Blog: The Big Issue in Southern Illinois

Statement

Last week, Senator Durbin and I crisscrossed Southern Illinois, holding roundtable discussions and meetings with folks across the state. Not surprisingly, the top issue on everyone's lips is jobs.

While the national unemployment rate stands at 9.5%, here in Illinois, numbers released last week show unemployment at 10.4% in the Prairie State. While that is a slight dip since July, the fact remains that far too many people from Chicago to Champaign are out of work.

The Republican policies of rewarding the rich at the expense of the middle class simply have not worked. Tax cuts for the rich that were supposed to "trickle down" and create jobs have done nothing but explode our deficit. And yet, Congressman Mark Kirk wants to extend those very same tax giveaways to the richest Americans.

I believe that a sound, responsible way to create jobs is to invest directly in small businesses and the middle class. It's why I took my comprehensive economic plan straight to voters in Southern Illinois, who will be greatly helped by proposals like a small business tax credit to promote job growth and an energy policy focused on creating the next generation of clean energy jobs right here in Illinois.

You can read more about my proposals for reinvigorating our economy here, and you can read my plans for strengthening our rural communities here. Here are some highlights:

* I want to extend the transmission grid to America's rural areas so that these communities can efficiently export wind, solar, geothermal, and bio-fuel resources to where energy is in greater demand. The result would create clean energy resources nationwide and sustain new jobs for America's farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses.
* I will support congressional efforts to pass legislation that invests in the education of tomorrow's farmers and promotes farm ownership. I support the Rural Revitalization Program to attract and retain jobs for young people in rural America.
* I'll work to implement President Obama's plan to provide capital for farmers and build a small business and micro-enterprise initiative for rural America. I also strongly support the appropriation of $7.2 billion for Internet grants as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Just as rural electrification created jobs and spurred economic growth, broadband internet will bring much-needed economic opportunity to rural America.

These proposals are the building blocks for investing in communities throughout Illinois. Strengthening our economy for generations requires more than a quick fix, and I'll fight as a Senator for the policies that will help small businesses across Illinois thrive.

If you're a small business owner and would like to share your ideas or story with the campaign, email us at contact@alexiforillinois.com.

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