Connecticut Post: McMahon’s The Choice For New Grads
By Kelley Fournier and Janelle Armentano
Over the next few weeks, college seniors will begin moving on to the next stage of their lives. At least that’s the plan. But our peers looking to enter the work force will struggle in this economy. The lucky ones among us may be able to go back to seasonal jobs we’ve had over past summer and winter breaks. The rest will be left holding diplomas and wondering what’s next.
People under 25 face 20 percent unemployment. Last year, job offers to graduating seniors dropped 21 percent, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. This year they are expected to drop another 7 percent.
In 2008, young people turned out in record numbers to vote for change in Washington. We were told that our concerns mattered and that our voices would finally be heard. Instead, we got more partisan gridlock and an economy that has gotten decidedly worse, not better. Young people have been targeted with an average 17 percent insurance premium increase. And worst of all, we’re now saddled with the highest federal debt in history.
Washington has to change, and we have endorsed Linda McMahon because she will be a different kind of senator. She knows what it’s like to struggle starting a career. She overcame bankruptcy to build a business from the ground up that created nearly 600 jobs here in Connecticut. Linda understands the impact of Washington’s policies because she has real-life experience creating jobs.
Linda has offered a common-sense plan to fix our economy and create jobs. She understands that the heavy hand of government is hurting businesses that are already in a precarious position. When businesses cut jobs, the first jobs to go are often the entry-level positions for those new to the work force. Linda proposes specific tax reductions, such as cutting the corporate tax rate to allow our businesses to become more competitive with the rest of the world while ensuring they create jobs at home, not overseas.
Linda wants to put an end to job-killing regulations like cap and trade, which, it is estimated, would cost Connecticut 13,649 jobs, and proposed card check legislation, which could destroy as many as 765,000 jobs in two years.
For prospective workers like us, the effects of a recession extend far beyond a post-college job search. Those who enter the work force during a recession feel the effects long into their professional lives. Over time, they will earn less and be less likely to gain promotions compared to those who start work during better economic times. One study found these losses were equivalent to piling an extra $100,000 of debt on new graduates over their lifetimes.
Even in better economic times, the debt placed on students immediately after graduation can be debilitating. The student loans that have financed the ever-rising costs of education will soon come due. Linda’s jobs plan would help on this front by allowing greater deductions for student loans and educational expenses.
But another debt threat looms not far in the future for graduates. Congress has gone on a massive spending spree, shelling out trillions of taxpayer dollars to fund massive bailouts and failed stimulus programs. Our national debt has skyrocketed to $12.9 trillion. Linda has pledged to get Washington’s spending under control by sponsoring a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
Living inside the college bubble, the economy seemed like a distant concern that would get better before we graduated. But it hasn’t, and college students now see the bleak prospects before them. Our American dream will slip away if we don’t act.
Students looking for jobs or planning to start their own small businesses need a change to get our economy moving again. We need a senator who will bring common sense solutions to Washington. That person is Linda McMahon.
Kelley Fournier and Janelle Armentano are, respectively, former president of the Central Connecticut State University College Republicans and president of the Quinnipiac College Republicans.