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Mayors pressure Washington for economic help
Mayors across the country are calling on Washington to stop fighting and get to work on jobs.
Following a report that found the economy added zero new jobs in the month of August. the U.S. Conference of Mayors rolled out what it calls a common-sense jobs plan. And in doing so, its members offered plenty of tough words for Beltway politicians.
“We’re tired, and I think the American people are tired, of all the political posturing,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D), who heads the conference. “Instead of scoring points ... we need to be scoring wins for the American people on the issue of jobs.”
“[Washington politicians] are obsessed with deficit reduction while ignoring the deficit of jobs across the country,” he said. “If they talked to anyone but themselves, they would be running back into session.”
Instead of partisan sniping, the mayors called on Congress to tackle a slew of new initiatives, aimed at boosting the economy over both the short and long term.
Increased access to infrastructure funds is at the top of their list, as they asked Congress to approve transportation funding and reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, which has been partially shut down since the beginning of August.
In addition, the mayors said, Washington should extend unemployment benefits and the payroll-tax cut and add another tax cut for employers that make new hires. Congress also should approve a tax break specifically for companies that hire war veterans, they said.
A new $20 billion loan program aimed at domestic manufacturing is also on the wishlist, as is the approval of three pending trade agreements.
Overhauling the nation’s visa system would also boost the economy, the mayors said. Making it easier for foreign travelers to spend more time in the United States could create more than a million jobs, they said.
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