education and healthcare. He isn’t afraid to crack down on corporations that are hiding their money in Bermuda to avoid paying their fair share and will end special tax giveaways to companies that ship jobs abroad. And he will defend the rights of workers, consumers and shareholders in holding corporations accountable for their actions.


Addressing Outsourcing by Requiring Companies to Fully Disclose Their Plans to Send Jobs Overseas

“Under this Administration, America’s middle class has been abandoned – its dreams denied, its Main Street interests ignored and its mainstream values scorned by a White House that puts privilege first,” said John Kerry. “Middle class Americans don’t ask for special favors, they just want basic fairness, and a President who fights for that ideal.”

“Next November, we can change all that,” Kerry continued. “Because in a Kerry Administration, if you are doing your part and doing what’s right – whether you’re a CEO in the corner suite or a worker in an office or on the factory floor – you’ll have a President who honors you, respects your contribution, and who will fight for you and your future everyday.”

Priorities
Give Workers Notice
· Kerry will require companies to inform affected workers, the Department of Labor, state agencies responsible for helping laid off employees, and local government officials; and
·Kerry will require companies to provide employees at least 3 months advance notice.

Keep Jobs in America
· Use Government Contracts for U.S. Workers. Some states have begun outsourcing government contracts. For example, New Jersey has outsourced government services to help move people from welfare to work. The idea of using taxpayer dollars to send entry-level service jobs overseas to administer a program aimed at finding domestic entry-level service jobs for welfare recipients makes no sense. John Kerry believes that U.S. Federal contracts where possible should be performed by American workers. He will direct his Cabinet Secretaries to look at procurement policies and assure wherever possible Federal contracts are not being outsourced overseas.
· Stop Giving Government Contracts to Corporations Breaking the Rules. John Kerry will also make sure the Federal government does not give lucrative contracts to companies that have a record of accounting fraud – like WorldCom – or are moving offshore.
· Consumers “Right to Know” on Call Center Workers. In today’s economy, consumers increasingly use the telephone or Internet to buy goods and services, inquire about transactions and bills, and get technical support or other information. More than 70 percent of customer interaction occurs in call centers and an estimated 6 million Americans work in call centers. In recent years, many call centers have shifted operations overseas, to places like India, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The US has lost 250,000 call center jobs since 2001. John Kerry wants to keep jobs on the booming call center market here in America, and help provide a measure of security for telephone and Internet consumer transactions. He believes that consumers should have a right to know where they are calling. The Federal Trade Commission enforces standards to ensure commercial compliance with “Made in USA” labeling. Kerry believes a “consumer’s right to know” should also apply the same principles of disclosure to telephone- and Internet- mediated customer service transactions.
· End Every Single Tax Credit That Gives Corporations Breaks for Moving Jobs Offshore. John Kerry will close every single loophole that gives companies incentives to move jobs abroad, including stopping American companies from setting up virtual headquarters in foreign countries just to avoid paying U.S. taxes and stop tax breaks for companies that move jobs abroad.

Part of a Real Plan to Create Real Jobs
· A Tax Credit to Create Manufacturing Jobs. Bush has done nothing to end incentives that encourage companies to move abroad. John Kerry supports a corporate rate reduction for manufacturers who produce goods in the U.S., and he has proposed a new jobs tax credit to encourage manufacturing companies to stay and expand in America.
· More Jobs in Small Business. Bush is proposing to cut the Small Business Administration by 25 percent. John Kerry has a plan to make it easier for small businesses to get capital and loans. He also has a health care tax credit for small businesses and a comprehensive energy plan that will help businesses cut costs.
· Jobs Through Energy Technology. Bush’s energy plan is a handout to big oil and fails to invest in the innovative energy technology of the future. John Kerry has a plan to invest in renewable energy and technologies that will create 500,000 jobs and make energy more affordable for businesses.
· Enforce Trade Laws to Protect American Workers. George Bush supported cuts to trade enforcement, even though we need more enforcement to stop the drain on manufacturing jobs. John Kerry will crack on countries that violate trade agreements and will take action when American industries are hurt.
· Make Sure Americans Can Compete in 21st Century Economy. In the 21st Century economy, many jobs will require a college degree or beyond. That is why John Kerry has a plan to make college as universal as high school with a tax credit on the first $4,000 of tuition for each year of college.

Addressing Outsourcing by Requiring Companies to Fully Disclose Their Plans to Send Jobs Overseas
Plan to Help Investors Recover Losses with New RICO Penalties

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/economy/outsourcing.html


John Kerry Jobs Tour

While President Bush continues to send jobs overseas, today Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, elected officials and labor leaders will fan out to Super Tuesday states as part of a nationwide jobs tour to meet and talk with workers about the devastating impact of the Bush economy on middle class families and outline John Kerry’s plan to put America back on track.

John Kerry Kicks-Off Jobs Tour


Priorities

Reviving American Manufacturing

Over 2.7 million manufacturing jobs have been lost since President Bush took office. John Kerry will save jobs by ending the unpatriotic practice of U.S. corporations moving offshore simply to avoid paying their fair share of our nation’s tax burden. To create new manufacturing jobs Kerry will provide new tax breaks to manufacturers who produce goods and create jobs in the United States. He will provide relief for manufacturers that provide quality health care and retirement. John Kerry will strongly enforce trade laws to assure that American industries are on a level playing field with our trading partners. To guarantee that American manufacturing will be strong in the future, John Kerry will invest in research and development, give tax incentives to help industries upgrade, and work to assure a highly qualified workforce.

See John Kerry's plan to Revive American Manufacturing

State Tax Relief and Education Fund to Create Jobs and Stop Painful Budget Cuts

The Bush economic approach has left states with nearly $90 billion in budget deficits, forcing layoffs, education cuts, and tax increases – all of which hurt economic growth. John Kerry will create a new "State Tax Relief and Education Fund" that will help states so they don’t have to make cuts that hurt our economy with an additional $50 billion over two years. This fund will stop the education cuts, tuition increases and tax and fee raising that are inhibiting our economic growth and causing layoffs. This fund includes $5 billion to stop state cuts in health care that hurt workers and patients and $5 billion for homeland security to stem layoffs of police officers and fire fighters. Kerry will, also, give additional money to states by fully funding the No Child Left Behind education law and special education.

Provide Tax Relief to Middle Class Families

John Kerry has the courage to take on the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. However, he believes that we should keep the middle class tax cuts that Democrats fought for in 2001 and 2003. Specifically, he wants to protect the increases in the child tax credit, the reduced marriage penalty and the new tax bracket that helps people save $350 on their first level of income. He strongly disagrees with Democrats who want to repeal these tax cuts because it would cost a typical middle-class family with two children an additional $2,000. These families are often already struggling with higher health care costs and higher state and local taxes. In fact, John Kerry wants to give more tax breaks to the middle class with new tax credits on health care and college tuition. These tax cuts are part of his plan to restore the economy and cut the budget deficit in half in four years.

Prepare Americans for 21st Century Jobs by Opening the Doors of College for All

Over the past two years, the cost to attend a public four-year college has increased by 10 percent, and the cost to attend a public two-year college has increased by 8 percent. Students are leaving college with more debt than ever before and many students are dropping out altogether because they cannot pay the bills. John Kerry believes that all Americans deserve the opportunity to attend college. It is critical to their future and to our nation’s economy. Those who have a college degree will make on average twice as much over the course of their lifetime and seventy percent more every year than someone who does not have a college degree.

