middle class

Let's face it, the middle class is loosing the power struggle with conservatives. Republicans and conservative Democrats have long been enacting policies that hurt and diminish the influence of Americas strong post war middle. North Carolinian's are told our lack of unions protects us, yet tens of thousands of our jobs have been exported to even more low wage, low regulation territories. Now the NCAE has been punished for supporting "progressive" causes. It will not be enough to return the teachers automatic dues payment. I support restoring hope to all North Carolina families by eliminating our regressive Right to Work legislation. All workers deserve an opportunity for an improved future, our new economy will not satisfy the people until this is true. Unions have done this in the past and deserve a role in returning power to the middle class.

Two years ago, I made a decision to run for United States Senate because I believed that we, as a country, need to focus less on powerful special interests and more on middle class families and small business owners. While we came up just short in our fight last year, those very same issues that inspired me to run then still exist now.

That's why I'm proud to announce today that I have decided to run for re-election as North Carolina's Secretary of State!

Have you ever noticed how the Health Care Safety Nets such as "Free" Clinics, Medicaid, Medicare, and other such programs are touted as a "Safety Net" to "Prevent people from going without health care" and to "assist citizens in local communities"? I have seen these programs touted by government officials and some government employees as a safety catch-all that will supposedly help everyone. They receive commendations for their innovation and serving the citizens that can't afford to pay for health care. They are great things, really, they provide a service to SOME of the citizenry and they fulfill a need for a portion of the population. So I am not really speaking ill of them because they are a good thing. My beef is with those who tout them as a complete "safety net" without understanding that they only serve a small portion of a population.

This is an off the cuff post that is basically about a book I'm reading now called Big Box Swindle (www.BigBoxSwindle.com) by Stacy Mitchell.

I remember my father telling me three decades ago after returning from a business trip that they were moving textile finishing operations out of the country. He was flabbergasted that they could ship cut cloth off-shore, have it assembled, ship it back and make it cost less than doing all that here. As a Personnel Manager in the textile industry the implications for the people in the mills that he knew personally and cared about worried him. He didn't say that ... but I could see that worry on his face.

Click here for a scorecard of how well North Carolina's Congressional Delegation has done for middle class America. Are your elected officials working for or against the middle class?

Yesterday, I packed up my laptop, tripod and videocam and headed over to Chapel Hill to vLog John and Elizabeth Edwards' appearance on the Ed Schultz Show. It's always a double plus to see those two together! (It's apparent why their marriage has lasted 30 years). ;)