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Problem:: States shed government jobs as revenue plummets. Just last month:

In Michigan, where the unemployment rate is 14.1 percent, the nation's highest, government jobs at all levels fell by 5,000. They accounted for one-third of the state's job losses.

Pennsylvania lost 2,200 government jobs. Minnesota lost 1,900 and Massachusetts 1,500.

Washington state shed 900 government jobs in February. And Wisconsin lost 2,100 government jobs, including 1,600 at the local level.

These are state and local government jobs -- police, firefighters, teachers, street repair, building inspectors.

Solution: Congress and Mayors Announce New Jobs Plan.

With states and municipalities facing more potential layoffs amidst budget squeezes, today House Democrats and a bipartisan group of mayors announced new legislation to create one million public and private sector jobs in local communities. Listen to the audio of the press conference call introducing the legislation here.

The Local Jobs for America Act, authored by U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), will save and create jobs quickly in both the public and private sectors and help restore vital services that families and local communities rely on. The financial collapse is forcing states and municipalities to cut jobs that are critically important to local communities – teachers, police, firefighters, childcare workers, and others.

Connect the dots. There is great need, and there is a bill before the Congress... This is a plan to provide money to local governments to just HIRE (or retain) people. This jobs bill could work.

But believe it or not there are people who think it is wrong for We, the People to put up money to hire people, especially for government and/or unionized jobs! For example, click through and read this post and especially the comments it elicits.

Mainly this will be a boon to teachers, cops, and various other unionized, public-sector workers who will be in the first position to grab the cash.

Another example,

Beware of upcoming jobs bills masquerading in sheep’s clothing. Democrats still want to help and finance, in a down economy, costly local and state government employees and their unionized jobs, medical benefits, and extravagant retirement plans.

Another conservative site - read the comments here, too.

So even a bill to retain and hire police officers and teachers meets resistance. Wow.

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