Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Gilbert): "Education does not create jobs"

"Republicans vote to repeal property tax"
http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/02/24/news/state/20090224_arizo_191519.txt?rating=true

Tucson teacher Elizabeth Slaine: "We have to have educated students who are ready to start these businesses,"

That contention drew derision from Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert.
"Education does not create jobs," he said. "Entrepreneurs and businesses create jobs."

(Cross posted from GD - I thought it should be here too)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5123402&mesg_id=5123402

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Somebody please assure me that this nightmare end in 2010. When is this state going to wake up and toss these imbeciles?

What an asswipe.

Most of my time in AZ has been in districts like that. Presently, my rep. and senator are both Democrats. The latter has suggested putting pressure on my local Chamber of Commerce, which had endorsed elimination of the state property tax.

Without an education, how does one become a business owner. Let's ask him to take his kids out of school, it doesn't matter right? This is the great thing about lower echelon "repugnant-cans" like this one. ; they have no idea how to justify their warped political ideology so they just spew it out. The Republican politicians in the big leagues are just as lost but are much better bull shit artists (take Jindal for instance). I can't wait till that way of thinking joins political history. Sadly I don't think I'll get to see it in my life time. I'd like to see this absurd republican war on academics end already.

Education is not a prerequisite for being a business owner. I know many business owners because I consult with them. Most were not particularly good students and that is why they gravitated to starting their own business. Entrepreneurs have the guts to go out on their own.

:rofl:

if we pause for a moment, we all probably know quite a few very well educated people who are unemployed, and certainly we've all got to know alot of young college grads who have done everything right yet still have been beating the bricks trying to get a first job in their field...

Honestly I'm more inclined to think the guy is right...at least on this one statement Education does not create jobs. And more, I'm sick of being told by highly paid CEO's and bankers that 'education' is the answer. We've been throwing money at education for decades....so if only you were smarter or better educated..you'd have a job? Ok, its your fault. Or..you wouldn't be unemployed if you were only better educated? Thats BS and we've swallowed that crap for far too long.

I believe its a combination of our 'globalization' foreign trade policy, domestic economic policy, our lack of manufacturing policy other than our military-industrial complex sacred cow mentality that has gotten us into this mess. And for all the well educated financial genius's in Wall Street...I don't see them actually creating jobs.

...how do you know what to do. Just because education alone doesn't always get you the job doesn't mean you can always get a job without one. Think of how many employers provide jobs by how much education one has.

After WWII there was a recession starting and the US did the stimulus thing again. One program was the G.I. bill for higher education. It worked and people, whether or not they took advantage of higher education, benefitted.

What's really stupid is the HB-1 visa program pushed by Bush (and other Republicans) to import "skilled" workers - often IT workers. The US doesn't have a shortage of IT workers - the skills they lack include a 6 month training program necessary for a specific job. It's crazy.

Whenever unemployment is high, job retraining needs to be high also. Lack of a skilled workforce is number one reason given for high end industries not to relocate to Arizona. The wages are more than low enough. That's why we keep getting crappy employers to the state.

That's a big problem with the overall state budget too.

Sure it will create jobs -- service level jobs that don't require a college education. Where will the employees live? The homes built in that area are too expensive for service workers.