We need Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

 

A Jobs Crisis Without Outrage?

 

It is simply amazing that hardly anyone in Washington is fully engaged in pushing for job creating legislation.  At least 8,000,000 jobs have been lost since the recession began. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps a million, public employees in state and local government face layoffs as a result of budget cuts caused by reduced tax revenues as a consequence of all the lost jobs. Unless something is done it is entirely possible, even likely that we will face a double dip recession resulting in even more job losses.

 

The fact is that we are losing an ideological struggle in Washington. The deficit hawks in both parties argue that too much is being spent. They have prevented extensions of unemployment and subsidized COBRA for the unemployed. They have blocked extending unemployment to distressed workers beyond 99 weeks in states with high unemployment. And they have discourage the passage of new job creating legislation that would provide localities with new funds to prevent public employee layoffs and generate job growth in the private sector. 

New York Times Columnist Bob Herbert described the problem well in his June 14th column. The deficit hawks are a problem in the House and Senate. Although because of senate rules they are more of a problem in the Senate.

 

We must act now to counter the deficit hawks and push for job creating legislation and other measures that would help restore the economy.

 

The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act is a jobs bill our economy needs. It is not enough, but it is something the Senate should pass. Today the Senate is scheduled to vote on a key procedural motion--an up or down vote on the legislation. Please call or email your senators to urge them to support an up or down vote on theAmerican Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act. To contact your senators you can call the congressional switchboard 202-224-3121 and ask for your senator by name or you can email them through the Senate web site.

 

Jobs legislation and community action in support of job creation and against budget cuts should be a priority for every DSAer. We will do our best to keep you posted on legislation and action.