Representative Jan Schakowsky <\/a>(D-IL) has proposed<\/span><\/a> a jobs bill that would provide more than two million jobs for people who are currently unemployed. The \u201cEmergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act,\u201d dovetails perfectly with continuing progressive <\/span>efforts<\/span><\/a> to switch from a defensive mindset and go on offense. In fact, the name of the bill suggests influences from the recent effort by moveon.org and Van Jones (former Obama administration official),\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cRebuild The American Dream\u201d<\/span><\/a>. Representative Schakowsky says that this bill represents the spirit of the \u00a0<\/span>Contract for the American Dream<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The proposed plan includes $227 billion in expenditures over a two year period, along with a \u201cFairness in Taxation\u201d act to pay for the initiative. The taxation portion raises taxes on millionaires, while closing loopholes currently benefiting companies that \u201coutsource\u201d jobs overseas and ends oil company subsidies. Schakowsky\u2019s <\/span>press release<\/span><\/a> for the legislation calls on Congress to \u201cfocus like a laser on the most pressing crisis facing our country \u2013 the jobs crisis.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Under the bill, priority for job placement would go to those who have been unemployed and have run out of benefits, along with veterans. Geographic allocation of the jobs would be determined by a community\u2019s unemployment rate. Other key points of the bill include:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
• School improvement jobs would account for 400,000 construction and 250,000 maintenance positions. <\/span><\/li>\n
• The park improvement portion would create 100,000 jobs for people between ages 16 and 25 through a number of public agencies. <\/span><\/li>\n
• 250,000 part-time work study jobs would be created for college students. <\/span><\/li>\n
• A \u201cNeighborhood Heroes Corps\u201d would be created to employ 300,000 teachers, 40,000 police and 12,000 firefighters. <\/span><\/li>\n
• Other targeted areas include health care, child care and a \u201cCommunity Corps\u201d that would do recycling, housing rehabilitation, weatherization and conservation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  This bill goes far beyond just putting people to work (as important as that is) and addresses many of the problems in America\u2019s infrastructure. John Maynard Keynes, during the Great Depression<\/span>, offered the advice<\/span><\/a> \u201cget the ball rolling\u201d and mentioned repairing railroads along with other infrastructure that could be implemented in 6 months (shovel ready, as we prefer to call it now). <\/span><\/p>\n

  Shakowsky\u2019s bill will face a tough battle in Congress, with conservative commentators <\/span>attempting<\/span><\/a> to make it sound like a new \u201cCommunist Manifesto\u201d. Of course, the mere fact that it has been proposed at all owes a great deal to the rallies and petitions coordinated\u00a0 by moveon and Van Jones, et al. It may be possible that continued efforts by progressive groups will improve the odds for this bill. Even if the bill fails, it plays an important role in defining its opponents as \u201canti-job\u201d and pro wealthy at a time when such stands are becoming ever more unpopular. <\/span><\/p>\n

  American citizens continue to grow <\/span>more comfortable<\/span><\/a> with tax increases, while Republican Presidential candidates refuse to consider victory when offered 90% of what they want, in apparent <\/span>denial of reality<\/span><\/a>. Continued denial of the actual situation faced by those who used to be America\u2019s middle class and those barely clinging to that category could well come back to bite the GOP\u2019s sensitive side in the coming elections.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

   <\/p>\n

  [Image: AP]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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