By Don Knabe & Gavin Newsom
Despite hopeful signs that the worst of our nation's economic crisis is behind us, unemployment rates across the nation remain stubbornly high.
In California, December payrolls were down another 40,000 jobs and
at 12.4%, our joblessness rate remains among the highest in the
country.
For the millions of
Californians who seek the dignity of work and pride of a paycheck, a
jobless economic recovery is no recovery at all. As local elected
leaders, we see the human face of this lingering recession every day
- the families and small business owners struggling to make ends
meet.
That's why we're heartened by the renewed focus demonstrated by
President Obama and Congressional leaders from both parties in
Washington on helping local communities and our small and
medium-sized businesses create jobs. There's been much discussion
lately about how many jobs have actually been created since last
year's passage of the $787 billion stimulus package. And in his
State of the Union speech recently, President Obama called on
Congress to pass a new federal jobs bill to help put people back to
work. The new jobs bill is an enormous opportunity for lawmakers to
give a boost to a little-noticed program from last year's federal
stimulus package that Los Angeles and San Francisco Counties are
using right now to create thousands of private, nonprofit and public
sector jobs.
The 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) set aside $5
billion nationwide - and $1.8 billion for California alone - to
create what is called the "Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Emergency Contingency Fund (TANF-ECF)." That's federal stimulus
jargon for a work-subsidy program that provides federal funds to pay
80% of the wages for unemployed workers with a dependent child,
including subsidizing wages for private sector and non-profit
employers. By combining this program with funding for youth
employment, Los Angeles County has already placed more than 10,000
County residents in jobs. In San Francisco, we call the program
JobsNow, and we've put more than 1,650 people back to work for more
than 800 local companies and nonprofit organizations.
Sound too good to be true? Thousands of people now working under
this program in San Francisco and Los Angeles Counties and other
California counties prove otherwise. As a result of this federal
stimulus funding, thousands of Californians who would otherwise join
the unemployment rolls are supporting their families and local
businesses are continuing to thrive.
The JobsNow Program in San Francisco and the 10,000 Jobs Program in
Los Angeles County are exactly in line with the Obama Administration
and Congressional leaders of both parties' priorities when it comes
to incentivizing job creation. But our success locally in putting
people back to work could come to a screeching halt - and throw
thousands out of work again - when the program expires this year on
September 30.
Amidst a jobless recovery, it simply makes no sense to end this
program.
Fortunately, in his proposed Fiscal Year 2011 budget, President
Obama is supporting an extension of the program for one year, to
September 30, 2011. California's own Senators Barbara Boxer and
Dianne Feinstein are also supporting amendments to extend the
program in the federal jobs bill. Representatives Judy Chu and Pete
Stark are sponsoring a similar proposal in the House of
Representatives.
California is America's largest economy. Economic recovery and job
creation here will help drive economic and job growth across the
country. We strongly urge Congress to include an extension for this
program in the new federal jobs bill. Let's continue a federal
stimulus program that's working exactly as it was intended - putting
thousands of people back to work now.
Don Knabe is a Republican Los Angeles County Supervisor
Gavin Newsom is the Democratic Mayor of San Francisco
