‘We Need Jobs’

There have been desperate pleas all summer long for more jobs as an alternative to gang activity. “We need jobs,” a gang member told the Rev. Jesse Jackson in June. “You got to give us something to look forward to,” said a gang member this month after a summit meeting between the two largest black gangs, the Bloods and the Crips.

At first the pleas seemed to find their mark. In May the Los Angeles City Council approved$2.1 million for programs to prevent youth violence and drug use that might have included jobs. The council acted again in August to set aside $500,000 in federal job-training money to help “high-risk” youngsters. But not one new job, not one new program actually came into being this summer.

Part of the problem is the snail’s pace of government and politics. Slicing the pie thin enough so that everybody gets a piece slows the process.

Councilman Bob Farrell wants to start the job program for high-risk youngsters by modifyingan existing contract during a hearing scheduled before the grants committee today. If competitive bidding is bypassed, the entire $500,000 could go to the Watts Labor Community Action Committee formed after the riots in 1965 and be put to use immediately. A quick response might leave something to be desired politically, but it would be justified by the present rate of gang killings.

In a less urgent situation the council might wait for bids and contract with many experts who could address skill development and motivation, show gang members how to walk away from crime and offer remedial help without condescension.

At another time the council could afford to debate whether to concentrate on gun-toting thugs or on youngsters who are not yet in serious trouble. But, as the death toll from gang shootings rises above 200 for this year, the council must do what it can to respond to the young men who claim that they will put down their guns and stop selling drugs in exchange for jobs.

Jobs are not a quick fix. It will take years to transform some gang members from outlaws to law-abiding citizens. But the Los Angeles City Council has an obligation to use the money on hand to let as many gang members as possible turn toward a future that includes a job.