Maine Democratic Party

Governor Ahab’s “senior economic policy advisor” took to the papers this morning to tout the glories of his boss’s 2014 re-election fundraising job creation “workshops” that are set to pick up steam again. Here’s the money quote:

Gov. LePage has shown a commitment to making Maine "Open for Business" by introducing, supporting and signing legislation that reduces the tax burden on hardworking Mainers and job creators, reduces red tape and institutes market-based health care reform, all geared toward creating private-sector jobs here in Maine.

Sigh.  Where to begin? 

First, no mention of putting up “Open for Business” signs along the side of the road? I kid because I care…

Second, see how he cleverly lumped “hardworking Mainers” with “job creators?” Even Butera knows he can’t be seen giving tax cuts only to business owners! The real point here, of course, is that the GOP lowered taxes on middle class Mainers by about $3, but lavished thousands of dollars in cuts on each wealthy Mainer. (Remember, the GOP knows it can’t just come out and say “we support tax cuts for the wealthy,” so they created the euphemism “job creator” to cover that class of people.)

Third, “market-based health care reform” definitely helps the private sector, if by “private sector” you mean “the insurance industry.” Whenever they say “market-based health care reform,” please reply “oh, you mean a blank check to raise rates?”

Finally, and here’s the real point, the problem in the economy is a demand problem. No amount of luncheons with CEO’s is going to change that fact. What’s more, those CEO’s are not “job creators,” they are businesspeople. Their job is to make a profit from the sale of their widgets. They are not “job creators,” nor are they “job destroyers.” (Well, unless your business is called Bain Capital). They are not – nor should they – create jobs because you ask them to, or even if you reduce their cost of doing business. Their job is to respond to the market – and if they need to make more widgets to respond to higher demand for said widgets, then they will hire more people.   

And we don’t need more PR stunts for that.