STATEMENT BY HECTOR BALDERAS ON MONTHLY JOBS NUMBERS

For Immediate Release: July 8, 2011

State Auditor and US Senate Candidate Hector Balderas today released the following statement about this morning's news that the economy generated only 18,000 new jobs in June.

 

(Note: The Department of Labor's announcement showed that 57,000 private sector jobs had been created in June, but that federal, state and local governments had cut 39,000 jobs.)

 

"The message from today's disappointing jobs report is loud and clear — there is nothing more important for Washington to focus on right now than creating jobs and getting our economy back on track.

 

"The question now is if Congressional Republicans hear that message.

 

"Heather Wilson, John Sanchez and their friends in Washington believe that the way to create jobs is to cut spending for education, Medicare, innovative infrastructure, and other pro-growth economic programs, while at the same extending billions of dollars in special tax loopholes to millionaires and big corporations. We've tried that approach. It doesn't work.

 

"While there is no question we have to deal with our deficit, the first place to look is eliminating those tax loopholes for millionaires and big corporations that are seeing record profits. If we do that, we can continue to invest in education, innovative infrastructure and other programs that will actually help us grow our economy and make us more competitive.

 

"The fact that private sector job growth was offset by public sector job losses is also alarming. There's no question we need to streamline and eliminate waste in government. But there are a lot of New Mexicans employed in the public sector. If we're not smart and accountable in our approach, we will continue down a path where the private sector economy can't absorb those workers fast enough.

 

"Washington Republicans like to talk about fiscal responsibility. But their approach is fiscally reckless. And it's going to cost us more jobs in the long-run. It's time for Heather Wilson, John Sanchez and Washington Republicans to stop playing politics, stop protecting tax breaks for big corporations and millionaires, and to start working with Democrats to invest in creating jobs for struggling New Mexicans."

 

Media Contact
Caroline Buerkle
505-553-5307

 

 

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