Terry Brunner
There is no doubt that these are economically tough times. And they’re very tough for the many New Mexicans who are looking for work. So we’ve got to work together to keep finding ways to help the unemployed in the short term and rebuild the middle class over the long term.
President Obama has focused on that challenge since his first day in office. And it’s why he addressed Congress this week to lay out the way forward to grow the economy and create jobs.
He knows there are commonsense steps we can take right now. We’ve got roads, bridges, rail lines, and water systems across New Mexico that need rebuilding to help lay the groundwork for economic expansion. We’ve got private companies right here in New Mexico with the equipment and know-how to do it. We’ve got thousands of unemployed New Mexico construction workers ready to get their hands dirty.
And we can help put these folks to work now if both parties in Washington can come together to make it happen.
The president wants to extend the payroll tax cut for working families, putting an extra $1,000 in the pockets of those families. It is one of the best ways to increase consumer demand – creating more work for our businesses and more jobs for our workforce.
This approach received bipartisan support before and needs and Republicans and Democrats working together again to continue it.
The president wants to make it easier for small businesses to put people, especially our returning veterans, back to work by offering tax credits for each new job created by small businesses – the engine of our economy.
Creating job opportunities in rural America
We at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development have been working with the president to pursue some of these same strategies, and assisting rural communities by providing $800 million during this administration in New Mexico infrastructure and business support.
Basic infrastructure such as electricity, water systems, broadband and housing supports the economic development of our rural communities. USDA Rural Development creates and sustains rural job opportunities and supports entrepreneurs from the micro-enterprise level to large-scale manufacturing, so those who live in rural communities don’t have move away to support their families and pay their mortgages.
In partnership with other public and private sector businesses, Rural Development programs have created or saved hundreds of thousands of American jobs and continue to improve the economic climate of rural areas by helping create additional job opportunities for our under-served rural areas and populations.
Folks in rural America know that in difficult times, we need come together as a country and hammer out solutions that benefit everyone. And elected leaders in Washington need to do the same as they work to support job growth and build a stronger future for all Americans.
Brunner is the state director for USDA Rural Development – New Mexico.