about loans to the auto industry
Yesterday, I wrote to my federal reps to ask them to support the loans requested by GM, Chrysler and Ford. I did it through this site: League of Women Voters.
Then I heard this morning on NPR that public sentiment is running 2 to 1 against providing loans to the US auto industry. And I decided I have to do something I rarely do: lobby my contacts to support those loans.
I am really passionate about this. Perhaps it's because my grandfather worked for Ford Motor back during the Depression and Ford gave my mom a college scholarship to the school where she met my Dad and now I'm here, sort of thanks to Ford.
Maybe it's because I worked for the City of New York in the early 90's when so many people were out of work and my team was responsible for helping people who were laid off or fired. What a painful time that was! I don't want to see anyone lose a job if there's ANY alternative.
Or it's because I worked at City Harvest and saw soup kitchens have to bring in high chairs so that families could get at least one hot meal a day even if they couldn't afford much more. Today, those soup kitchens already turn people away. How can they even think of helping anyone else?
Anyway, I feel really strongly that Congress needs to help the remaining 3 US automakers survive. It's about saving people's jobs, allowing people to support themselves. And it's about using federal resources to help the people who work and shop on Main Streets throughout the country.
The same arguments that prompted the bailout of banks apply here, too. The point is that these companies directly employ thousands and indirectly provide work for more thousands. Without these companies, what will they do?
Conditions are fine - I'm a pretty fervent advocate of alternative fuels and energy, so would love to see our auto makers produce more fuel efficient and differently powered vehicles. If we weren't in such dire economic straits, I might think "oh, let them go bankrupt." But we ARE in dire straits, and I think this calls for emergency measures.
So I'm taking the liberty (and for some of you, it may seem like a big liberty, so please forgive me!) of suggesting that you think about contacting your Senators and Representative to support loans for the auto industry in the US.
I did so yesterday via the League of Women Voters website which makes it so easy to find your reps (plug in your zip code) and then send them a message directly from the LWV site. Here's what I wrote:
December 4, 2008
[recipient address was inserted here]
Dear [recipient name was inserted here],
Please give the auto makers financial support.
These companies deserve help to retool and reshape themselves. Right now,
they provide jobs and retirement benefits as well as health care for
thousands of people, and are the source of jobs for many hundreds of
thousands more in supporting industries.
Please don't allow some of the US's last remaining major manufacturing
businesses to die, simply because they are not on Wall Street. People who
work and shop on Main Streets everywhere depend on these companies.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Julia Erickson
Simply copy this language into your own message. Or write your own. Just please, if you care about people keeping jobs, tell your reps that you do. Here's the link again: LWV.org
If you've read this far, you might care about the issue as much as I do. So send this on to someone else. Maybe we can turn the tide and keep US manufacturing jobs alive long enough for our country to get back on its feet again.
Thanks.
Then I heard this morning on NPR that public sentiment is running 2 to 1 against providing loans to the US auto industry. And I decided I have to do something I rarely do: lobby my contacts to support those loans.
I am really passionate about this. Perhaps it's because my grandfather worked for Ford Motor back during the Depression and Ford gave my mom a college scholarship to the school where she met my Dad and now I'm here, sort of thanks to Ford.
Maybe it's because I worked for the City of New York in the early 90's when so many people were out of work and my team was responsible for helping people who were laid off or fired. What a painful time that was! I don't want to see anyone lose a job if there's ANY alternative.
Or it's because I worked at City Harvest and saw soup kitchens have to bring in high chairs so that families could get at least one hot meal a day even if they couldn't afford much more. Today, those soup kitchens already turn people away. How can they even think of helping anyone else?
Anyway, I feel really strongly that Congress needs to help the remaining 3 US automakers survive. It's about saving people's jobs, allowing people to support themselves. And it's about using federal resources to help the people who work and shop on Main Streets throughout the country.
The same arguments that prompted the bailout of banks apply here, too. The point is that these companies directly employ thousands and indirectly provide work for more thousands. Without these companies, what will they do?
Conditions are fine - I'm a pretty fervent advocate of alternative fuels and energy, so would love to see our auto makers produce more fuel efficient and differently powered vehicles. If we weren't in such dire economic straits, I might think "oh, let them go bankrupt." But we ARE in dire straits, and I think this calls for emergency measures.
So I'm taking the liberty (and for some of you, it may seem like a big liberty, so please forgive me!) of suggesting that you think about contacting your Senators and Representative to support loans for the auto industry in the US.
I did so yesterday via the League of Women Voters website which makes it so easy to find your reps (plug in your zip code) and then send them a message directly from the LWV site. Here's what I wrote:
December 4, 2008
[recipient address was inserted here]
Dear [recipient name was inserted here],
Please give the auto makers financial support.
These companies deserve help to retool and reshape themselves. Right now,
they provide jobs and retirement benefits as well as health care for
thousands of people, and are the source of jobs for many hundreds of
thousands more in supporting industries.
Please don't allow some of the US's last remaining major manufacturing
businesses to die, simply because they are not on Wall Street. People who
work and shop on Main Streets everywhere depend on these companies.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Julia Erickson
Simply copy this language into your own message. Or write your own. Just please, if you care about people keeping jobs, tell your reps that you do. Here's the link again: LWV.org
If you've read this far, you might care about the issue as much as I do. So send this on to someone else. Maybe we can turn the tide and keep US manufacturing jobs alive long enough for our country to get back on its feet again.
Thanks.
posted by julieannerickson at 1:01 PM
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