NYC Mayor Bloomberg speaks about his plan to create 400,000 new jobs...I was shaking my head when he specifically noted that some of the new jobs will be good paying, many with benefits, jobs that could be created elsewhere. Woo-hoo, the recovery is around the corner.

Now I don't want to sound so flippant but its difficult not to when politicians - even Mayor Mike who knows a thing or two about business - speak so gallantly about job growth: It isn't as simple as politicos make it. The reality is that according to the New York State Comptroller, Tom DiNapoli,

The reduction in Wall Street bonuses will cost nearly $1 billion in personal income tax revenues for New York State and another $275 million for New York City. Before the start of the financial crisis, business and personal income tax collections from Wall Street activities accounted for up to 20 percent of State tax revenues and 12 percent of City tax revenues.

Since this estimate came out on 28 January 2009, the financial crisis has grown a few more warts. So add the tax revenue loss due to the fall to the cuts that many in government are calling for and we're left with a house with very thin walls and even less insulation. Everyone in New York is going to shivering.

Job growth takes place when companies have products and services to sell that consumers want or need to buy. New products or services are a result of increased R&D spending that includes hiring more people to create and develop. Construction programs alone have little use for R&D so there's hardly a trickle down effect for all the new projects Mayor Mike speaks of; a net of 100,000 new jobs that are good paying, many with benefits simple isn't enough to make up for the tax revenue loss and expected budget cuts.

Credit must be extended - it's the fuel that drives innovation and funds payrolls. Stimulus in the form of cuts or rebates won't turn this boat around. $13 per week more isn't exactly living high on the hog yet it's the best the politicians can muster. But as recruiters, we can do better - but it may require skunkworks-like stealth to pull it off:

Regardless of openings or not, identify the Top Ten strategic positions in your company and start to develop a Fabulous Five list of people who might just be better than the incumbent; doesn't matter.

Start a "Loan us the money" campaign at work; shoot, we've given them billions - how about giving something back. Be sure to get your CFO on board (so much for stealth here - just don't tell them about the first point).

Send your local politicians job descriptions of the most challenging positions you've had to fill during the past 12 months and offer to explain to them the creative recruiting processes you employed to make it happen as well as a personal feet-on-the-street explanation as to why personal tax cuts, rebates, etc. won't help recruit software developers, tax managers, or R&D engineers. I've never known a politician who understands performance-based recruiting (other than that which is lobbyist or payback driven) so education is a must.

Put together a Council of Recruiters in your area to serve in an advisory capacity to local politicians that they can use when pondering local job creation strategies. For instance, here on Long Island, many Suffolk County politicians actually believe that building an indoor ski mountain will serve as one spoke of a large wheel that will attract people and employers to the area - essentially creating a destination point on the east end...as if the beaches, wineries, and shopping malls aren't enough. Mind you, one element is to create a destination out east that will stall the young person flight from a place where housing costs are some of the highest in the nation, utility costs are close to the highest in the nation, and professional ljob growth is one of the lowest in the nation. Build a ski mountain> As recruiters, we need to help our politicians see reality.

Thoughts? No wait, watch the video first...