One Year Later: Do These Numbers Get Your Attention?

Press Release

Unemployment up in every county in 11th Congressional District

"The good news is that stimulus dollars and grant funding are helping to create job opportunities in Illinois. In fact, the district could see an estimated 8600 new jobs in the near future."
-- Halvorson press release on March 2009 unemployment numbers, 4/2/09

In response to the most recent data showing unemployment has increased in every county in the 11th District, congressional candidate Adam Kinzinger called on Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson to stop pursuing job-killing policies and commit to policies that will help spur job creation by pledging to maintain the current level of taxation for families and businesses.

"Last Spring, Congresswoman Halvorson said that her support of the Stimulus bill would create 'an estimated 8600 new jobs' in our district in the near future. That number of jobs got my attention," said Kinzinger an Air Force Captain who has served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Unfortunately, the reality a year later is that residents of the 11th Congressional District are coping with much more troubling numbers -- significantly higher unemployment and record federal debt."

"From higher health care costs to higher taxes and the threat of cap and trade legislation, Debbie Halvorson and this Congress have pursued an agenda that has actually discouraged job growth. They have left employers to wonder what might be next," Kinzinger continued. "They have refused to provide confidence to small business owners and entrepreneurs by extending the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, leaving open the very real possibility of what is essentially a massive tax increase when that relief expires at the end of the year.
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"I call on Cong. Halvorson to join me in pledging not to increase the tax burden on American families and businesses and to allow businesses to plan by keeping taxes at their current levels."

"Unemployment numbers like these represent the increased hardship and suffering our District's families and businesses are experiencing," Kinzinger said. "Maybe these numbers will get Congressewoman Halvorson's attention and prompt her to support pro-growth policies that will spur job creation and put people back to work."

March 2010 Unemployment Data
Bureau -- 14.3% - 16th highest unemployment in IL
Grundy -- 14.8% - 14th highest unemployment in IL
Kankakee -- 15.2% - 11th highest unemployment in IL
LaSalle -- 16.1% - 5th highest unemployment in IL
Livingston -- 12.9%
McLean -- 8.6%
Will -- 12%
Woodford -- 10.1%

March 2009 Unemployment Data
Bureau -- 10.6%
Grundy -- 12.3%
Kankakee -- 12%
LaSalle -- 12.5%
Livingston -- 11%
McLean -- 6.6%
Will -- 9.8%
Woodford -- 6.8%

Source