STATEMENT FROM MICHAEL KINK STRONG ECONOMY FOR ALL & CAMILLE RIVERA, UNITED NY ON THE SEPTEMBER 2 JOBS REPORT
The jobs report today makes it clear that the current economic policy of tax cuts for the rich and budget cuts for everyone else isn’t working for our economy.
The report shows that public sector job losses continue to drag down the economy: we lost another 17,000 public sector jobs just last month and the BLS noted that local governments have laid off over 550,000 workers since September 2008.
Today’s jobs numbers are bad, and next month’s are likely to be even worse, with tens of thousands of teachers and aides losing their jobs in our schools and thousands of workers in local and state government and government contractors losing theirs too.
Severe budget cuts aren’t improving our economy. Bailouts and tax breaks for the banks and the billionaires aren’t improving our economy.
In New York and across the nation, austerity isn’t working.
Unemployed workers such as Angela Issac, who lost her job in 2010 is now six months behind on her rent, deserve a plan that will put them to work and boost the economy “It’s so bad that I am now in the process of applying for public assistance. I just want a job that will allow me to pay my bills and keep a roof over my head. Is that too much to ask?”
Young people such as Leslie Tapia are entering the job market with high loan burdens and an uncertain future- we can do better by them with different and better policies on the economy and employment. Leslie, an NYU student has been looking for a job for three years. “The poor economy is making it hard to pay for school, I still have the drive to strive toward my goals, but the lack of jobs is not making things any easier.”
We need a real job creation plan, and we need it now.
In Washington, both parties must approve a right-now job creation plan that includes new investments in infrastructure, transportation, renewable energy and renovations to schools and public buildings that will put Americans back to work on projects that will boost the economy in the short term and save money and increase productivity in the long term.
In New York, the Legislature should return to Albany to address the jobs crisis. We should stop the $5 billion tax break for New York’s richest families, and reinvest the money to create jobs and save schools and services.
Five billion dollars would go a long way as our state rebuilds after Irene. We need money for roads and bridges and infrastructure, particularly Upstate – right now, local and county governments are slated to eliminate workers, when they need help more than ever.
And five billion dollars would help to restore the worst of the job-killing service cuts to schools and human services that are now hitting communities all over our state.
We’re not broke. Rich New Yorkers are doing better than ever, and the 66 billionaires who call New York home have a combined net worth of over $234.9 billion — nearly all of them pay a lower percentage in taxes than their secretaries and servants.
Real job creation, fair-share taxes and strong schools and services: that’s the equation for a stronger economy. We need President Obama, the Congress, Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature to take action on it now.