All Articles Tagged "jobs bill"
Black Women Still Out of Work Despite Shrinking Unemployment
It may not surprise you that black women have been hit the hardest by the economic crisis. The Washington Post reports that while other segments of the nation’s unemployed are slowly starting to find work, a study from the National Women’s Law Center found that black women have lost more jobs during the recovery than they did during the recession.
The national unemployment rate declined from 9.0 percent to 8.6. percent in November; but the Bureau of Labor Statistic reported that the unemployment rate for black women actually increased from 12.6 to 12.9.
And that doesn’t include the 150,000 women who have become too discouraged to continue looking for work. (You have to actively be searching for work in order to be included in the unemployment rate.)
The only bright spot in this dismal news is that President Obama proposed a jobs bill that funds the rehiring of teachers, jobs for veterans construction jobs and job training programs for low-income young people and adults.
We’ll have to see what Congress is going to do with this one…
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Does Obama’s Jobs Bills Have Legs?
(TheLoop21) — By now, you’ve heard the mantra from President Obama “pass this jobs bill,“ which he’s echoed no less than a thousand times throughout September to numerous voting constituencies, in the front and back yards of his political opponents and across every social media platform worth mentioning. Much of the money in the American Jobs Act bill is slated for infrastructure “shovel ready” jobs but can the bill really get those proverbial shovels in the dirt? The dirty truth is that many jobs deemed “shovel ready” are anything but. In a recent Politico article, a Berekley professor said, “Unfortunately, there aren’t many jobs ready to go at the snap of a finger.” And earlier this week, when Obama visited GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry’s state of Texas, he was welcomed with an ad that reminded the administration of when Obama admitted himself that jobs weren’t as shovel-ready as he thought. So why so much focus on the shovel-ready if there’s little certainty that they will dig us out of unemployment?
Obama to GOP: Get on Board With Jobs Bill
(Reuters) – President Barack Obama challenged Republican leaders on Tuesday to put his entire $447 billion jobs plan to a vote, rather than breaking it up, to show American voters “exactly where members of Congress stand.” Obama, a Democrat facing a tough re-election battle in November 2012, sent bills for trade pacts with South Korea, Colombia and Panama to a seemingly receptive Congress on Monday but the mood in Washington has otherwise been fractious as his jobs package comes apart at the seams. Republicans say the proposal — a mix of stimulus spending and tax cuts for workers and small businesses plus an end to some tax breaks for corporations and the rich — will never pass as a whole but that certain parts are worth considering. On the Texas leg of his “pass this bill” tour, Obama chided Eric Cantor, Republican leader in the House of Representatives, for saying he would not allow a vote on the measure. The White House said the plan could save or create about 400,000 education jobs, including 39,500 in Texas. ”I’d like Mr. Cantor to come down here to Dallas and explain what exactly in this jobs bill does he not believe in,” Obama said at a college after speaking at fund-raising events in the city.
Reed Seeks Slice of Obama's Jobs Bill
(AJC) — Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed looks at President Barack Obama’s jobs bill and sees a fresh-baked pie of money. And he intends to help determine how the slices are divvied up. A frequent visitor to the nation’s capital, Reed is back this week for several meetings, including chats with members of the Georgia delegation at Congressional Black Caucus festivities. His top discussion topic with the delegation will be Georgia’s transportation needs, and Reed said in an interview Wednesday that the best opportunity to tap into the federal spigot is Obama’s jobs plan. He hopes to do so on two fronts. The first is reimbursement for the city’s sewer overhaul, which could help stem Atlantans’ skyrocketing water bills. The second is to fund dredging for the Port of Savannah, which would allow it to take on larger ships coming through the newly expanded Panama Canal starting in 2014.
Rich Will Find Jobs Plan More Taxing Than Others
(New York Times) — To pay for his $447 billion jobs bill, President Obama is once again proposing an assortment of tax increases on wealthy individuals and corporations. But the White House also says its plan should be viewed as a rough framework, because its top priority is to get the jobs bill enacted. If Congress approves the president’s jobs plan, it could instead pay for it with other spending cuts or tax increases if that is what the Congressional committee on deficit reduction recommends later this fall. The bulk of the additional tax revenue under Mr. Obama’s proposal would come from the wealthiest 1.5 percent of taxpayers — individuals with adjusted gross income over $200,000, families with more than $250,000 — who would face new limits on their itemized deductions for such things as charitable contributions and state and local taxes. The initiative is similar to one made by the president during the debt ceiling negotiations two months ago and rebuffed by Congressional Republicans.
Fact Sheet: What the Jobs Bill Does for Blacks
(White House) — The American Jobs Act reflects a commitment to strengthen the recovery and help increase access to jobs for all Americans. With unemployment among African-Americans at an unacceptably high rate of 16.7 percent – and 1.4 million African-Americans out of work for more than six months – the President believes that inaction is not an option. That’s why the President is putting out a plan to increase the pace of job creation, and why he is committed to fighting for Congress to act on this plan. These measures – which will expand opportunities for the long-term unemployed to reenter the workforce, provide incentives for businesses to hire, and make investments in revitalizing schools, infrastructure and neighborhoods – will help create new job opportunities in African-American communities and across the country. For example:
—The extension of unemployment insurance will benefit 1.4 million African-Americans and their families. At the same time, the President is proposing bipartisan reforms that will enable that – as these families continue to receive UI benefits – the program is better tailored to support reemployment for the long-term unemployed.
Jobs Bill to Pour Millions into Schools
(Washington Examiner) — Most systems avoided teacher layoffs
School districts in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia will receive a combined $450 million in federal funds to save teachers’ jobs, even as most local school systems avoided major job losses.
“Maryland has not had the problem with teacher layoffs that other states have had, mostly because the state has pumped so many additional funds into education,” said Bill Reinhard, spokesman for the state’s schools. “Exactly what effect [the $179 million in federal money] will have is uncertain.”
Reinhard made an exception for Prince George’s County, where the school board cut 355 classroom positions to help close a $45 million budget shortfall. The federal dollars will allow the county to hire back some teachers.
