One small favor from this disastrous recession: slightly fewer reporters are mindlessly scribbling down the phrase, "jobs Americans won't do." More than 400 NumbersUSA members wrote to me personally after my fundraising email on Monday. About 275 of them told me they are unemployed. Another 100 reported that their retirement income is so small that they cannot donate.
Many of those writing me are making ends meet in unusual ways. In fact, you wouldn't believe all the jobs that they used to do and would very much like to do again.
Former factory workers, former construction workers, even a cotton picker, wrote me. They are all active, faxing and phoning members of NumbersUSA.
Some have taken jobs that younger people really ought to be doing.
Listen to Pat's story:
I do everything I can - faxes when you give me the chance, phone calls too - (isn't it a shame our representatives can't afford 800 numbers to their offices so that ALL their constituents can call with their thoughts and moral support? I've written them about THAT, too.)
I DO appreciate your disclaimer regarding 'ability to pay'. We are retired and our life savings were wiped out on my medical bills (even though we have insurance). At age 67 my husband delivers pizzas 3 nights a week - and by the third night, he is just dragging. If you will keep giving me the opportunity to fax I will. I call whenever I can (luckily I have a cell phone - which allows me to call as I couldn't afford the long distance bills if I had to pay each call).
I appreciate the wonderful work this organization is doing and am so glad you have offered a way for me to get so personally involved, even though I have no spare money to send you. (I was emailing and calling before I ever found your site. The ability to fax is a great addition for me.) Keep the faxes coming and I'll keep sending them on - nearly always with my own personal comments rather than the standard text. (I'm maybe a little more militant in my wordage and that makes me feel a little better when I can get my thoughts off my chest).
Again, keep up the great work and thank you for letting me be involved. You have come upon a great system that encourages and allows many more to be involved.
~Pat N, of Texas
Pat's email says so many things that I'd like to underscore.
Pat, thanks for contacting me. Thanks for using our faxing system to amplify your voice. Thanks for making the calls that make a huge impact. Thanks for working hard and keeping your head up.
I say to you, Pat, what I tell so many-- "Keep the faith, and never give up!"
JIM ROBB is Vice President, Operations for NumbersUSA
Thelma0107 of KY
Sun, 07/05/2009 - 12:09pm
Re: Sounds like a job a 67 year-old American WILL do!
I also am so sick to hear about all of the poor illegal aliens and what a rough time they have. What does that bunch of do-nothing idiots in Washington think a LEGAL American citizen is supposed to do? Sit back and let our families go hungry, homeless, and without to make sure all of the illegals are taken care of? I'm sick and fed up with having to pay mandatory taxes, car insurance, and outrageous prices for food at the grocery, yet if you are in this country illegally you are provided with assistance to get anything you need at the expense of the American taxpayer to foot the bill, at least the ones that are still employed! It doesn't matter that I have a $9.00 an hour job, and can barely make ends meet, robbing Peter to pay Paul, I still have to pay taxes, keep insurance on my vehicle, amnd try to buy just the neccessities to survive.
I have a story I would like to share with all of you. My daughter just recently,less than 3 weeks ago, got a new car (new to her, a 2006 model.) Last weekend her husband was in the car putting a sunshade in the back window to block the sun off of our 3 month old granddaughter when she is in the car. He felt something hit the car and when he looked up from what he was doing the person was driving away. He got out of the car and yelled for them to stop. Anyway the woman driving the car was Hispanic, had a Mexican drivers license (which to my knowledge is illegal in the U.S.,spoke no English, and could not produce insurance papers. She claimed they were "at home." To make a long story short she was allowed to go, the police officer told my daughters husband that he was "not allowed" to inquire if she was in the country legally, and my daughter said the officer acted like all he was interested in, (to put it bluntly) was getting into her pants. They have already discovered that she lied about her address, and possibly about her age, becausr her son, who was translating for her said she was 45 years old. My daughter said there was no way she was 45 years old. I'm sure my daughter will have to pay for the damage to her car and see her insurance go higher, and little miss (probably illegal) will go scot free and continue to drive anywhere and anytime she wants to. I'll also make a bet that she never shows up for her court date. I am sick and tired of having to play by the rules, while others get by with murder.