So I've been posting for a month now on Daily Kos about our Congressional race here in Southeast Kentucky. Jim Holbert is our nominee for Congress and he is in need of your help. I hope you will be willing to help out.
If you know anything about Southeast Kentucky, you know that is extremely poor. According to the 2000 Census, poverty rates in many 5th District counties are nearing or exceeding 40%. Keeping in mind that the economy is so depressed right now, and I wouldn't be terribly surprised if those numbers were nearing or exceeding 50%.
This, unfortunately, is nothing new. Eastern Kentucky has been living with poverty for years and it's only gotten worse. Our people have been poorly represented in Congress by a reliable rubber stamp for the policies that have put Southeast Kentucky and America in crisis.
To give you an idea of the situation: 117,615 people in the 5th Congressional District earn less than $25,000 per year. 46,205 of them earn less than $10,000 per year. The entire workforce in the 5th District is 253,854. So 46.3% of the workforce makes under $25K per year, and 18.2% earn less than $10K.
If you have ever had to pay a mortgage, medical bill, car payment, etc., you know that you can't live on $10,000 per year. And even $25,000 is tough sometimes. This is what Congressman Hal Rogers has gotten us. Decades of poverty that we will never overcome until and unless we start doing things differently and doing things better.
Jim Holbert is a real Democrat who believes in the things the Democratic Party is supposed to believe in. He advocates for a "new" New Deal to put Americans back to work in higher paying jobs. He says we need to end "free trade" agreements which have literally given away our jobs to foreign countries. He says we need to get ourselves off of Middle Eastern oil and start investing in the energy sources of the future.
Want to know what kind of Democrat Jim Holbert is? Well watch this:
Jim Holbert can't get elected on his own. He doesn't have a personal fortune to use in the campaign. Jim is a professional pilot, who works as an Emergency Medical Service helicopter pilot. He previously served over 20 years as an active duty Army and Coast Guard officer. He isn't beholden to lobbyist or special interest control. He's the candidate for working people, because he is a working person himself.
If you want to see more working people in Congress, then we need your help. Since no big PAC's want to step in to help, that means we rely on small individual donations to fund this campaign. Last month was our best month ever in fundraising, but we have got to do better.
I strongly urge you to help the campaign by making a contribution via Jim Holbert's ActBlue page, which is linked here. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support!
Also, don't forget:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HolbertForCongress
Twitter: @Holbert2010