Creating Jobs Now continued

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249,000 - of its manufacturing jobs.  Service jobs pay an average of 30% less than the manufacturing jobs they are replacing.  Moreover, wages have continued to decline relative to profits and to the costs of living.  Real wages for African-Americans have declined since 1980; the hourly wage gap between Whites and African-Americans has grown by 126.3% between 1980 and 2007 – from $1.52 to $3.44.

Further, all businesses, but especially minority businesses, are still having difficulty obtaining the capital they need to grow and expand.  In this respect, the current “credit crunch” has merely exacerbated an already serious problem.  Further, ex-felons face closed doors and extreme challenges when they seek to re-integrate into the economy and earn a living as productive citizens.  They should not be economically marginalized and excluded, or we will simply be channeling them back to a life of crime in order to survive.

In light of these economic trends and problems with existing approaches to job creation, new approaches are needed to create sustainable jobs for Illinoisans.  I have a comprehensive Jobs Plan for Illinois and the 13th District that consists of the following elements:

• A more accountable system of ensuring that minorities, especially African-Americans (who receive the fewest opportunities), receive a fair share of state-funded contracts and jobs from state appropriations (e.g., road repair, high speed rail, CTA expansion, etc.) and other public funds to be expended in the District;

• Specifically, I support a requirement that each and every company of a certain scale that receives state funds create an apprentice program for minorities, and that 25 percent of all jobs created by each contract funded in any part by state dollars must go to minority workers and those who live in the geographical community where the project is located; compliance would be monitored through public reports that would have to be published on the internet in user-friendly format.

• I support vigorous citizen monitoring and enforcement of minority contracting laws and hiring goals, including but not limited to the presence of citizen advocates at all levels of project planning and implementation;

• I will sponsor legislation to significantly expand the availability of capital and loans to minority businesses seeking to grow and expand; this can be achieved through an Illinois Community Reinvestment Act and/or making deposit of state funds by the Treasurer contingent on bank lending;
  
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