FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

September 16, 2004
JS-1923

The Honorable John W. Snow
Prepared Remarks to: The Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce
Cincinnati, OH
September 16, 2004

Thank you for having me here today; it's great to be in Cincinnati and is always a pleasure to come home to Ohio.

It's good to see my friend, U.S. Representative Rob Portman, here. Both myself and the President rely on Rob's advice and counsel, and he is an extremely important partner and ally in implementing our economic agenda. He's doing a terrific job, working for the people of this district, and I know how proud he is to represent you in Congress.

And I'm proud to work for you in the executive branch. I appreciate what you do, every day, to make our economy strong. You are on the front lines of one of our country's most important economic battles: bringing jobs back to Ohio.

As a manufacturing state, Ohio was hit especially hard by difficult economic times. I know what you are going through, what you have been through, and I know that it hasn't been easy. I also know that new jobs cannot come soon enough for the people of Ohio. The question is: where will those jobs come from?

The short answer to that question is that the jobs will come from the entrepreneurs in this room, and others like you, all across the state. While no one can really predict what the next high-growth industry will be, in a country where innovation is so wonderfully strong we know there will be plenty of jobs for our families. The state of Ohio overall has had some good news recently on jobs, with 3,400 new jobs created in July. And your unemployment rate is down over the last year from 6.3 percent to 5.9 percent… and that's encouraging.

But much remains to be done. We need to return Ohio to its rightful prosperity. I remember when Ohio was a Mecca for jobs and it drew people from all across the country. I want those days to return.

I am optimistic that times will get better in Ohio. You will not be left behind; the U.S. economy is too strong for that and Ohio's workers and businesses have a long tradition of excellence and success. We're going to keep growing as a country, and Ohioans will be part of that growth.

My goal – and the President's goal – is to make sure that the work you do, on the front-lines of job creation and economic growth, isn't over-burdened by unfair levels of taxation and regulation. We know that, as small-business owners and operators, you simply ask for two things from your government: fairness and freedom.

You seek the freedom to start up a new business venture, to run it and grow it, or to close the door and go fishing if that's what you want to do. And you want to be treated fairly and you deserve nothing less.

In exchange for fairness and freedom, your unspoken promise to your country and our economy is: jobs and the fuel our economic engine runs on. This is why we've got to keep tax rates low on business owners like you, and on every American who pays taxes.

As of today, more than 4.4 million taxpayers in Ohio will have lower income tax bills in 2004 thanks to the President's tax cuts. Nearly 860,000 of Ohio's business taxpayers, like you, can use your tax savings to invest in new equipment, hire additional workers, and increase pay.

The President's goal is to keep your taxes lower, to keep providing that oxygen to businesses like yours all over this country. Because our national economy has rebounded as a result of that tax relief. We've had 12 straight months of job creation, totaling 1.7 million new jobs that have changed the lives of as many families. Homeownership has reach record highs, and even manufacturing is seeing job gains, with more than 100,000 manufacturing jobs created since February.

So the news across the country has been very good, but we are not satisfied, and we won't be satisfied until every American and every Ohioan who seeks work can find it. We still need to implement the rest of the President's pro-growth, job-creating economic agenda.

We need to reduce the amount and cost of frivolous lawsuits and make health insurance more affordable. We need fundamental reform of our tax code that makes it simpler and more fair – a code that encourages economic growth and job creation. We've also got to have an energy policy that keeps costs low, reduces dependence on foreign oil and creates jobs for American workers.

Perhaps our biggest challenge today, the most important adjustment we can make, is in the area of education – primary, secondary and perhaps more importantly, continuing education. All over America, jobs are going begging because prospective employees lack the requisite skills.

It therefore makes sense that we should take an entrepreneurial approach to the challenge. Community colleges are doing this already. Their programs are working, especially in those localities where they work closely with their local Chambers of Commerce to find out what jobs exist, and then design a curriculum that is relevant to local employment opportunities. Look to America's community colleges for the future of worker training.

We have work to do – and I know that the most important work will be done by folks like you, because you create the jobs. But with the right economic policies to help you out, with a dedication to getting government out of your way and giving you fairness and freedom, I am optimistic that our best economic days are ahead of us, for Ohio and for all of America.

Thank you.