U.S. Senate Race: Four Questions for Connie Mack
Republican Congressman Connie Mack, who is trying to unseat Democrat Senator Bill Nelson, made a campaign stop in Ozona on Wednesday.
Congressman Connie Mack is continuing his campaigning to be a U.S. Senator, challenging incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson. He spoke with Palm Harbor Patch about what he plans to do for Floridians if he's elected.
Patch: As you've been traveling across the state, what do voters say matters the most to them?
Connie Mack: "Jobs and the economy. They're looking for work. They know that 820,000 people are out of work in the state of Florida and even more have quit looking for work. They also know that the policies over the last four years of more taxes and more regulations haven't worked and they want somebody who's going to believe in them again, instead of more government. Senator Nelson believes in more government. I believe in the people of the state of Florida."
Patch: What, in your opinion, is the biggest challenge facing Florida today?
Connie Mack: "Jobs. It's jobs and the economy. No matter where I go around the state of Florida, the challenges we face are about jobs and the economy. We're at a restaurant right now, every time we raise taxes on small businesses, it makes it harder for them to keep the people they have employed or to even think about growing their business. We need to get back on the side of entrepreneurs and risk-takers and that's less government, less taxes, less regulation.
Patch: What do you think should be done about the lingering housing crisis in Florida?
Connie Mack: "The reason we have a housing crisis is so many people are out of work and we have people who are under employed. So, we need to get our economy going again. It all comes back to jobs. It would also help if we repeal the Dodd-Frank law because that law makes it harder for community banks to lend money, because they're afraid if they lend money, they're going to be put out of business by the federal government. So, we need to repeal Dodd-Frank, we need to lower regulation, lower taxes, that'll get people back to work, that'll get small businesses growing, that will get our economy moving, that will get our housing market moving again."
Patch: Why should voters pick you?
Connie Mack: "Because I will stand with them. I will support them. I will support a limited government, not one that believes in more government. Senator Nelson looks to government to solve the very problems that he was part of creating in the first place. I want to get government out of the way and put our faith and trust back in the people."
Richard M. Swier
6:47 am on Sunday, October 28, 2012
Congressman Mack gets it. Its the economy stupid.
It all started with the Community Reinvestment Act, which required banks to lend to people who were clearly not qualified for a mortgage. This led to the meltdown in the housing market and the ripple effect on Florida's economy.
The job loss spiral continued with the wrong focus and policies of the current administration. The President wanted free healthcare not a pro-job agenda. We are now paying the price.
The negative impact became magnified particularly here in Florida where over 17% of FHA loans are now delinquent. The FHA itself is under water.
Read more about this ongoing crisis at the FHA here: http://watchdogwire.com/florida/2012/10/24/overall-fha-delinquency-rate-surges-in-september/
Mack is right - jobs are the answer. However, jobs are only created when companies, particularly small businesses, make a profit. Without higher profits they will not hire. Profit is the job creating engine of every economy.
Harm profits and you kill jobs, which leads to a recession/depression. Its profits stupid!
Len Roessler
1:04 pm on Sunday, October 28, 2012
The CR Act didn't require fraudulent applications which got bundled into a package that got a high credit rating because the banks pressured the rating firms with the threat of losing their lucrative counseling business. Saying the job loss spiral continued means it started under Bush the Lesser and lasted until the stimulus package went into effect. Healthcare was at 16% of GDP and climbing to a totally unacceptable 25%. This meant not addressing it would lead to any economic gains being wiped out by higher medical costs. All other advanced countries have a cost around 10% of GDP, cover everyone and have equal or better health outcomes than us. Nevertheless the Republicans were in total opposition especially to the individual mandate which was there idea to begin with. Yes jobs are the answer but tax breaks don't create them. Surveys of small business say that what is needed are customers. That's where the profit and more hiring comes from.
You might consider that the great depression came during years of Republican rule, the great recession came with another Republican and when Clinton put forward a tax increase which led to surpluses and reduction of the national debt not one Republican voted for it and they all predicted it would be a disaster. Instead we got a great economy. Given that record you should be leery of believing anything proposed by Republicans.
Richard M. Swier
1:25 pm on Sunday, October 28, 2012
The CRA forced banks, local banks, to make NINJA loans. The banks are no longer banks, they are now simply middle men between the mortgage holder and FHA. FHA is underwater because of CRA.
Len Roessler
6:13 pm on Sunday, October 28, 2012
Please check Bloomberg Business Week Sept 29, 2008. This act was passed in 1977 and weakened by Bush. It tighter standards for loans and given the lower interest rate were not included in the mis rated securitization packages that tanked the economy. If the FHA is holding underwater CRA loans it is because the Bush policies caused the downfall and the unemployment that followed with the resultant inability of people who were responsible but lost their job through no fault of their own. In short the fault lies with the profligate irresponsible Bush tenure and buying into the Mack doublespeak is the height of folly. Read the article.