ANALYSIS | John Huntsman, the former Utah governor and U.S. ambassador, is better known for his foreign policy stances than for his economic views. However, Huntsman has had to demonstrate his economic chops in order to compete with the other Republican candidates and to appeal to conservatives by contrasting his approach to that of the Obama administration.
Following is a look at Jon Huntsman's economic policy.
Economic Plan: Not Romney
Huntsman launched his economic plan in early September with an ad that showed Gov. Huntsman as "number 1" in job creation in Utah and contrasting that with Gov. Mitt Romney's record, suggesting Massachusetts had been 47 in job creation at the time. His ad, however, gave no specifics.
On Taxes: Would Close Loopholes
Huntsman opposes "corporate welfare," according to his press releases. He would support closing tax loopholes, repealing deductions and ending "corporate welfare" as part of a comprehensive tax reform plan.
On Unemployment: As Governor, Focused on Job Growth
Huntsman says that the September jobs report reflects poorly on President Barack Obama, and suggests that in contrast his time spent as governor of Utah, his tax policies kept the state employed.
"The President refuses to take on the serious tax and regulatory reforms - like I did in Utah," he asserted. "The current rate of job growth will still leave us above 9% unemployment for many months -- an unacceptably high level. Big problems require bold solutions; since the President is not willing to offer them Americans need to elect someone who will."
He also took a swipe at Texas Gov. Rick Perry in September, noting, "I hate to rain on the parade of the Lone Star governor, but as governor of Utah, we were the No. 1 job creator in this country during my years of service. That was 5.9 percent when you were creating jobs at 4.9 percent."
On Trade: Free Trade Deals Need to Be Expanded
In a blog by Huntsman, he agreed that free trade agreements are necessary, but said that President Obama's record "fails to match his rhetoric." Huntsman criticized him on the grounds that free trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama were not submitted to Congress for approval for 2.5 years, in comparison to a free trade deal between Canada and Colombia which went into affect earlier in August.
According to Huntsman, a much greater emphasis needs to be put on trade as part of the economic recovery. "Ninety-five percent of the world's customers live outside our borders, and with the United States party to only 17 of the more than 300 trade agreements worldwide, opening markets and expanding a customer base for American business should be a commonsense tool to spark immediate growth."
On Taxes: Record of Tax Cutting
Early in the campaign, Huntsman touted a record of returning $400 million to taxpayers through "the largest tax cut in Utah history." He laid claim to tripling the size of the state's rainy day fund, balanced the budgets, implemented a flat tax, and cut regulations.
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