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Al Sharpton on Jobs

Reverend; Civil Rights Activist; Democratic Candidate for President


Raise minimum wage to at least $7.15

Q: What increases, if any, do you favor in the $5.15 an hour federal minimum wage?

A: Let me say I would campaign for a $2 raise in minimum wage. I think that the minimum wage at this point is unrealistic given the costs of life in America.

Source: Associated Press policy Q&A, "Minimum Wage" Jan 25, 2004

Institutional discrimination still hinders minorities

Q: What would you do to close that gap between unemployment rates for whites and minorities?

SHARPTON: We must be honest about discrimination and have a president that will enforce anti-discrimination laws. We still have institutional discrimination in this country, which is worse than blatant discrimination. What is hurting us is that 50 years ago, we had to watch out for people with white sheets. Now they have on pinstripe suits. They discriminate against our advancement and our achievement.

MOSELEY-BRAUN: I think the answer lies in providing capital for the development of jobs and businesses in communities where people live. Because if you give someone the ability to create a business, provide equity capital, give people the ability to begin to create those businesses that will help lift up communities, that will go a long way to solving the endemic problem of institutional racism, of discrimination and of the lack of jobs in African-American and Hispanic communities.

Source: Iowa Brown and Black Presidential Forum Jan 11, 2004

Create jobs that are necessary

Q: What would you do to reduce unemployment in the minority communities?

A: I have proposed throughout this campaign a $250 billion five-year plan to create jobs that are necessary: infrastructure redevelopment, roadways, highways, bridges, tunnels, school buildings and -- in the name of homeland security -- ports. We ought to be investing in creating jobs. That's what Roosevelt did with public works programs. Kucinich is right, we must go after A, what is necessary, and B, what will create jobs.

Source: Iowa Brown and Black Presidential Forum Jan 11, 2004

Spend $250 billion in 5 years to create jobs

Q: Do you agree that jobs are just a lagging economic indicator and that they're going to come around?

A: You can't talk about recovery without talking to those who needed to be recovered. The people that are unemployed, the people that have an insecure place in the economy, have not recovered at all. And I think that we must create jobs. I've called for a five-year, $50 billion a year infrastructure redevelopment plan, public works to create jobs so that we can put America back to work.

Source: CNN "Rock The Vote" Democratic Debate Nov 5, 2003

Need federal laws to protect workers, not state-by-state

Q: How would you use the office of president to be a labor organizer?

SHARPTON: The first thing the president must do is have federal laws that protect workers. How did we get civil rights? How did we get gender rights? We stopped relying on states wit a states' rights argument to do it state by state. If we had strong enforceable federal laws giving workers the right to organize, then we could go in Florida and other states and say they are in violation of the federal government and the federal law.

Source: AFSCME union debate in Iowa May 17, 2003

On picket lines & in jails for 35 years for workers rights

For the last 35 years, not only have I stood for workers' rights, I've been there. I've marched on the picket lines. I've gone to jail with labor leaders. I'm sure I'm the candidate on this platform that's been on more picket lines and unquestionably more jail cells with union leaders than anybody in this race. Because this is not about what you say. This is about what you do. This is not about making sound bites. This is about having a life- style that protects those that make America what it is.
Source: AFSCME union debate in Iowa May 17, 2003

Other candidates on Jobs: Al Sharpton on other issues:
George W. Bush
Dick Cheney
John Edwards
John Kerry

Third Party Candidates:
Michael Baradnik
Peter Camejo
David Cobb
Ralph Nader
Michael Peroutka

Democratic Primaries:
Carol Moseley Braun
Wesley Clark
Howard Dean
Dick Gephardt
Bob Graham
Dennis Kucinich
Joe Lieberman
Al Sharpton
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
Jobs
Principles/Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War/Iraq/Mideast
Welfare/Poverty
Adv: Avi Green for State Rep Middlesex 26, Somerville & Cambridge Massachusetts