WHEREAS, U.S. Representative Matthew Martinez of California has reintroduced legislation to the Congress entitled "Jobs Creation and Infrastructure Restoration Act of 1997" (H.R. 950) to provide $250 billion for emergency public works jobs over a five year period; and

WHEREAS, The $250 billion will include $25 billion for emergency grants to local governments for construction, repair and renovation of public works projects and $225 billion over five years for jobs in community improvement projects such as schools, housing, hospitals, parks, bridges, highways environmental improvement and the like with $45 billion specifically designated for repair and renovation of schools for elementary, secondary and higher learning institutions; and

WHEREAS, There is an alarming high unemployment and underemployment rate in several communities in Rhode Island, and as a result, people are forced to be dependent on a social service network because there are not sufficient jobs to be independent and take care of their families' basic needs; and

WHEREAS, The destruction of the welfare safety net has created an urgent survival need for massive jobs, at a living wage, in cities across the country including Providence, where thousands of families are in danger of losing welfare benefits with an insufficient number of good paying jobs to meet the demand; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island, like all states, will not be able to resolve this level of crisis without Federal funding assistance; and

WHEREAS, The Martinez Jobs Bill will provide good paying public works jobs on an emergency basis to hundreds of thousands with priority for hiring given to welfare recipients, the long term unemployed, victims of plant closures, youth and unemployed building trades workers; and

WHEREAS, This legislation will provide equal opportunity employment, provisions for job safety, healthful work environments, union apprenticeship training for young workers and Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements which insure living wage jobs; and

WHEREAS, Public works projects and community improvement projects will be prioritized for communities and areas that suffer the highest level of unemployment; and

WHEREAS, Our state is in imminent need of massive funds for infrastructure repair and restoration which the Martinez Bill will greatly alleviate; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby urges the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation to vote for passage of the "Jobs Creation and Infrastructure Restoration Act" to meet the urgent demands of the welfare, jobs, and infrastructure crisis of states across the nation; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives will join with the National Coalition for Public Works Jobs who spearheaded this legislation, with Congressman Martinez, the other Congressional co-Sponsors, other cities, elected bodies, agencies, community organizations, unions, etc. in a national effort to pass this bill; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to all of the members of the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation.