'Pledge to America' stimulus retraction causes worry for Illinois family
"A Pledge to America" may have been announced at a Virginia hardware store, but its message is being heard across the country. Parts of that message are causing worry in my central Illinois household.
The "Pledge to America" claims that stimulus spending has Americans asking, "Where are the jobs?"
All I can quietly answer is, "Right here."
My fiance is a construction worker, a trade which currently holds a high unemployment rate of 17 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Construction jobs have not been abundant, but most of the jobs he has worked in 2010 have been through weatherization programs beefed up by The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The cancellation of present and possible future funding to these programs -- and the "Pledge to America" promises to squash any proposed extended stimulus time lines -- will severely and negatively impact our livelihood. It will cause us, and our friends in the same trade, to lose the ability to pay bills and put food on the table.
In April, federal law required contractors to be certified to handle lead-paint removal when working on a building built before 1978. The stimulus paid for my fiance to attend those classes, keeping him employable.
Before being qualified for stimulus jobs, paychecks were few. We had purchased a new, more affordable home months before. The furnace had to be replaced and the attic needed insulating. We qualified for weatherization, which enabled us to make it through the winter and lowered our utility bills.
The stimulus also provided $100 a month to my total $826 monthly unemployment benefits. That small amount was crucial to our survival in 2009 and the first part of 2010.
Having seen the benefits of the stimulus personally and in my community, I am concerned about the Pledge to America's eagerness to immediately cancel all funding. I worry that the pledge will cut the rope many Americans are pulling themselves up with.
Published by Tamara McRill
Tamara McRill is a freelance writer focusing on news, politics, lifestyle and business. Tamara began her career writing for newspapers, including a brief stint as a sports editor, but is now reaching lar... View profile
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7 Comments
Post a CommentA very realistic view of how the party of NO, the Republicans are so eager to hurt middle class Americans. And yet every time i write against a Rep candidate I get a slew of comments calling me Anti American. Ugh. Great article.
Wow, very interesting.
Fantastic first-person account.
The GOP is going to say whatever they think it takes to win back the majority in Congress, regardless of how true or realistic it is.
@Nancy - My mistake. ;)
@chris s. - I have to wonder how using these programs, but being publically against them works out in the voting booth.
Obama said that the stimulus was meant to 'put the floor under people". It was intended to, temporarily, give American families support. There is the extension of unemployment benefits. Don't forget that the stimulus also pays for 65% of your COBRA premiums, if you are unemployed. That is a HUGE help to many families. Amazing that many Republicans are taking advantage of these programs, while railing against them. It's called voting against their own best interests. They just stated that they weren't going to change anything. That means they've learned nothing from their mistakes. Do their supporters really believe that the Republicans are there to help the common "folks"? Nonsense!
Please don't confuse the issue with facts. It is way more politically advantageous to be negative.