Calling Businesses "Job Creators" Is Offensive Says Rep. Hortman

UpTakeVideo
Feb 14, 2012
Representative Melissa Hortman confronts Pat Mascia- Senior VP, Duke Realty Corporation testifying before the House tax committee who talks about how businesses create jobs. She says businesses don't create jobs out of thin air. Customers buying their products create the jobs. "I wish we could quit talking about small businesses like they can create jobs out of thin air. Because they don't. They don't create jobs when you cut their taxes. They create jobs when they have customers. And if we keep dinging the people who we would like to shop at our stores so they don't have any money in their pockets then you won't be able to have any jobs. So I just.. think that the term "job creator" to refer to a business is wrong and offensive and I think we should talk about the true job creators, are the customers." Transcription: Rep. Melissa Hortman: I'm wondering if you members don't have any customers, can they stay in business? Pat Mascia- Senior VP, Duke Realty Corporation Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, I'm sorry, Representative, if our members do not have customers, no they cannot stay in business. Rep. Hortman: Thank you Mr. Chair. And so if your businesses don't have customers, they can't provide jobs, right? Mascia: Mr. Chair, Representative, yes that's true. Rep. Hortman And so customers create jobs. Consumers create jobs. I wish we could quit talking about small businesses like they can create jobs out of thin air. Because they don't. They don't create jobs when you cut their taxes. They create jobs when they have customers. And if we keep dinging the people who we would like to shop at our stores so they don't have any money in their pockets then you won't be able to have any jobs. So I just.. think that the term "job creator" to refer to a business is wrong and offensive and I think we should talk about the true job creators, are the customers. And we're talking about in your bill Mr. Chair taking more money out of people's pockets who would maybe like to go shopping on the properties that their members own. And who would maybe like to create jobs for those businesses. So you know I think we should just when we're using the word job creator remember that the people who create jobs are the people who spend their money as customers of businesses.