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Page 8March 26 - April 1, 2011Commentarywww.ladatanews.comState of Black America Town Hallto Explore Jobs of the FutureMarc MorialPresident and CEONational Urban LeagueNext Thursday, I invite you to join thedebate about the number one issue facingthe nation – the deep and persistent jobscrisis that has been especially devastatingin urban communities of color. As part ofthe National Urban League’s Annual LegislativePolicy Conference in Washington,DC, we will convene a Free State of BlackAmerica town hall meeting on March 31st,from 10 a.m. to noon at Howard University’sCramton Auditorium. A panel of notablepolicy experts, scholars and journalists willlead a public dialogue about ways to endthe jobs crisis in our communities. But themost important voices invited to this meetingbelong to you – the student strugglingto pay college tuition, the father who losthis job six months ago and is wonderingif he will ever be able to support his familyagain, and the single mother having tochoose between child care and health carefor her kids.The great recession has seen a loss ofmore than 8 million jobs. Many of thosejobs are in declining industries and maynever return. According to a recent CNNMoney news report, “Home building lostnearly 1 million jobs since the start of 2008,while the auto industry shed 300,000 manufacturingjobs due to plant closings. Thefinance and real estate sectors lost morethan 500,000 jobs.” Unfortunately, many ofthose lost jobs are never coming back.That is why the discussion about bringingjobs back to urban America must focuson ensuring that people in our communitiesare educated, trained and have accessto the jobs of the future. The Bureau of LaborStatistics (BLS) projects that between2008 and 2018, the industries projected toproduce the largest number of new jobsare health care and social assistance, andprofessional and business services. Andnearly half of all new jobs created duringthose years will require some type of postsecondaryeducation. Because of highdropout rates and low college graduationrates in communities of color, it is projectedthat 70 percent of prime working age African-Americanadults and 80 percent of Hispanicswill lack the requisite education foralmost 40 percent of projected new jobs.Clearly immediate action is needed toturn this picture around. The National UrbanLeague’s 12-point Blueprint for QualityJob Creation offers several powerful remedies,including a plan to boost minorityparticipation in emerging Broadband andGreen Industries. We also call on Congressto reform, revise and reauthorize theWorkforce Investment Act to focus on preparingand retraining workers for 21st Centuryjobs by targeting young adults withless than college education as well as highschool dropouts and older workers whosejobs were eliminated by the recession. Wemust also do more to reverse troubling recenttrends in minority high school dropoutand college enrollment rates.These are just some of the ideas thatwill be discussed at the March 31st townhall meeting. We need your input too. Ifyou can’t attend in person, the event will bewebcast live at www.nul.org beginning at10 a.m. ET. You can also join the conversationon Twitter@NatUrbanLeague using#SOBA11 or on Facebook.Don’t Cut Head Start!Judge Greg MathisNNPA ColumnistMathis’ MindAfter being urged by President Obamato invest in our nation’s students, youwould think our federal lawmakers woulddo anything they could to preserve a programthat sets the foundation for a lifetimeof achievement, right? Wrong. Once again,Republicans are moving to cut a programthat helps average Americans and, in thiscase, specifically the poor.The Head Start Program is yet anothersocial program the Republican Party hastargeted for major cuts. Head Start provideseducational and health services tolow income children and their families.Head Start has been one of the most studiedearly education programs since it beganmore than 40 years ago. The programhas proven itself to be one of the UnitedStates’ most successful social experimentsand an efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Researchshows students who complete HeadStart do better both socially and academicallyand are less likely to drop out of highschool.Yet, Republicans want to cut the programby more than 22-percent. They say HeadStart isn’t as effective as supporters claim.To be fair, some studies show that achievementlevels of some Head Start attendeesstart to drop off after first grade.However, this could speak to the qualityof the school they enroll in after the program.Additionally, the program’s opponentssay too much money is spent maintainingthe program and not enough onenrolling new students.It’s not clear if the Republican Party isagainst poor people, working mothers, lowincome children or all three. All of the cutsit’s leaders have moved to make have beento programs that support and empowerthe poor. If they are successful in takingaway the building blocks that many haveused to create a foundation for future success,America’s middle class will continueto shrink and the number of families livingbelow the poverty line will increase.If the Republicans were serious aboutbalancing the budget they’d take a look atprograms with inflated and misappropriatedbudgets, starting with the military.Sure, it’s critical that the U.S. has a strongmilitary in place but studies have shownthat program is rife with wasteful spending.It’s not the only area where money is eitherbeing wasted or being misused. A good,honest budget scrub will show the Republicans– and Democrats – which programscan handle significant cuts.If you believe in the power of Head Startand can testify to how it helped a child – pastor present – in your life, call your elected officials.Let them know that they absolutelycannot cut Head Start. Our children’s – andour nation’s – success depends on it.www.ladatanews.com