A number of Macomb County communities support a call by the county to encourage the government to enact a federal program for Americans to work.
The cities of Richmond, Memphis, Mount Clemens, Roseville and the center line and the towns of Lenox and Clinton have adopted resolutions urging the U.S. Congress and President Obama to create and pass a jobs law that employ people full set-off for at least a year.
The resolution was the result of the efforts of the Board of Education Macomb County Commissioners and the training committee to focus on the problem of prolonged and widespread unemployment.
In a special committee meeting in February, President David Flynn said that while the extensions of unemployment compensation can be beneficial, job creation is a viable solution for many economic problems such as foreclosures, decreased wages, reduced consumer spending and overloaded service agencies are plaguing the citizens of this country.
A letter from Flynn and Macomb County Board Chairman Paul Gieleghem, who accompanied a proposed resolution sent to communities across the county said that “… it is essential for our residents to find a job.”
“What we are saying here is that, as the county and local communities, who are on the ground floor of the provision of services and are about the struggles that families are experiencing every day,” wrote Gieleghem. ”As the local service provider have a responsibility to defend our federal legislators. I think they have a responsibility to take into account that we are communicating with one voice we need to get people back to work in this community to recover from the economic situation. “
Memphis City Council voted in March to adopt the resolution.
“We need to support this I think.” Extending unemployment benefits is not as important as getting people back to work “said Memphis Mayor Dan Weaver.
The resolution adopted by the county incorporated revealing statistics:
* Michigan lost 279 242 jobs more than in 2009, bringing the number of jobs lost in Michigan in the last decade to 796 942;
* The University of Michigan forecast net job losses of 84,900 in 2010, while SEMCOG provides a regional net loss this year 52,000 jobs;
* From December 2008 the state has suffered unemployment rates in double digits and since 2006 has led the nation with the highest levels of unemployment;
* In 1977 the Bureau of Economic Analysis U.S. Michigan ranked 12th in the nation in per capita income – a condition that dropped in 1999 to 17 and 38 in 2008.
A concept plan for a national employment program entitled “Working for Americans”, together with the resolution described a step by step look at a proposal so it could work.
“Nobody knows how the Congress will pass anything, however, what we are trying to do is not just talk in vague terms. We appeal to a federal employment program, but we also have a responsibility to set a vision of what we believe it can work, “said Gieleghem.
The work for the American concept provides the flow of direct federal aid to local Workforce Investment Boards, and employment agencies.
Non-profit 501 (c) 3 would be subject to a local WIB, the proposals for the financing of the project approval to be evaluated according to criteria such as their ability to create jobs instantly, and their profit potential with respect to areas of interest such as food, housing, utility assistance, community improvement, child health and development, financial stability of the organization, and ensuring that not less than 90 percent of funding for each project will go to the salaries of those to be employed.
Qualifying nonprofit proposals would be reviewed and approved by the WIB and then posted on the job boards such as Michigan Works! Talent Bank.
“What we’re asking is new here. What we are suggesting is that, taken TARP funds, you know, the money they were given to the banks that now they are returned because, of course, the banks were too big for fail. What we are saying is’ our communities are too big to fail. “We must put people to work to keep afloat all of us – our businesses and our communities and our families, “said Gieleghem.
Upon review and approval of the resolution by the communities, Gieleghem said that the passage of day, they were sent to Congress with the hope that “recognize that we must do more than just tax credits for small businesses and the release of capital gains for investments in small businesses. We have to really put people back to work. The benefit of this is that we will serve our community better and meet the needs of the community in a difficult economy, “he added.
Not everybody agrees, however, that this particular resolution will pave the way for a return to a prosperous state.
The text of the resolution did not sit well with the Macomb County Commissioner Keith Rengert, R-Richmond Township, who was the lone dissenter on the proposal to recommend the county to adopt the resolution.
“We are asking the government programs for one year and if you do the math on that, which refers to something like that if this resolution to President Obama and Congress approved, I mean that is emerging $ 23 billion and I don ‘do not think anyone ever looked at that, “said Rengert.
“I am not against job, but the text of the resolution makes no sense at all. I know many of my people, you know, when they called, they asked what I thought of him. I had no problem way to encourage the federal government, you know, or the state government to recognize the problems we are having here in Michigan and Macomb County, but the resolution was mainly, you know, is one of those things sound good. Why in the world we want government programs a year? So, in other words, we will have everyone who is laid off in Michigan, everyone is looking for a job in Michigan and employment for one year. In fact, did little or no sense on the basis of the resolution.
“We want the federal government to spend 23 billion U.S. dollars in Michigan, you know, when it is not going to spend 23 billion U.S. dollars across the United States.”
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