Jobs bill

The first of what Democrats hope will be several jobs bills passed this week.

Sponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., the legislation contains $18 billion in tax breaks and $20 billion for highway and transit programs.

Businesses that hire workers who have been unemployed for at least 60 days will not have to pay the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax through the rest of the year.

Employers will also receive an additional $1,000 credit for new workers who remain on the job for a full year.

Taxpayers must make up the difference to Social Security for the lost revenue, the Associated Press reported.

Hopes are high for the bill, which passed the Senate 68-29 — that it will stimulate creation of as many as 250,000 jobs by the end of the year.

"It's the first of what I hope will be a series of jobs packages that help to continue to put people back to work," President Obama said.

Sen. Schumer expressed the same goal, and added: "If we don't create jobs, the economy will not move forward."

All agree with the quest to create jobs: America has lost 8.4 million since the recession began. But the idea of taking money away from Social Security to create tax incentives for job creation is unsound practice.

There is no guarantee that jobs will come of these tactics. It is difficult to tell how many jobs were created from last year's $862 billion economic stimulus bill.

President Obama and Congress are right to explore ways of stimulating hiring and the economy. But those measures need to be fiscally prudent and not add to the taxpayers' burden.