Economic Development – Page 3

Meaningful Infrastructure

Problem

Small industrial towns have seen manufacturing jobs leave and have lacked the ability to attract millennial workers to their communities who will pay into the tax system.

Solution

Our plan addresses the issues keeping millennials away from suburban communities, and provides the infrastructure necessary to provide jobs, without burdening taxpayers. Downingtown is turning a debilitated mill site into an Amtrak and regional rail station connected to NYC, Philadelphia, and DC which will be maintained in large part with private dollars that includes walking trail networks & public bridges. By revising zoning laws, we are able to have the train station built along with trails and bridges without tax incentives or investing any municipal money.

Paystub Transparency

Problem

Since 2008, wage theft has increased dramatically. Working families can barely survive on the low wages they receive, let alone when employers shirk responsibility of paying what is owed. States then lose out too, on taxes to be collected, and honest employers are put at a disadvantage. This problem is easy to mask because of minimal requirements for paystubs: many paystubs have only the name of the employee and the total amount paid – failing to indicate what hours and what rate of pay, or whether taxes were withheld. Many low-wage workers don’t even know which contractor is paying them, so they don’t know who to sue or complain to.

Solution

Setting a new standard to ensure necessary information is being provided to workers is imperative to reduce wage theft and economic inequality. No federal and minimal state requirements currently exist regarding required information on paystubs. To protect workers in a contract economy and to level the playing field for employers, we need to set regulations to require companies to provide standardized paystubs.

Buy Local: How Government Spending Can Create Jobs and Support the Economy

Problem

In New Mexico alone, over $2 billion in government procurement dollars trickled to out-of-state companies in two years. This problem is replicated in varying degrees all across the nation. Even when local firms are ready and willing to bid on government contracts, loopholes in the procurement code can encourage governments to hire out-of-state firms. This limits the economic impact state spending has on the local economy.

Solution

When state and local businesses buy local, money flows directly into the local economy creating jobs, building tax revenue, reducing the ecological impacts of transport, and increasing food security. Our recent study found a clear path for government to contract more with local businesses to create thousands of permanent jobs, while also building tax revenue. We produced the first report that provides a snapshot to the public and policymakers of in-state and out-of-state purchasing by state agencies, municipalities, counties and school districts. The report provides a roadmap of doable best practices and can be replicated nationally. We have conducted a series of trainings to connect procurement officials with local businesses, and we will introduce legislation to close procurement loopholes that incentivize out-of-state spending.

Battlefields to Boardrooms

Problem

Veterans have a higher unemployment rate than the broader labor market. The idea that veterans come home and have trouble finding long-term employment is unacceptable.

Solution

My proposal utilizes our tax code to encourage employers to provide work opportunities to those who have honorably served our country. The NJ Battlefield to Boardroom Act would provide a corporation business tax credit and gross income tax credit for qualified wages of certain veterans. These two credits would provide an employer with a credit in the amount of 10 percent of the wages paid to a veteran. The credits may not exceed $1,200 for each qualified veteran per tax year. The bill also contains provisions aimed at preventing potential misuse of the credit, prohibiting taxpayers from simultaneously using the wages or employment of a veteran to qualify for this credit and any other generally available employment incentive that comes in the form of a New Jersey tax credit or grant.

Remote Worker Incentive Program

Problem

In the wealthy Boston suburbs, housing prices and rent are rising sharply, affordable housing is difficult to find, traffic is a nightmare, and the city is overcrowded. But travel west and the picture is completely different. Housing prices are among the lowest in the state, cost of living is much lower, and there are great open spaces and incredible cultural assets. However, because Western Massachusetts has a graying population, the region’s population growth is slowly declining, and this decline has presented a self-reinforcing cycle of challenges – not enough jobs causes many of the area’s young people to leave, which causes a decline in school enrollments, leading to less state aid and fewer workers to support the region’s businesses.

Solution

My bill creates a pilot grant program that incentivizes workers to relocate to Western MA, allocating $1 million in a three-year incentives period to eligible new citizens on a first come first served basis. These grants will fund the relocation expenses of remote workers and telecommuters who move to Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin or Berkshire County. The purpose of the grant is to help offset the cost of moving, including buying computer software and hardware, obtaining or increasing broadband access, and/or establishing membership in a co-working office space. Qualified remote workers that are eligible for reimbursement would receive a maximum of $5,000 per year, and a total maximum of $10,000 per worker over the life of the program.

Purpose Built Communities

Problem

We know that the starting line isn’t the same for everyone. The bottom line is that place matters as to how well we live, and how well our children live. Poverty and place are inextricably connected – children who grow up in poverty have different outcomes than those who grow up in healthy neighborhoods. My community is a community of neighborhoods. Most of us are defined by the neighborhood we live in, and the sad truth is that too many of our neighborhoods are not healthy. Nearly half of Leon County families with children under the age of 5 are living in poverty, and these numbers are even higher in neighborhoods like South City, where 68.5 % of families live in poverty.

