Latta says job creation, lower taxes are priorities

Republican Bob Latta's economic agenda highlights the partisan differences between him and his Democratic opponent, Robin Weirauch, in the 5th District congressional race.

State Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green) yesterday sketched out an economic agenda based on the traditional GOP pillars of limited government, reduced taxes, and expanded global markets.

"If you make a little widget that costs a dollar in the United States, some place else might make it for a penny," Mr. Latta said. "Well, we can't compete with that. We have to make sure we're creating jobs that we can compete with in the world market."

Mr. Latta spoke at the construction site for Bass Pro Shops, a sporting goods retailer lured to Rossford by the nearby intersection of I-75 and I-80/I-90.

The announcement highlighted the partisan differences on economic growth in the Dec. 11 run-off election for Ohio's 5th District congressional seat.

Democrat Robin Weirauch of Napoleon favors trade agreements that protect domestic factory workers from foreign rivals. She also believes that the federal government should enact policies to lower the price of gas, saying that existing laws enable the oil industry to reap substantial profits.

Both candidates claim alternative energy could be a source of wealth in the rural congressional district, where commercial wind turbines in Bowling Green already churn out electrical power.

Mr. Latta advocates "supply-side" economics, arguing that lower taxes would lead to more economic growth and, thus, greater tax revenues. He wants to permanently eliminate the federal estate tax, which President Bush has suspended through 2010.

However, a 2006 study by the U.S. Department of the Treasury found that tax revenues would have been higher without the Bush Administration's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.

And Mrs. Weirauch is pushing for the government to relieve "middle-class" drivers stuck with high gas prices, even though lower gas prices could make alternative energy sources less attractive to consumers.

Despite his general opinion on taxes, Mr. Latta said the federal gas tax should remain at 18.4 cents a gallon.

The majority of revenue from that tax pays for the development and maintenance of America's highway system, which Mr. Latta said makes projects such as Bass Pro possible.

Contact Joshua Boak at:

jboak@theblade.com

or 419-724-6728.