As we are all aware, our nation is in the midst of a huge economic crisis. As the director of a non-profit agency serving the needs of the Elderly, Sick, Homeless, and Needy in Connecticut, I have seen first-hand enormous increases in requests for assistance.
In 2008 we found requests for services for the most basic needs such as food and diapers up substantially, and from a wider range of clients than ever before. We are hearing from more and more formerly middle class families who are losing their jobs and their homes in record numbers. Requests for rent, utility, mortgage, and food assistance pour in daily.
We have clients whose homes are falling down around them and there are no programs to help while bank executives fly around the country in corporate jets and dine on caviar. American families are declaring bankruptcy because they cannot pay their medical bills while banks spend millions on Superbowl commercials and to put their names on new stadiums.
Our nation has not faced such widespread financial crisis since the Great Depression.
Congress saw fit to bail out Wall Street in an effort to 'save' our country's economy. What they failed to do, however, was take into account that millions of Americans are losing their jobs and their homes in record numbers. The banks cannot save our economy. Only the public can, by spending. Without money to spend, everything grinds to a halt.
People with Masters degrees are fighting for jobs at the local Walmart. The construction industry in this country has been decimated. Trucking companies have closed their doors while the oil industry announces record profits for the second year in a row. Jobs are non-existent for teenagers, filled instead with out of work adults.
American voters understand all this. American families are struggling to simply survive. This is why voters spoke loud and clear at election time. 90% of America is made up of average people, who are working just to survive. That same 90% of America is what really runs our nation’s economy. As the ‘real’ economy of the American family and small business withers and dies, Wall Street carries on as if it’s business as usual.
The reality is all of America needs a bailout. Through no fault of our own, thanks to corporate greed, America’s economy is in the toilet and our legislators have decided to turn President Obama’s proposed stimulus package into a partisan war. Despite the fact that America has spoken loud and clear during our recent election, not ONE Republican in the house voted for the stimulus package. Just three brave Republican Senators voted for the bill.
What this tells us is that they do not have the best interest of our country at heart. While there was little resistance in Congress to the bank bailout, the very idea that our new President hopes to help the rest of America is met with political stonewalling. This is absolutely disgraceful!
Our nation is suffering and our people need help. Our elected officials should be doing everything in their power to make this work. This bill has been created with the needs of our nation in mind. Some facts:
Among other things, this bill:
Creates or saves 3 million to 4 million jobs in the next two years. Our citizens NEED jobs.
Averts "literally hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs"—and doubles funding for the Department of Education. Our children are our future.
Creates hundreds of thousands of green jobs and doubles our clean energy production. It is critical that we act now to reduce or eliminate our dependence on foreign oil.
Immediately gives unemployed folks access to affordable health care coverage. It is unfathomable that health care is not available to all Americans.
Unemployment is rising at an alarming rate in the United States. According to CNNMoney.com the average unemployment rate nationwide is expected to reach 7.5% soon. According to this same report, unemployment has risen in 98% of cities across the nation. These are staggering numbers and our legislators need to get their heads out of the clouds and do what’s right for our nation. Our citizens are suffering. It’s time our legislators from BOTH parties started to listen. The voters are watching. Do the right thing and VOTE YES for the stimulus package.
www.compassionatecommunityservices.org
For more information on the Stimulus Package Visit:
www.barackobama.com
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