Jobs News

Creating Jobs, Opportunity Through Transit Investments

Ed. Note: Cross-posted with the Fast Lane

Since President Obama introduced the American Jobs Act a few weeks ago, Secretary LaHood has been an outspoken advocate for its passage, and with good reason.

On Monday, for example, Brian Lombardozzi, a senior policy analyst with the BlueGreen Alliance, joined me to discuss the importance of investing in job-creating transit projects.  And yesterday, I had the chance to extend that conversation at a conference called "Building the Future: New York State Transit Manufacturing Conference."

This extended discussion fits President Obama and Secretary LaHood's message perfectly because transit investments create jobs and opportunities.

Transit literally connects people with opportunities.  It connects them to jobs, to school, to the grocery store. It connects customers to businesses.  For many Americans and American businesses, it’s an absolute lifeline.

But in many places, that lifeline is crumbling.  If we're going to be honest with ourselves, we have to acknowledge that our major transit systems were built and paid for by our parents and grandparents.  The American Jobs Act would provide $9 billion for thousands of jobs repairing bus and rail transit systems.  Once Congress passes the Act, that money will go out quickly and easily into the economy, creating jobs and helping get our transit systems up to speed.

As I told conference-goers yesterday, the same outcome holds true for American Jobs Act investments in roads, runways, and rail.

 

Watch Live: President Obama’s Open for Questions Roundtable

Over the last week, Yahoo!, MSN Latino, AOL Latino and HuffPost LatinoVoices have been collecting your questions for President Obama on issues like the economy, job creation, education and fixing our immigration system to meet our 21^st century economic and security needs.

Today, President Obama will hear from you in a special Open for Question roundtable addressing questions that you submitted to Yahoo!, MSN Latino, AOL Latino and HuffPost LatinoVoices. The roundtable will be available in both English and Spanish.

Tune in to the discussion live at 11:25 a.m. EDT at WhiteHouse.gov/live and learn more about President Obama’s commitment to increasing opportunity for the Hispanic community and all Americans.

President Obama: We Need to Do Everything We Can to Prepare Our Kids for the Future

President Barack Obama waves to the crowd after addressing Abraham Lincoln High School, Denver, Colorado, Sept. 27, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Today, President Obama visited the Abraham Lincoln High School in Denver, Colorado to talk about how the American Jobs Act will help modernize schools like Lincoln High all across the country. The President is proposing a $25 billion investment in school infrastructure to repair and upgrade at least 35,000 public schools because, as he said today, “Every child deserves a great school – and we can give it to them. We can rebuild our schools for the 21^st century, with faster internet, smarter labs and cutting-edge technology.” 

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) awarded the United States a ‘D’ for the condition of our public school infrastructure and the statistics are grim. The average public school building in the United States is over 40 years old, and many are much older. Schools spend over $6 billion annually on their energy bills, more than they spend on computers and textbooks combined.  Forty three states reported that one-third or more of their schools do not meet all of the functional requirements necessary to effectively teach laboratory science, knowledge that is critical if we are to prepare our children for the jobs of the future. The Job Act’s school infrastructure funds can be used for a range of much needed emergency projects, including greening and energy efficiency upgrades, asbestos removal and modernization efforts to build new science and computer labs and upgrade the technology infrastructure in our schools. The President’s goal is to create a better, safer learning environment for all students: 

President Obama's Town Hall with LinkedIn: "We are in this thing Together"

President Barack Obama answers an audience member's question during a Town Hall meeting sponsored by LinkedIn at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, Sept. 26, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Today, President Obama was at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California for a discussion on putting America back to work with members of LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network with more than 120 million users worldwide. LinkedIn members from Gainesville, Florida to Phoenix, Arizona submitted their questions on the economy and jobs for the President to answer during the live Town Hall.

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner kicked off the Town Hall, noting the role of passing the American Jobs Act in putting the country back to work:

There's one number you may be less familiar with, and that's 3.2 million, the number of available jobs in this country -- 3.2 million.  We have everything we need to begin to put this country back to work -- the raw materials, the basic building blocks and, perhaps most importantly, the will of a nation.  What we need is the way.  With the American Jobs Act, our President is leading the way.

Then he turned it over to President Obama to say a few words before diving into questions:

As you mentioned, I put forward a proposal, the American Jobs Act, that would put thousands of teachers back into the classrooms who have been laid off due to downturns in state and local budgets; that would make sure that we are rebuilding our infrastructure -- taking extraordinary numbers of construction workers who have been laid off when the housing bubbles went bust and putting them to work rebuilding our roads and our airports and our schools, and laying broadband lines -- all the things that help us make a success; and also make sure that we’re providing small businesses the kinds of tax incentives that will allow them to hire and allow them to succeed. 

The American Jobs Act: Your Questions Answered

On September 8, President Obama called on Congress to pass the American Jobs Act, his plan to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working. And a week ago today, he explained how he would ensure the American Jobs Act does not add a dime to our deficit and proposed a balanced approach to getting our financial house in order. 

