(9/27/97 Baltimore AFRO-American Newspaper)
by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
I have heard these words more than any others since I became an elected official more than 16 years ago. Whether I am in a Town Hall meeting, standing in line at the supermarket, or sitting in my church, people frequently talk to me about their desire to find a job.
Throughout this country, many of our most pressing social problems can be directly attributed to a lack of employment opportunities. Baltimore’s law enforcement officials have told me that the rising crime rate, increased drug use, and reported spouse and child abuse cases can many times be the result of the frustration people feel with not being able to provide for their families or find work.
As a member of Congress, I have supported legislation and programs which encourage new business creation, fund highway and transportation projects, and assist minority and women-owned corporations in their efforts to compete in the global marketplace. All of these initiatives share the common goal of creating and sustaining jobs with a livable wage.
I was proud to cast a vote in favor of increasing the minimum wage, securing funding that would assist welfare recipients in getting to work throughout Baltimore, and co-sponsoring the "American Jobs Act of 1996," which encouraged large corporations to keep jobs in America and not move their operations overseas.
I am truly the man in the middle. There are services and opportunities available to help people in need, and it is my job to connect people to those resources.
Over the last year, I have hosted briefings for local business and community leaders on how to access procurement opportunities with the federal government and how to develop lucrative work relationships with agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The contacts made in these briefings would assist local companies secure contracts with these agencies, and in return, help create jobs in our city.
Arguably, the most important piece of legislation currently under consideration by the House of Representatives is the Building Efficient Surface Transportation Equity Act (BESTEA) which authorizes $103 billion to fund new highway and bridge projects, public transit systems, and alternative transportation programs for the next three years. As the only Maryland Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have worked closely with the members of the Maryland Congressional Delegation to ensure that our state and Baltimore City acquire their share of these vital funds. The transportation bill will provide thousands of jobs for people in Baltimore and across the state. In addition, it will provide highway and infrastructure improvements that are critical to our city.
In previous years, the transportation bill has provided funding for the Transportation Center at Morgan State University, the only such center located on the campus of a Historically Black College or University in the country. This center has been a vehicle for training minorities in specialized transportation fields. I am working hard with the committee leadership to make sure that funding be continued for this important program.
The Secretary of HUD, Andrew Cuomo joined me earlier this year on a tour of Baltimore’s Empowerment Zone. The hard work being done by Empowerment Zone Director
Diane Bell and her staff has been recognized nationwide in new small business and livable wage job creation. However, there is still much work to be done to help improve the quality of life for the people of the Seventh Congressional District.
Last year, I hosted my first Job Fair. More than 6,000 people looking for work attended. On Monday, September 29, I am again partnering over 100 potential employers with people who are looking for jobs. Businesses and government agencies from throughout the Baltimore-metropolitan area will be accepting resumes and doing on-site interviews of fair attendees. On hand will be many of the regions top retail department stores, supermarkets, banks, factories, medical facilities, private companies, and educational institutions. We will also have workshops and seminars on identifying, interviewing for, and keeping jobs.
I truly believe in the old adage, "If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime." I want to work to make sure that men and women are given opportunities to live up to their potential and become the best that they can be.
Congressman Elijah Cummings’s Second Annual Jobs Fair will be held on September 29, 1997, from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., at the Fifth Regiment Armory at 29th Division Street (near Preston and Eutaw Streets). For information: (410) 496-2010. Admission is free.
-The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings represents the 7th Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives.