Article/Column

Americans want to work

by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings

If any of my Republican colleagues in the Congress still have doubts about the importance of the federal "Stimulus" initiative, they should have traveled to Baltimore last week.  A short drive up I-95 would have given opponents of the federal help a golden opportunity to listen to the men and women who, by the thousands, waited in line to enter my 14th Annual Job Fair.

The naysayers would have been reminded of some simple truths that those of us in Baltimore have known all of our lives.  What the American people need are more good jobs that will allow them to support their families.

This is as true for African American families as it is for anyone else.

Even in the best of economic times, African American communities suffer from unemployment levels that are twice that of our White countrymen and women.  As the National Urban League's 2009 Report, "The State of Black America," confirmed last week, we are three times more likely to live in poverty.

When the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that national unemployment for March had worsened to 8.5 percent, that announcement made national news.  Yet, even conservative estimates of unemployment acknowledge that more than 13 percent of African Americans are currently without jobs.

Those in our communities who are working part-time or are otherwise "underemployed," as well as those who have been without a job so long that they have stopped searching, are not even counted in the national unemployment estimates. 

My own experience confirms that the struggle for survival within Black neighborhoods is far more desperate than the national unemployment numbers might suggest.  I need only walk through my own community to see Black America drowning in a near-permanent recession.

Now, minorities and other vulnerable groups are threatened with a true "depression" that may require years to resolve - even with massive federal intervention.

Our first challenge, of course, is to survive.

This is why the successful congressional battles to enact the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the "Stimulus") this year were so critical for our community - both for the new jobs that these funds will create and for the jobs that the federal initiative will save.

During the debates over the private sector initiatives, we in the Congressional Black Caucus fought hard to assure that the minority and other "disadvantaged" businesses that provide so many jobs in our communities would have a fair shot at meaningful participation in the job-creating state contracts that will be supported by the additional federal funds.

We also led the effort to provide federal funding to the states to help with the bonding requirements that many minority businesses would otherwise find it difficult to fulfill.

Democratic leadership in the Congress led the way toward providing hard-pressed state governments with essential human services funding that their hemorrhaging budgets could not otherwise sustain.  

The State of Maryland, for example is receiving nearly $4 billion in additional federal stimulus funds.  As a result, Governor O'Malley and the Maryland Legislature will be able to provide nearly $1.7 billion in healthcare services to the most needy of our State - and an additional $1.1 billion in critical federal support for improved public education.

If it were not for these additional federal dollars, many of our health care providers and teachers would be losing their jobs, even as I write this message.

The federal contributions to the well-being of our State benefit everyone, but they are especially important to Maryland's African American citizens.  The Stimulus will allow Maryland to increase our public commitments by more than $464 million in job-producing transportation projects, housing, our environment, energy sufficiency, public safety and workforce development. 

In the longer-term, improving public education and our additional investment in "workforce development" may be the most important of all.

We must be honest with ourselves.  Creating good jobs can only benefit those in our community who have gained the skills they need to qualify for those opportunities.

Each year, I am gratified that my Job Fairs can bring public and private employers together with job-seekers.  Last week, when my Chief of Staff told me of those who had been offered a job at our event, it made my day.

Even those who do not immediately find a job at our Annual Job Fairs often gain the "leads" that will help them take the next economic step in their lives.  However, I also realize that more than these once-a-year opportunities will be required to reverse the increasingly desperate economic tide in our community.

That is why, back during the Clinton years, I worked so hard to support the creation of "One-Stop Career Centers."  For our community to survive and thrive, job seekers need these convenient, every day, one-stop Centers where they can both learn about employment opportunities and gain the job counseling and training that will qualify them for those better jobs.

These gateways to better lives can help job-seekers gain the practical assistance they need - but only if they are first convinced by family or friends to take advantage of this help.
 
If you know someone who is looking for a job - or for a better position - our City's One-Stop Career Centers are conveniently located at 1100 North Eutaw Street (410-767-2148), 3001 E. Madison Street (410-396-9030), and Mondawmin Mall (410-523-1060).

Baltimore County and Howard County residents can find the same help at 7930 Eastern Boulevard (410-288-9050 ext. 424), 11101 McCormick Road (410- 887-7940), or 7161 Columbia Gateway Drive (410-290-2600).

Americans want to work.  As a nation, we all have an interest in helping our neighbors achieve their dreams.

- The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings represents the 7th Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives.