Protesters at Hultgren's Geneva Office Demand Support for Jobs Legislation

Nearly 15 million Americans are unemployed, and Northern Illinois Jobs for Justice wants U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren to do something about it.

Members of the Geneva protest group held a rally Friday afternoon in front of Hultgren’s office, which sits in an office park behind on west Route 38. Though the two dozen or so participants looked more like friends at a neighborhood cookout than an angry mob, they definitely had some hard questions for the 14th House District representative.

“We are here once again to challenge Randy Hultgren on his refusal to help create jobs,” declared NIJJ spokesman Mary Shesgreen. “He keeps finding new excuses not to sign onto it.”

The group particularly wants Hultgren to support House Bill 870, titled the Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment & Training Act”. That bill would levy a quarter-percent tax on speculative trading of stocks, bonds and currencies, then use the estimated $400 billion raised to fund a federal job creation program that would give local government agencies money to hire workers in their areas to do public work.

“Hultgren has the idealogical belief that all taxation punishes growth,” Shesgreen said. “This tax discourages speculation. It was the rampant and unregulated speculation that brought about the 2008 market collapse and started this recession that has cost us so many jobs.”

Neither Hultgren nor his aides were available for comment during the rally.

Two Geneva police officers who were standing by Hultgren’s office entrance said that neither Hultgren nor the NIJJ had requested police presence during the rally.

“It was a command decision in our department,” explained officer George Carbray. “Sometimes protest rallies attract counter-protesters, and sometimes competing views cause dissension. We’re here just to keep everybody safe.”

Hultgren released this comment today.

U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today released the following statement regarding the August unemployment report released by the U.S. Department of Labor.

“August's dismal jobs report is disappointing, but unsurprising, so long as this Administration continues to pursue its anti-jobs agenda of burdensome regulations, taxes, and out-of-control spending,” said Hultgren. “Despite his claims to be cutting red tape, the reality is that President Obama and his appointed bureaucrats are proposing even more regulations that threaten to do enormous damage to our fragile economy.”

“Before he comes to Congress next week, I urge President Obama to study the commonsense pro-growth agenda Republicans will be adopting this fall. More taxes and spending won’t get our economy moving and put Americans back to work; that requires fostering a pro-growth economic climate; lessening intrusions by unaccountable bureaucrats; and providing certainty about what Washington will do in the future.”