Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairman Tom Pauken addressed the Cap & Trade Summit hosted by the Texas Public Utilities Commission (PUC) at the Capitol today.
In his remarks Pauken expressed concern that the proposed Waxman-Markey legislation would result in additional American job losses at a time when national unemployment rates are approaching 10 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 9.7 percent in August.
The TWC Chairman pointed out that various studies of the Waxman-Markey bill which currently is awaiting U.S. Senate approval by organizations such as the Center for Energy Economics at the University of Texas and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) predict significant job losses in Texas and nationally if this proposed legislation were to be passed by Congress.
Pauken also cited a study by Professor Gabriel Calzada for the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos which revealed that in Spain where a comparable plan already has been in place for a number of years there has been a loss of nine jobs for every four jobs created. Pauken noted that Spain had the highest rate of unemployment in Western Europe at 18.5 percent in July 2009.
The TWC Chairman called on Washington policymakers to focus instead on economic policies to encourage capital investment in the United States in order to create jobs in the private sector particularly small businesses where most new jobs are created.
Chairman Paukens remarks at the PUC summit can be found at the following link: http://www.twc.state.tx.us/svcs/commrs/092209chr.pdf
Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairman Tom Pauken addressed the Cap & Trade Summit hosted by the Texas Public Utilities Commission (PUC) at the Capitol today.
In his remarks Pauken expressed concern that the proposed Waxman-Markey legislation would result in additional American job losses at a time when national unemployment rates are approaching 10 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 9.7 percent in August.
The TWC Chairman pointed out that various studies of the Waxman-Markey bill which currently is awaiting U.S. Senate approval by organizations such as the Center for Energy Economics at the University of Texas and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) predict significant job losses in Texas and nationally if this proposed legislation were to be passed by Congress.
Pauken also cited a study by Professor Gabriel Calzada for the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos which revealed that in Spain where a comparable plan already has been in place for a number of years there has been a loss of nine jobs for every four jobs created. Pauken noted that Spain had the highest rate of unemployment in Western Europe at 18.5 percent in July 2009.
The TWC Chairman called on Washington policymakers to focus instead on economic policies to encourage capital investment in the United States in order to create jobs in the private sector particularly small businesses where most new jobs are created.
Chairman Paukens remarks at the PUC summit can be found at the following link: http://www.twc.state.tx.us/svcs/commrs/092209chr.pdf
