WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 15, 2009 - Yesterday, while promoting his $787 billion ‘stimulus’ bill, President Obama said :
“We're going to continue to explore each and every avenue* that I can think of that will lead to job creation and economic growth."
The President’s quote should really include a fine print disclaimer at the bottom that says:
*The phrase “each and every avenue" does not include policies that would create American offshore drilling jobs, onshore oil and natural gas jobs, mining jobs or timber jobs.
A quick review of the Obama Administration’s nine-month record demonstrates that the President is not seriously looking for “any way to create jobs." Since January, the Administration has:
* Reinstateda defacto moratorium on expanded offshore drilling
* Withdrewoil and natural gas leases in Utah
* Delayedthe new round of oil shale research, demonstration, and development leases in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah
* Continued to push National Energy Tax legislation that the Congressional Budget Office Director just yesterday said will “cost jobs"
* Delayed mining permits
* Withdrew plans for timber sales in the Northwest
* Refused to help communities in California’s San Joaquin Valley where 40,000 people are unemployed due to a man-made, regulatory drought (although it’s interesting to note that the President does have time to attend a San Francisco fundraiser tonight).
But perhaps the President has suddenly changed his mind and is now truly looking for job creation ideas?
If that’s the case, Republicans have repeatedly produced numerous proposals that would create new American jobs. Thiscomprehensive list of jobs, compiled by committee Republicans in September, details how the Administration could save or create jobs by simply supporting commonsense all-of-the-above energy policies.
