*Let's Get Shonda and Bob Back to Work*
/By Paul Sherry*
<
http://www.facebook.com/catholicsinalliance>
Several days ago I attended a forum on "The Jobs Crisis-Moving
to Action: A dialogue Between Workers and Policymakers" at the
Washington DC office of the AFL-CIO. Two unemployed workers
from Ohio, Shonda Sheen and Bob Stein, participated in that
dialogue and told us their stories.
Shonda Sheen was laid off in December, 2009, and is about to
run out of unemployment benefits. Further, recent state budget
cuts may cause her to lose the services of the health care nurse
who helps care for her mother who has dementia. She desperately
wants to work so she can care for herself and her family. Yet,
at the last job she applied for, she was told 450 others had
applied for the same position.
She said: "All I want is a decent job. I want to work. I love
to work. I'm scared. I don't know what's going to happen to my
mother. I have a home to pay off."
Bob Stein is a 60 year old, former salesman who has been out of
work since May, 2010.
He said to us, "I was set to lose unemployment as of the second
or third week of December, and (politicians) were fighting back
and forth and it was predicated on the Bush tax cuts. I was
caught right in the middle of that. The thing that was so
upsetting is when you heard about the number of people about to
lose their unemployment check. I thought, "OK, I understand that
you're adamant about this Bush tax cut thing, but you're holding
us all hostage. You're playing politics with people's lives.
People use their unemployment. This will stimulate and help the
economy.""
Shonda and Bob, in their struggle to survive, are not only
reminding us of the plight of so many of our unemployed and
underemployed; they are also pointing us toward the way out of
the crisis we face. They are speaking truth to power and it is
time the powers that be start to listen, lest the dire situation
so many face worsens and our nation's economy continues its
downward spiral: "All I want is a decent job." "People use their
unemployment. This will stimulate and help the economy."
It is time, long past time, to shift the primary focus of our
attention from deficit reduction to job creation. This is not to
say that deficits are not a problem. Deficits do need to be
reduced over the long term but not at this moment and not on the
backs of those most at risk. At this moment, with so many people
out of work already, we dare not exacerbate the situation by
enacting policies that will destroy more jobs rather than
shaping policies to create new ones. To do so is both morally
questionable and economically wrong.
Shonda Sheen, Bob Stein and millions more like them need good
jobs so that they can support themselves and their families.
They need good jobs so that the taxes they pay with the money
they earn can help restore the economy of this nation. If we
want to reduce the deficit, if we want to address the budget
crisis, one sure way is to create good jobs. Private jobs and,
when needed, public jobs.
There is a concrete way for you to help create a job for Shonda
Sheen and Bob Stein. You can urge your congregation or other
faith-based body to join Faith Advocates for Jobs, a campaign
composed of over 40 faith-based national and regional
organizations committed to support the unemployed and the
underemployed and their families and to advocate for policies
that will put people back to work and transform our nation's
economy. Faith Advocates for Jobs believes that by putting our
faith into action we can enlist 1000 congregations - Christian,
Jewish, Muslim and others - in this so sorely needed effort.
Please join with us.
You can receive full information about Faith Advocates for Jobs
and how to join with us on our newly created website:
www.faithadvocatesforjobs.wordpress.com
<
http://www.faithadvocatesforjobs.wordpress.com>. I also will
be happy to respond to any questions you might have about FAJ.
My email address is:
PSherry@iwj.org.
The most significant way to resolve the budget crisis, the best
way to relieve the severe suffering of millions of our nation's
people, is by putting people back to work. So, together, let's
do it.
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Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is a lay Catholic
organization that promotes public policies and effective
programs that enhance the inherent dignity of all, especially
the poor and most vulnerable. Our work is inspired by Gospel
values and the rich history of Catholic social teaching as they
inform pressing moral issues of our time. We accomplish these
goals through public policy analysis and advocacy, strategic
media outreach, and engaging citizens in the service of the
common good.
http://www.catholicsinalliance.org
BOB KLAHN
bob.klahn@sev.org http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn
... True Christianity-If anyone anywhere is hungry, it's your fault.
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