LEWISTON — Mayor Laurent F. Gilbert Sr. spoke at a press conference recently at the Lewiston Public Library, urging the creation of a community jobs program.

Gilbert said, “It’s time for the President and Congress to act now. Such a program would put 2.5 million people back to work.”

Gilbert was joined by Genevieve Lysen of the Maine Peoples Alliance, Sen. Margaret Craven, Rep. Brian Bolduc and those who served as the event’s “voice of the unemployed,” Kevin Simpson and Brenda Akers.

The press conference was held on the same date that President Obama hosted a forum on jobs and economic growth at the White House. The purpose of the discussion was to explore every possible avenue for job creation and to get ideas from small business owners and CEOs, labor union representatives, financial experts, economists, nonprofit leaders and everyday Americans who have felt the impact of the current economic crisis firsthand.

Gilbert said, “The President and Congress have already taken significant steps to stop the economy’s nosedive, and their efforts have already created over a million jobs and led to renewed economic growth in the third quarter of 2009. In fact, here in Lewiston, we were able to hire two additional police officers as a result of the Recovery Act, but it’s clear that much more must be done to generate millions more jobs to assure a true recovery that reaches all Americans.”

He said, “The jobs bill that is produced must include creation of public jobs, job-creation tax credits, assistance to state and local government and infrastructure projects including highways. Certainly, at the local government level, we will need the help in our next budget.”

Gilbert said that a community jobs program would provide resources to local elected officials who are closest to communities and the needs on the ground, working with community members and groups to identify critical projects and connecting workers to jobs in the public and nonprofit sectors.