Election slideshow

Election 2010: Where will the jobs come from?

With unemployment at 9.6%, jobs have been a major issue in this election. Vault.com investigated some of the major proposals for job creation from key Senate candidates along with their prior work experience. Check out this slideshow to find out where the jobs will come from, and how candidates’ backgrounds have prepared them for tackling the jobs issue should they win.

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Christine O'Donnell (R)—Delaware

O'Donnell's website says she "Believes jobs are created when businesses are freed from endless taxes and bureaucratic red tape."

"The best thing the government can do to get our economy back on real economic recovery is to get out of the way of the small business owner and get out of the way of the entrepreneur"

"A temporary two-year tax holiday on the capital gains tax to give investors the money they need to reinvest in business, to permanently eliminate the death tax."

"Stop the massive tax hikes coming this January that will have a devastating impact on small businesses and middle-income families; permanently eliminate the Death Tax. This will create 1.5 million jobs as well as allow family-owned businesses and farms to stay in operation when a loved one passes."

Current State Unemployment Rate: 8.4 %

Previous Career: Political/Religious marketing and media consultant, religious advocate, journalist

APPhoto/Manuel Baice Ceneta

Chris Coons (D)—Delaware

"Coons' website says he will "focus on four areas of job creation: restoring our innovative economy, assisting small businesses, growing our green economy, and rebuilding a viable manufacturing sector."

"We have to invest in education, we have to make the tax code more fair and more predictable for small businesses, we have to invest in training, and we have to stop subsidizing companies who ship American jobs overseas."

"We should be doing more to invest in companies that invest in us. We should be doing more to invest in the infrastructure that makes America competitive. We can rebuild our manufacturing base."

"… by rewarding companies that create jobs here in America and ending the tax breaks that encourage companies to send jobs overseas."


Previous Career: General Counsel/Attorney for businesses & non-profits; County Executive

How Former Career Relates to the Senate: "I spent eight years working with one of the most innovative companies in the world."

APPhoto/Robert Craig, Pool

Carly Fiorina (R)—California

"It is critically important that our representatives in Washington champion policies that help California businesses grow and create jobs. That begins with getting government out of the way so that small businesses and entrepreneurs can flourish and succeed."

"Carly supports continuing the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, and she will fight against the return of the estate tax."

"Fighting For Every Job—Create 'Jobs for Americans Zones,' Free Up Credit for Small Businesses and Individuals, Approve Free Trade Agreements, Reduce Costly Lawsuits, Repeal and Replace Health care Reform, Pursue Energy Diversification Instead of 'Cap and Trade'"

On HP layoffs, pre-candidacy:"There is no job that is America's God-given right anymore" "I would have done them all faster. Every person that I've asked to leave, whether it's been clear publicly or not, I would have done faster."


Previous Career: Famously unpopular CEO of Hewlett-Packard

How Former Career Relates to the Senate: "I know how to create jobs, and I know why they leave."

APPhoto/Tony Avelar

Kendrick Meek (D)—Florida

Meek's website advocates "supporting the President's plan to create millions of new jobs in green technologies, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and increase funding for research and development."

He also told Fox News: "Making sure that we get the bill out of the senate that will provide tax cuts for small businesses; to make sure that we expand the middle class workforce by putting in high-speed rail, that will be a public-private partnership that will create jobs and allow businesses here to expand"

According to the AP: "Meek said he would push for green initiatives and green jobs to stimulate economic growth in Florida. He also favored continuing tax cuts for small businesses and the middle class, partly paid for by rolling back Bush-era tax breaks for the wealthy."


Previous Career: U.S. Representative and Florida State Senator; State Highway Patrol Trooper

APPhoto/John Raoux

Marco Rubio (R)—Florida

Rubio's website has a document entitled: "23 Simple Ways To Create Jobs, Grow Our Economy And Help The Gulf Coast Recover" that lays out his full case

Some highlights:"Permanently Extend The Bush Tax Cuts, Cut Taxes On Businesses, Ending Double Taxation (capital gains, dividends, death tax), Reform the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), Reform The U.S. Tax Code, Stop The Value-Added Tax, Repeal ObamaCare, Prevent A National Energy Tax, Oppose Elimination of Union Secret Ballots, Halt Regulations, Promote Trade."

