Gary Johnson on Jobs Libertarian presidential nominee; former Republican NM Governor

Governments don't create jobs--businesses do

Government can't grow us out of this mess--government is the problem. Radical tax reform and spending discipline can bring America back. Let's get America working again.

Oppose NLRB recent actions against Boeing in SC

A: Absolutely not. For as obsessed as the administration appears to be with creating jobs this is one more example of fewer jobs. 2012 is an opportunity for GOP to show we're the party who'll get our fiscal house in order.

1999: Vetoed raising minimum wage from $4.25/hour to $5.65

Long unemployment benefits postpones dealing with problem

JOHNSON: Well absolutely not, I think that repealing or doing away with the corporate income tax is simply getting us back to where we were and we need to understand that the corporate income tax is a double tax. And with regard to unemployment benefits, I'm in the camp that believes that we as individuals, we need a bit of help, so government helps out but at the point at which it runs out, that's when we really deal with the problems that we have as individuals. That's when we deal with those problems. So does government actually perhaps make the problem worse, as opposed to better, by having a finite amount of time that you would receive unemployment benefits?

Create block grants for Agricultural Stewardship.

• The WGA would like to join the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) in proposing a new concept, one that NASDA has dubbed “A New Vision for Agricultural Stewardship.” The NASDA concept calls for the creation of a state block grant program, designed to allow states the flexibility to target resources to their specific conservation and environmental needs. Under the plan, the state departments of agriculture, in conjunction with state and local agriculture and conservation partners, develop priorities to be addressed under their block grant umbrella.
• The NASDA block grant proposal promotes broad flexibility in this development, noting that the block grant can be used to address threats to soil, air, water and wildlife; or be used to meet state or federal environmental regulations; or make “beneficial cost-effective changes to cropping systems, grazing management, manure, nutrient, pest, or irrigation management, land uses, or other measures needed to conserve and improve soil, water, and related natural resources.” The intent is to not duplicate existing programs, but to give states the ability to address areas of specific need. The funding could even be designated for use in existing state conservation or environmental programs, should a state find that’s where the most need rests.
• Under the Agricultural Stewardship Program, the states would enter into cooperative agreements with USDA on an annual basis and issue annual reports to USDA regarding the progress to date and future intentions.
• While Western Governors feel the program outlined above is extremely important, it must be defined broadly so that Governors may designate a lead state agency, and it must be weighed in conjunction with the need for improvements and adjustments to existing conservation and environmental programs.