Sec. of the Dept. of Labor, Hilda Solis visited and met with the Latino community to discuss the American Jobs Act and unemployment, and the impacts to the Latino community.
By Cristina Frésquez
As part of a national tour, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis visited Denver this week to participate in roundtable dialogues with the Latino community to discuss the American Jobs Act and unemployment insurance, and how these will directly impact the Latino community in Colorado.
The Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) and the Colorado Progressive Coalition (CPC) hosted the November 28th roundtable discussions with Latino community, business and non-profit representatives and elected officials, including Colorado Congressman Diana DeGette, Governor John Hickenlooper and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.
Solis reiterated the President’s message that the American Jobs Act needs to be passed immediately. “We need people to understand that there will be millions of people affected if we don’t extend things like the payroll tax, businesses in particular, but also working families – families here in Denver,” she commented. “I want to bring that home because we have a situation where it is harder and harder to get by for all of us and especially for families who have lost their sense of having some stability.”
President Obama’s American Jobs Act proposes to extend and expand the payroll tax cut; extend unemployment benefits; cut payroll taxes for small businesses; funding for infrastructure projects; funding to low income and minority public schools for revitalization; a Work Share Program, the Bridge-to-Work program, and Pathways Back To Work Fund would provide both workers and business owners better resources, training and options for finding work and keeping a small business going.
“We know the impact that the recession has had on many Latino families,” stated Lorena García, Executive Director of COLOR. “Knowing that unemployment among Latinos is at 11.3% - that is unacceptable. We have a responsibility to our community to not only create jobs but also provide jobs skills training
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