"The most important thing we can do is stop things like Cap and Trade, stop things like Obamacare and replace it, and make clear what the tax code is going to be, going forward, by making permanent the 2001 and 2003 tax rates."


Previous Career: Florida State and U.S. Representative; lawyer

APPhoto/Chris O’Meara

Rand Paul (R)—Kentucky

"The mandates and taxes imposed by Obamacare are driving up health care costs. The threat of a national energy tax and EPA regulation of greenhouse gas is creating uncertainty for businesses and households, as well as hurting Kentucky's coal jobs. And the tax increases coming in January will take money from the pockets of Kentucky families and businesses that want to hire new workers."

"Government must get out of the way so American businesses and families can get back to work."

"Let workers and businesses keep more of their own money by stopping the tax increases coming next year. I would also stop the national energy tax and repeal Obamacare to cut costs for families and businesses. Finally, I will work for a balanced federal budget to stop the unsustainable debt that Washington is piling on future generations and end government takeovers and bailouts of businesses."


Previous Career: Ophthalmologist

How Former Career Relates to the Senate: Paul's website says he is a "hard-working, dedicated physician, not a career politician. His entrance into politics is indicative of his life's work: a desire to diagnose problems and provide practical solutions."

APPhoto/James Crisp

Jack Conway (D)—Kentucky

"Jack has a plan, which is estimated to create 731,000 jobs nationwide and 10,975 jobs in Kentucky through a combination of tax credits and small business lending." "Businesses are the engine of our economy and the most effective way to create jobs. That's why I have proposed a Home Town Tax Credit, which gives a tax break to Kentucky's small and medium-sized businesses for each new job they create."

"To get resources into the hands of Kentucky small business owners, I have proposed expanding lending through the Small Business Administration, reducing fees and increasing guarantee levels."

"I am against Cap and Trade … If we pass Cap and Trade, it will be a disaster to Kentucky's economy and to Kentucky jobs."


Previous Career: State Attorney General How Former Career Relates to the Senate: "[A]s Attorney General, his office has increased Medicaid recoveries by 600%, taking on pharmaceutical giants and recovering more than $100 million for taxpayers. He has advocated for consumers and saved Kentucky families over $150 million in proposed utility rate increases. Jack has taken on the big oil companies for gas price gouging, and in his first year as Attorney General, increased elder abuse and neglect investigations by 300%."

APPhoto/Ed Reinke

Sharron Angle (R)—Nevada

"As your U.S. Senator, I'm not in the business of creating jobs."

"The fastest way to get the economy moving again is to cut spending, pay back the national debt, and make permanent the Bush Tax Cuts."

"You can make more money on unemployment than you can going down and getting one of those jobs that is an honest job but it doesn't pay as much. We've put in so much entitlement into our government that we really have spoiled our citizenry."

"What I'm implying is that there are some jobs out there that are available. Because they have to enter at a lower grade and they cannot keep their unemployment they have to make a choice."


Previous Career: School teacher, State Representative

How Former Career Relates to the Senate: "A true protector of the Nevada Constitution, Sharron has fought and won judicial battles to protect Nevadan's constitutional rights. In 2003 while serving as the Minority Whip in the Nevada State Assembly, Sharron challenged the Governor's proposed massive $800 million tax hike."

APPhoto/Julie Jacobson

Jay Townsend (R)—New York

Townsend told Vault: "I would leave the money in the hands of the job creators and not make the mistake that the stimulus bill did by putting the money in the hands of federal bureaucrats that did not know what to do with it. "

"I would extend the tax cuts from 2001 and 2003 for five years and I would do this for everyone."

"I would place an iron-clad cap on property tax. We have the highest property taxes in the nation."

