This is a guest post from my blog ROJS News by my dear friend and STRONG ADVOCATE for the 99ers/Long-Term Unemployed Rhonda Taylor.
For four years, Rhonda, my friend has been unemployed, seeking work and a true job creation program that would address placing dignity and RESPECT back into the lives of up to 5 million Americans who are long-term employed. The 99ers/Long-Term Unemployed are not a nameless, faceless group.
Instead, some of these PROUD individuals are the ones you now see in the street, looking for a home after they've lost their home. They're the one hiding in the shadows from governmental authorizes trying to keep their children, while others wonder "why is that kid hungry, without new clothes and appears sad" all the time; without knowing the back story behind the scenes.
I have been supporting the 99ers/Long-Term Unemployed since personal layoff in 2008. With such, I was BLESSED to meet Rhonda during this struggle and SHE KEEP my SPIRITS up, during MANY TIMES I felt like, giving up. Rhonda has walked this road and spoke up nationwide for politicians to ADDRESS true JOB CREATION POLICIES for those praying for one good opportunity for decent pay, benefits and again respect for their abilities to be productive working members of this America Society.
With such, I'M TRULY HONORED to present this Op/Ed to the Daily Kos Community from my DEAR FRIEND and SISTER in the STRUGGLE of the 99ers/Long-Term Unemployed, Rhonda Taylor!
ROJS News Guest Post
by Rhonda Taylor
I would like to take the time to introduce myself. I am not a professional writer, I am by no means a political pundit. What I am is a concerned American citizen who does not like what I see happening around her.
I see media sources doing the private bidding of political sides, I see politicians doing the bidding for lobbyists who worked for big money makers not only in America but across the seas. I see many people who are so broken down by the system that was created to do just that and many more fighting the slow downside to poverty that they are beside themselves in how to stop it from happening.
I am no one important just a voice among millions who cant sit idly by and watch her neighbors, her family and her friends suffer any longer. My desire to write has been forced upon me since I feel its the only way to have a voice in a land where only money speaks. So as I begin to blog I welcome the new experience and pray that many more feel the way I do on certain issues that concern modern day America.
My first topic is very closed to my heart since I have been unemployed for over 4 years. Its about the group called the 99ers. This is not about the work we have done in the past but rather what we will do together in the future in order to ensure all of us to a future that doesn't involve being slaves to the ones controlling everything.
The unemployed 99ers are in the millions. They are people who don't have an income from a job, or Unemployment Insurance (UI) because either their UI ran out, they was a small business owner that closed their doors and didn't qualify for UI, or people that was denied UI. They are called 99ers for symbolism purposes. There are many phases of unemployment in 2012 but sadly this phase is the last and final most painful one of all of them. These people are NOT represented by money or lobbyists.
They are the real mainstreet that is going homeless, everyday while so many Americans walk by them and think to themselves. I wonder what drug they are on to be living on the streets because only drug addicts go homeless. There are families in 2012 going homeless. You don't hear about them because if the state found out their children would be removed from the home.
JOBS are a big concern for 99ers and its one Americans all scream about but the politicians do nothing but talk about every other issue out there that is not a crisis. As I watch the news after the Healthcare Bill (Affordable Health Care Act) got passed, one would think that all is right in the world now that people have access to healthcare come 2013. I find it amazing how many Americans heads are in the sands.
There has not been 1 jobs bill that has even been introduced by either side that the 99ers would benefit from. You would know that if you wasn't paying attention either. Democrats offer bills to benefit the more recently unemployed union members and the Republicans offer legislation that would just give more money for the big corporations who are making record profits to pocket. What bills have been passed for real main street Americans...I wondered, so I went searching......NONE.
Every bill belongs to one special interest group or another. So what’s really broken in America is it party politics or the power that money has over our elected officials. I believe its money. The root to most of our problems is we not following WE THE PEOPLE.
Why when it comes time for elections suddenly the politicians pretend they hear you and will represent exactly what you want all the while just waiting to pounce for that big business's lobbiest who wants them to lower their taxes or get paid to outsoarce our jobs. What will it take for americans to wake up and say.....TOGETHER we have POWER, TOGETHER we can RUN THIS country for each one of us.
We don't have to agree on everything but, one would think we should at least agree we want our people in this country to succeed through hard work. NO ONE EXPECTS it handed to them but, opportunity is not knocking in America. It hasn't been for many years.
I want opportunity knocking again. I will only support a candidate who will do what the vast majority of the people want. When you live in a state and your representative is too busy to set up a meeting with you then guess what he is not the man for the job anymore.
The politicians all know what the other is doing but they have the game of play dead down to a expert level. When the people show up they go that's not what I meant, that's not what I said its not about me its about you. Or look at the other guy he is just nuts I am sane compared to him.
The politics of this country is broken and so is the people. Until we all work together to run this country for all of us and not the chosen winners we will never be a truly free America. So I ask each and everyone of you. Call your Representative and set up a meeting tell them what your concerned about and lastly demand they represent you, not the lobbiest funding your next election.
When the day after election is all about the next win, they are not doing their job like they should be. DEMAND....MORE.
As you can tell my piece is more of an opinion from one American to another. You don't have to agree with it. But please at least take the time to think about solutions for people out here on main street. Without those solutions being pushed we wont need a war, our military wont be able to save us.......WE WILL BE THIRD WORLD AMERICA ...Is that the kind of America you want?