John Kerry’s will create a new "College Opportunity Tax Credit" that will make four years of college affordable for all Americans. He will provide a credit for each and every year of college on the first $4,000 paid in tuition – the typical tuition for public colleges. The credit will provide 100% of the first $1000 and 50% on the rest. It will also make this credit refundable so that it helps the most vulnerable students. John Kerry has also proposed a "Service for College" plan, which will provide the cost of four years at a public college to young people in exchange for serving their communities and country in national service for two years. His plan says to all students, if you work hard and give to your country, your country will make sure you can afford a college education no matter who you are.

See John Kerry's plan to Make College Affordable

Making Corporate America Live by America's Values

Our economy does well when our workers are doing well. Today, Americans who are working hard and playing by the rules are faced with higher health care costs, higher state taxes, higher college tuition and limited job opportunities. At the same time, many corporations are bending the rules and shirking their fair share of the burden - and the Bush Administration is rewarding those who break the rules with lucrative government contracts. Kerry will fight for a government that rewards those who work hard and play by the rules and challenges those who don’t. He will restore investor confidence with strong enforcement by the Securities and Exchange Commission and he will stop corporations from keeping bank Accounts in Countries like Bermuda to Avoid Paying Taxes.

See John Kerry's plan to Make Corporations Accountable

Protect the American Worker

John Kerry believes that ensuring there is a fair playing field for workers is important to a strong economy. He supports increasing the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation. He will improve workplace health and safety while fighting for fair overtime rules and a worker’s right to join a union. He also believes that workers need more protections against corporate fraud so they don’t lose their lifetime savings because they are working hard for the wrong company.

Restore Fiscal Discipline to Washington

By borrowing from future generations to give tax relief to those who need help the least, George W. Bush’s economic policies have, for the first time in history, forced the federal government to spend $1 billion more EACH DAY than it takes in. John Kerry believes that we need a smaller and smarter government that wastes less money. He has put forward a sensible plan that will at least cut the deficit in half in his first term, while investing in economic growth and investing in workers. To restore fiscal discipline and strengthen our economy, Kerry will repeal Bush’s special tax breaks for Americans who make more than $200,000. He will cut excesses in government and reign in out of control spending. And he will implement the McCain-Kerry commission on corporate welfare to undermine the special interest groups that make it hard to cut tax loopholes and pork barrel spending projects.

See John Kerry's plan to Fight for Our Economic Future

Earned Legalization

John Kerry supports a proposal that will allow undocumented immigrants to legalize their status if they have been in the United States for a certain amount of time, have been working, and can pass a background check. This makes sense for the economy, provides fairness to people in our communities who have worked hard and paid taxes, and will also allow us to strengthen our homeland security by bringing undocumented workers out of the shadows and into the light of greater accountability.

Close the Pay Gap

Women still earn, on average, only 73 cents for every dollar earned by men. John Kerry believes that we must expand opportunities for women and work to make equal pay for equal work a reality not a slogan. He would start by improving enforcement and disclosure about payment practices.

Expand Economic Opportunity for Women

As the top Democrat on the Senate Small Business Committee, John Kerry has been hailed as the Senate's leader on initiatives that assist women-owned businesses – beginning with the Boston Center for Women and Enterprise, a national model Kerry championed. He has been at the forefront of defending affirmative action, helping women-owned businesses in government contracting and making start-up and venture capital available to woman entrepreneurs. As a candidate, John Kerry has appointed women to the top tiers of his campaign, just as a Kerry Administration will have women of all colors and from all backgrounds in positions of authority across the federal government. And as President he will work to expand the number of women-owned businesses and eliminate the glass ceiling that has kept talented women out of the top positions in government and corporate America.

...those are working so well. We have stagnated at 21,000 new jobs in February 2004. The slowest jobs growth in what, six months? Seems to be helping India with their jobs growth, even the White House has been outsourcing to India. Nope, Kerry has GW on that issue, hands down.:bounce:

but the same or worse in the jobs sector, so watch the bastard so he doesn't try to pass off the improvement for the rich as an improvement for all us middle income and poor fuckers.

:kick: