Not willing to wait and see whether the economic recovery plans that their colleagues in Washington will actually work, political leaders in both San Francisco and Oakland announced their own plans to rev up the Bay Area economy late Monday.

In San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said the city needs the action plan even though the city compared to other metropolitan areas San Francisco is holding its own economically.

"San Francisco is not immune from the worldwide credit crunch or nation-wide economic downturn," Newsom said. "That's why today I've proposed an economic stimulus package that encourages local spending, reduces the cost of doing business in San Francisco, accelerates capital spending, and increases foreign investment."

Elements included in the mayor's stimulus package include plans to:

--Accelerate municipal capital construction projects, such as the Terminal 2 rebuild at San Francisco International Airport and the rebuild of San Francisco General Hospital.

--Increase foreign investment by establishing a San Francisco "China Desk" in China to better attract businesses to the city.

--Reduce the cost of doing business in San Francisco by reviewing fees on businesses and by helping city businesses take better advantage of local and state tax credit programs.

--Work to keep more payroll dollars in San Francisco by working better with local job-creation and training programs, by increasing tourism promotion and by sponsoring a "shop local" campaign to slow so-called "retail leakage" from the city.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Bay Bridge in Oakland,

Assemblyman Sandré R. Swanson joined with Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and Democratic law makers, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee and state Assemblywoman Loni Hancock to unveil the "Oakland Green Jobs Corps" program.

The corps will serve as an employment pipeline, providing "green-collar" skills training and jobs to young adults, many of whom face significant barriers to employment, Swanson said.  

"This is a proactive, aggressive program that will create local jobs in a sector that is the growth industry of the 21st century.  In the midst of an historic economic downturn, this program provides the model for real economic stimulus: stable jobs for the people and communities who need them most," Swanson said.

The Oakland Green Jobs Corps partnership was awarded to three agencies: Laney College, Cypress Mandela Training Center, Inc., and Growth Sector, Inc. Their partnership will result in training, environmental education, and connections to green jobs to at least 40 low-income Oakland residents.

The city of Oakland awarded $250,000 to the partners to implement this program.

"Funding this kind of important educational program is not just a good idea, it's an economic necessity.  California has lost $4 billion to home foreclosures, we face a $1.6 billion shortfall in our unemployment insurance, and we continue to struggle with a 7.7 percent unemployment rate," Swanson added.