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Economic Development and Workers' Rights
The Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi experience an extremely high rate of land loss. While barrier islands and wetlands, coupled with levees, create the three tiers of defense necessary for adequate protection from hurricanes along the Gulf Coast, immediate action is needed to rebuild this infrastructure and mitigate future disasters.
Funding for green jobs and skilled positions are needed to rebuild the region and its economy. Any federally funded projects should favor local contracts and labor, including provisions for workforce development and job training.
The Gulf Coast Civic Works Program builds on the resilience of local residents and the success of community organizations to empower citizens and create stronger, safer and more equitable communities along the Gulf Coast.
The program is structured to strengthen local capacity by delivering resources to local entities quickly and efficiently, keeping bureaucratic hurdles to a minimum while maintaining a high level of accountability. This investment will serve as an innovative model for stimulating local economies while tackling the need to repair infrastructure and develop green jobs.
The Equity and Inclusion Campaign calls on elected and appointed officials to:
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Create a Civic Conservation Corps to train a new generation of workers to restore the coastline.
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Establish local advisory boards to develop projects based on community needs, to repair schools, police and fire stations, hospitals, roads, water, parks, and sewer systems, housing, and cultural centers in communities.
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Encourage hiring of local contractors and provide apprenticeships and on-the-job training, preparing workers and businesses for the growing “green jobs” industry.
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Integrate incentives to utilize cutting-edge green building techniques and technologies to minimize carbon emissions and energy costs.
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Create 100,000 fair-wage jobs and training opportunities for Gulf Coast residents.
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Support permanent extensions of the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). This includes a $3,000 income threshold for the Child Tax Credit and increased EITC for families with three or more children.
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