9:15am | So how are you, Long Beach, doing on this Labor Day 2010?
Most likely you’re planning a day at the beach, at a park, or at a backyard barbeque enjoying the sun and a plate of hickory-smoked-something. Enjoy it, you deserve it.
Come Tuesday, you’ll be back to work. However, 14.5% of our city will not. Nearly two years to the day after our economy took a turn for the terrible, any recovery is slow and Long Beach is still feeling the effect.
According to the state Economic Development Department, more than 34,000 people remain unemployed in Long Beach as of late August. That’s an extremely high number and it will take time to improve.
But overall, it’s been a rough past few months for businesses and jobs in Long Beach. Several stores closed in the downtown Pike shopping center – though the Kitchen Den Bar recently opened – along with Z Gallerie on Pine Avenue and the migration of several Boeing production programs.
Good news trickles in. North Long Beach recently celebrated the opening of a new Marshall’s, a move that many hope will revitalize the Bixby Knolls Shopping Center after the Roberts Department Store was demolished last October. The September issue of the Long Beach Development Services newsletter calls the new store “a modern retail facility that is sure to be a popular retail establishment in the Bixby Knolls Shopping Center.”
The Port of Long Beach also recently welcomed a new partner in China-based ocean carrier P O Shipping, an announcement that, according to a Port press release, “underscores the continued resurgence of the international shipping industry and the ongoing demand for berths at the Port of Long Beach.” Many economists agree that the health of our harbors is an accurate barometer of the national economy, so good news at the Port is usually good news for the rest of us.
There is always a light at the end of the tunnel and on this Labor Day we wish you the best.
Congressmember Laura Richardson released a statement over the weekend in recognition of this holiday. The lbpost.com does not necessarily endorse her political positions but we believe it’s newsworthy to provide her perspective on this matter.
As we observe Labor Day this Monday, we are reminded of the sacrifices continually made by the hard-working men and women of our country. Throughout our nation’s history, everyday Americans have worked long hours, early mornings and double-shifts to put food on their tables; send their children to college; build our buildings, roads and bridges; and protect our communities — always committed to ensuring that the next generation has greater opportunities than their own. The industriousness and resolve of the American worker has been, and will always be, the source of our nation’s economic strength.
However, workers and businesses here in the 37th district and across the country have been hit hard by the economic downturn of the last two years. The failed economic policies of the Bush Administration, which favored corporate interests over the American people, sent us into a recession that continues to affect many hard-working, middle-class families. Due to no fault of their own, thousands of Americans have been laid off or forced to work fewer hours. Unemployment in our district is well above the national average, in some areas topping 20 percent. Job losses and reduced income have caused foreclosure rates to spike. But I do not need to give you these statistics. You are living them.
In these tough economic times, Congress’ number one responsibility is to create jobs—and that is exactly what Democrats have done and will continue to do. As Republicans continue to side with Wall Street banks, credit card companies, and Big Oil, Congressional Democrats have taken bold action to create jobs at home and invest in our future. These efforts started with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or Recovery Act (H.R.1), which cut taxes, made critical investments, and allocated billions of dollars to energize local economies. One thing is clear: the Recovery Act is working. Data studies show that the Recovery Act has created or saved 2.8 million jobs, 150,000 of which have been in California.
While the Recovery Act was an essential first step in our recovery, I understand that a recession of this magnitude demands continued legislative action. That is why I have consistently joined my fellow Congressional Democrats to vote for job-creating legislation, such as the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (H.R. 4213). This bill will close tax loopholes for the ultra-wealthy in order to fund job-creating infrastructure projects and tax relief for middle class families. I also voted for the Jobs for Main Street Act (H.R. 2847), which will create and save jobs with targeted investments to rebuild our aging highways and boost small business employment. Finally, I voted for the Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act (H.R. 4849) and the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act (H.R. 1586), which together will create more than 400,000 jobs for teachers, firefighters, policemen, and small businesses.
Additionally, Democrats’ “Innovation Agenda” will invest in cutting edge research to pioneer the technologies and discoveries of tomorrow. Investing in research and education in the science and technology fields creates jobs now and ensures that future generations will be able to compete in a global, 21st century economy. That is why I voted for the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act (H.R. 5116). This legislation will invest in modernizing manufacturing; basic R&D; high risk/high reward clean energy research; and teaching science, technology, engineering, and math to today’s students. I am committed to laying the foundations for current job growth and long-term prosperity.
The record is clear: Democrats are committed to reversing the economic policies that got us into this recession and building a strong economy that benefits the American worker, not Big Money interests. I know that many families in the 37th district are still struggling to make ends meet and that is why I will keep working tirelessly to bring jobs to our district. I will not be satisfied until every person in our district who wants a job has one.
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