Solution

Purpose Built Communities has been working across the country to successfully impact family outcomes by transforming struggling neighborhoods like South City into healthy and vibrant neighborhoods. By focusing at the neighborhood level on mixed income housing, a cradle to college education pipeline, and community wellness, Purpose Built is creating pathways out of poverty. In cities across the country, crime rates are going down, and graduation rates and college acceptance rates are going up because of a strategic, intentional focus on place.

Pregnancy Fairness

Problem

Pregnant employees, employees seeking to become pregnant, and those recovering from childbirth are forced to choose between their reproductive decisions and their livelihoods. Workers are subjected to conditions that can harm their opportunity for a healthy pregnancy or have to work a schedule that does not allow them to attend necessary appointments. Their employers are not providing the flexibility or workplace modifications needed to ensure that these workers can sustain a healthy pregnancy and remain productive at work. Additionally, partners of pregnant employees are often unable to provide the physical and emotional support to their partner due to lack of scheduling flexibility at their own jobs.

Solution

I authored a bill to expand protections against employment discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, & related medical conditions & events. Under this legislation, which passed unanimously in City Council & was signed into law by Mayor William Peduto, pregnant employees, those seeking to become pregnant, those recovering from childbirth, & their partners are provided recourse to file a claim against their employer with the City of Pittsburgh’s Commission on Human Relations (CHR) if they feel they’ve been discriminated against. I partnered with the CHR to release a Guidance Document to help both employers & employees understand their responsibility under the law and empower employers to prevent discrimination from ever happening.

LouTechWorks

Problem

Today, Louisville has about 79 percent of the tech jobs it should have for a city of its size, and the economy of the future will require significantly more jobs in software development, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. LouTechWorks seeks to meet those demands by quintupling the city’s projected tech job growth over the next few years. The Brookings Institution recently identified 28 percent of Louisville’s jobs are at high risk of automation, and LouTechWorks plans to bring government, public and higher education, philanthropy, nonprofit and corporate leadership together to mitigate the automation risk. The focus on technology jobs is key, as they typically pay well, are fast growing, and are less susceptible to automation.

Solution

LouTechWorks aims to maximize the local technology talent pipeline and ensure people are digitally literate and trained to be competitive and obtain technology jobs, from kindergarten through career. We have already secured commitments from Jefferson County Public Schools, Jefferson County’s largest school district with 100,000 students, and 7 higher education institutions to add or enhance programs, expand enrollment, and bolster Esports programs and scholarships. We are also including corporate and non-profit partners, to create a seamless, cohesive tech ecosystem.

Staycationland: Co-working Spaces Revolutionize Tourism and Remote Employment

Problem

Maine is a rural state with a massive influx of visitors in the summer months. As our world becomes more and more digitized, the ability to work from home is a real possibility for many individuals. This includes those who visit Maine to enjoy our natural beauty, as found at Acadia National Park, the national monument at Katahdin, our many lakes, beaches, and ski resorts. Coworking spaces provide Mainers with the opportunity to avoid long commutes to office spaces, visitors with the ability to extend vacations for a few more days, and entrepreneurs with inexpensive space to generate their next venture.

Solution

In our ever-evolving digital world, businesses exist in many shapes and forms. Collaborative workspaces provide opportunities for start-ups to grow without the expense of costly and perhaps unnecessary traditional office space. In addition, professionals in these spaces often share ideas, best practices and expenses. It is no secret that Maine faces challenges with retaining and attracting young people to live and work here. These spaces are sought after by young professionals and are increasingly the cornerstones for communities revitalizing vacant spaces in downtowns. The Coworking Development Fund provides critical funding for the creation of more spaces in communities across Maine.

Thinking Small (Business) Can Have BIG Results!

Problem

Philadelphia has the unfortunate distinction as the nation’s largest poorest city, with a poverty rate of more than 26 percent. More than 84% of businesses in Philadelphia have fewer than 20 employees. Changing that narrative begins with growing our neighborhood businesses and commercial corridors by ensuring they have access to capital, as well as providing them with the means to be competitive in acquiring City contracts. What this says to a local entrepreneur or business owner is, “We, as a city entity, value you and want to help you and your communities thrive.”

Solution

A simpler, faster procurement process is key to expanding and diversifying our economic landscape. Under legislation that I introduced earlier this year and passed with the support of my Council colleagues, a ballot question will be put to voters in the November election to increase thresholds for formal bids and Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) from the Office of Procurement from $34,000 to $75,000 for all business and up to $100,000 for local businesses. This change would expand access to more small businesses – especially for minority- and woman-owned establishments – and incentivize diversity and competition.

Meaningful Infrastructure

Problem

Solution

Paystub Transparency

Problem

Solution

Buy Local: How Government Spending Can Create Jobs and Support the Economy

Problem

Solution

Battlefields to Boardrooms

Problem

Solution

Remote Worker Incentive Program

Problem

Solution

Purpose Built Communities

Problem

Solution

Pregnancy Fairness

Problem

Solution

LouTechWorks

Problem

Solution

Staycationland: Co-working Spaces Revolutionize Tourism and Remote Employment

Problem

Solution

Thinking Small (Business) Can Have BIG Results!

Problem

Solution

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