Supporters of the unemployed will march on the 10th Ave. bridge near the U of M in Minneapolis Thursday to protest the state's poor infrastructure, high unemployment and racial employment disparities.
The march, organized by clergy, union members, the long term unemployed and members of Minnesotans for a Fair Economy, will call attention to the irony that jobs are lacking while roads and bridges are crumbling.
Combine the two and fix a major problem, said supporters who demanded that Congress pass President Obama's stalled jobs bill. Obama's proposal looks to create jobs by infusing $447 billion into transit, road construction and education projects. Minnesota's share of that pie: $608 million. But the proposal has stalled in the face of opponents on Capitol Hill who argue it will only inflate the U.S. debt crisis.
But advocates in Minnesota are undeterred.
"We must fix Minnesota's infrastructure and we must use these jobs to fix the economic inequality in our state," said Tee McClenty, executive vice president of SEIU HealthCare Minnesota, in a statement.
The march begins Thursday at 4 p.m. near the University of Minnesota Mondale Law School at 19th and Washington Avenues.
