The following remarks were presented at a press conference at the Tony Barr for Congress headquarters in Duncansville, PA on Friday, Aug. 28 leading off the celebration of Labor Day weekend. TB
I want to thank Harry Zeznanski for his kind words; I want to thank the members of the Machinists Local 2348 and the members of PA SEIU for their support here today. I’m honored to have the support of working men and women across our district. These are the people who build things and provide services; these are the people that we should celebrating this weekend.
It is Labor Day Weekend and like many Americans, I’ve been guilty in the past of forgetting what this weekend is all about. To some, it’s another excuse for a sale at the mall or another reason to cook outdoors. For others, a signal that summer is over and that it’s time to get the kids ready for school. We had it good for many years in this country, and it is easy to forget when things are good. Labor Day was created back in 1892 by the Central Labor Union to "create a day off for the working citizens" to celebrate "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organization."
Have we forgotten that when unions were strong; the middle class was strong; When the middle class was strong, the American economy was the envy of the world.
Nobody who lives in Blair county needs to be reminded that since 2001, 5000 jobs have left our county. Nobody who lives in Central PA needs to be reminded that over 20 major employers have packed up and left the 9th district. If we are to keep our young people in Central PA, if we are to bring prosperity back to the 9th district, if we are to bring prosperity back to this country, we must create jobs.
Here a my proposals:
- We must cease and desist giving tax breaks to corporations that ship American jobs overseas. I can't think of anything more anti-American, more unpatriotic than to give tax breaks to companies that throw American workers out of jobs.
Government must not reward corporations for turning their back on the American worker and American families, These tax breaks are an indefensible, disgusting, anti-American practice and it must stop!!!
- We must end all so called "free trade agreements"" such as NAFTA. NAFTA is causing our jobs to go south, illegal immigrants to come north, environmental problems in the southwest, and public safety problems on America's roads. We must insist on Fair Trade. America is the largest market in the world. If other countries wish to do business here, they need to play by our rules.
3) We must invest in public works.
Rebuilding our roads and bridges and infrastructure would do far more to boost the ailing economy than rebate checks and corporate bailouts. There are six thousand bridges, and some eighty-five hundred miles of roadway in Pennsylvania alone that are in desperate need of repair. These are jobs that can’t be shipped overseas.
- We must focus the strength and talent of America's banking industry.
For the past several years these money changers have been running wily-nilly over the landscape. They have been untethered by prudent regulation and undisciplined for too long now. It's time we brought that dog to heel. It's time we made that dog hunt effectively. Banking and business need a certain amount of room to roam to be sure but ultimately they must have some limits for their own benefit as well as the benefit of the economy. Those that survived the great depression understand this only too well. Excessive deregulation is responsible for many of our economic woes.
Many of our economic problems also flow from the fact that we do not have a coherent national energy policy, I believe that the 21st century will require America to be Energy Smart
5) We must expand mass transit.
Expanding mass transit will not only aid America’s struggle for energy independence but it will create new jobs. We should do this not only in the cities and towns but also in more rural areas like here. As one of the guys working on the ski lifts at Blue Knob said to me, "Where's my bus? I'd love to take a bus." I have to agree. Americans will use mass transportation. But first we must build a system that people will want to use. And, somebody will have to build those buses, somebody will have to drive them and somebody will have to maintain them once they are in use, here again, more jobs that cannot be shipped overseas.
Not only should we be building local mass transit systems, we must also build high speed trains. High speed trains will not replace air travel. Rather, it will complement our current air transportation system. I would welcome the airlines as partners in a high speed train system. High Speed Trains are much more efficient than air travel for trips less than 600 miles. High Speed Trains would allow the airlines to expand service for higher volume but higher cost short trips. Switching to a different mode of travel that preserves speed while reducing costs through efficiency will help them to protect their bottom line.
6)We must improve energy efficiency.
