President Obama is Right: The Country Needs Jobs Now

by Clyde Weiss  |  September 09, 2011

Pres. Barack Obama is right to focus on jobs and jump-starting the economy. His plan, The American Jobs Act, is a necessary first step to growing jobs in an economy that was sent reeling by Wall Street and corporate excesses during the previous administration.

“The President made fighting for jobs, the middle class and working families his No. 1 priority,” in Thursday night’s speech, AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee says in a statement. “He realizes that economic recovery is dependent upon both public and private sector growth and closing the Texas-sized tax loopholes to make Wall Street fat-cats pay their fair share is better than laying off nurses, teachers and firefighters.”

The American Jobs Act will target spending at areas of the economy that will produce jobs immediately, putting money into the hands of some of the nation’s 14 million unemployed workers – and millions more who have stopped actively searching for a job because they lack hope, or are working at part-time jobs but would like to work full-time.

These jobs will improve our schools and fix our roads and bridges. They are investments in America’s future that will also put money into the hands of workers today to spend on goods and services, stimulating additional hiring.

The latest jobs report, showing that the 9.1 percent unemployment rate remains unchanged from the month before, should be enough to persuade Congress that they must enact strong job creation legislation. Instead, President McEntee notes, “Politicians seem more interested in attacking working families and posturing over when a jobs program should be presented rather than putting America back to work.”

Last year, AFSCME launched an unprecedented campaign to support a jobs bill that will restore America’s economic vitality. We will make our voice heard on Capitol Hill in support of making job creation the top priority. Stay tuned.