Blaine Luetkemeyer: “Hardworking individuals and entrepreneurs have always been the life blood of our economy. They create jobs. They spur…”

“Hardworking individuals and entrepreneurs have always been the life blood of our economy. They create jobs. They spur innovation. They have made the American free enterprise system the envy of the world. As Americans, we all understand that if you work hard you can be successful. Unfortunately, that spirit appears to be undergoing a fundamental transformation in which government comes before the spirit of free enterprise. The trend began early in 2009 when the government passed the so-called 'stimulus package' that was supposed to boost the economy and keep unemployment under 8 percent. More than a year after stimulus, unemployment remains well above 9 percent. Around this country there is an atmosphere of uncertainty caused by Washington's anti-worker agenda. New taxes, mandates, and regulations in countless new laws and proposed laws are threatening to strangle our Nation's entrepreneurs and workers. As I travel around my district, a prevailing feeling of uncertainty about what lies ahead has made employers hesitant to create new jobs; and until this fear and uncertainty about the future is allayed, the American people will continue to wonder and ask the question: Where are the jobs?”