President Barack Obama told KIRO 7’s Angela Russel on Tuesday the economic crisis in Western Washington is a “huge problem” that’s costing police officers and firefighters their jobs.

Last week, Tacoma gave nearly 100 police and firefighters layoff notices.

“At a time when a lot of us are concerned about the economy, for us to see a state and local government have a layoff is a huge problem,” Obama said.

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The president said the biggest job losses in the country’s economy right now are in the public sector. His answer is the American Jobs Act – an act that did not pass the Senate because of its tax implications.

“My proposal would have helped state and local governments prevent these kinds of layoffs – teachers, firefighters and police officers,” Obama said.

He added that he isn’t giving up on the Jobs Act and is hopeful some lawmakers will come around.

Considering the impact of the economy on so many people, Russell asked the president to reflect on his first term:

Russell: “What’s the one thing you know now that you wish you would have known when you were first sworn into office?”
Obama: “I think I could have prepared the American people better for how bad this was going to be, had we had a sense of that.”

Part 3: Pres. Obama, Washington state reps have opposing views on how to solve political gridlock

http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/pres-obama-washington-state-reps-have-opposing-vie/nF2dn/