The American economy is suffering from a severe case of the “uns”—unemployment, underemployment, unfunded mandates, unaffordable health care and unsustainable debt. Congress is adding to the problem by creating uncertainty by failing to address these challenges in a bipartisan, thoughtful, pragmatic way.
We have had (until recently) the longest stretch of high unemployment (43 months above 8 percent) since the Great Depression. Gross domestic product is growing at an anemic pace.
The median net worth of American households declined 35 percent between 2005 and 2010. Median household incomes declined by 8 percent between 2007 and 2011. Four million Americans lost their homes to foreclosures, and 9 million more have been served papers. Seniors are suffering from low interest rates that diminish the value of their hard-earned savings for retirement. College students are graduating with huge debt and moving back in with their parents, unable to find good jobs. Our debt recently topped $16 trillion, equating to $50,000 for every man, woman and child in the U.S. And we continue to run annual deficits of more than $1 trillion. In addition, Medicare will be insolvent in 2024, and Social Security in 2033.
Although the causes of the initial recession are complex, the recovery has been hampered by a failure of leadership. Washington, D.C., should be charged with dereliction of duty. Democrats, Republicans and independents all agree the country is on the wrong path. But instead of solving problems and bringing certainty to the tax, regulatory, spending and debt environments, they pick petty partisan fights.
Businesses are justifiably hesitant to invest or hire, since there is no confidence in their future tax rates, government mandates and penalties such as the president’s unaffordable health-care program. Banks are not lending due to unknowns in the new regulations, and small-business owners are struggling to get credit to start up or grow.
The looming “fiscal cliff” created by Congress adds even more uncertainty, further disincentivizing growth, investment and job creation. Due to the failures of Congress, we face tax increases on all incomes, plus deep cuts in defense and domestic programs. This will put America into a deeper recession while risking our national security.
Members of Congress are more concerned about their next election than the next generation. Washington is broken, and the economic uncertainty they have created is wrong.
When I see something is broken, I fix it. When something is wrong, I stand up to make it right. We need to change Washington by changing the people we send there.
We must get our economy going again and put people back to work. Small businesses are the engine of growth, creating seven of every 10 jobs in America. We need to reform the tax code, simplify it and lower the corporate rates to bring jobs back to the U.S. We need to roll back suffocating regulations that are hampering economic growth. We need to access our energy resources, and improve education and job-training. We need to reduce government spending and ensure our military is ready to protect us.
Ron Barber voted against multiple bipartisan legislative initiatives that would help small businesses and bring certainty to the economic situation. He voted against legislation that would put a moratorium on new regulatory burdens on small businesses. He voted against the “No More Solyndras Act,” in effect supporting the failed stimulus program that put taxpayers’ money into failing companies. He voted to rob $716 billion from Medicare to pay for a government takeover of health care that increases taxes and penalties on small businesses. He voted against streamlining the permit process for American energy development and simplifying the tax code. Finally, he voted against a bipartisan plan to avoid “sequestration,” the devastating cuts that will risk our national security and result in thousands of lost jobs here in Southern Arizona.
Due to my commitment to fight for economic growth, small businesses and putting middle-class people back to work, and Mr. Barber’s anti-small-business and anti-jobs voting record, I have been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Home Builders and Associated Builders and Contractors.
I will bring leadership, guts, education and a results-driven mindset to Congress to lead efforts toward bipartisan solutions that bring certainty to the economy, empower small businesses, and put our middle class back to work. Too much is at stake, and I am committed to championing thoughtful, pragmatic solutions to cure us of the “uns.”
This article appears in Oct 18-24, 2012.
I already voted and not for you. I know nothing about you or what your qualifications are, except you flew combat. What special education do you bring that others do not have? What knowledge do you have that Barber doesn’t (well we know that is silly he has years of studying the issues). I do know you flew combat but yet call life ‘sacred’ I mean how can you reconcile that? You like to force them to be born before you help them die prematurely?
No doubt -you’d be the last person I would vote for … Flying a fighter plane does not make you an expert on foreign affairs – and that is just one example…. Matter a fct – you don’t have anything ro contribute to a better America. Yes it needs some fixing but certainly not by someone with your NON-experience… that’s my story and I am sticking to it .. Oh BTW – please get rid of that horrific hairstyly – it makes you look as if someone had sprayed you with Olive oil and it does NOT make you look feminine ….
Anyone who doesn’t know her qualifications hasn’t been paying attention. (www.marthamcsally.com is a good place to start for those who wish to vote informed.) I already voted for Martha McSally. She’ll make a fine Representative. Go Martha!
No sunshine from MsAzSunshine today!!
So, Martha McSally is not an expert on foreign affairs….well, she only taught at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. Here is part of the mission statement – “….is a renowned international security and defense studies institute that promotes dialogue and understanding among the nations of North America, Europe and Eurasia.”