"I would repeal Obama Care, which was supposed to bring down insurance premiums. Instead, they are rising. You talk to the employers who do not know what their federal or property taxes are going to be and just know they are going to go up, and they can't get their arms around how high their health insurance premiums are going to go up, and they tell you that they are are not going to hire anyone. They have money they are not touching, because they are worried about these increases."


Previous Career: Market Research and Consulting Analyst. Founder of The Townsend Group

How Former Career Relates to the Senate: "Communication skills. You have to be persuasive in my field and bring people together that don't always like each other […] My communications skills should be able to bring Republicans and Democrats together to correct this inequity."

APPhoto/Kari Rabe

Joe DioGuardi (R)—New York

DioGuardi told Vault:

"The big government spending that Sen. Gillibrand has openly endorsed and voted for has not created jobs. Instead, it has tied the hands of job creators with red tape and increased taxes. I will lift that burden from the shoulders of small businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators by working to reduce taxes, ease regulations, promote initiatives that create a pro-growth environment, and get the banks we bailed out to process badly needed loans to small businesses around the state."


Previous Career: Certified Public Accountant, made partner at a "Big 8 international public accounting firm"

How Former Career Relates to the Senate: "Washington needs an experienced Certified Public Accountant to tell the truth about what is really going on, so that we can plan for the future and reduce our national debt"

APPhoto/Seth Wenig

Linda McMahon (R)—Connecticut

"People create jobs, not governments."

"It's time to move away from artificial stimulus plans and move back to basics by doing the things that will help private business owners and workers grow their businesses."

"I'm very proud that I've created more than 600 jobs in the state of Connecticut"

On minimum wage: "I think we need to review how much it ought to be, and whether or not we ought to have increases in the minimum wage, and how is it planned, does it get tied to inflation, or are there just automatic increases in it, and I think we should always review the policies that have been put in place to make sure that they are in keeping with the needs today."


Previous Career: Co-Founder, CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment

How Former Career Relates to the Senate: "With over 30 years of real life business experience, [Linda] knows how to manage a budget, create jobs, and stimulate our economy." APPhoto/Jessica Hill

Joe Miller (R)—Alaska

"Less government, less government regulation. Making sure Alaska can have control over its resource base. And making sure we have ability to create jobs from it." "


Previous Career: Lawyer, District Court Judge, Alaska State Magistrate, Youngest U.S. Magistrate Judge

APPhoto/Chris Miller

Rodney Glassman (D)—Arizona

According to his campaign website: "Rodney's plan would establish a $100 billion infrastructure bank to provide financing for badly needed projects. The bank would subsidize and lend money for roads, water mains, bridges and clean-energy transportation projects."

Glassman would also "Tax Wall Street bonuses to pay for a tax credit for: small business hiring, rebates on small business payroll and unemployment taxes, Make Solar Investment and R & D tax credits Permanent, Restore Credit Lending"


Previous Career: Vice Mayor of Tucson, Air Force JAG Officer

How Former Career Relates to the Senate: "On the [Tucson City] council, Rodney quickly earned the reputation as an innovative problem-solver who brings people together to get the job done."

APPhoto/Darryl Webb

Scott McAdams (D)—Alaska

"Prevent outsourcing/off-shoring jobs , Develop Alaska's Natural Resources, Repeal the 1099 reporting burden created in the health care reform bill, Expand the Small Business Enterprise Credit"

"Alaskan resource extraction is the progressive choice in a global marketplace."

"We are an oil and gas state […] Oil wealth is what fuels our economy in this state, along with federal investment."

"Alaska is a young state, that neither has the benefit nor bears the scars of being developed or having come of age in the Industrial Revolution. We can make the case that we should be first in line for the next great era of American innovation, creativity and economic revolution. That's the revolution to move toward a renewable energy economy."


Previous Career: Mayor of Sitka, AK; Commercial Fisherman & High School Football Coach

How Former Career Relates to the Senate: "I'm the only candidate in this race who's ever had to rely on a paycheck coming from working 17, 18, 19-hour days in Alaska's natural resource sector"

APPhoto/Michael Dinneen

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