Jobs Now!

Work to Fill the 3.1 Million Available Jobs

There are 3.1 million jobs available in the United States.  We must begin to immediately fill these jobs.

  • Create a web program, Jobs.gov, to connect employers with prospective employees.  The program would use a viral marketing campaign to put America back to work.
  • Provide tax credits to help relocate families in order to fill available jobs.
  • Facilitate Public-Private Partnerships between businesses, community colleges and the federal government to help train Americans and place them in these jobs.

Microloans for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are the essence of the American Spirit and the source of two-thirds of all new jobs.  We need to invest far more into developing entrepreneurs.

Tax Holiday to Bring American Corporate Profits Back Home

  • Create a one-time tax holiday for American companies to repatriate the $1.1 trillion they have parked overseas.
  • Instead of American corporations paying 35% in taxes on their corporate earnings, they will instead be assessed a flat 7.5% fee, all of which will be used to create the American Entrepreneurs Trust, to be administered and run by Warren Buffet, America’s Greatest Entrepreneur.
  • With the $45 – $82.5 billion for startup capital, The American Entrepreneur Trust will provide low-interest microloans to a new generation of entrepreneurs with a six-month grace period.

Entrepreneurs.gov

  • The government will complement the American Entrepreneur Trust by helping create a new wave of American Entrepreneurs.
  • Entrepreneurs.gov will bring the Small Business Administration into the 21st Century and will utilize the power of the Internet to connect entrepreneurs directly with investors, mentors and peers.
  • Utilize retired business executives and other small business success stories to mentor these budding entrepreneurs, expanding on the great work of SCORE and other mentorship programs
  • The SBA and mentors will instruct new entrepreneurs on how to create business proposals and loan applications for their specific businesses.

Stop Outsourcing American Jobs

We need to stop the bleeding of American jobs to countries like India or China.

  • We must incentivize or even penalize companies moving American jobs overseas.
  • We must work more cooperatively with management and labor to stop the loss of jobs to countries we compete with.

Buy American

The President has the power of the Bully Pulpit and can work with businesses and consumers to prioritize buying American-made goods.

  • Work with top retailers to feature American-made goods in a special “Made in the USA” section.

Job Opportunities

We need to dramatically rethink unemployment benefits to get the long-term unemployed working again.

  • Companies hiring an unemployed American can utilize up to six months of the new worker’s unemployment benefits to supplement their salary.
  • Therefore, if an employee’s starting salary is $600 a week, $400 of that will come from their unemployment benefits and the company will make up the difference.

Patents

American ingenuity has made America the envy of all nations.

  • Bring the patent review period from 5 years back to the 3-month process that Thomas Edison enjoyed for his inventions.  Create an expedited 1-month patent for a higher fee.
  • End Fee Diversion by Congress from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) into the general budget.
  • Institute 21st century technology into the USPTO to expedite and simplify patent applications.
  • Create a Patent Review Board to examine all patent complaints and only allow those with merit to become patent infringement civil suits.

Employment Non-Discrimination

Every American deserves the right to work in an environment free from discrimination.  I will immediately pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to allow every American to feel safe and secure in their job, regardless of Sex, Age, Race, Religion, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

Here are some of my statements and comments on the twelve important issues of today.  They are garnered from numerous interviews and speeches.  We will continue to update the list on a regular basis.

JOBS & ECONOMY

Jobs First: We need to keep jobs in America


Speech at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, Manchester, NH – March 31, 2011:

“We have to discourage companies from sending jobs overseas… I want to work with these corporations to incentivize them to keep these jobs in America.”

“I am a fiscal conservative; I come from a finance background.   I want to work to strengthen our economy.  I believe in the private sector.”  

Fox News Radio, “Alan Colmes’ Liberaland” – December 6, 2010:  

“Ronald Reagan was the ultimate optimist.  He basically talked us out of the last Recession, and I want to bring that kind of optimism back.”

EDUCATION

We need to transform education in this country

The Daily Iowan, Iowa City, IA – April 25, 2011:

“I want to elevate [education] to number one again, to put attention on it and get public discussion.  I think we need to make school more interesting and fun to get kids excited.”

Speech at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, Manchester, NH – March 31, 2011:

“I am determined to help our school system.  We invented Public Education and now we are 21st in Math and 25th in Science.  We are losing to the rest of the world.  We are having to hire people from other countries for our tech jobs.  We need to compete and we need to keep kids in school.”

WHO Newsradio, “The Jan Mickelson Show” – Des Moines, IA – June 7, 2010:

“The Public Charter School phenomenon is a huge boost to education.”

“I think that kids are confined in a classroom and bored.  I think we need to get them out; the buses take kids to school, park and take them home so let’s utilize those buses and drivers and get out in the community and see what’s out in the world and make school more interesting and fun so kids want to learn.”

“I see the national teachers’ unions as one of the huge problems (in education).  Teacher unions concentrate on job preservation, and it’s slowing down progress.”

Meeting with US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at the America’s Promise “Building a Grad Nation Summit,” Washington, DC – March 21, 2011:

“We should further explore public-private partnerships in our urban high schools, where businesses, labor unions and high net worth individuals blend the school in with the private sector.  The goal would be to vastly improve education and lessen the dropout rate.”

FOREIGN POLICY

Defense, Development and Diplomacy

CBS News, “Washington Unplugged,” with Nancy Cordes – March 23, 2011:

“I’m more of a conciliator, I get along with people, and I want to go and try to work out some deals.  James Baker is my political hero.  That’s what we need, that’s the kind of diplomacy we need.  We just don’t go nation-build like President Obama is doing in Afghanistan.”

IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WARS

Surge out of both countries


WGIR – New Hampshire’s Newsradio, Manchester, NH. “The Charlie Sherman Show” January 27, 2011:

“I think the only surge we should do is to surge out of Iraq and Afghanistan.  We have lost so many American lives and there are so many wounded warriors returning home.”

CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST & ISRAEL

Strong American leadership to help bring a lasting peace in the Middle East


CBS News, “Washington Unplugged,” with Nancy Cordes – March 23, 2011
:

“Obama is a very tentative and cautious person and that has come out now in his first foreign policy test.  He was sleeping at the switch with the Egypt crisis and I was very disappointed with that.”  

WHO Newsradio, Des Moines, Iowa “The Simon Conway Show” – April 25, 2011:

“I support Obama right now on the international coalition in Libya if we can get in there without ground troops, if we can get rid of Gaddafi, who is the ultimate terrorist, who has done great damage not only to his people but our own, then that would be a success.”

Republican Jewish Coalition Winter Meeting, Las Vegas, NV – April 2, 2011

“Israel is our greatest ally in the Middle East and must be defended at all cost.”

IMMIGRATION

Let’s Take Action Now

The Dartmouth, Hanover, NH – October 25, 2010:

“I want a path to citizenship for immigrants already living in the country, as well as greatly improve border security to discourage future law-breaking.”

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

We must end our dependence on foreign oil

Netroots Nation, Las Vegas, NV – July 22, 2010:

“We need to immediately start energy conservation in this country.  We can lessen our dependence on foreign sources by this voluntary common sense approach [right now].”

Fox News Radio, “Alan Colmes’ Liberaland” – March 25, 2011:

“We need to explore alternative energy, wind and solar power.  My home state of California is going to have a third of all power from renewable sources by 2020.”

LOWERING THE VOTING AGE

I want to empower our youth

The Washington Post – February 2, 2011:

I propose “a 28th amendment to lower the voting age.” 

Huffington Post – February 8, 2011: 

“I feel that we should immediately begin discussion and planning to lower the legal voting age in the United States to either 16 or 17 years old.”

“We should then encourage our schools and school districts to teach these young people about elections and the campaigns on the local, state and national level while they are happening.”

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND QUEER RIGHTS

I am the only candidate for president who supports full equality for all Americans

Southern Republican Leadership Conference, New Orleans, LA –  LGBTPOV.  April 11, 2010:

“I will work hard to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, pass the federal Employment Anti-Discrimination law (ENDA), eliminate the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), make Gay Marriage the law of the land and make finding a cure for HIV / AIDS and a vaccine to prevent HIV a new national priority.”

Huffington Post – December 24, 2010:

“President Obama, Evolve Already… Gay marriage sends a very loud and clear message to LGBT youth that they are equal.” 

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Roe v. Wade is the law of the land

WHO Newsradio, Des Moines, IA  “The Jan Mickelson Show,” June 7, 2010:

“I’m a firm believer in a woman’s right to choose.”

WHO Newsradio,  Des Moines, IA  “The Simon Conway Show” – April 25, 2011:

“I believe in the Republican philosophy of less government, keep government out of our lives.  That is a very personal, private choice between a woman, her doctor, her family and her faith.”

MARIJUANA

We should move to legalize and tax marijuana

WHO Newsradio,  Des Moines, IA  “The Simon Conway Show” – April 25, 2011:

“I believe that marijuana should be legalized, taxed and controlled.  I think that the current laws are onerous and tying up our prison system.” 

AMERICAN SPIRIT

Optimism and getting along

Riviera Magazine,  January 3, 2011:

“I want to bring back the civility, optimism and humor that Reagan had.”

Independence Day Commercial – November 22, 2010: 

“I’m concerned that the partisan rancor is only going to continue and get in the way of America’s future.  I learned from my mentor, Ronald Reagan, the importance of getting along.  And I’ve spent my life working with and supporting Republicans and Democrats.”