Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Obama Shelves Jobs-Credit Proposal

I figured that bit was put in the plan as payback for Silicon Valley bigwigs backing him* for the Dem. nomination and in the general election.
(Hillary won the primary in Santa Clara county 54.8% to 39.3%).
Oh well, I'm sure Sand Hill Road will be getting something else.
From the Washington Post:
Bowing to widespread Democratic skepticism, President-elect Barack Obama will drop his bid to include a business tax break he once touted in the economic stimulus bill now taking shape on Capitol Hill, aides said last night.

Obama suggested the $3,000-per-job credit last week as one of five individual and business tax incentives aimed at winning Republican support. He proposed $300 billion in tax relief in a bill that could reach $775 billion, and he resurrected the jobs-credit proposal from the campaign trail as one of his main provisions....MORE

*London Times -Aug. 25, 2008
Why Silicon Valley is backing Obama

Senator Barack Obama doesn't have any particular expertise in technology policy, nor any backround in business. Like many Democrats, he's ambivalent about free trade, in favour of higher taxes on the wealthy, and officially suspicious of the corporate elite.

Yet in Silicon Valley, and throughout the "New Economy," Obama enjoys overwhelming support, and the backing of this relatively small but influential segment of the electorate is central to his presidential bid...

From the New York Times -May 14, 2008:

Obama Green Talk Is Gold to Silicon Valley

The Atlantic -June 2008:

The Amazing Money Machine

How Silicon Valley made Barack Obama this year’s hottest start-up