President Barack Obama on Tuesday offered several measures to stimulate job growth, including new tax incentives for small businesses, expansion of road and construction projects and ‘cash for caulkers,’ a program that would give homeowners rebates for making energy-saving improvements.    

The proposals were among a series of new government stimulus and jobs initiatives outlined by the President, who warned that the nation must continue “to spend our way out of this recession.”

The President’s remarks came during an address to the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. Collectively, the Obama administration’s plan turns the spotlight from Wall Street to the small business owners on Main Street, who have reported great difficulty getting the capital they need to expand and hire new workers.  Over the past 15 years, small businesses have created roughly 65 percent of all new jobs in America.

“These are companies formed around kitchen tables in family meetings, formed when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream, formed when a worker decides it’s time she became her own boss,” President Obama said. “These are also companies that drive innovation, producing 13 times more patents per employee than large companies. And it’s worth remembering, every once in a while a small business becomes a big business – and changes the world.”

Secondly, Obama said he wants to increase the investment being made in the nation’s roads, bridges and infrastructure. Construction projects would increase jobs, while simultaneously decreasing the hazards and deadly dangers associated with worn and outdated transportation systems, he said.

“Already, more than 10,000 of these projects have been funded through the Recovery Act,” he noted. “These are needed public works that engage private sector companies, spurring hiring all across the country.”

Finally, the President called upon Congress to establish a program that would provide incentives for homeowners who increase the energy-efficiency of their dwellings. This proposal is part of Obama’s larger Green initiative, which seeks to reduce future national spending by switching to cleaner fuels and more energy-efficient machines and materials.