With their report, "Prosperity Economics", Yale University's Jacob Hacker and Nate Loewentheil finally bring us a concrete, comprehensive policy proposal that channels the spirit of the progressive grassroots movement of the last two years.
Prosperity Economics is our response - the progressive, middle-class response - to the Austerity Economics of the Romney/Ryan/Rogers ticket. Romney, Ryan and Rogers are calling for the middle class to sacrifice their Medicare, Medicaid, Pell Grants and Social Security in the name of "austerity". Their wealthy friends however, have nothing to fear: not only will have to sacrifice nothing, they'll be given an even larger tax cut on top of the Bush tax cuts they're already receiving.
The only way to acheive sustainable, long-term growth is to build an economy where the benefits of growth are widely shared, an economy where all Americans, not just the wealthiest 1%, benefit from economic growth.
I have been an advocate of Prosperity Economics since long before it was known by that name. How could I not be? I was born and raised in Michigan's 8th District, and I've experienced firsthand the effects of Austerity Economics. I have seen our infrastructure, from our roads and bridges to our schools and public lands, crumble and lie in disrepair because the state budget was slashed. I have seen our manufacturing base lose 50,000 automotive jobs - shipped overseas to benefit the corporate bottom line. And I've seen another 150,000 ancillary jobs which were dependent on the auto plants and suppliers, evaporate as those manufacturing jobs disappeared. I understand the struggles of all those small business owners, waitresses and waiters, police officers, firefighters and teachers who lost their jobs as the auto industry left Michigan.
I know this firsthand because I was one of those laid-off teachers, whose salary was dependent on the tax base. How can you have a tax base when you allow your manufacturing jobs to be outsourced in the name of "free" - instead of fair - trade?
When I am elected this November, I will act with the best interest of the people of my district at heart.
My first priority in Congress will be job creation, not job outsourcing. We need to get back to what makes America great: developing and building things. That is what we do. And when we did it, our middle class was the strongest in the world. We need to return to what made our middle class strong, because when America's middle class thrives, we all benefit.
I will vote for and strongly support immediately passing the American Jobs Act and allowing this great nation to begin rebuilding itself. With an initial investment in our country's infrastructure - bridges, roads, and schools - we will all begin to move forward.
I will push to replace our free trade agreements with fair trade agreements, and increase tariffs on our borders to protect American jobs.
I will strongly consider giving tax incentives to companies that hire within the United States, instead of giving tax breaks to companies that send our jobs overseas. This is not about corporate bottom lines, it is about each and every American's bottom line.
At the end of the day, we need to get back doing what is right and fair. We need to work for the people as a whole, not corporate interests or a select few. We need to begin to invest in America and bring back the American Dream for all. The change we need and demand as a nation will only happen when we elect people who are willing to put it all out there for the People, not corporations or a select few.
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Campaign Update: 8/30/12
In the past week, we hit 7,000 doors across all three counties in the district. We got a very warm reception everywhere we went, especially in Brighton, Mike's own backyard.
On Saturday, we walked in the Holt Hometown Festival Parade, and hit about 1,200 doors in Holt afterwards.
Sunday, August 29 was Women's Suffrage Day. We were present at the Michigan Women's Historical Center to support all three Michigan Supreme Court candidates and the Michigan National Organization for Women. We finished up the day by dropping literature on another 1,000 doors in Ingham County.
Finally, our yard signs are in. Please let us know if you'd like one!