 by
Hazel Trice Edney NNPA Editor-in-Chief WASHINGTON (NNPA) -
They clearly won't have it by Christmas, but the nation's
Black state legislators are now looking for what they
perceive as their fair share of an economic bailout for 'the
neighborhood' while Congress is doling them out to
corporations.
“While we support the bail out of Wall Street, the
bailout of the financial institutions, and the automobile
industry, we feel very strongly that Main Street and our
streets need to be bailed out as well,” says Georgia State
Rep. Calvin Smyre, president of the National Black Caucus of
State Legislators. “So, with that in mind, we need to finish
a package whereas a check can get into the hands of the
consumer and then therefore the consumer can go to the
corner grocery store, the drug store, the supermarket, the
various department stores and where the rubber meets the
road is the consumer spending has to go up so therefore that
stimulates the economy in the neighborhood sort of speak.”
The U. S. Congress has approved a $700 billion bailout
for the financial industry; and a $17.4 billion loan for
troubled U. S. automakers. But, how can the nation help the
average citizen who is out of work or living from pay-check
to pay-check, one missed rent from homelessness? Smyre and
state legislators have a remedy. “The only way to do that is
to create a stimulus program whereas the American consumer
is involved. Those other bailouts are rightfully so. But,
they don’t help create jobs. They help save jobs. So,
unemployment is a key factor.”
Facing a gamut of dire needs on the state level, Smyre
and his 125 fellow representatives from 42 states met in
Washington earlier this month for the Caucus’ 32nd Annual
Legislative Conference. They met with members of the Obama
transition team with hopes of bringing home federal dollars
to offset serious shortages that are often used to deal with
social programs and other crucial needs that are now
exacerbated by the failing economy. Obama has set a goal to
create at least three million jobs in the first two years of
his administration, which starts Jan. 20. Meanwhile, states
are suffering, Smyre says. “There are 43 out of 50 states
with some sort of budget shortfall. With Georgia alone,
we’ve got a $2 billion shortfall. So, with that in mind, we
just want to be partners with our federal government to be
able to assist us in the downturn in our economy,” Smyre
says.
Smyre was on his way to a policy meeting dealing with the
Second Chance Act to help lower the prison recidivism rate.
There would also be discussions on the high school drop out
rates. “In Georgia alone there were 60,000 drop outs in
’07,”
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