The biggest concern about the U.S. economy is the loss of jobs over the last decade, especially those in the manufacturing sector.  Over the last few years, many U.S. companies either moved their manufacturing plants (and jobs) out of the country or closed their U.S. locations and outsourced the work to third parties in the Far East, most notably India and China.

The president pointed out that over the past decade, the U.S. lost several million manufacturing jobs through “outsourcing,” in which companies moved jobs overseas to take advantage of lower costs.

But just very recently, many of these companies who farmed out their work to other countries are in the process of, or are pondering the thought of, bringing their business (and jobs) back to the United States.

Now, President Obama is highlighting companies that have brought jobs back.  He wants to reward companies that create jobs in the U.S. and discourage those that move them elsewhere. One such company is Master Lock. They have returned 100 jobs to the U.S. from China.

The President has also indicated that the trend is reversing.  “More and more companies like Master Lock are now insourcing, deciding that if the cost of doing business here is not too much different than the cost of doing business in places like China, then why wouldn’t you rather do it right here in the United States of America?” asked Obama.

The president has now reached out to Congress to come up a plan that offers tax breaks and tax incentives to companies that create manufacturing jobs in the U.S. while ending tax breaks for businesses that move jobs overseas.

Obama says that: “manufacturing is coming back. Companies are starting to bring jobs back. The economy is getting stronger. The recovery is speeding up.”

American factory output has risen almost 17 percent from its low point in 2009, but is still seven percent below its peak in 2007.

Now it’s time for Congress to band together with the President to come up tax breaks and tax incentives for companies creating manufacturing jobs in America.

President Obama’s 2013 budget plan calls for a tax hike on the wealthy at the same time spending more funds on capital projects.  You might say that his tax plan is nothing new, but in fact it is.

You see, Obama administrations budget plan has been in constant flux since he took office. Now it has morphed into a monster.

Initially, Obama called for ending the Bush-era tax cuts, that were extended due to public outcry and government backlash.  For 2013, he has once again called for the end to these tax cuts. Next he added a proposal to limit tax deductions to the rich. But I guess that still wasn’t enough revenue to cut the trade deficit.  So he added a proposal limiting tax deductions and tax breaks to the wealthy.

What’s that, still not enough money!

From out of nowhere, Obama proposes that we raise the dividend tax on taxpayers making over $250,000 to almost 40% (up from the current dividend tax rate of 15%) to generate an addition 200 billion dollars to pay down the trade deficit.

What is happening here?  The continuous changes to Obama’s budget plan makes me ask questions about his leadership and competence: Does he just lack business savvy and common sense? Does he have inept and/or inexperienced economic and tax advisors? Does he have competent and expert advisors but doesn’t listen to them due to arrogance? Is he using his tax plan as a presidential election campaign strategy to win the lower and middle class vote?

Oh, I forgot to mention that Obama defends his tax hike plan with the fact that America must cut the trade deficit.  But in the same breath, his budget plan calls for billions in additional spending.  He is proposing spending federal dollars on community colleges, school construction, home energy improvements and a half TRILLION for highways and commuter rail.

Obama’s multi-trillion budget calls for generating $849 billion by expiring the Bush-era tax cuts from taxpayers making over a quarter of a million dollars annually. Another $584 billion by limiting the value of tax deductions and tax breaks to 28%. It also Includes a tax proposal to generate $206 billion by raising the dividend tax rate on wealthy taxpayers to 39.6% from the current dividend tax rate of 15%.

That’s not all! The proposal calls for getting $61 billion from big banks over the next 10 years (to pay off the bailout and help taxpayers in foreclosure), and another $50 billion by raising the tax rate to 30% for anyone earning over $1 million a year. This tax proposal is called the “Buffet rule”.  Finally, Obama plans to raise $41 billion by eliminating tax breaks for oil, gas and coal companies.

Obama says that taxing the wealthy will give lower and middle class taxpayers a chance to succeed; put all Americans on the same level.  Can he actually believe that? Is he so naive as to think that a few extra bucks to middle class taxpayers will mean the difference in getting rich?

