I was filled with hope Wednesday when the man I voted for, the man who told me YES WE CAN announced he was coming to Warren, Michigan next Tuesday to hold a town hall meeting to talk to Michigan families. This visit is his first visit to Michigan since being elected president. Naturally, I knew this meant we were going to talk about unemployment, as it is all anyone can think about in our state. Just about every family I know is hit by our fragile economy right now. And for the record, it is not just the auto workers, so please stop saying that. You are driving me nuts! I assure you, workers in every field, every industry are being laid off or fired left and right. I thought to myself oh my god, here is my chance to speak to a man who can help save our state, maybe even help me find hope. Michigan has the nation’s highest unemployment rate at 14.1 %. Even I will be joining the unemployed soon, as I was recently told that my non-auto industry job was being cut due to budget cuts.
Sadly, about two hours ago I found out that President Obama will only be talking to students and staff of Macomb Community College and tickets will not be offered to the general public. While I can appreciate him choosing to talk to students because I can remember how inspired I was after seeing Bill Clinton speak at Michigan State University in 1992, I’m utterly pissed that people like me can’t ask Obama for help in person. There are so many people out of work here, and I know when most of the public finds out about this they are going to have the same reaction as I had:
NO YOU CAN’T!
How can my president do this to me, to us? We NEED the opportunity to vent, to ask where is our stimulus money, and to get a little hope. Michigan has lost over 300,000 jobs in just the first five months of 2009. It is only going to get worse once our budget year ends this September and the books will need to be balanced. That is when the next round of state cuts will come around. More people having to go on unemployment, which keeps getting extended here. How can our state afford to keep paying people who are out of work, without raising taxes? More people flee the state and lose or abandon their homes every day. I have a friend who lives in Warren and she is the only personstill living in her block. Seriously, her entire neighborhood has been abandoned since last summer, which makes her want to abandon her own home, as she is a target for thieves now. Without people working, the domino effect is very rampant here in Michigan. Charities are losing funds left and right. Businesses can’t afford to stay afloat here. Our services are and will continue to decline. Don’t even get me stated on the Detroit Public Schools.
Since I work in civil service and have a degree in that field, what other choice for work do I have? It isn’t like we have tons of openings for government jobs in the state. We government jobs we have now are being forced to be cut back since we don’t have enough tax money. Even worse, some fields have decided to never replace open positions with full time/benefits staff, just part time staff. Where is my future headed? I don’t want to sit at home or work part time, I want a darn career. I was attending graduate school, but with student loans that cost over $450 a month, how can I afford to go back to college, pay my bills, and save up for my kids education, let alone pay off those higher student loans once I graduate? I can’t afford to (Or physically tolerate) retraining as a nurse and I need an answer as to what I can do? We can’t move. There is nothing left to cut in our home budget except a vehicle, and by next spring we will be doing just that. Since MI has no mass public transportation system I laugh in horror at my future, when I’ll have to drive my husband to and from work on the days I have the kids or look for work. Many of my friends from college have moved out of state to find work and taking their tax dollars and knowledge with them. The rest of us left behind, the auto workers and the non-auto workers are struggling to pay our bills and keep our houses, and we will be forced to take jobs that pay $8 and $9 an hour when our minimum wage is $7.40 an hour. Does this really seem fair? I life a modest life. I don’t need and have never had a lot of money. But the last time I made $9 an hour was about twelve years ago, and this was before I had my degree. I’ve been looking non-stop for jobs for about five weeks now, and in that time I’ve qualified for and applied to one job. One.
I appreciate mostly everything else this man has done for the US since his election, but why did he do this to Michigan? Why diss the unemployed, the people who need his help, his inspiration? It sure seems like a cop out to me, and another bad decision, just like his letter to Michael Jackson’s parents. I’m not thrilled about his idea for a national health care plan, either, but at least I think he thinks it is a good idea. I grew up on welfare and Medicaid and can honestly tell you Medicaid (And welfare) sucks. Also, just look at Canada, where they have national health care. A lot of Canadians have told me they are unhappy with it. When I previously worked in health care, many of our Canadian patients told me they choose to leave their country and pay out of pocket for their health care here in the Detroit area, because they couldn’t get in to see their doctors fast enough in Canada! But I digress. I see how hard he is working and I’m glad he is signing acts such as the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act. I just wonder if my president either has no idea how bad things are here in this state, or is he avoiding us? I’m thinking he can skip going to St. Louis and sick around the state longer to address a solution to the Michigan economy, because, in the end, isn’t listening to Americans express their fears just a little more important than throwing a darn baseball?