Here in the White House we have been getting lots of feedback on the President’s plans from citizens across the country who have called, e-mailed, tweeted and posted to express their opinions and ask questions. So below are responses to some of the questions, criticisms and misconceptions that we have heard so far. 

The President Knows Congress Will Not Pass His Plan So He Is Just Wasting Our Time.

While it is up to Congress to decide if it will pass the President’s American Jobs Act so he can sign it into law, there is no reason that Congress shouldn’t. As the President explained in his address, every proposal in the American Jobs Act “is the kind of proposal that's been supported by both Democrats and Republicans.” The President’s plan will cut taxes for working Americans and small businesses and put construction workers, teachers, police officers and firefighters, veterans and the long-term unemployed back to work. And President Obama laid out a plan to pay for it, by closing tax loopholes for millionaires and billionaires as well as hedge fund managers, private jet owners and oil companies – although he has called on the Joint Committee to make the final decision on how to make sure that it will not add to our deficit. So there’s no reason the Congress should not pass this bill.  

Americans Already Pay Too Much To The Government – The Last Thing We Should Do Is Raise Taxes.

The President’s proposal to repeal the tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and close loopholes and subsidies for big corporations, oil companies, hedge fund managers and corporate jet owners is part of a balanced approach to getting our financial house in order. It’s an approach that asks everyone to pay their fair share and makes sure everyone gets a fair shake. Recognizing that the economy remains fragile, the plan includes no tax increases for anyone in 2011 or 2012—and, in fact,  includes $245 billion in tax cuts for workers and small businesses in these years. And the President’s plan lives up to the simple idea that we can live within our means while still making the investments we need to grow our economy, compete globally and create jobs that will ensure our future prosperity in areas including education, innovation, clean energy and infrastructure. 

As the President said in his speech last week, this is about choices: “Either we ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share in taxes, or we’re going to have to ask seniors to pay more for Medicare. We can’t afford to do both. Either we gut education and medical research, or we’ve got to reform the tax code so that the most profitable corporations have to give up tax loopholes that other companies don’t get. We can’t afford to do both. This is not class warfare. It’s math.”   

The Last Stimulus Did Not Create Jobs And This One Will Not Create Jobs Either. 

Despite what critics of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act say, independent economists have determined that it did create jobs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found that the Recovery Act created or saved as many as 3.5 million jobs as of the end of last year. And Macroeconomic Advisors, Moody’s Economy.com and IHS/Global Insight all similarly found that it created or saved well over 2 million jobs as of that point. 

As the President said in his Address to a Joint Session of Congress, “The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working.” And outside experts agree. Moody’s Analytics’ Mark Zandi estimates that if Congress passed the American Jobs Act, it would add 1.9 million jobs and 2 percentage points to GDP growth in 2012. And Macroeconomic Advisors estimates that it would add 1.3 million by the end of 2012. So you don’t have to take it from us – outside experts say the American Jobs Act will put Americans back to work and grow the economy. 

How Does the American Jobs Act Help Students Gain Employment?

Students, like other workers, will benefit from the payroll tax cuts that the President has proposed to spur businesses to hire. The President’s plan would completely refund payroll taxes paid on added workers or wage increases for current workers above the level of last year’s payroll, encouraging firms to hire additional employees or raise wages for their current employees. The Act also includes $1.5 billion for summer jobs and year-round employment for low-income youth ages 16-24. Such programs can not only provide young people with their first paycheck, but also teach them life-long employment skills.    

What Will the Jobs Act Do to Help People Who Are Self-Employed?

All small business owners, including those who are self-employed, would benefit from the President’s proposed tax cuts for small businesses. These tax cuts will cut employer and self-employment payroll taxes in half, and extend 100% expensing provisions that provide an incentive for investment. And if self-employed or home-based businesses want to expand, they will receive a tax break for hiring new workers.

The President’s plan also makes it easier for states to allow unemployed workers to create their own jobs by starting their own businesses, by allowing states across the nation to use federal funds to support self-employment assistance programs. The President’s plan will also enable states to connect entrepreneurs with mentoring and access to capital through SBA and other public and private resources.

 How Will You Ensure Job Creation and "Stimulus" Opportunities and Dollars Actually Reach Minority Small Businesses?

The President is proposing tax cuts that will go to every small business nationwide – including over 100,000 African-American-owned small businesses and 250,000 Hispanic-owned small businesses. These tax cuts will cut employer payroll taxes in half for these businesses, provide them with an added bonus for increasing their payroll, and extend 100% expensing provisions that provide an incentive for investment. 

Additionally, the President’s plan includes administrative, regulatory and legislative measures to help small firms, including those owned by minorities start and expand. These measures include speeding up government payments to small businesses, reducing their regulatory burdens and removing some withholding requirements that keep capital out of the hands of job creators.

How Will the American Jobs Act Address Technology Gaps between Rural and Urban Areas, and what Incentives Will It Offer to Technology Entrepreneurs?

