I want to talk about jobs.

Lately, it seems that everyone says they want to talk about jobs, and that we'll get around to tackling jobs next week, or the week after. But I'd like to kick off the discussion right now.

I wouldn't be the first to observe that times are tough. Our nation is still reeling from the most disastrous economic collapse in a generation. Many families in Minnesota are relying on their unemployment benefits to put food on the table and pay their rent. For every single job opening, there are six unemployed workers, and too many people are left without options or hope in this dismal job market.

In the fall of 2008, when Wall Street's financial institutions started falling like dominoes, our regulators told us that Congress had to pass the bailout now, or we face total economic ruin. This really seemed to get Congress moving; it passed the legislation in a matter of days.

My feeling is that the American people, especially those folks out of work, need their advocates to have the exact same urgency. Because if we don't act now, Main Street will continue to suffer. And this unemployment crisis we're in will drag on and on.

So we've seen Cash for Clunkers, we've talked about Cash for Caulkers, now I'm proposing "Cash for Jobs."

My proposal is modeled after a very successful program that we used for several years in Minnesota during the recession in the 1980s. Minnesota's program got more than 7,400 people back to work in its first six months, and created nearly 15,000 permanent jobs.

"Cash for Jobs" will incentivize rapid job creation by offering small and medium-sized companies and nonprofits a direct wage subsidy to hire new workers and expand their operations. Small businesses are the driving force behind our economy, and they want to grow — but many of them just need an added infusion of capital since the bailout hasn't trickled down to them.

Additionally, employers who hire recently returned Iraq and Afghanistan vets would be eligible for a 60 percent subsidy. The subsidy would be available for a 12-month period, and the employer would commit to keeping the worker on for an additional three months after the subsidized year.

Jim Glowacki used Minnesota's program in the 1980s. After he lost his job, he decided to start his own business. He had few resources and little ability to borrow money. He used Minnesota's program to hire his first two employees and now his company, the JPG Group, employs 17 full-time people and has an annual payroll of $800,000. His story epitomizes the incredible potential for this approach to spur job creation.

The second component of "Cash for Jobs" is direct grants to states, localities and tribes to fund "green" jobs retrofitting public buildings. In addition to creating green jobs, these retrofits will increase energy efficiency, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil and saving taxpayers' money.

Too many of our public buildings, public housing, libraries and schools are becoming outdated and don't utilize the new green technologies available today. There are many skilled workers on the bench who already have the training they need to immediately get to work on these projects.

These new projects will increase demand for energy-efficient windows and doors and heating systems and insulation, providing a boost to our nation's stalled manufacturing sector.

Minnesota is the Silicon Valley of windows. We are home to the nation's leaders in energy-efficient windows, which makes some sense, given our winters. Retrofitting public buildings is a win for everyone — Minnesota workers, localities, taxpayers, manufacturing and the environment. This is a win-win-win-win-win.

If we reallocate $10 billion from the bailout funds and pass this proposal into law, we have the potential to create up to 15,000 jobs in Minnesota. Many employers will convert their participating workers into permanent employees, setting them up for a long-term career.

It's this kind of bold proposal we need. Crafted and tested in Minnesota, it has the real potential to help our entire nation right now.

Jim Glowacki used Minnesota's program in the 1980s. After he lost his job, he decided to start his own business. He had few resources and little ability to borrow money. He used Minnesota's program to hire his first two employees and now his company, the JPG Group, employs 17 full-time people and has an annual payroll of $800,000. His story epitomizes the incredible potential for this approach to spur job creation.

The second component of "Cash for Jobs" is direct grants to states, localities and tribes to fund "green" jobs retrofitting public buildings. In addition to creating green jobs, these retrofits will increase energy efficiency, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil and saving taxpayers' money.

Too many of our public buildings, public housing, libraries and schools are becoming outdated and don't utilize the new green technologies available today. There are many skilled workers on the bench who already have the training they need to immediately get to work on these projects.

These new projects will increase demand for energy-efficient windows and doors and heating systems and insulation, providing a boost to our nation's stalled manufacturing sector.

Minnesota is the Silicon Valley of windows. We are home to the nation's leaders in energy-efficient windows, which makes some sense, given our winters. Retrofitting public buildings is a win for everyone — Minnesota workers, localities, taxpayers, manufacturing and the environment. This is a win-win-win-win-win.

If we reallocate $10 billion from the bailout funds and pass this proposal into law, we have the potential to create up to 15,000 jobs in Minnesota. Many employers will convert their participating workers into permanent employees, setting them up for a long-term career.

It's this kind of bold proposal we need. Crafted and tested in Minnesota, it has the real potential to help our entire nation right now.