Issue Position: Jobs

Issue Position

National unemployment is still in the 7% range, and temporary programs such as "Cash for Clunkers" and Quantitative Easing have had little lasting impact save for increasing our National Debt. The Democrat Obama Administration continues to kill Utah jobs by locking up federal lands in Utah to energy exploration and other use. Utah's energy development is one of my top business priorities. According to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the expansion of regulations at the federal level only, added an annual economic cost of about $14,700 per family in 2012 -- a cost we must reduce to assure economic and job growth.

Small and start-up businesses are the key job creators and the lifeblood of Utah growth. I understand the challenges that these businesses face and will work to make Utah a small-business-friendly state. Taxes, regulations, and up-front fees inhibit business development. Unfair competition with small business reduces economic and tax-revenue growth. These business issues, as well as transportation, education, and quality of life shape the landscape for job creation and economic growth.

In past elections, Utah Democrats were proposing plans to spend more taxpayer money to encourage employers to hire new employees, go into debt for more "infrastructure," and make employers' hiring decisions for them.

As an employer, I can assure you that businesses hire employees, because there is profitable work to be done, not due to marginal tax breaks. In addition, our state and federal governments need to live within our means. We do not need to go farther into debt to try to build a utopian society, which is unsustainable. We can expand our infrastructure as we have the money to pay for it.

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