I voted for McSally. I could not stomach the thought of voting for “Well, I will run to serve the rest of Gabby’s term then I am done”, Ron Barber.
Ms McSally might someday turn out to be as effective and independent a legislator as Gabrielle Giffords or Ron Barber. Ron Barber has my vote.
She may or may not have been a hotshot pilot but the opinions of her military superiors may be most accurate estimate of her abilities. Note it is Colonel McSally NOT General McSally. Arizona has had a quarter of a century representation by John McCain another military careerist who was never deemed to possess the leadership abilities demanded by Navy flag rank.
Colonel McSally may well be the very model of a modern generic candidate but she isn’t running in a modern generic district. She jumped in a jet plane in February and flew home from her teaching job – what precisely was she teaching — in Germany the very moment word reached her that Gabby Giffords had resigned her seat. She has not lived very long at a time in the district except when assigned o Davis Monthan. She doesn’t know much, has made few significant contributions to, our area. Even in her guest piece today she’s talking in high-flying generalities that could be just as pertinent to a district in Kansas or Kentucky as to our CD 2. I would have liked to see some references in her paragraph on the six (at least) subjects on which Ron Barber has cast votes of which she doesn’t approve during his short stint representing us in CD 8. One of course is his vote against the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which the Republican leadership of the House has brought to 33 votes, wasting valuable time in a useless charade. And while on the subject of references, one of the preceding commentors has put in direct quotation marks a statement I am quite confident Congressman Barber never made. Not true , go2ski.
Bottom line in my book, one more UN. McSally is UNready to serve our district. But let me end with a question: if she is not elected, where will she be living and working and otherwise contributing a year from now?
Nothing here but generic Republican rhetoric. Nothing of substance. As vague as the Romney-Ryan promise for more jobs. The Republicans created the state of affairs she is complaining about. More of their ideas are not going to solve the problem they created.
So McSally wants to represent us in Congress. My question is, how much does she really care about US because up to now, I haven’t heard a peep from her about US. She hasn’t tried any other thing but to run for a high-profile office and “say” that she wants to represent us. She hasn’t served on the city council, board of supervisors or legislature. I’m so tired of candidates like her and that Texan who flew into town to oppose Giffords last time and then fled back to Texas when he lost. I remember being surprised when McSally sued the military that she was in Tucson and doubly surprised when she announced she was running for office that she was back because I have NOT seen or heard from her in the years hence.
So exactly how am I supposed to be assured that, if elected, she will serve my best interests and not her own? Ron Barber hasn’t been serving in office up to filling in for Gabby, but prior to taking Giffords’ seat, his entire job was serving the constituents and he seems to be holding up just fine. I’m not affiliated with ANY campaign, but when I mail my early ballot in, it will be for Ron Barber and other candidates who have satisfied my concerns that they are running to represent ME and not their own interests.
“Businesses are justifiably hesitant to invest or hire, since there is no confidence in their future tax rates, government mandates and penalties such as the president’s unaffordable health-care program. Banks are not lending due to unknowns in the new regulations, and small-business owners are struggling to get credit to start up or grow.”
Do your research. Small business owners said the number one reason they are not hiring people is lack of demand–more owners said that than worry about healthcare and government regulation *combined*. And the IMF just said austerity (aka spending cuts) don’t work to shrink deficits or grow economies because of fiscal multipliers. So cutting spending will help demand how?
Washington *is* broken, but standard Repuplican rhetoric will not fix it, and I don’t see Martha offering anything else.
McSally will NOT fix Washington, but continue to tear it down like the other Tea party members have. She will take away entitlements and rights of the people.
Much as I would like to elect another woman to Congress, McSally will not get my vote, for many of the reasons cited above. Most important, she is not an Arizonan and does not know our issues or our needs. She seems to have no vested interest in Arizona. We have had other star candidates who “fly into town” and off to Washington, but do very little for our state here. She has not during her campaign made it clear that she knows or understands the issues from an Arizona perspective. Guess I’ll have to wait for another Gabby Giffords to get a woman down here.
Every time I hear a republican politician uses the old who Obama care took 716 billion dollars away from Meidcare” talking point can write them off “just another Tea Party – Koch Brothers funded”. fraud That is the biggest lie that was ever told. The ACA took money away from Medicare Advantage which is giant Insurance company cash cow that puts hundreds of billions of dollars into the insurance companies pockets and lets them deny any care they want. Kind of like the govenment student loan program is a giant rip off, where the banks and government overly profit on the backs of students and young families just starting out in life. Any one turing 65 who signs up for a Medicare Advantage Plan (which is being phased out by the ACA) is a uninformed fool. It may sound good deal because it comes at little or no cost, but you lose the option to enroll in a Medigap plan after one year without being rated (which means you stuck in a plan where you are at the mercy of insurance companies for the rest of your life.