By Ivan Pereira
State Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) conceded the state will take some time to get out of its financial crisis, but he said plans are underway to bring together leaders at other venues to help New York’s unemployed.
The senator unveiled last Thursday plans for a citywide special committee to look into creating jobs for the state. The initiative will find answers for displaced residents and also analyze which job sectors in the state are thriving in the bad economy.
“If someone has a job, they can move their lives forward,” he told his first State of the District address at the Robert Ross Johnson Family Life Center in St. Albans.
Starting in the spring, Smith said the committee, which will be made up of representatives of city, state and federal government agencies, will have meetings in each borough to focus on three areas.
The first would be to see which areas are succeeding in providing jobs today. The second will be to see which job sectors will be emerging in the near future. The third area will be to see what areas are good for younger workers to start a successful career.
“We will make sure you know we work for you,” Smith said.
Smith said one area that looks promising is green businesses, which promote new environmentally friendly technologies. During the meeting he also stressed the importance of creating a high-speed rail system for the state.
Smith, who represented the state at a national conference on high-speed rail systems in Florida over the weekend, said such a system would be advantageous for both commuters and the thousands of New Yorkers who would be employed in the creation of the train.
“High-speed rail offers the opportunity to alleviate traffic congestion, provides land use planning alternatives, provides an alternative to highways and air travel during periods of national crisis, addresses environmental concerns and reduces dependence on foreign oil,” he said a statement.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
