Posted on 08/31/2011 9:07:28 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
In an effort to bring down the stubbornly high unemployment rate, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is lobbying Washington officials to give local workers an advantage in winning some of the more than 166,000 jobs expected from transportation projects planned for the region.
Federal rules prohibit local hiring preferences on federally funded transportation projects, under the premise that all U.S. taxpayers help to pay for the work and should have an equal shot at getting the jobs. The rule also stems from concern that making local hiring a factor in awarding contracts will increase the cost of projects.
But with Washington jittery about unemployment heading into an election year, the mayor has received a positive signal from the administration. Hovering at 12%, California's unemployment rate is the second highest in the nation, behind Nevada's.
A U.S. Department of Transportation spokesman said the department was working with Congress to develop rules that "could encourage local hiring on large projects as long as quality demands and schedule constraints are met."
Richard Katz, a mayoral appointee to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, traveled to Washington recently pitching Villaraigosa's jobs initiative. "The president is going to be judged on lowering unemployment in the country," he said.
"Unless we put people to work in California," he added, "you can't significantly lower the national unemployment rate."
Villaraigosa contends that local officials should be able to require local hiring or purchasing programs or at least make them a consideration in awarding contracts where local taxpayers are picking up a larger share of the tab.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Hey, V.. get rid of the massive piles of regulations and quit chasing pipe dreams.
Translation - He wants DC to give to him gobs of taxpayer money that he can p!ss away in various make-work projects (all of which will be done with union labour, of course).
Translation - He wants DC to give to him gobs of taxpayer money that he can p!ss away in various make-work projects (all of which will be done with union labour, of course).
This is the same person who was an activist for La Raza during his years at UCLA.
He has yet to successfully pass the California Bar Exam.
He gave $5 MILLION of Los Angeles taxpayers money to the head of one of the local gangs- Crips & Bloods to stop their gang war.
The money was spent on more guns & ammo.
The laughter was heard in Las Vegas....about 400 miles away.
He wants more illegal intruders to be sucking off the taxpayer trough.
He is not even smart enough to be called a fool.
Just running for governor in 2014.
Sure looks that way.. It’ll be a battle of the moonbats in both parties unless a lot of voters switch to TEA from medicinal marijuana and food stamps... he’s need a new 1st babe,, maybe J-Lo.. she’s available.. :-)
Obama was pushing for a clean extension of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization which expires in mid-September. REUTERS/Larry Downing
Tramps like us, Baby we were 'Born to Run'
It's a death trap a suicide rap ..
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run (Live In Phoenix '78)
Party On!
Maybe he can cut a cover of Marc Anthony’s “I Need To Know.”
lol.. I wish him (and Marc anthony too) a long and prosperous career in latin america or miami .. wish I could find the pics of him sweeping a street.. God help us he ends up in Stinkymento much less DC.
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