The American Jobs Act will invest in developing and deploying a nationwide wireless network for use by first responders and free up public and private spectrum to enable the private sector to deploy high-speed wireless services to at least 98 percent of Americans, even those living in remote rural and farming communities. 

The President’s plan will also support technology entrepreneurs by investing $30 billion to renovate and modernize our nation’s schools and community colleges. Part of this funding will be used to build new science and computer labs and to upgrade technology in our schools. 

Finally, technology entrepreneurs, like all small businesses would benefit from the President’s proposed tax cuts for small businesses. These tax cuts will cut employer payroll taxes in half for these businesses, provide them with an added bonus for increasing their payroll, and extend 100% expensing provisions that provide an incentive for investment. 

Click here to learn more about the American Jobs Act. We’ll keep responding to the feedback we hear from you, so keep asking questions, raising concerns and letting us know what you think about the President’s plans.

Mayor of Baltimore: American Jobs Act Will Help Us Grow Out of Recession

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says the country needs the American Jobs Act in order to “grow out of this great recession.”  As an older city, Baltimore has tremendous infrastructure needs and its mayor believes the $50 billion investment in rebuilding that is a core component of the Jobs Act will make the streets and schools of her city “safer for generations to come.” Rawlings-Blake also applauds the Jobs Act’s focus on offering relief to small business owners, who she says are the “backbone” of Baltimore's economy.

Watch Mayor Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore support the American Jobs Act, here. 

See how other mayors say the American Jobs Act will impact their cities:

Mayor Dayne Walling of Flint, Michigan
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, California
Mayor Michael Hancock of Denver, Colorado
Mayor Mark Mallory of Cincinnati, Ohio
Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, Kentucky
Mayor Sly James of Kansas City
Mayor Phil Gordon of Phoenix, Arizona

Entrepreneurs Applaud America Invents Act, Say It Will Create More Jobs

Watch Patent Reform with the America Invents Act, here. 

Last week, the President signed the America Invents Act, a much-needed reform that will speed up the patent process and enable entrepreneurs to turn an invention into a business three times faster than before. 

Jessica Mathews, the CEO of Unchartered Play, says that the America Invents Act and the American Jobs Act are exactly what small business owners like her need to thrive. Mathews says that patent reform “will allow inventors and entrepreneurs and businesses to have greater likelihood that their patent will issue, that that patent will issue sooner, and all the incentive to go out there and create jobs to get their products to market.”

Mathews invented the Soccket, a soccer ball that generates electricity as it's being kicked around. Her product is being used as a portable generator in developing countries short on energy supply.

Louis Foreman is the listed inventor of 10 registered U.S. patents, and his firm, Enventis, is responsible for the development and filing of well over 400 more. Foreman has created nine successful start-ups and has been directly responsible for the creation of more than 20 others. Foreman says that the America Invents Act “will help bring both speed and certainty to the patent system.  It will allow inventors and entrepreneurs and businesses to have greater likelihood that their patent will issue, that that patent will issue sooner, and all the incentive to go out there and create jobs to get their products to market.”

President Obama stands up for the American Jobs Act at the Ohio River's Brent Spence Bridge

Ed. Note: Cross-posted from Fast Lane, the blog of the Secretary of Transportation.

Two weeks ago, President Obama presented his American Jobs Act to a joint session of Congress and to the people of America.  Today, I was pleased to join him at the Brent Spence Bridge across the Ohio River, a functionally obsolete crossing on one of North America's busiest trucking routes. Replacing this bridge is exactly the kind of project that the American Jobs Act could support. 

And the Brent Spence Bridge from Cincinnati, Ohio to Covington, Kentucky is just one example.  As the President said, "The same is true in cities and towns all across America.  It’s not safe.  It lengthens the commute to work.  It costs our businesses billions when they can’t ship parts or products as quickly as possible."

President Barack Obama shakes hands with construction workers after delivering remarks on the American Jobs Act at the Brent Spence Bridge, that spans the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Ky., Sept. 22, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

We were joined beside the bridge by ironworkers, laborers, and carpenters from the area, some of whom have been out of work for months on end.  They would be happy to get back on the job rebuilding the Brent Spence or any of the tens of thousands of bridges in America that need repair, replacement, or modernization.  If only Congress would pass the American Jobs Act.

Infographic:Rebuilding America's Transportation System through the American Jobs Act

America is the country that built the transcontinental railroad and the interstate highway system; the Hoover Dam and Grand Central Station but today, we have roads, bridges, airports and railway lines all across the country that are in need of repair and updating. This afternoon, President Obama was in Cincinnati, Ohio where the Brent Spence Bridge, located on one of the busiest trucking routes in North America, is in such poor condition that it has been labeled functionally obsolete.

The American Jobs Act, a set of ideas supported by both Democrats and Republicans, includes $50 billion for immediate investment in America's infrastructure. This investment not only improves Americans' daily lives by making commutes shorter and safer, but it puts construction workers across the country to work in much needed middle class jobs. 

To better understand how the American Jobs Act will improve our nation's infrastructure and put Americans back to work, take a look at the infographic below.