NAACP wants Obama, Congress to focus more on creating jobs

[Geee]

The Hill:

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) wants the Obama administration and Congress to focus above all on addressing unemployment, but is stopping short of calling for a massive new stimulus.

“Generally speaking, we first and foremost want them to pay attention to the economy and the high rates of joblessness in the black community,” NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous said Thursday. “It is unacceptable for us to be 2 ½ years into a recession and still be fighting for Congress to accept responsibility to get working class people back into this economy.”

Jealous said Congress’ attitude toward African American unemployment has been one of “hostile neglect.”
He also warned that members of the black community, President Obama’s most stalwart supporters, are growing frustrated on the lack of action on jobs.

“The sense on the street, and I just came back from meeting folks in Harlem for instance, the sense on the street is that the administration should be harder and more aggressive on this,” he told reporters at a Thursday press event.

NAACP chief lobbyist Hilary Shelton said Friday that the NAACP has not taken a position on a new stimulus bill although he personally believes if crafted correctly such a bill could work to boost the economy. Shelton said that the House GOP budget cuts are a disaster for the poor.

“It is a very dangerous and immoral budget we are seeing come out of the House and we will do everything we can to fight it,” Shelton said.