National League of Cities President Calls for Action on Jobs Bill

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Mar 15, 2010, 11:24 ET

Supports the Local Jobs For America Act

WASHINGTON, March 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an address to members, National League of Cities' (NLC) President, Ronald O. Loveridge, mayor of Riverside, Calif., called for Congress to quickly take action on the Local Jobs for America Act. The legislation will save jobs and avoid layoffs by providing targeted and flexible fiscal assistance to local governments. The resources made available will counter the recession's impacts on cities which include declining sales, income and property tax revenues and lost state transfers.

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The Local Jobs for America Act will be the focal point for NLC's outreach efforts to Capitol Hill during this week's annual Washington conference, the Congressional City Conference. In cities, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fund and maintain basic services such as safety, police and fire services.

"We represent cities where unemployment numbers are not statistics. These numbers stand for real people, real families struggling to provide for food, clothing and shelter," said Loveridge. He continued, "We represent small businesses that are laying off employees or closing their doors. The pain is real and we feel it."

The Local Jobs for America Act is one proposal federal policymakers are considering to get America moving again. But city leaders caution that policymakers need to act swiftly to move legislation that will create jobs and establish a foundation for long-term growth. Strengthening and stabilizing the housing market, investing in transportation infrastructure, and supporting local energy efficiency and conservation efforts would all provide a strong basis for local long-term economic growth.

Economic conditions for cities continue to worsen, with more cities unable to meet their fiscal needs. According to the latest NLC research, most cities in 2009 faced layoffs, canceled contracts with small businesses, reduced services and had sizable budget shortfalls.

These numbers are expected to grow and become much more severe from 2010 to 2012.

Cities will likely face shortfalls up to $83 billion between 2010 and 2012;
States will likely cut aid to cities up to $30 billion between 2010 and 2012;
NLC calculates that the state and local governments will lay off up to 1.5 million people between 2010 and 2011.

The National League of Cities is the nation's oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

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SOURCE National League of Cities