I am ANGRY! I read and hear about politicians “drawing lines in the sand” about the American Jobs Act of 2011 that the President has proposed to eradicate some of the ills of society and boost our economy by getting America on the right track economically. Some politicians provide bogus rationales for not passing this bill. Hidden tax hikes or that they disagree with the proposer. READ THE BILL! I have read it and there are no hidden tax hikes. It doesn’t matter who proposed this legislation as long as it is beneficial to the American people it should be passed. There are people that are impoverished and living below the poverty line (see the article entitled Poverty in Rural America: 2009). The United States is considered the wealthiest nation in the world. Our rural citizens live as if they were in a third world country. They deserve better. Let me define Poverty for you. Poverty can be defined as a depravation of essential assets and opportunities to which every human should be allowed. How can poverty be reduced? Poverty can be reduced by promoting opportunity (access to resources, services and productive employment) and facilitating empowerment of the individual (increasing the participation of all people (including the rural poor) in decision making). The rural poor suffer due to a lack of opportunity. This lack of opportunity exists because of a disconnection, often geographical, from the broader economy and society. The provision of infrastructure and services is critical in overcoming rural poverty. It is apparent that transportation investments will have the greatest impact on poor people coupled with other intervention programs (education, health care services etc.). In order to decrease the poverty level, expansion of public transportation is vital. It is only when housing, employment, and transportation are considered equally in planning decisions that the further isolation of the poor from job opportunities can be avoided. Policymakers, service providers, and other stake holders must adapt their strategies to address the needs of the rural poor. Tennessee’s rural poor emphasizes the need for policies that foster growth across the state and labor markets, and that link up affordable housing, transportation, workforce, and economic development strategies to help reduce the mismatch between low-income residents and job opportunities. In the past, transportation planning has not taken adequate account of needs and requirements of the rural poor. To insure that transportation policies are responsive to the needs of the poor, it is necessary to provide for their participation at various stages of planning, decision making, and implementation.
According to the daily yonder, many of the counties in Tennessee have poverty rates of 20.1 percent to 62 percent. With the President’s Proposed Bill (American Jobs Act of 2011) Tennessee lawmakers could put into action a plan that would take a “bite” out of poverty in rural Tennessee. If you are poor, you are out of sight and out of mind. How cruel our elected officials actually are, will be revealed on their stance for the poor.
“The American Jobs Act of 2011 plan includes $50 billion in immediate investments for highways, transit, rail and aviation, helping to modernize a transit system that now receives a grade of “D” from the American Society of Civil Engineers and putting hundreds of thousands of construction workers back on the job. Of the investments for highway and transit modernization projects, the plan will make immediate investments of at least $619,000,000 in Tennessee that could support a minimum of approximately 8,000 local jobs. “
A D is below average. If nothing is done an F will be assigned next. It’s ridiculous that our state has a poverty rate that rivals third world countries. WAKE UP!
Enough is enough. Tennessee’s elected officials should put the states citizenry first and pass this bill.
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