U.S. Congressmen are you listening to your constituents, really?

As I sit here listening to the rhetoric coming from c-span today, I am amazed how repetitive the GOP is.  The GOP congress is refusing to accept any compromises whatsoever, so Rep. Walberg, Ryan and others, allow me to point out a few facts to you..

FACT: Albion, Michigan had a Steel Mill close in 2002, unemployed 800 residents, Springport, Michigan steel factory closed in 2005, unemploying 100 workers, prior to this during the '80s, we lost 3 steel foundries, a Union Steel plant, Corning Glass factory, McGraw-Edison plant, we have empty buildings lining Main Street,
when I graduated from HS in '73, in Springport there was a Drug Store, a Grocery Store, several restaurants, a hardware store, laundromat, clothing store, ice cream store, a realtor, a lawyer, a bank, a farm equipment dealer, now the drug store, the grocery store, hardware, realtor, lawyer and clothing stores are gone.

FACT: We have a doctor but he's only here once a week, a physician's assistant sees patients the rest of the week, and get this, if you're uninsured, you have to pay $100. for an office visit up front.

FACT: Maximum unemployment benefit in Michigan is $380 per week, the average is that every two weeks, who in their right mind would be willing to sit at home for that rather than go out and work and bring home more?  Answer: No one!  Can Michiganders find jobs, yes, full-time? possibly, close to home? probably not. If you live in a rural community like Springport, you'll have to drive at least 25 miles one way. If you're lucky.

FACT: Waitress earn an average of 3.39-6.39 per hour, of which 2.39-5.10 of that is supposed to be tips. Now if you work in a bar or tavern & serve alcoholic beverages, you might make a bit more in tips as the patrons get a little freer with their tips.

FACT: Most low wage workers, still drive a gas guzzling vehicle and drive more than 10 miles one way to work and most are working part-time here in Michigan, and gasoline prices are rising faster than jobs.

FACT: Representative Ryan wants to defund LIHEAP, Planned Parenthood, abolish Social Security as we know it, privatize Medicare, and block grant Medicaid & Food Stamps. Dismantle WIC program. and reduce taxes on corporations to 25%, (they're currently at 35%), and take away EIC for the low-income wage earners.

So you tell me who's kidding who?  Will the billionaire, buy a house here in Springport? No.  Can the little guy buy a home here in Springport? No. Will Microsoft, or GE or Cititcorp, or Hershey's or Maytag or any big Corporation build a plant or place their business here in Springport? No.  To the Rep. Ryan's of the world we're just one of those communities who will fall through the cracks. It's a fact of life, some succeed some don't that's just business.

So we'll continue to see our little community become more and more unbusinesslike, even Dollar General won't come here, because we don't have a population of 4500 or more, one requirement for them to come into a community.  So our choice for shopping is sparse, we don't have a clothing store, a drug store, but hey we've got a couple of convenience stores and you can buy all the beer and booze you want, we've got a tavern and you can go out and get drunk, we've got a gas station and you can get hosed, or we can drive 10-15 miles N-S-E or W and shop in a bigger community.  S

If we want our community to grow we have to stand up and start bugging these business' if you all want a Dollar General here, let's get a petition started and let Dollar General know they could make money here, that we're worth the investment.

Curious how much spending power you have

Do you have a full-time or part-time job? Do you work two jobs? Do you car-pool? Or are you like so many of us, working a low wage part-time job, without a mass transit service available to us and we can't afford a new more fuel efficient car, so our 10-20 year old gas guzzler is our only option to get us to and from work.

If this is the case for you and your curious how much less you earn because of drive time and fuel costs to get to that job, then enter the data below: Once submitted you can click on a link to see how much less you're earning because of current fuel prices.