From the White House and the Democratic majority in Congress, we'vegotten a woefully inadequate stimulus bill, and a health care reformbill that doesn't.  Both indications of a lack of real Democraticleadership.

Now these same whining "It's the best we can do," spinning "It's agreat bill," spineless Wussacrats are at it again with a jobs bill thatwill not solve double digit unemployment by any stretch.

Dedrick Muhammed, research associate at the Institute for Policy Studies,adds his voice to those of progressives calling for the Democraticleadership in Washington to start acting like genuine Democrats,members of the people's party,  and get Americans working again,instead of acting like Republicans, championing only government of, by,and for the wealthy few including themselves.

"In the next month or two the Senate will be considering the "Jobs forMain Street Act." This bill is a $174 billion dollar package that aimsto create less than 400,000 jobs, maintain 250,000 state educationjobs, assist states with Medicaid costs and extend unemploymentbenefits and health insurance subsidies for the unemployed. This planis so 2008/2009. A jobs bill that creates less than a half million jobswhen over seven million jobs have been lost during this Great Recessionand there is an estimated 10 million jobs deficit (if we factor inthose who have entered into the workforce since the beginning of theGreat Recession) continues the policy of placing a band aid on a gapingeconomic wound.

"In dealing with the economic challenges of 2010 there should not besuch a narrow focus on the problems arising from the current GreatRecession (until unemployment drops significantly, I cannot considerthe recession to have ended). For decades the middle and workingclasses have been challenged by stagnating wages. Former industrialcenters have been dealing with near double digit unemployment fornearly as long.

"If the United States hopes to maintain a strong middle class -- onethat has been in a long term decline -- dramatic government action isnecessary to position American workers and the economy to rebound.Below are my three suggested policy actions for 2010 to get the countryon the right direction for the foreseeable future.

"1. A three million public jobs program.......These jobs should also be aimed at strengthening communities, providingassistance in education and public works, and focused on those who haveexperienced extended unemployment or live in high-unemployment,high-poverty areas......

"2. Twenty billion dollars of investment in the Workforce Investment Act.......

"3. An equity assessment of all future spending focused on strengtheningthe economy. An equity assessment will review whether federal funds areinvesting in communities that will most benefit from and are most inneed of federal assistance......

"With the unemployment rate still in double digits, it is time forgovernment to do what government is meant to do: step in when privateforces are inadequate to solve a problem. It is clear that the privateeconomy is not yet capable of generating the kind of job creation thatwill help the economy rebound. The most effective strategy for thegovernment to assist in job creation is simply to create jobs. By doingthis, investing more strongly in job training, and having an equityassessment of all spending will help get America back to work again andrefocus the American economy from one where wealth was increasingly inthe hands of the few to a more broad and shared prosperity."