WS Chronicle

By Jim Roberts, Guest Columnist

The worst thing to happen to the United States since 9/11 has been the trade agreements that caused the loss of tens of millions of living wage jobs. These treaties were to bring jobs to America, but has decimated manufacturing jobs.

A job is more than a paycheck. A job is DIGNITY and RESPECT. A job says that you are providing for your family, contributing to our community, our nation and way of life. The loss of jobs has led to a loss of self-esteem, an increase in crime, and the sale and use of drugs. Many are working two jobs while still needing assistance for survival. Others have taken part-time jobs and even those are being targeted by the Republicans as “too highly paid.”  On May 25 Republicans introduced Senate Bill 363 in the North Carolina Senate to allow minor league ball parks and others to pay less than the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

Some say “those jobs are never coming back” and that “Americans must retrain for higher skilled jobs so our country can compete at a higher level.” Others say those unable to find jobs are lazy and “just want to stay home and live off government handouts.” Those platitudes are being spread in a condonable attempt to justify the greed that generated tens of millions of jobs going overseas. Platitudes will never find a moral justification for greed. 

There was a hardworking American in each and every one of those jobs that left these shores. Those jobs left America because of legislation passed in the United States Congress and Congressional legislation can create their return or block the products manufactured at starvation wages from being sold in the United States. Those that passed that legislation fought for the corporations; its time someone fought for the people.

I will work in Congress to repeal those agreements and develop the market for products made and grown in the 5th District of North Carolina and increase the number of living wage jobs.

Thank you for your vote.

Jim Roberts is a native of Mount Airy where his family has lived since 1770. He joined the Army in the early 1960s and retired after 26 years of service. His last five years of active duty was spent in the Federal Building in Winston-Salem providing job training through the Army and Army Reserve to the men and women of Forsyth and Yadkin counties.

After his Army retirement he started a pest control company in Mount Airy. His company was purchased by a Fortune 500 company. He has written legislation and had it enacted by the North Carolina Legislature. He has served as an official in Mount Airy and North Carolina Jaycees, and Mount Airy Elks Lodge. He is a member of the Mount Airy Rotary Club.

He is married to a retired school teacher originally from Walkertown, has a grown son and daughter and two grandchildren. He is a pilot, a certified scuba diver, a sky diver and a river canoeist.