By Gretchen Hamel – Who creates businesses and keeps them running? Who creates jobs, innovative products, and growth in the economy? According to President Obama, the government does. In a recent address the president remarked, “If you’ve got a business – you didn’t build that. Somebody else built that,” signifying just how disconnected from the private sector the president has become.
While it is true that government builds roads, employs teachers and – theoretically – invested in research that helped create the Internet, government does not create businesses.
Hard-working Americans who see opportunity where others see nothing create businesses.
Without those people who take out the second mortgage, extend their credit line, or put their livelihood on the line to take bold steps in our economy, America would never have reached the heights it has. Government taking credit for these individuals’ ingenuity and accomplishments is kind of like the inventor of the ball claiming credit for the NFL.
Government does not create business, and in fact, hinders many of them through excessive regulation, taxes and politics.
But, in a world where politics trumps reality, the only way to make sense of more government spending is to take credit from the only thing that is working, our small businesses and hard working Americans.
Hopefully, instead of taking the credit, the government can instead get out of the way of businesses that strengthen our economy, create American jobs, and care more about creating great products than taking the credit.
Instead of giving Washington a pat on the back, President Obama should start listening to the stories from small business owners all across the country who have succeeded despite the actions of the federal government, not because of them.
Gretchen Hamel, Executive Director of Public Notice
At Public Notice, Hamel leads a team of communications and policy experts in their effort to explain complex economic, regulatory, and budgetissues to Americans. The team’s campaign, Bankrupting America, has gained significant media attention from local and national television and radio, and Hamel has appeared on major national outlets such as CNBC, Fox News Channel, CNN and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. Before joining Public Notice, Hamel was founder and partner of Endeavour Global Strategies and served as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for Public and Media Affairs.
Click here to watch Gretchen Hamel’s past media appearances: http://www.bankruptingamerica.org/press/media-clips/tv/
