LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WXOW) – It's fundamental disagreement between Democrats and Republicans.
The Democrats, led by President Barack Obama, argue that tax breaks for America's working class, and higher taxes on the country's top earners, will stimulate the economy and create jobs.
But Republicans supporting all but certain presidential candidate Mitt Romney disagree.
"In a time of recession you don't raise taxes," said Julian Bradley, the Chair of La Crosse County's Republican Party. "So tax breaks are what's going to spur the economy."
The Romney campaign promises he will right the American Economic Ship while providing tax breaks across the board.
But State Representative Bruce Ayers, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said he's heard that before – during Romney's 2002 Gubernatorial run.
"People need to know Mitt Romney's record," Ayers said. "When he campaigned for the Governorship of Massachusetts, he campaigned on creating jobs and not raising taxes."
"But when he got into office those promises went by the wayside," Ayers added, citing some $750-million in annual increases in fees and taxes imposed across the state.
"President Romney won't face the same issue Governor Romney did in Massachusetts," said Bradley.
"A legislature overwhelmingly controlled by the Democrats, a tax and spend Democratic legislature, is what pushed all of that through," he said.
Bradley also said the former Governor's extensive experience working in the private sector makes him better qualified than the president to fix a struggling economy.
But State Representative James Murphy, also a Massachusetts Democrat, dismissed that claim.
"Government is not a business. It's not about profits, it's about people," Murphy said.
"I think the talents (Romney) has, and they're great talents as a businessman, don't translate into government," he said.
"We are creating jobs," Murphy added, in reference to the June report released this month indicating 80-thousand jobs had been created last month.
"I know it's not as quickly as people would like but there are jobs being created," Murphy said.
"It's not about whether we've done much," said Bradley. "It's about whether we've done enough, and we haven't."
"We're now at 41 consecutive months of unemployment nationally above eight percent," he said.
The Romney campaign also indicates the unemployment rate in Massachusetts fell during the former Governor's time in office.
But Democrats counter that job creation across the state as a whole also fell, ranking Massachusetts 47 of 50 states nationally when Romney left office.
