Maureen Reed for Congress

Create Jobs:

Fortunately, the economy is now showing signs of early recovery as housing sales improve and the stock market rallies. However, this remains a delicate and critical time. The national unemployment rate is hovering near 10%, making job creation the top priority of our next Congresswoman. It is crucial that we ensure that jobseekers can find employment and that those who are employed do not live in constant fear of having their hours cut or being laid off.

New jobs will be created in small businesses, in the service industry, and in companies fueled by new technologies and scientific innovation. Having incentives for, and removing the barriers to, job creation by small and large businesses is incredibly important. Having well trained or re-trained workers who can readily move into those new jobs is necessary as well. We can also encourage job growth by funding long overdue infrastructure projects like fixing our roads and repairing bridges across the district.

Luckily, to foster job growth and meet the challenges of a competitive global economy, we only need to capitalize on America's world renowned creativity, resourcefulness and ingenuity.

Balance the Budget:

Failed economic policies and lack of regulatory practices brought us into a deep recession. Now, America faces a monstrous deficit, and reducing this deficit will be the challenge of the next decade.

Raising taxes could well erase our early economic recovery and end up breaking the backs of average Americans. To reduce this deficit we must hold government to higher standards. Cutting waste, closing unfair loopholes, and getting the most out of every dollar our government spends must be the cornerstones of our federal policy.

Congress should exercise fiscal responsibility by balancing its budget every year. Year in and year out, pay-as-you-go budgeting is a prudent approach for both government and the private sector.

Strengthen our Economy:

To ensure a strong recovery and continued economic growth, we must commit to the following priorities:

• Provide support to Minnesota's great technical schools, colleges, and universities to guarantee an educated work force.
• Support research that yields economic benefits. Minnesota companies like Medtronic and 3M show our state's long history, as well as the tremendous potential, of technological advancement fostering economic growth.
• Plan and invest in infrastructure.
• Provide sensible oversight of our financial system. Assure that financial institutions that are "too big to fail" bear the risks of their business decisions and are not bailed out by taxpayers.
• Assure that the corporate tax code does not disadvantage small businesses.
• Alleviate the burden of rising health care premiums on individuals and businesses by enacting meaningful health care reform.

Only when we address these issues, will we be able maintain our position as the world's strongest economy. The private sector continues to be the engine of our economic strength. Our economic power is crucial not only to our American way of life, but our national security and diplomatic power as well.