My Economic Vision: Jobs and Growth for All Americans

Growing the economy through responsible fiscal policies and smart stimulus programs

The Bush administration's economic record - the worst on job creation of any President since Hoover, matched by the largest budget deterioration in history - is a disaster of vast proportions. Economic downturns may be part of the normal business cycle, but the Bush Administration's reckless policies have taken a bad situation and made it far worse. Traveling around America, I have met countless casualties of the Bush economy -- laid-off traders, out-of-work waitresses, unemployed factory workers, retirees who have lost their nest eggs, and recent graduates who can't find an entry-level job. These are the human faces behind the statistics of the last 33 months: More than three million people who have lost their jobs and over 1.4 million more who have fallen into poverty.

At every stop, I reassure these Americans that prosperity will return with responsible leadership. My recommendation remains: Go long on the U.S. economy. As president, there will be five primary components of my economic agenda: job creation, fiscal discipline, economic opportunity for all, enabling entrepreneurship, and planning for long-term prosperity.

• Job creation is job one. We must help every capable and willing American get back to work. To do this, we need to repeal President Bush's tax breaks for rich households making more than $200,000 per year - and use the savings to create jobs for American workers. My $100 billion Job Creation Plan would:
  • Invest in homeland and hometown security. My plan invests $40 billion to immediately fund initiatives securing the homeland, and creating jobs in the process.
  • Help states in fiscal crisis. My plan would also invest $40 billion to relieve pressure on state budgets, helping states avoid property tax increases and tuition hikes impacting families already squeezed by a faltering economy.
  • Incentives for jobs and growth. Finally, my plan would establish meaningful incentives to create new jobs and remove barriers to job growth, especially in the manufacturing sector - where America has lost 2.5 million jobs under President Bush.

  Please click here to see the full details of my Job Creation Plan.

• Restoring fiscal discipline and investing in priorities. My "Saving for America's Future" plan will save $2.35 trillion to reduce the deficit each and every year and invest in national priorities like health care and education. This is a major first step towards bringing America's fiscal house back in order. My plan will save money by:
  • Streamlining government and improving efficiency. My plan would consolidate administrative activities to eliminate waste, and in some areas, institute competitive purchasing procedures to leverage the power of the market.
  • Ending corporate welfare and closing corporate loopholes. My plan also provides for an independent commission to make the hard choices America needs, holding Congress responsible for egregious pieces of corporate pork in up-or-down votes.
  • Promoting a more effective and multilateral Iraq policy. Involving other countries in the rebuilding of Iraq is not only smart foreign policy, but also relieves the burden on American taxpayers of a war that President Bush chose to instigate.
  • Reclaiming the irresponsible tax breaks for the rich. I propose to recapture the revenue from the irresponsible Bush tax breaks going to the wealthiest families - those making over $200,000 annually.

  Please click here to see the full details of my Saving for America's Future Plan.

• Economic opportunity for all Americans. There are few things more important to a person's dignity, to a family's security, and to our nation's prosperity than the chance to earn a decent living. That is why we need to do more to develop our human potential. We should help every citizen to "be all he or she can be." This requires:
  • Early childhood investments. I am committed to helping American families get their kids off to a strong start, including opportunities for high-quality pre-school and after-school programs, affordable health care for children, and dramatic inroads into the tragedy of child poverty.
  • Affordable health care. I have released a detailed health care plan that emphasizes diagnosis and prevention, value, affordability, and access - and which provides universal coverage for all of our children.
  • Support for education and training. Investment in the continuing education of all Americans, through retirement, is essential to long-term economic growth.
  • Balance of work and family. I will protect working families by adequately funding child care, education, and after-school programs.

  Please click here to see the full details of my health care plan.

  Please click here to see the full details of my plan for education.

• Unleashing the power and ingenuity of America's entrepreneurial spirit. President Bush has coddled industry instead of harnessing the power of markets to spur growth, create jobs, protect the environment, and defend the homeland. I would correct his irresponsible policies by:
  • Opening foreign markets to U.S. exports. I would order a 120-day review of all existing trade agreements - not to protect U.S. markets, but to make sure that our trade partners are living up to their end of the bargain.
  • Promoting pro-consumer and pro-environment regulatory structures. I would implement regulatory reforms that promote market incentives while protecting the environment and consumers against market abuses.
  • Encouraging investor confidence. I would undertake a sustained effort to undertake reforms that will restore the trust that makes our markets the best place in the world to trade and invest.
  • Reforming the tax system. We must make the tax system simpler, fairer, more progressive, and more pro-growth. This is not only fair for America's workers, but smart for the economy.

• Creating the conditions for long-term prosperity. We have a responsibility to our children to create the conditions for long-term prosperity. The purported tradeoff between future and present is a false choice. If we make the right decisions , we can strengthen the economy today while meeting our responsibilities for the future:
  • Deficit reduction. By reintroducing basic fiscal responsibility, we can reduce the debt for our children while strengthening our economy today.
  • Sustainable energy practices. Sacrificing our natural resources to meet the short-term requests of special interests undermines America's long-term strength. Promoting alternative energy sources and clean energy technologies will stoke economic growth.
  • Protections for retirement. Finally, I will protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare, ensuring that these vital programs are preserved for generations to come.