Sunday, June 12, 2011

First Source, What's Next ...?


Where Are The NEW Jobs?

The National Capital Jobs Coalition has largely achieved its first objective of establishing a First Source Law that will improve the number of construction industry jobs available to District residents..  The amendment to the original law will close the major loopholes and provide reasonable enforcement provisions.  The law could be improved and we will continue to work to improve it, but we must now turn ourselves to our second objectives of NCJC;  The creation of new green jobs. 

The Jobs Are All Gone
It is time to stop lying to the people of DC.  It is time to stop promising what you cannot deliver.  Do not be deceived by the hollow promises of the politicians and those who profit from training people for jobs that do not exist.  There are no d ecent paying green jobs with a future.  Why, because they simply do not exist.  It is time to stop the charade. 

Years ago The Federal Government and the large institutions, Universities, Hospitals and others no longer will hire the large numbers of hard-working, low-skilled citizens of the neighborhoods of this city.  Automation and the out sourcing of jobs to contractors has largely eliminated gainful employment for our residents.  There are two DC’s.  The DC of large institutions where one needs a masters degree to be a file clerk. Then there is the DC of Ivy City, Trinidad, the DC of 30% unemployment and higher illiteracy rates.

The Old Jobs Are Gone
DC must diversify its commercial base.  There are no factories coming to Anacostia.  There is no Silicaon Valley ready to spring into being in Trinidad. 
DC cannot look to the past to find the future.  We need to look to innovative and creative means to bring these new green industries to our city.  We are actively engaged in this process.  We see two exciting possibilities.  One is Urban Farming and the other Commercial Energy Conservation.  We will address both of these in future blogs.

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