Economy & Jobs Still Most Important Issues

The image above is from the latest Gallup Poll (taken between April 4th and 7th of a random nationwide sample of 1,005 adults -- with a margin of error of 4 points). It shows just how far off the mark the congressional Republicans really are. Those GOP congresspeople would have us believe that the two most important issues are the federal budget deficit/debt and taxes. They want Americans to think that cutting taxes for the rich and cutting the government benefits (austerity) for everyone else would cure our economic problems.

They are wrong, and most Americans know that. As the poll shows, about 42% general public knows that the most important issues are the economy (24%) and jobs (18%), while another 16% believe our dysfunctional government is the biggest problem. The budget deficit/debt is considered the most important problem by only 11% (about one out of every ten people), and taxes are much farther down the list -- at only about 2%.

And the people are right. The top three problems in this country are the economy, jobs, and the dysfunctional federal government. That last one is primarily due to the Republicans in Congress who block all efforts to deal with the economy and jobs. The way to solve the job situation and poor economy is not by what the Republicans want. Their proposed (and much of it already created through drastic cuts) idea of austerity will only make the economy and job situation worse -- because it will shrink the economy (thus shrinking demand) and make new job creation much more difficult.

The only way out of this economic mess is to do the exact opposite of what the Republicans want done. The government needs to spend more (not less) to prop up the economy. And it should be done by creating a new jobs program by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and by increasing (not cutting) payments to poor, the elderly, veterans, and the unemployed. These moves will cause more money to circulate through the economy and stimulate demand, which will stimulate more job creation (since these groups will spend that money, instead of stuffing it in the bank like the rich would do with another tax cut).

The truth is that the recession (which is still affecting millions of Americans) was caused by the GOP's poor economic policies (trickle-down) -- and now they are doing everything they can to make sure the economy doesn't improve (in the hope that the voters will eventually forget the GOP mismanagement and blame the Democrats).