America is in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

• State and local budgets: 45 States are facing budget shortfalls totaling $350 billion through 2011, forcing state and local governments to dramatically cut services or increase taxes.
• Poverty: Overall participation in the Food Stamp program increased to more than 31 million Americans in September 2008, the highest participation on record and a more than 17 percent increase from a year before.
• Unemployment: Each month, half a million Americans lose their jobs, and 11.1 million (7.2%) are currently unemployed.  Leading economists have predicted that in the absence of dramatic government action, the unemployment rate could reach 10 percent by 2010.
• Housing: U.S. foreclosures increased by more than 81 percent last year, a record, with a total of over 2.3 million foreclosures nationwide.

The Obama economic recovery plan will create and save jobs by investing in public services.

• Creating jobs: The $825 billion Obama recovery plan will create or save four million American jobs – including 820,000 jobs related to the public investments in the plan.
• Growing the economy: According to an analysis by the widely respected economist Mark Zandi, every $1.00 increase in aid to state governments (including short-term increases in Medicaid) will generate $1.38 in increased economic activity in our communities.
• Protecting our most vulnerable: The Senate recovery plan makes sure Americans hardest hit by the crisis won’t fall further behind by investing $87 billion in Medicaid, as well as investing in food stamps, unemployment services, child support enforcement and public housing.
• Preserving AFSCME members’ jobs: The Obama recovery plan would provide struggling state and local governments with at least $250 billion to prevent them from imposing layoffs, furloughs, wage and benefit givebacks, hiring freezes, and avoid other harmful budget cuts. This would ensure that AFSCME members and other public sector employees can focus on their jobs, provide excellent services, and make American happen.

I ask each of you to take the time to copy the letter to the right and send it to your State and Local elected officials in order to push the stimulus package through Congress.

Nancy Gray- President Local 2960