Before Obama’s Jobs Speech, Public Tells President: “Jobs not Cuts”

Washington, DC – In the next few days, two big coalitions will tell the President what the grassroots want to hear when he makes his post-Labor Day speech. “Go big on jobs” is the message delivered [1] by MoveOn, Campaign for America’s Future, National Organization for Women and Rebuild the Dream (a new group building a progressive activist version of the Tea Party).

And another email campaign from the Strengthen Social Security coalition tells the President that he should not call for benefit cuts in Social Security, which contributes nothing to the deficit. They also urge more aggressive efforts to control health care costs – not increases in Medicare retirement age or other cuts to Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

Public support for this simple message -- Jobs, Not Destructive Cuts – has been growing as thousands of grassroots public events over the summer have brought Americans together – to agree on a common agenda AND to send a message to politicians that Americans need jobs not cuts to vital programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

 The fast-growing new group – called Rebuild the Dream -- has held house meetings throughout the summer to create a 10 point Contract for the American Dream. The Contract has inspired a new wave of activism – described by some as a progressive version of the Tea Party.

 Rebuild the Dream has worked with MoveOn, Americans United for Change, and many other groups to send raucous but informed citizens to Congressional Town Meetings throughout the summer to convey the message: "We want jobs. Protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid."

[Note to national reporters: These Congressional Town Hall protests have been heavily covered by local press. Americans United for Change has compiled extensive info on these protests here: http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/blog [2]/]

 The Campaign for America’s Future is offering a series of jobs creation solutions, including how to spur youth employment, and how to create new manufacturing jobs, in a series called, “Big Ideas to Get America Working [3].”

 “On October 3 to 5, Campaign for America's Future and the "Rebuild The Dream" movement are bringing the fight for jobs not cuts to Washington at the "Take Back the American Dream" conference. [4]

 Congressional Progressive Caucus went out on a nationwide jobs tour, launched at Netroots Nation: Speakout for Good Jobs Tour [5]. Nancy Pelosi appeared at a jobs tour event in Oakland organized by Rep. Barbara Lee.

 Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, have been calling on the President to take bold action to create jobs, including at an event in Detroit where angry unemployed Americans voiced frustrations that many American’s are feeling.

 Democracy for America (DFA) created this compelling ad, [6] with the message that draconian budget cuts will hit Americans hard. DFA has also organized protest meetings with GOP Members of Congress.

 Yesterday, MoveOn, Campaign for America’s Future and dozens of other progressive groups sent an open lette [1]r to President Obama asking him for a bold jobs plan that will put Americans back to work and set the course for a brighter future.

Campaign for America’s Future’s co-director Roger Hickey said, “Republicans, and some Democrats, are feeling the wrath of an angry electorate and they better get used if they cut Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid – wildly popular programs that protect vulnerable and elderly people who have worked hard all their lives and deserve a safe and secure retirement. People are fed up and are showing up, making their voices heard, and demanding jobs not cuts.”

“When the President lays out his jobs agenda, lawmakers must start making the hard decisions to get the 25 million Americans who are unemployed or underemployed back to work,” Hickey said, “government can and should take now to create jobs and to make a better economy in the long run.”