Democratic Candidates: Where They Stand - 2

"I used to like to go to work but they shut it down.
I've got a right to go to work but there's no work here to be found."

Telegraph Road - Mark Knopfler

Is it me or is John Kerry's hair darker than it was say...three months ago?
Oh, how shallow of me - on to the issues. Next stop - job creation!Job Creation

Wesley Clark

1. Create a Homeland and Economic Security Fund of $20 billion (2 years - $40 billion total) to equip and train first responders, hire more coast guard, law enforcement and customs personnel. Create construction projects and jobs to secure ports, bridges tunnels, invest in technology to detect and combat biological/chemical threats.
2. Provide federal funding to state and local agencies to keep college tuition down and train/retrain workers
3. Job creation tax credit - $5000.00 tax credit for each additional full time employee that any business hires in 2004 and 2005.
4. Let small and mediom sized business expense up to $150,000.00 in investments.
5. Tax incentives to keep manufacturing jobs in the US.
6. Push for market based exchange rates.
7. Fully fund the MEP (Manufacturing Extension Partnership) to help business retain and expand jobs.

Howard Dean

1. Two year $100 billion fund distributed to state and local agencies to aid communities hardest hit by economic downturn.
2. Help state and locals train, equip, hire, first responders through $100 billion program; also pledges to increasse current funding for these programs $5 billion a year over Bush admininstration levels.
3. Work to fully fund special education to rehire teachers and other employees.
4. Establish a Small Business Capital Corporation in conjunction with current SBC to expand modesr secondary market for SBA guaranteed loans.
5. Create a White House Office of Economic Growth to work with governors and mayors to create regional growth strategies.
6. Create a more effective trade policy.
7. Increase federal investments in research and technology in biotech and renewable energy areas.

John Edwards

1. Work for free trade agreements that have labor and environmental protections and tangible benefits for US businesses.
2. Stop cprporations from getting tax cuts for renouncing citizenship and give a 10% tax increase to companies that produce goods here.
3. Enact Rural Economic Advancement Challenge (REACH fund) to bring venture capital and management expertise to small businnesses.
4. Designate Economic Revitalization Zones to towns and areas hard hit by foreign trade making them eligible for tax credits.
5. Create Fueling America's Future program to promote renewable energy source. Support creation of new bio refineries.

John Kerry

1. Work to enact current proposed legislation which provides corporate rate reductions to businesses that produce goods in the US.
2. Refund payroll taxes of employees for two years back to companies that create jobs above their 12 month average.
3. Double funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).
4. Hold economic summit meetings first 6 months of administration to develope jobs in key regions and industries.

Howard Dean

John Kerry

Wesley Clark

John Edwards

Note:
It appears that Wesley Clark has dropped out of the race...bad for us, good for Bush. I may continue to post his program plans because:
a) his plans seem to be the most detailed so you can see what the other candidates are not saying
b)because that's just the kind of pain in the ass I am.