NATIONAL NEWS

AP: White House jobs forum focuses on job creation
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ixOJT58-lHJmMKUq6h4lwD7P0EsAD9CC4KD00
...Obama responded warmly to endorsements from several participants of a national infrastructure bank, a concept he backed on the campaign trail. Such a bank would use public and private capital to fund projects. Obama said the bank would take politics out of the project selection process and "leverage private sector dollars that are right now sitting on the sidelines."

Bloomberg: Obama Signals Support for Weatherization, Infrastructure Plans
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aNi6U_p0nJr8
...Participants split into six working groups led by administration officials including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers and Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The subjects included creating jobs through developing alternative energy sources, rebuilding U.S. infrastructure and boosting exports.  Obama’s board of outside economic advisers, headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, is likely today to endorse incentives for people to make their homes more energy efficient and a federal infrastructure fund as ways to spur job creation, an administration official said.

Infrastructurist: Should Obama Create Public Infrastructure Jobs? A Debate Overview
http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/12/03/should-obama-create-infrastructure-jobs-a-debate-overview/
With unemployment reaching levels high enough to terrify the hardiest soul, the debate is brewing about whether Washington needs to jump in and create infrastructure jobs through a public-service employment program a la the New Deal’s  Works Progress Administration. With Obama’s job summit opening today, we figured we’d offer a rundown of the views on whether or not the government should be whipping up those jobs. Here are a few of the strongest views.

Journal of Commerce: States Press Congress for Transport Jobs; AASHTO presents list of 9,500 ‘shovel-ready’ projects
http://www.joc.com/node/415056
If Congress produces a jobs bill after Thursday’s White House jobs summit, state officials have 9,500 reasons why transportation infrastructure should get a major piece of the action.  At a press conference Wednesday, John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials presented Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., a list of 9,500 projects that his members say can be started within 120 days.

 

STATE NEWS

Government Executive: Contracts Might Not be Getting Enough Credit for Stimulus Job Creation
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1209/120209rb1.htm
A new analysis by a private sector group tracking Recovery Act spending indicates that contracting activity has created considerably more jobs than the Obama administration has calculated.  Onvia, a Seattle-based information technology firm that follows stimulus spending through its Recovery.org Web site, conducted a state-by-state analysis of the number of jobs that have been created from federal, state and local Recovery Act contracts.

Asbury Park Press: N.J. road projects losing funds
http://www.app.com/article/20091203/NEWS03/91204018/N.J.-road-projects-losing-funds
Imagine finding a road or bridge you usually drive on closed due to lack of money to repair it.  Transportation experts at Thursday's summit about the future of New Jersey's transportation infrastructure funding held by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority warned that might happen if new revenues aren't found for the state Transportation Trust Fund, which will run out of money next year to do any work and only make enough to pay off debt.

Detroit News: Granholm urges new stimulus to give people jobs
http://detnews.com/article/20091204/POLITICS02/912040375/Granholm-urges-new-stimulus-to-give-people-jobs
Gov. Jennifer Granholm called Thursday on national television for another round of stimulus funding for state road and bridge projects to put people to work.  In an interview on MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell, Granholm said: "The orange barrels people are seeing (are) the result of the stimulus package. ... Let's turn up the burners" on infrastructure projects to help reduce the jobless rate, which in Michigan is a nation-leading 15.1 percent."

Washington Post: Group seeks streetcars to help solve N.Va. transportation woes
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/02/AR2009120201268.html
A coalition aimed at building a streetcar network across Northern Virginia held its first meeting Nov. 18.  The group, the Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition, is made up of present and former officials, developers and others. Its members say they hope that traveling across the region will become easier and transportation will be more accessible in the coming years.