Miller Jobs Bill

share this on Twitter

On Friday, April 16, 2010, the Half in Ten Campaign sent a letter to the House of Representatives urging their support for the Local Jobs for America Act, sponsored by Representative George Miller. This important bill would provide much-needed funding to state and local governments, small businesses, and community organizations to create over one million jobs over the next two years.

“We applaud Chairman Miller’s leadership on this bill,” said Melissa Boteach, Half in Ten’s campaign manager. “Already over 300 organizations from 43 states, including labor unions, faith institutions, civil rights organizations, service providers, and the U.S. conference of mayors, have joined Half in Ten in expressing support for this bill. We look forward to working with these groups to continue building momentum to pass the Local Jobs for America Act.”

Read the full text of the letter below.

April 16, 2010

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Steny Hoyer
Majority Leader
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable James Clyburn
Majority Whip
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable John Larson
Democratic Caucus Chair
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Chris Van Hollen
Assistant to the Speaker
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable George Miller
Chairman, Education and Labor Committee
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Majority Whip Clyburn, Democratic Caucus Chair Larson, Assistant to the Speaker Van Hollen and Chairman Miller:

The undersigned organizations write to express our strong support for the Local Jobs for America Act (HR 4812), which would create a million public and private jobs in local communities. We applaud Congressman Miller for the introduction of this critical legislation.

Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost over 8 million jobs, including many providing critical services in communities across the country. The current crisis of unemployment is devastating families all across America. March’s unemployment report revealed an overall jobless rate of 9.7 percent; among African-Americans the jobless rate was a staggering 16.5 percent, among Latinos, 12.6 percent, among women who head families, 11.3 percent, and among youth, 26.1 percent.

We need bold Congressional action in order to put Americans back to work and prevent more layoffs and cuts in crucial services. The Local Jobs for America Act will not only provide employment for hundreds of thousands of jobless workers, it will create and save jobs for workers who are providing services that our communities badly need.

The Local Jobs for America Act provides $100 billion over two years to create or save 750,000 jobs providing local services, and to save 250,000 education jobs. The funding will also keep 5,500 law enforcement officers on the beat, allow localities to hire additional firefighters, and provide on-the-job training slots to help local businesses create employment opportunities. These jobs in turn will put money in the pockets of families, spurring demand in the economy and creating additional private-sector jobs and tax revenues.
Projections of a slow recovery in the labor market underscore the urgent need to create jobs now. Job-creation must precede short-term deficit reduction as lost tax revenue from joblessness is significantly exacerbating our nation’s fiscal problems. As local and national organizations who are witnessing firsthand the current crisis of unemployment and the increased need for services in the face of deep budget cuts, we believe that a bold response cannot wait.
We support quick passage of the Local Jobs for America Act to immediately put Americans back to work, in addition to meeting pressing needs in our communities.
Respectfully,

National and Regional Organizations

9to5 National Association of Working Women
Adrian Dominican Sisters
African American Ministers in Action
Alliance for Children and Families
Alliance for Disabled in Action
America’s Promise Alliance
American Association of University Women (AAUW)
American Community Partnership
American Federation of Government Employees
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
American Federation of Teachers
American Friends Service Committee
American Rights at Work
American’s Friends Service Committee
Americans for Democratic Action, Inc
Asian American Justice Center
Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs
Augustinians, Province of St. Thomas of Villanova
Campaign for America’s Future
Campaign for Community Change
Center for American Progress Action Fund
Center for Law and Social Policy
Change to Win
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Coalition on Human Needs
Committee of Interns and Residents
Communications Workers of America District 1
Community Action Partnership
Community Organizations in Action
Corps Network
Demos
Direct Care Alliance
Drum Major Institute for Public Policy
Economic Opportunity Institute
Economic Policy Institute
Employee Rights Advocacy Institute For Law and Policy
Enterprise Community Partners
First Focus Campaign for Children
Food Research and Action Center
Franciscan Action Network
Green for All
Gulf Area Training Enterprises, LLC
Half in Ten
Insight Center for Community Economic Development
Interfaith Worker Justice
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Labor Committee
Jobs with Justice
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Main Street Alliance
MomsRising
Ms. Foundation for Women
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Association for State Community Services Programs
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of La Raza
National Council of Negro Women
National Council of Women’s Organizations
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
National Jobs for All Coalition
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Network of Sector Partners
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women and Families
National Priorities Project
National Skills Coalition
National Urban League
National WIC Association
National Women’s Law Center
NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Northwest Federation of Community Organizations
Open Door Ministry
Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
PathStone
People For the American Way
PolicyLink
Progressive Future
Progressive States Network
Restaurant Opportunities Centers United
RESULTS
SAG Talent Unions
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
Service Employees International Union
Simon Publications
Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Justice Team
Southern Echo, Inc.
Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice
The Employee Rights Advocacy Institute For Law and Policy
The Opportunity Agenda
The United States Conference of Mayors
Tradeswomen Now and Tomorrow
U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
United Food and Commercial Workers
United for a Fair Economy
United Neighborhood Centers of America
United States Student Association
United Steelworkers
USAction
Wider Opportunities for Women
Women Employed
Women of Reform Judaism
Women’s Research and Education Institute
Woodstock Institute
Working America
YouthBuild USA

State and Local Organizations

Alaska
Alaska Center for Public Policy
Alaska Works Partnerships

Arizona
Arizona Advocacy Network

Arkansas
Arkansas Interfaith Alliance
Arkansas Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice

California
California Church IMPACT
California Partnership
California Resources and Training
Children’s Network of Solano County
Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice of San Diego County
Interfaith Council on Economics and Justice
Parent Voices of Sonoma County
Restaurant Opportunities Center Los Angeles
The Interfaith Council on Economics and Justice
Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corp.
Women at Work

Colorado
Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, a project of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy
Colorado Progressive Action
Colorado Progressive Coalition
Interfaith Worker Justice Committee of Colorado

Connecticut
Collaborative Center for Justice
Connecticut Association for Human Services
Connecticut Citizen Action Group
United Action Connecticut

Delaware
Delaware Opportunities, Inc.
JEVS Human Services

District of Columbia
Alexandria Economic Opportunity Commission
DC Employment Justice Center
Restaurant Opportunities Center of Washington, DC

Florida
Florida Consumer Action Network
Miami Coalition for the Homeless
Milton Child Care Center
Pax Christi Northeast Florida
Restaurant Opportunities Center of Miami
South Florida AFL-CIO
South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice

Georgia
Georgia Chapter African American Lutheran Association
Georgia Rural Urban Summit
Good Work

Hawaii
Arc of Hilo

Idaho
Idaho Community Action Network
Idaho State AFL-CIO
United Action for Idaho

Illinois
ARISE Chicago
Center Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice
Chicago Jobs Council
Chicago Political Economy Group
Chicago Workers’ Collaborative
Chicago’s Coalition for the Homeless
Citizen Action/Illinois
Howard Area Employment Resource Center
Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition
Jobs for Youth Chicago
Local Economic and Employment Development Council
Organization of the NorthEast
Ounce of Prevention Fund
Restaurant Opportunities Center of Chicago
Stopping Woman Abuse Now
YWCA Metropolitan Chicago

Indiana
Calumet Project
Saint Joseph Valley Project of Northern Indiana

Iowa
Iowa Citizen Action Network
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
St. Pius Youth

Kentucky
Kentucky Equal Justice Center

Louisiana
Jesuit Social Research Institute, Loyola University New Orleans

Maine
Community Concepts, Inc.
Maine Center for Economic Policy
Maine Children’s Alliance
Maine People’s Alliance
Maine Women’s Lobby
Restaurant Opportunities Center of Maine

Maryland
Casa de Maryland
Progressive Maryland
Public Justice Center

Massachusetts
Action for Boston Community Development, Inc.
Alliance to Develop Power, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Communities Action Network

Michigan
Michigan Citizen Action
Michigan League for Human Services
Restaurant Opportunities Center of Detroit
St. Joseph Parish

Minnesota
Minnesota Citizens for Tax Justice
Workers Interfaith Network

Missouri
Grass Roots Organizing
Intercommunity Housing Association
Missouri Progressive Vote Coalition
Parenting Life Skills Center
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province

Montana
Tobacco Valley Food Pantry

Nevada
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada

New Hampshire
Granite State Organizing Project
New Hampshire Citizens Alliance for Action
NH AFL-CIO
NH American Friends Service Committee
NH Working Families Win

New Jersey
Council of New Jersey State College Locals, AFT/AFL-CIO
CWA Local 1081
Dress for Success Hudson County
Health Professionals and Allied Employees, AFT/AFL-CIO
HOPES CAP, Inc.
New Jersey Association on Correction
New Jersey Citizen Action
New Jersey Tenants Organization
New Jersey’s Working Families
New Labor
South Jersey Gray Panthers
United Passaic Organization
United Progress, Inc.
Urban League of Hudson County
Victoria Foundation

New Mexico
New Mexico Voices for Children
Southwest Organizing Project in Albuquerque

New York
AMOS Project
Bailey House
Brooklyn AIDS Task Force
CitiWide Harm Reduction
Citizen Action of New York
Common Cause NY
Community Voices Heard
Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services
Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition
Hunger Action Network of NYS
Lower East Side Family Union
Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center
NY State Stimulus Alliance
NYC AIDS Housing Network
Perceptions for People with Disabilities Positive Health Project, Inc.
Pro Action of Steuben and Yates, Inc.
Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York
Syracuse United Neighbors
Voices of Community Advocates and Leaders
YWCA NorthEastern NY
North Carolina
Choanoke Area Development Association of NC, Inc.
NC Justice Center
North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition
Western North Carolina Worker’s Center

North Dakota
Minot Area Homeless Coalition
NDPeople.org

Ohio
Cincinnati Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice
Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center
Contact Center
Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative
Northeast Ohio Alliance for Hope
Ohio Empowerment Coalition
Policy Matters Ohio
ProgressOhio
Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley
Toledo Area Jobs with Justice Coalition and Interfaith Worker Justice
V Dove-Coleman Foundation

Oklahoma
ARC Group Homes, Inc.

Oregon
Human Services Coalition of Oregon
Oregon Action

Pennsylvania
Dignity Housing
Keystone Progress
Mon Valley Unemployed Committee
Nicetown CDC
Pathways PA
PennAction
United Way of Beaver County
Women’s Law Project

Rhode Island
Ocean State Action

South Carolina
SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center
South Carolina Fair Share

Tennessee
Dominican Sisters
Interfaith Worker Justice of East Tennessee
Tennessee Alliance for Progress
Tennessee Citizen Action

Texas
La Fe Policy Research and Education Center
North Dallas Chapter of the National Organization for Women

Virginia
Project Community, Inc.
Virginia Organizing Project

Washington
Children’s Alliance
Got Green
Washington Community Action Network

West Virginia
Direct Action Welfare Group, Inc
West Virginia Citizen Action Group

Wisconsin
Citizen Action of Wisconsin
Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice of South Central Wisconsin
Nutrition and Health Associates
Racine Dominican Justice Outreach Office
Voces de la Frontera
Workers’ Rights Center in Madison, Wisconsin

Wyoming
Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless City