Jobs and Economic Development

By John Jacobson

The answer to economic prosperity in our rural communities is new green technology. The entrepreneurial spirit of our small and micro businesses, our enterprise zones and our skilled workers are ready to bring these new technologies to the marketplace.

Rural enterprise zones like those in Yuba City and Siskiyou County can become centers for the development of these new technologies. Instead of creating a additional federal bureaucracy for getting incentives to green businesses, encourage these businesses to grow themselves within existing rural enterprise zones through new green incentives added to existing enterprise zone programs.

Right now our enterprise zones are challenged in their efforts to attract businesses offering living wage jobs, by the international competition that has crippled our national manufacturing sector. Transportation to markets is a challenge. Workforce training is another. But the growing worldwide demand for green technology could be the answer to our rural area's economic problems. Our transportation problems will be overcome to ship and export high demand products, and our junior colleges and universities in CD2 are poised to help green businesses relocating to our enterprise zones to train a work force ready to fulfill their needs.

For workers in rural areas, the ability to join a union can mean the difference between a living wage and poverty. Labor unions have been our greatest anti-poverty generator in this country, and as we have seen the strength of the labor movement weaken, we have seen the middle class threatened and poverty in this country increase. I am determined to maintain a strong partnership with organized labor and to be a champion for the rights of workers. If you work you are entitled to make a living wage. If you work, you are entitled to cost of living adjustments. If you work, you are entitled to a minimum standard of living in which you can provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, health care and education for yourself and your family. These are basic American rights. These are essential Human rights.

I support the strengthening of labor laws. While federal law supports the right to join a union, this right is regularly ignored by employers. The Employee Free Choice Act will provide real choice about union membership. I agree with John Edwards that "Americans need new trade policies that put workers, wages and families first."

Note on the economy: With the worsening economic crisis, Congress should immediately repeal the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, those making over $200,000 a year. Recovery from the current housing crisis will be slow and the burden will fall hardest on an already beleaguered middle class. The significant infusion of capital this action will create can help to offset some of these hardships.