Tomorrow is Blog Action Day when bloggers all over the world join forces to talk about different ways to take action against poverty. The nice thing is every single one of us can do something to help.
I’ve been thinking about how to contribute in a way that also connects to Work Coach Cafe. Clearly, the world of employment and jobs directly and indirectly relates to poverty issues – both on a societal and personal level. So, with that in mind, I decided to focus on two things that are near and dear to my heart – and also in our minds right now as the presidential campaign rages on.
The first issue for me is the importance of access for all to good Health Care benefits. Even if you have a really good job, if god forbid something happens to you or your children, without good health care you can wind up depleting all your savings. Poof! Gone. And, there you are, possibly even losing your home, as if things weren’t precarious enough already in our current economy.
Sadly, as health care costs rise, it’s happening all the time to people who never in a million years imagined themselves in this position. Even working people who were insured – or at least thought they had adequate insurance – are finding themselves devastated by soaring health care costs and without the resources to pull themselves back up no matter how hard they’ve worked and saved all their lives. And many with certain conditions or histories are unable to even get insurance. That’s why for those folks who say we can’t afford to provide health care for all, I say we can’t afford not to.
I know universal-type health care won’t be cheap. But in the long run, especially if we take advantage of economies of scale and negotiate drug prices, I think the cost would be greater to our quality of life and the very fabric of what this nation is all about if we don’t use the opportunity to demand for all of us a streamlined, handy-dandy, easy-to-use version of what our congressional leaders get for free. I think it’s our right and I think we need to let our elected officials know this. For me it’s just the right thing.
As for my second issue…I’d like to talk about jobs.
So far there have been 760,000 jobs lost THIS YEAR! And we haven’t even gotten into the deepest part of this recession. It’s going to be a hard time for many people and the best we can hope is that this recession is a short one. We can also hope that the new President of the United States understands the importance of creating jobs programs to stimulate the economy at this time. They don’t go on forever, but they sure can stimulate the economy.
For years we’ve neglected bridges and roads and other infrastructure, and this would be a perfect time to put money into rebuilding our nation and getting people back to work. While I haven’t run the numbers, I believe the money spent will more than pay for itself and serve three purposes: (1) stimulate the economy directly; (2) provide a ripple of economic benefits as people spend their earnings; and (3) save us from a downward spiral of more jobs lost, more homes abandoned, and more people bankrupt…and all the other economic ripples that would cause.
But waaay at the top of my hope list is green jobs. I attended a conference of Wall Street investment bankers a few months ago, and the topic was Clean Tech/Renewable Energy. I sat wide-eyed as they showed projections of where they thought this industry was going. In comparison, they told us to think about the beginning of the industrial revolution. Some say the next 100 years will see amazing new technology that not only makes us energy independent, but creates huge potential for jobs at all levels. And I agree.
Green jobs offer tremendous opportunity for both near term and long-term jobs. The current technology, while quite wonderful, is just a primitive version of what we will one day have access to. So I ask that you also join me in supporting clean tech and green jobs every chance you can get. This is not sci-fi fantasy. It’s a clean, vital future for all of us!
Thanks for listening. I hope you will add your own voices to demanding solutions for these problems. Oh…and please don’t forget to visit Free Rice where you can donate food simply by playing a vocabulary game!
Ronnie Ann
Thanks to Marc at Creative Spark for cluing me in to the event!
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New Work Coach Cafe Policy:
Although I had to stop answering individual questions (to preserve my sanity), your thoughts and stories are VERY welcome here.
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nnn
WC, thanks so much for focusing on this very important topic. It is so easy (and understandable) to get lost in the bad news that seems to be mounting daily. Your two topics – health care and jobs creation can perfectly illustrate the interconnectedness of a global economy. When Jack Welch (of GE “fame”) bragged in the early 90′s that he discovered he could pay less for the same work (he saw it as drudge work) in India as workers in the US, he was hailed as a business genius. What we didn’t realize then was that in doing so, he was opening the door to the largest outsourcing of jobs in US history. When companies relocate to countries where there is no healthcare for their workers (like China) or ample state-mandated care like (Canada) they abdicate their responsibility and hurt workers everywhere. SO..Blog Action Day is a great opportunity for all of us to get smarter and more compassionate about understanding what’s good for all workers, benefits us all!
Thanks la811! Great comment tying the two together.
Ah yes…Jack Welch. We can all thank him for adding fuel to the outsourcing fire. Hopefully, this horrible time we are in will help provide the impetus to reevaluate our policies and find better solutions for business and workers!
Thanks for stopping by.
Ronnie Ann
Hi Ronnie Ann
Gorgeous post, and with again with health care… is that supposed to be something that only money can buy? It feels like our (important) responsibility as individuals and as a society to find a solution to this!
Regarding green jobs… I also like the idea of not waiting for someone else to “create” these jobs, but bringing this green consciousness in to whatever you’re doing. Making your own job greener, influencing your own company to make changes etc. If you think of “green” as more than just recycling, but including things like ethical sourcing (because unethical sourcing often includes raping another country’s land, which is very ungreen) and being a responsible corporate citizen… then not only does it help the environment but also will have all kinds of other unexpected great benefits.
=) Marc
Thanks Marc! Terrific comment. You’re so right to remind us that green is a bigger word than many people think about at first mention. Being a responsible, aware corporate citizen of the world is a great way to look at it.
And people need to know green jobs are not some far off future idea. I have a dear friend who has an alternative/renewable energy company that makes a good living and provides jobs for many people NOW. And these companies are growing. Cities like New York are committing to more green buildings and people all over are choosing to buy local and add to sustainable living.
So many ways we can be a part of it. Opportunities for people to learn new skills and start businesses…even if we have to wait a little for credit to loosen a bit. This is the future and it’s happening now. Especially after the presidential election I fervently hope.
Thanks again for the visit Marc. You’re always very welcome.
Ronnie Ann