Will those of you who care help me by linking this post on Twitter and your blogs and other social networking sites? I’d love it if someone who can help President Obama change his mind would read this. Perhaps there is a chance that the public here in Michigan will get a chance to speak with him in person as we deserve. I know that I’m dreaming, but, I am a dreamer.
When my husband was locked up with the INS, I started faxing Obama’s office everyday. Granted, I never got a response (yet) but I was told directly from the source that it was better than emailing, and I knew that someday, someone would read them, even if it wasn’t the president. I liked that idea.
For anyone who wants it, the fax number is 202-456-2461
They also have a comment line: 202-456-1111
I’m hoping he’ll come back to you guys soon. Over 14%?! Ouch! Wasn’t it just 11 a few months ago? Fuck. Don’t give up! You have every right to be pissed though, vent on! Keep on him!
By: Jen512 on July 11, 2009
at 5:41 AM
Jen, I fax my letters, too, lol. No one has to read an email, but faxes do pile up and get responded too. I’m glad you fought hard for your hubby. I admire that in a person. Yes, we just shot up a few more points. Scary, scary stuff!
By: thegirlfromtheghetto on July 11, 2009
at 2:30 PM
Yep, over 14%. It’s a mess here. And while I’m disappointed to hear that he’ll only be talking to students and staff, at least he seems to recognize that there is a massive problem here. And I’m certain he will be addressing the unemployment.
But yes, everyone in the state should be sending him e-mails, faxes, letters…be certain that he knows how difficult things are here. Don’t stop with him, though. E-mail Stabenow and Levin, e-mail your representative, be an active participant in your government, because that’s the only way to really make a change.
By: Dan on July 11, 2009
at 12:25 PM
Dan, thank you. I do write letters, send emails, make calls. But perhaps not enough.
By: thegirlfromtheghetto on July 11, 2009
at 2:27 PM
I haven’t been up there in about 13 years…I am going next month.
You know this change has to happen on the state and local level…get businesses into Michigan has to be the solution…I am afraid that Michigan is going to see worse times before better ones. The Governor has to lead the charge…along with a couple of the longest serving members of Congress. Levin and Conyers have been there a LONG time WATCHING this all unfold…
I am from Monroe, and have been hit pretty hard too.
By: morethananelectrician on July 11, 2009
at 7:33 PM
Electrician – I know, we need a miracle here. Believe me, I’m wondering if Conyers is going to be sticking around now since Monica Conyers just admitted to her felony. Sorry to hear about your Monroe people. And enjoy Michigan, as you know, its beautiful here.
By: thegirlfromtheghetto on July 12, 2009
at 1:00 PM
my hubby was laid off 3 weeks ago, and he worked as a service manager at a computer bussiness. His Aunt was laid off in January, executive assistant, and his Dad in December, truck driver.
we also had our house up for sale for a year, no luck, but finally had to take it off the market because we were having people knock on our door in the middle of the night to see if it was empty. when my work car got broken into the cop said that because there 60% of the houses up for sale are empty, people are breaking into them and taking what they can get.
not fun here in Michigan…
By: Rhonda on July 12, 2009
at 10:46 AM
Rhonda, I’m so sorry to hear it. I hope you guys will be ok $$$. I hear you on the whole giving up on seling your house thing. That door knocking thing is scary as hell.
People, another frined of mine is buying a house for $43,000, but it does need work. We are in crisis here, ugh. My own place was appraised for $50,000 les than it was purchased for, so we can’t sell it because we owe way more, plus, no one is buying in our neighborhood. Sad sad sad.
By: thegirlfromtheghetto on July 12, 2009
at 1:03 PM
Still waiting for change?
By: Corey on July 14, 2009
at 5:37 PM
Corey, it does take time to fix the country. Let me answer you, yes, I am waiting for change here in Michigan. I will say that IO’m disappointed that Brian Williams did a 30 second story on how President Obama was in St. Louis, and left out the whole MI thing.
By: thegirlfromtheghetto on July 15, 2009
at 12:48 PM