Let's Make Federal Funds Work for Our Communities

Billions in federal funds are flowing to cities and states to build sustainable infrastructure and address the climate crisis. But outdated regulations are keeping them from also using those funds to create good and equitable jobs close to home. It doesn’t have to be this way.

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Reclaiming the Progressive Potential of Procurement

Reclaiming the Progressive Potential of Procurement

A longstanding misinterpretation of procurement law keeps cities and states from using federal money to advance local policy goals. JMA's Madeline Janis and UCLA School of Law Professor of Legal Ethics Scott Cummings on how groups like the Local Opportunities...

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"I got put into the welding department, where I will have an opportunity to become a welder, which is a great experience. I’ve already got my hand on the welding machine and done a little bit of training with one of my partners at work, which has been a blessing because I would never expect that I would be able to gain a trade like that. I always thought I would be a layman, a trade worker, and now I have the opportunity to grow, which is amazing because I’ve only been there for under three months"

Evan Coffin

"Even though we are in the middle of all these companies—because Back of the Yards is made up of and is said to be the neighborhood of the packing factories. A lot of our people don't benefit from the jobs that are so close...we have jobs all around us, but they don't give us a chance. You have to look for a job far away. That's why I would like things to change, that there would be opportunities close by."

Esmeralda de la Rosa