Watson Coleman: “I wish to talk about jobs. I am a former mayor. As mayor, I learned a long time ago that the best welfare program is a…”

“I wish to talk about jobs. I am a former mayor. As mayor, I learned a long time ago that the best welfare program is a job; the best housing program is a job; access to health care comes through a job. With jobs and with work, there is a sense of dignity and a sense of worth. People would often ask me as a mayor, What are you doing for kids? My response would be, One of the best things I could do for kids was to make sure that mom and dad had a job. Jobs are fundamentally important. The reality is that the American economy over the last few years has taken some very big hits. A lot of people have found themselves out of work. When you are out of work, the anxiety level rises, the sense of security in your family is challenged. It hurts, and it hurts a lot. Certainly the recession that began before President Bush was elected-- the recession began just as he took office--had an impact on jobs. America took that terrible blow of terrorism on September 11, which shook the foundations of the economy. You can't have economic security without national security; People are in fear. There was a great loss to the economic activity, certainly in New York and Washington and throughout this country. The impact of 9/11 cannot be underestimated.”