Where are Republican Ideas?

Clearly, most Americans are frustrated with the policies of Obama and the Democrats. With a slow recovering economy that is not producing enough jobs, many feel that the stimulus has not done what it was intended to do. This is no surprise to those of us who actually paid attention to what was in the stimulus package. It was essentially a payoff to supporters of the Democratic party and President Obama filled with pork and wasteful spending that had no chance of stimuluting the economy for the long run. There were a few good investments, but nowhere near enough to put the economy on a sustainable path of growth.

After passing this lousy stimulus package, the Democrats decided to spend the next year ramming a trillion dollar healthcare package down our throats. Now that it is receiving more scrutiny since more details are known, it is realized that the package will ultimately increase the cost of healthcare substantially.

In this environment, and a new financial regulation bill being debated in the Senate, business is unwilling to hire due to the uncertainty. Next year, the Bush tax cuts are set to expire. This includes income taxes, capital gains taxes and estate taxes. So, the folks who create the jobs, are getting ready to hand over more money to the government. Combine that with the healthcare bill and they realize that the cost of doing business has gone up substantially, so why should they hire new workers?

But, where are the Republican ideas? Cutting corporate taxes and other taxes are ideas that are easily dismissed by Democrats as causing the deficits we now have. Republicans have never been good stewards of the budget, just like the Democrats never have. Democrats realize that spending will never be cut (because they certainly don't want to cut it), so we can't cut taxes.

Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin has produced a plan for attacking the budget deficit and potentially creating some jobs, but it is also widely dismissed by the Washington pols, because it would never realistically be passed. The establishment Republicans such as Mitch McConnell would never support it. Like the Democrats, most Republicans don't have the cahunas to pass legislation that will affect Social Security, Medicare and the like. I like some of Ryan's plan, but it has no chance of ever seeing the light of day.

What we need on both sides of the aisle are more credible people to get together and attack these issues. Ryan is one of them. I don't see too many others. In other words, we need to throw the bums out of both parties, and get some new people in Washington.