Johnson Opposes Recovery Act That Cut Taxes for 95 Percent of Working Families and Created or Saved 63,000 Wisconsin Jobs
MADISON— Republican Senate Candidate Ron Johnson, who opposes the Recovery Act that cut taxes for 95 percent of working families and created or saved 63,000 jobs across Wisconsin, has announced a new extremist stance: Opposing any effort to save the jobs of teachers.
Earlier this month, Johnson was asked by radio host Jay Weber
[Jay Weber Show, 8/6/10]
Q: Is it wrong to try to save the jobs of teachers and federal workers?
Johnson responded:
RJ: “Well, what’s wrong is to do it with the taxpayer money.
The Oshkosh Northwestern recently reported that the 2010-2011 Jobs Act will create or retain 3,000 teaching jobs across Wisconsin, including 38 teaching jobs in Oshkosh. The Northwestern also reported that the bill will not add to the deficit and was paid for by closing tax loopholes for multinational companies, among other changes.
“Ron Johnson opposes efforts to save the jobs of 3,000 Wisconsin teachers and opposed tax cuts for 95 percent of working families in Wisconsin, but he has no problem pushing to extend the Bush tax cuts for people like himself – the top 1 percent,” said Mike Tate, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. “Ron Johnson is completely out of touch with the needs of working families.”
Ron Johnson attacked the Recovery Act in a meeting with the Wausau Herald this week, claiming, “…it’s very difficult to get the exact information in terms of where all this money is spent.” [Wausau Daily Herald, 9/1/10]
In fact, the Office of Recovery and Reinvestment shows the Recovery Act created and saved 63,000 jobs in Wisconsin. It also provided tax cuts to 95 percent of working families.
But Johnson opposes the Recovery Act saying, “We would have been far better off not spending any of the money and let the recovery happen as it was going to happen.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5/15/10]
The Republican candidate also opposes the emergency aid to the jobless contained in the Recovery Act, saying: “When you continue to extend unemployment benefits, people really don’t have the incentive to go take other jobs, you know, they’ll just wait the system out until their benefits run out. [Wisconsin Public Television Here and Now, 6/11/10]
