Over the past 30 years Americans have been losing their jobs as corporations relocated their plants outside the United States. The number of the unemployed has steadily increased, and those still in the workforce wonder how long their jobs will be secure. Our once prosperous country is now faced with a crisis situation. Many thousands of people have been laid off because the CEOs of numerous industries in state after state closed their doors, and unemployment figures continue to rise. Corporation executives may claim their goal is to help improve living conditions for the people in Third World countries ? but is this really true? I think not. The bottom line is for them to increase profits by employing cheap labor and cutting production costs. Pure and simple greed (let”s call it what it is, folks). In the meantime, for every job given to a worker overseas, an American worker is denied a job.
Look around you, America! Do you see the people on the street holding signs begging for food or work? In our cities, homeless people huddle in doorways and food lines are getting longer each month. In spite of those skeptics who claim these people are lazy and choose to live this way. I strongly disagree. I still believe most people would choose to work. I believe people want to work … to provide for themselves and families, and to be treated with dignity and respect.
In the heat of a political campaign, candidates for office at every level promise they will “clean up the mess their predecessors have made” and “will make a difference.” But do they?
Once in office, it”s “business as usual,” until the next election. In order to even run for office, a person must have deep pockets and many friends with money and influence to back them (it”s a sad fact of life, but true). Why do they seem to be unaware of what must be done to restore our economy? The answer is simple. Put America back to work! We need jobs just as much as the poor in other countries and we deserve to be paid fairly for our labor because the cost of living in our great nation is higher than that of other countries. Without jobs we cannot make a living, pay taxes, or support our government.
Part II (conclusion) will run tomorrow.
Gladys Brayer is a resident of Clearlake.
