New Republican Jobs Plan Really Is Different This Time. Really

Senate Republicans have unveiled their new Jobs Through Growth Act. This time it's different. Read on and see why.

Bill Scher, in this morning's News To Media: Republicans Have Not Answered Obama's Call For An Actual Jobs Plan, writes that the new jobs plan fails the test of creating jobs because no objective economist is able to evaluate it and say it will actually create any jobs, as they were able to do with the President's jobs plan that Republicans filibustered:

President Obama called for Republicans to propose a jobs bill and have it “assessed by the same independent economists that have assessed our jobs plan,” so there would be some objective evidence that it would actually create jobs.

And the President urged the media to hold Republicans to that standard.

So far, both the Republicans and the media have failed that test.

But This Time It's Different

But I beg to differ. I say that this time it's different. This time it really is different. It really is different this time. Because it is. Because unlike the last eleven Republican jobs plans that claimed giving even more money to the top 1% will “create jobs,” this time they claim that cutting even more regulations will “create jobs” this time, and laying off even more government employees will create jobs this time, and cutting even more taxes will “create jobs” this time, and getting rid of even more consumer protections will “create jobs” this time, and even more gutting the ability of people to join unions will “create jobs” this time, and cutting school budgets even more will “create jobs” this time, and even more blocking the ability to sue corporations when they harm us will “create jobs” this time and keeping “even more” young and poor people from voting will “create jobs” this time. This time. Unlike last time. That didn't work so do it even more. This time.

The Plan – This Time

This plan will “create jobs” by:

• cutting government spending dramatically, laying off tens or hundreds of thousands of teachers, firefights, safety inspectors, etc.;
• cutting taxes dramatically on the rich and corporations thereby cutting and possibly eliminating the budget deficit;
• letting corporations “repatriate” the money they have been holding in overseas tax shelters, thereby encouraging even more offshoring of jobs out of the country;
• repealing the health care reform act, shifting costs onto individuals thereby lowering their ability to participate in the economy;
• further deregulating Wall Street, thereby allowing them to suck even more money from the rest of the economy while creating even worse financial crises that destroy millions of jobs;
• getting rid of all kinds of regulations that protect the environment, safety, food, etc., thereby making our country a more attractive place to live, breath and eat;
• getting rid of the ability to unionize, thereby lowering wages across the board, and sucking even more of the benefits of our economy off to the top 1%;
• letting oil companies dominate our energy policy, thereby removing millions of current jobs in alternatives and millions more future jobs, while burdening our economy with energy inefficiency, allowing competitors increasing advantages;
• speeding up even more NAFTA-style trade agreements, guaranteeing the loss of the rest of our jobs, factories, companies, industries and wealth.

So you see, this time is really is different. Really. This time it blatantly destroys millions of jobs, while further enriching the top 1% a the expense of the rest of us, because they understand the media will call it a “jobs plan” and help them blame the President for the job loss, which will help them win the next election.

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And in honor of Republicans offering yet another Bush-style jobs plan — we can see all around us how the Bush-style approach worked out — let me now repost this chestnut from May: Republicans Announce Jobs Plan — This Time It's Different

Republicans announced something they called a “jobs plan” today. This time it's different. It really is. This time it really will create jobs instead of just handing even more money to a few at the top at the expense of the rest of us. You might not believe this because Republicans sell everything by calling it a jobs plan. And what they sell is always tax cuts for the wealthy while cutting the things We, the People do for each other. And it always ends up messing everything up for most of us. But this time it's different.

But This Time It's Different

Republicans always offer something called a “jobs plan” and the plan is always tax cuts for the rich while gutting the things We, the People — a.k.a. government — do for each other. Their “jobs plans” always end up enriching the already-wealthy while messing things up really bad for us.

But this time is different because this time they actually offered something that is called a “jobs plan.” So there you go! And this time the plan is different because this time the plan is to cut taxes for the wealthy and giant corporations, cut government protections for working people and the environment, but also opening our borders to let in goods made in countries unhampered by democracy's protections while cutting taxes on companies that offshore jobs. So Bob's your uncle.

It will work. Republicans always promise their plan will work, and then it messes things up for most of us, but this time it's different because this time they say the plan will work. So this time it is different.

There's more at the link.

And, seriously, go read the new Republican Jobs Plan to see just how insulting it is.