Paul Ryan Calls for Fewer Jobs and Higher Unemployment in America

Brad DeLong explains.

Ryan supports putting the unemployed to work -- for free

Video at Crooks and Liars

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) isn't a fan of President Barack Obama's American Jobs Act, but he does like the idea of allowing people who are receiving unemployment benefits to work for free.

The plan is based on a program called Georgia Works which matches job seekers with employers. Under the plan, employers agree to provide up to eight weeks of on-the-job training. Workers, who can only work for 24 hours a week, continue to receive unemployment benefits instead of getting paid.

"The Georgia plan sounds pretty interesting," Ryan told Fox News' Chris Wallace Sunday. "I think that's something we are looking at, which is unemployment reform."

Ryan's remarks echo House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's (R-VA) support of the idea. "We stand ready to work with [President Obama] if there is interest in implementing a similar program on the federal level," Cantor said.

According to data the Georgia Department of Labor provided to The Huffington Post's Arthur Delaney, the program isn't very successful. Between 2003 and 2010, only 16.4 percent of people that participated in the program found work, about the same rate as those who were not participating. As of late August, there were only 19 trainees enrolled in Georgia Works.

The top weekly unemployment benefit in Georgia is about $330.

Fact check: Ryan's wrong in claiming payroll tax cuts "don't work"

On Fox News Sunday, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (WI-01) ignored Republican leadership’s call to work together with President Obama on creating jobs and refused to embrace Obama’s plan to cut payroll taxes that would help working Americans. Ryan falsely claimed payroll tax cuts “don’t work.”

In reality, Ryan voted for a bill that included a temporary payroll tax cut last year and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that reducing payroll taxes helps create more jobs than tax breaks for the wealthy. The National Federation of Independent Business also concluded that payroll tax cuts help small businesses and “can can reduce unemployment and keep people working during a period of slowed economic growth.”

Ryan ignored Speaker Boehner’s call for Congress to work together to improve the economy. Boehner said: “If we want to create a better environment for job creation, politicians of all stripes can leave the ‘my way or the highway’ philosophy behind.”

FACT CHECK:
Paul Ryan Voted For a Bill That Included a Temporary Payroll Tax Cut. On December 17, 2010, Ryan voted in favor of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. In addition to extending certain provisions of the Bush tax cuts, the bill included a temporary employee payroll tax cut for the 2011 calendar year. [HR 4853, Vote #647, 12/17/10; PL 111-312, 12/17/10; Washington Post, 12/16/10]

Reducing Payroll Taxes on Firms Creates More Jobs Than Tax Cuts for the Wealthy. In January 2010, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office wrote that reducing payroll taxes for firms was among the policies “that would have the largest effect on output and employment per dollar on budgetary cost in 2010 and 2011. By contrast, policies that would temporarily increase the after-tax income of people with relatively high income, such as an across-the-board reduction in income taxes […] would have a smaller effects because such tax cuts would probably not affect the recipients’ spending significantly.” [Congressional Budget Office, 1/10]

National Federation of Independent Business: Payroll Tax Holiday Can Create Jobs. The National Federation of Independent Business has said that a payroll tax holiday for small businesses would help “struggling businesses reduce costs” and “can reduce unemployment and keep people working during a period of slowed economic growth.” [NFIB, accessed 9/16/11]

Speaker Boehner: Leave the “My Way or the Highway” Philosophy Behind. On September 15, 2011, Speaker John Boehner outlined his economic plan to help a struggling economy. During his speech before the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., the House Speaker urged both political parties to work together. “The responsibility for fixing this toxic environment for job creation is a bipartisan one,” said Boehner. “And lastly, if we want to create a better environment for job creation, politicians of all stripes can leave the ‘my way or the highway’ philosophy behind.” [National Journal, 9/15/11]

Source: DCCC

Video: Janesville Constituents Speak Out To Paul Ryan

Club TNT Presents: Where Are The Jobs Rally - Ask Congressman Paul Ryan



Video submitted by Breitlinks.

Labor Pains In Hometown Grow Louder Against Paul Ryan

JG Excerpt:
JANESVILLE — At Monday's Labor Day parade through downtown Janesville, people cheered and applauded for Janesville native and 1st District Republican Congressman Paul Ryan.

In the same article from the Janesville Gazette they wrote, "When a small group of labor supporters went by holding "Recall Scott Walker" signs, however, the cheers turned to whoops, and the applause got louder." Let's put it this way, despite Janesville being Congressman Paul Ryan's hometown, the overall tone from the labor crowd toward him was only slightly less "enthusiastic" to that shown towards Scott Walker.

Due to an embarrassing technical difficulty at the worst possible time, I do not have photos or video proof. But I walked about half the route in step behind Paul Ryan and heard plenty of boos and jeers for him and saw individual spectators holding anti-Ryan signs along the Main Street parade route. I also noticed significant areas of spectators that did not acknowledge him at all, almost as if they were respectfully giving him the cold shoulder when he passed by. Remember this is Ryan's hometown and many of these folks know each other. So did “people cheer and applaud him?” Sure, he had pockets of diehard supporters along the route, but to imply he was widely cheered is blatantly false. The Gazette at least acknowledged that their report was covering only a city block of the parade. The parade stretched for a mile.

Speaking of Ryan, he was pushing a baby stroller during the event, which I think shows extremely poor judgment on his part if he believes in his own fearmongering rhetoric. Remember, Ryan referred to the labor protests in Madison earlier in the year as riots similar to those going on in Cairo, Egypt at the time, and a few years ago smeared union members as violent thugs similar to Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party. So why would he subject his young children to that potential for harm if that's what he really thinks of labor? Or is he just a 24/7 lying hyper-ventilator who can't pass up an opportunity to demagogue those who disagree with him at every chance he gets?