Obama’s 2013 budget plan looks, smells like and tastes like a plan for a Socialist society, not once based on Capitalism.  Capitalism means that anyone with the desire to work hard, regardless of income, have a chance to be successful.  We see success stories every single day.  Getting rich is about sacrifice.  While Socialism makes individuals lazy and uninterested, capitalism spurs growth, initiative, creativity and self improvement.

The biggest reason I hate Obama budget proposal is jobs.  Continued taxation of the wealthy and big business will have a direct negative effect on job creation.  Businesses will need to allocate funds to cover the tax hikes, in lieu of creating jobs.

I commend President Obama for thinking about fixing our schools and highways. Sure they will create jobs but they aren’t private sector jobs. That means that the government is footing the bill; it’s a more expensive unemployment plan. What happens when the construction is finished, will unemployment rise again?

I haven’t even touched on the other elephant in the room, ObamaCare.  While the government “experts” estimate it’s cost at $1 trillion over the next decade, you could probably triple that projection.

Instead of taxing the wealthy and big business, President Obama should look back at successful budget plans implemented by other presidents.  President Ronald Reagan’s budget plan brought the country back from the brink of financial ruin WITH tax cuts and government spending.  A budget plan that calls for cutting taxes will just stymie economic growth and prevent job growth.

What is Obama thinking?

There’s good news for American taxpayers and bad news for the President and Democrats. Today, the President announced a tentative deal with the Republicans in Congress to extend the Bush era tax cuts at all income levels for two years. In return, the President secured Republican approval to keep benefits flowing to the long-term unemployed, cut payroll taxes for all workers for a year and take other steps to bolster the economy.

The tentative agreement highlights the chaos and strains that Mr. Obama faces in his own party as he plots a course between his desire to get things done and retreating on his own principles.

“It’s not perfect, but this compromise is an essential step on the road to recovery,” Mr. Obama said. “It will stop middle-class taxes from going up. It will spur our private sector to create millions of new jobs, and add momentum that our economy badly needs.”

The package would cost about $900 billion over the next two years, to be financed entirely by adding to the national debt, at a time when both parties are professing a desire to begin addressing the nation’s long-term fiscal imbalances.

The tentative deal would include the:

• Reduction of the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax on all wage earners by two percentage points for one year
• Continuation of a college-tuition tax credit for some families
• Expansion of the earned-income tax credit
• Provision to allow businesses to write off the cost of certain equipment purchases
• Top rate of 15 percent on capital gains and dividends would remain in place for two years
• Alternative minimum tax would be adjusted so that as many as 21 million households would not be hit by it
• Provision for a 13-month extension of jobless aid for the long-term unemployed

Perhaps the biggest concession by the President to the Republicans was on estate taxes. Mr. Obama agreed to a deal on the federal estate tax that allows an exemption of $5 million per person and a maximum rate of 35 percent. — a higher exemption and far lower rate than many Democrats wanted.

“The House Democrats have not signed off on any deal,” Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who has been representing House Democrats in formal negotiations on the tax issue, said Monday night. “We will thoroughly review and discuss the proposed package in the caucus.”

Some senior Democrats said an agreement by Mr. Obama to accede to Republican demands on the estate tax could lead to a revolt among lawmakers. Mr. Obama noted that he, too, still strongly disagreed with the Republican insistence on extending the tax breaks for the highest earners. “Ever since I started running for this office, I’ve said that we should only extend the tax cuts for the middle class,” he said, acknowledging that he had been thwarted in one of the chief goals of his presidency.

These major concessions by the President are substantial. They mark the beginning of a new trend – marked infighting between Obama and Democrats, increased compromise with Republicans on issues and less support by the American public.

And it’ll get worse. In January, the Republicans gain control of the House.

All politics aside, most Americans believe the extension of the Bush era tax cuts is essential to economy recovery – if just for the psychological lift it represents.

Source: nytimes.com