We need results, not promises

Ken Anderson, Las Vegas

Monday, Sept. 12, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

President Barack Obama gave a speech Thursday to Congress, outlining his plans to get unemployed Americans back to work. Perhaps it was not perfect, but it was far better than anything we have heard from Congress.

The focus must be on workers, not as it has been in the past, which was to give corporations billions of dollars and hope they would use some of it to hire back people they have discharged. After 10 years, who would urge that we continue to make the rich richer when there is no evidence that it has worked?

It would be like a homeowner who pays a landscaper $50 a week to keep his yard beautiful. How many weeks would any of us continue to pay $50 while we saw no work being done? A month? Two months? How about 10 years? We would learn that we pay for work, not promises.

The incentives our president suggested should be tried. Businesses only get tax breaks for performing; what a fair concept! Smaller businesses should be eligible for support that would level the playing field for them.

Obama’s speech was not liberal or conservative in its focus. For congressional critics to dismiss his ideas without creating alternatives is counterproductive. Any member of Congress who will not be part of the solution should hand in his or her resignation. The sooner the better.