Issue Position: Jobs and the Economy

Issue Position

During my term as mayor of Saratoga Springs, I focused my time and energy on economic development. To promote job creation, I understand the importance of keeping taxes low and eliminating unnecessary red tape. I have support from Utah's business community, and in particular from small businesses, because of my strong record of economic development during my term as mayor of Saratoga Springs.

Here are some of the ideas I have for how we can improve the economy and the jobs outlook throughout America:

* Get the federal government's finances under control. Massive annual deficits and over $17 trillion of national debt have a severe negative impact on economic growth. For example, the interest on the debt for the 2013 fiscal year was over $415 billion. That is $415 billion of taxpayer money and capital that could have been used to expand infrastructure, improve education, or build businesses. It is imperative that we send leaders to Washington who will begin to take the federal budget problem seriously.

* Fix our broken tax system. America's business tax rate is the highest of any industrialized nation, and that must change if we are going to remain competitive in the global marketplace. Our leaders need to stop suggesting raising taxes, which causes uncertainty in the business world. Instead, Congress must work to lower taxes and, at a minimum, vote against all net tax increases. We must also pressure Congress to eliminate the federal estate tax (a.k.a., the "death tax").

* Repeal laws and regulations that negatively impact free enterprise. I could list a hundred examples here, but first and foremost, we must repeal the job-killing Obamacare law and the regulations that stem from it. We must also roll back unnecessary EPA regulations, such as the EPA's new climate change regulations, which studies show will likely lead to the elimination of 336,000 manufacturing jobs in the United States.

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