Staten Island Congressman's office invaded by angry cheeseheads

No member of Congress who supports Paul Ryan's Roadmap to Ruin is safe from getting the cheesehead treatment, it appears.

What's happening in Ryan's district in Wisconsin was the inspiration for an action at Rep. Michael Grimm's Staten Island office, the Jobs Party reports:

The energy and enthusiasm was strong, as New Yorkers demanded that their congressman create jobs now as opposed to supporting the slashing of the social safety net inherent to the Paul Ryan budget.

The Wisconsin inspiration was real and palpable, and the connection to Paul Ryan intrinsic. The Wisconsin fight back is similarly being taken local in almost all of the town hall outbursts nationwide, as it is the nihilistic cuts of the Ryan budget that has inspired such activation. We just addressed it directly and made the Wisconsin-spirit of the event more overt.

Moreover, as Wisconsin has taken the town hall model up a notch in light of Ryan refusing to hold a free one, we followed suit by bringing the town hall to Grimm---including unemployed constituents of his walking inside to apply for jobs! Grimm followed Ryan's lead in not holding any town halls where he could be held accountable to his constituents, so we wanted to make sure he also heard from those he purportedly represents who are suffering direly from the jobs crisis.

Like Ryan in Wisconsin, Grimm in New York now has to dodge angry cheeseheads in his back yard.

Breitbarts' Big Government Pokes Ryan Protesters

After reading, Paul Ryan’s Office Calls Cops On Jobless Protesters and Paul Ryan Protest Enters Day 4 and Jobs Protest Against Paul Ryan Maintained All Week and Police Block Protesters At Paul Ryan’s Office and Protesters At Ryan’s Kenosha Office Kept Out Of Building and Police Break Up Ryan Office Sit-In, But Return and Protesters Converge On Rep. Paul Ryan’s Office In Janesville and Paul Ryan’s Office Locks The Door On Unemployed Constituents and Jobs Protest Against Paul Ryan Expands to All Four District Offices and on and on, the political huckster Breitbart’s “Big Government,” apparently upset that the protesters may have interfered with the ability of Ryan’s staff to work on Wall Street's behalf during his absence, came to his rescue by poking fun at the unemployed constituents and claiming the protest action is fizzling.

Let's show them how to "fizzle" on Thursday, September 1st when nurses will be holding a Soup Kitchen and Speak-Out Event at Paul Ryan's Janesville office.

Janesville Soup Kitchen and Speak-Out!

When: Thursday, September 1 · 5:00pm - 7:00pm

Where:
US Congressman Paul Ryan's Janesville Office
20 S. Main Street
Janesville, WI

Please Join Nurses for a Soup Kitchen and Speak-Out!

Buses Leaving from Madison:
3:30pm: Memorial Union; 4pm: GEF Bldg (King + Webster St)

We'll bring a much needed dose of reality to US Congressman Paul Ryan, while feeding the people that Wall Street and its political lackeys have devastated and turned their backs on.

Tell Congressman Ryan “Where It Hurts” in Janesville!

While Wall Street banks got bailed out of the financial crisis that THEY caused, Main Street towns like Janesville are suffering!

Deep cuts in social services, further corporate tax-breaks and schemes to privatize Medicare and Social Security will only result in the further devastation of Main Street.

Urge US Congressman Paul Ryan to support a Tax on Wall St. to bring quality jobs, housing, healthcare and education back to Main Street!

Buses Leaving from Madison:
3:30pm: Memorial Union
4pm: GEF Bldg (King + Webster St)
(Returning approx. 8pm)

Please call Jan at 510-757-5925 to save a seat on the bus, or for endorsements or questions.

Endorsed by: National Nurses United, People's Rights Campaign, AFSCME Local 1077

Where is Paul Ryan?

Wisconsin Jobs Now - The “Where Is Paul Ryan” Sit-In Activists Locked Out Of Kenosha.

Crooks and Liars - Where is Paul Ryan?

Janesville Rally - Where Are The Jobs?

JOIN US FOR A JANESVILLE RALLY

“Where’s Paul Ryan and Where Are The Jobs?”

Wednesday, August 24th AND Thursday, August 25th

Congressman Ryan’s Office
20 South Main St, Janesville

1:00 – 5:00 PM

As we ask Congressman Ryan,

“Where are you? And where are the jobs?”

Since last week, unemployed constituents of Congressman Paul Ryan have been waiting in his Kenosha office to ask him a simple question: Where are the jobs you promised?

Congressman Ryan, meanwhile, is nowhere to be found.

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'Jobs Not Cuts' Rally Set For Paul Ryan's Janesville Office on Aug. 10

From Rock NetRoots:

Make it a full day in J'ville! Rally at noon then potluck picnic 4-9 (6pm food, 7pm speakers) at Riverside Park, North Pavillion).

While Congress embarks on another August recess, many in Paul Ryan's district have been looking for work since the LAST August recess; or longer. We need good paying jobs, jobs where the weekly take home pay exceeds the price of a bottle of Paul Ryan's favorite wine. On August 10th we'll go to his Janesville office and ask, "Where are the Jobs?"

"Jobs Not Cuts" Rally

Congressman Ryan's District Office, 20 S. Main St. (Map)

Janesville, WI 53545

Wednesday, August 10th, Noon

Sign up here for event.

From Chuck Ogg, Rock County Progressives