re:  Senate Democrats unveil jobs package

The so-called "jobs package" unveiled by Senate Democrats on Tuesday could use a good shave — by Occam's Razor.  The idea behind Occam's Razor is that the simplest idea or explanation is typically the best one.  Unfortunately, the Senate approach to creating jobs is unnecessarily complex. 

Consider the payroll tax exemption proposal for hiring new workers:  they would have to be unemployed 60 days or more to be qualified for the employer credit; not only would this require more paperwork, a bureaucracy to enforce, and perhaps lead companies towards hiring less productive or qualified applicants — all of which would lead to less efficiency and therefore ultimately become a drag on economic growth.  The draft outline contains other targeted, special interest "provisions sought by lobbyists for business groups, doctors and the satellite broadcasting industry".

Rather than requiring companies to jump through hoops to get tax relief, or providing government goodies for special interests, a much more simple, efficient, and effective proposal would be to decrease and simplify the tax burden on all businesses.  Rather than sending money to the government (and winding through bureaucratic red tape), businesses would have more money to hire workers or to invest in equipment, construction, or other endeavors that also increase the demand for new workers.

Sincerely,
Dave Smith
Houston, TX