My husband and I own an office products company.  I received an interesting article from one of our industry e-magazines today and I thought it might be interesting to put in some of the comments from office product dealers around the U. S.  Here is the article:

OP reaction to Obama’s jobs act

A number of office products figureheads have shared with opi.net their reaction to US President Barack Obama’s plan to create new jobs

Speaking to a joint session of the US Congress yesterday, President Obama unveiled his proposition of a $450 billion package that includes tax cuts and spending plans.
 
The American Jobs Act will fund construction projects, schools and services, and reduce tax on small businesses, with the aim of creating jobs to tackle the current US unemployment figure of 9.1%.
 
Obama said: “The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working.”
 
As creating more jobs could provide a boost to the US office products industry, opi.net asked a number of industry members to give their opinion on this new drive.
 
Mike Gentile, President at Independent Stationers, said: “I am interested in plans that help small business. They are the job creators and, yes, they are also our independent dealers and their customers.
 
“You cannot legislate job creation. We have to create a job creation environment that stimulates investment so people start working again. Then we'll see our economy and especially our industry rebound.”
 
Michael Brown, President of HiTouch Business Services, said: “I was very intrigued by the speech. If the plan can get passed we will be highly incentivised to look to hire people who are classified in the plan such as American veterans and people who have been unemployed for more than six months.
 
“There needs to be a little more clarity on the tax reforms and what the final plan will be but we will be taking a hard look at this.”
 
Jay Baitler, EVP North American Contract at Staples, said: “While the President's total ineffectiveness to date and the dysfunctional history of how this congress has politicised every initiative makes me skeptical about the ability for them to collectively accomplish anything, I thought that there were good common sense ideas within his speech.
 
“If something happens quickly, good can come from this. If the rhetoric starts by morning tomorrow, the initiatives will be watered down and rendered completely ineffective, as has been the case with every other opportunity of the last two and a half years.”
 
Among other comments to date on Obama’s plans, Walter Johnsen, Chairman and CEO of Acme United Corporation, said: “As an American, I want the President to succeed. Relative to his speech, it is an empty suit.”

“When he said five times that Congress needed to pass his programme right away before he gave any details I turned the speech off. None of this is going anywhere. It's just a ploy to help him deflect blame for his re-election campaign,” said Bernie Garvey of Garvey's Office Products.

“Washington needs to focus on commitment, cooperation and continuity. Earlier this summer, with their individual paychecks on the line, the California legislature actually got a budget passed. Congress needs the same accountability lesson,” said Radstons President Diane Griffin.

“Obama was correct that 14 months is too long to wait to address our economic problems and that it must be done in an inclusive manner, for all Americans. If that happens, then I for one am hopeful that small business and the office products industry will get their fair share,” she added.

"The president's plan is a rehash of earlier efforts. One example is that we're going to see 500 fewer regulations but there are 4,200 new regulations in the process of implementation. And when would the 500 go away given the process to do away is lengthy?," stated Dave Guernsey, President and CEO of Guernsey Office Products.

"The bottom line is that businesses are starving for sales with consumer spending currently standing at 70% of GDP. Most of what is in the plan will extend current programmes which will extend the current malaise."