Al Melvin’s Jobs Committee met 4 times: 3 hours, 54 minutes total

by David Safier

Call him Al "Jobs, jobs, jobs" Melvin, since he said during the campaign, those were his first, second and third priorities.

Call him Al "Get them up off their lazy butts" Melvin, since he said the legislature shouldn't fix a piece of legislation to extend unemployment compensation for 20,000 Arizonans and bring in $4.5 million a week from the feds without costing the state a dime, the reason being:

"The shorter the period [of jobless aid], the faster people go back to work," Melvin said.

This same Al Melvin is Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Jobs Creation. The committee had 11 meetings scheduled. Seven meetings were called off. The four actual meetings totaled 3 hours and 53 minutes, with the final meeting, all the way back in February, lasting a whopping two minutes.

Here is the committee schedule:

1/12/11: Not Meeting
1/19/11: Cancelled
1/26/11: Met, 8 minutes
2/2/11: Met, 1 hour, 14 minutes
2/9/11: Met, 2 hours, 29 minutes
2/16/11: Met, 2 minutes
2/23/11: Not Meeting
3/2/11: Not Meeting
3/9/11: Cancelled
3/16/11: Not Meeting
3/23/11: Cancelled

Senator Melvin had a Job to do — help create jobs — and he didn't do it. He didn't even put forth the effort to hold meetings to discuss the issue.

If I may be so bold as to speak to Sen. Melvin for the unemployed in Arizona: They wish you would get up off your lazy butt and do what you promised: help bring jobs to Arizona.

I should add, Frank Antenori is a member of the committee as well.

(h/t to Democratic Diva, who in turn gave a h/t to Anna Johnson.)