I suggest that "no-Cost loans" be made available to homeowners who wished to replace doors, windows, insulation, and heating systems for the sake of energy efficiency. Going further, Germany leads the world in solar power production. Much of it is produced by individual homeowners with rooftop solar panels. These things will not only benefit the people who take advantage of these programs, but they will benefit us all. By reducing demand for energy, these practices will lower the price we all pay for energy. In addition, the installation of these new doors, windows and solar panels will give hundreds of jobs to local contractors, jobs that cannot be sent abroad.
We can do much more with efficiency. Right now oil costs $120/barrel. Saving a barrel of oil, aka a negabarrel, costs only $15. We get 8 times the bang for our dollar by saving energy through efficiency. Companies such as Wal-Mart are already leading the way on this. Their trucking fleet in 2007 was 25% more efficient than it was in 2006. By 2015, it will be 100% more efficient. By 2020, it will be 200% more efficient. These technologies will eventually make their way into the trucks that our independent trucker drive reducing costs and increasing profits and lowering prices for everybody.
- Finally and most importantly, We must encourage the growth of the green energy economy.
The green energy economy will be THE economy for the next several decades, it is an absolute imperative that we promote those innovations right here in Central PA.
To accomplish this things we must create millions of new jobs. It is projected that the energy economy could create somewhere on the order of 5 million jobs over the next few years. I believe that some of them need to come to the 9th district. Scientists and manufacturers, engineers and heavy equipment operators, draftsmen, machinists, architects, mechanics...All of these jobs are good jobs. These are jobs that pay good wages with good benefits. But these jobs do much more, these jobs instill pride. Pride in building something concrete, real. Pride in being able to provide for oneself and one's family. Pride in one's community. Pride in one's country.
Companies like Gamesa and Sunnyside have already come to Pennsylvania, they just haven’t set up shop in the 9th district. Congressman Jack Murtha and State Representative Bud George have shown leadership and vision in securing agreements with these companies to come close to our region. One has to wonder why the Altoona area, which was at one time a transportation hub, seems to be without a chair when the music stops time and time again.
When pressed on this issue, my opponent offers up only blame, excuses, and Bush Administration talking points. We should expect better from our elected officials. Working people in this district have been abandoned, ignored, and taken advantage of for too long now.
On this weekend when we celebrate the American worker, we must also remember to protect them; The Employee free choice act will hold accountable anti-union employers, and guarantee workers a free and fair chance to form a union. President Dwight D Eisenhower, once said that "Our nation benefits through strengthened processes of collective bargaining". Corporate intimidation of the workforce for political purposes or exceedingly gross profits has no place in a democratic society.
We cannot forget that when unions were strong;, the middle class was strong; and when the middle class was strong, the American economy was the envy of the world.
I know that I could go into greater detail with these proposals I’ve put before you today and I’m happy to answer any questions you might have but before I let you go. I want to say that I know that there will be people who will look at what I’ve proposed here today and say ‘Well, we can’t do this and this will be too expensive and that will take too long’ and I got to say that I’m really tired of all that. I’m tired of people who seem to think that cynicism makes them cool. I’m just tired of those people who say ‘we can’t’ and resist anyone who is willing to try.
I grew up believing in the American ideal. I grew up believing in a country that just put a man on the moon. I still believe in that. I still believe in America, I believe in the American work ethic, I believe in American ingenuity and American dedication. I believe in the American worker. Despite all George Bush and Bill Shuster have put them through these past few years, I believe in my neighbors and my friends across the 9th district and across the nation.
We don’t lack the talent or the resources or the spirit to accomplish great things in this district, we lack the leadership. My dad used to say "Do something!" I think it’s time that we just stop listening to those who only say "we can’t" and did something.
Let’s make an effort, a real effort and honest effort, an American effort to build a better community, a better 9th district and a better America, God Bless, thank you and happy Labor day. My name is Tony Barr, I'm running for Congress and Working for Working People.
If you would like more information about my campaign or would like to make a contribution, please check out my website http://www.tonybarr2008.com