Monday, September 06, 2004
John Kerry's Op-Ed on Labor Day
Monday, September 06, 2004 - For all of us who believe that a stronger America truly begins at home, Labor Day is an especially important holiday.
On this day, we honor all the hardworking Americans who have made this nation great, and who represent the very best of the values we all share.
Whether they are nurses or steelworkers, police or firefighters, teachers or transportation workers, Americans' sense of duty and professionalism have made our nation the world's shining example of economic success. So each Labor Day, we are proud to celebrate the dignity of work and the dedication of our workers.
But we also know that celebrating a holiday once a year is simply not enough. In America, a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay -- and a real opportunity to build a better life for yourself and your family.
I believe that when you work hard every day, you deserve leadership in Washington, D.C., that will help you achieve the American Dream.
Unfortunately, our nation has not had that kind of leadership over the past four years. Instead, the hardworking American middle class has been steadily undermined by policies leading to fewer jobs and smaller paychecks, higher costs for health care and prescription drugs, greater dependence of foreign oil and a weaker position in the world.
The results speak for themselves. Over the past four years, America has lost 1.8 million private sector jobs -- while giving tax breaks to companies that send jobs overseas.
Family income is down by more than $1,500, while health care, energy, and college costs have shot through the roof. Moreover, as America's deficit skyrockets -- threatening Social Security and Medicare -- U.S. taxpayers have been stuck with the bill for our war in Iraq.
Because we've gone to war without allies and without a plan to win the peace, the American people have had to pay 90 percent of the costs -- a bill to our children and grandchildren that is at $200 billion and rising.
To add insult to injury, Americans find themselves pressed to surrender basic rights and protections at a time when they should be strengthened. For instance, this administration just changed the law to deny 6 million workers their right to overtime pay, making it harder for them to pay their bills and get ahead.
In addition, they have withdrawn a rule that would have prevented many workers from exposure to tuberculosis. And they've raised the level of coal dust allowed in mines, a leading cause of black lung disease in our coal miners.
At the same time, many businesses are unable to grow and create new jobs because they simply can't afford to pay for the health insurance their employees need. So the rising cost of health care isn't just bad news for our families -- it's bad news for our entire economy.
I believe that Americans deserve better, and I know that America can do so much better. I am confident that, working together, we can build a stronger nation here at home, by creating new opportunities for workers to find good-paying jobs and build a better life for their families.
That's why John Edwards and I have a plan to restore the progress and prosperity that our nation enjoyed until just a few years ago. This plan is detailed in our book, "Our Plan for America," as well as at www.johnkerry.com
We will make health care affordable for all, reducing premiums for the average family by up to $1,000.
We will provide tax relief for 98 percent of all Americans, and tax breaks to help the middle class with soaring heath care, child care and college costs.
We will close tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping jobs overseas, and help companies that create and keep good paying jobs right where they belong -- in the United States of America.
In addition, our energy plan will use American ingenuity to create jobs and free us from dependence on foreign oil.
And to ensure victory in the war on terrorism, we will strengthen our military and strengthen our alliances so that we get the terrorists before they can get us.
Beginning here at home, we will work together to build a stronger America -- one that respects our values and honors workers and their families.
So by this time next year, Americans will have much more than a day off on Labor Day -- they will have real solutions, real hope and a real future for themselves and their families.
¶ 6:16 PM
On this day, we honor all the hardworking Americans who have made this nation great, and who represent the very best of the values we all share.
Whether they are nurses or steelworkers, police or firefighters, teachers or transportation workers, Americans' sense of duty and professionalism have made our nation the world's shining example of economic success. So each Labor Day, we are proud to celebrate the dignity of work and the dedication of our workers.
But we also know that celebrating a holiday once a year is simply not enough. In America, a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay -- and a real opportunity to build a better life for yourself and your family.
I believe that when you work hard every day, you deserve leadership in Washington, D.C., that will help you achieve the American Dream.
Unfortunately, our nation has not had that kind of leadership over the past four years. Instead, the hardworking American middle class has been steadily undermined by policies leading to fewer jobs and smaller paychecks, higher costs for health care and prescription drugs, greater dependence of foreign oil and a weaker position in the world.
The results speak for themselves. Over the past four years, America has lost 1.8 million private sector jobs -- while giving tax breaks to companies that send jobs overseas.
Family income is down by more than $1,500, while health care, energy, and college costs have shot through the roof. Moreover, as America's deficit skyrockets -- threatening Social Security and Medicare -- U.S. taxpayers have been stuck with the bill for our war in Iraq.
Because we've gone to war without allies and without a plan to win the peace, the American people have had to pay 90 percent of the costs -- a bill to our children and grandchildren that is at $200 billion and rising.
To add insult to injury, Americans find themselves pressed to surrender basic rights and protections at a time when they should be strengthened. For instance, this administration just changed the law to deny 6 million workers their right to overtime pay, making it harder for them to pay their bills and get ahead.
In addition, they have withdrawn a rule that would have prevented many workers from exposure to tuberculosis. And they've raised the level of coal dust allowed in mines, a leading cause of black lung disease in our coal miners.
At the same time, many businesses are unable to grow and create new jobs because they simply can't afford to pay for the health insurance their employees need. So the rising cost of health care isn't just bad news for our families -- it's bad news for our entire economy.
I believe that Americans deserve better, and I know that America can do so much better. I am confident that, working together, we can build a stronger nation here at home, by creating new opportunities for workers to find good-paying jobs and build a better life for their families.
That's why John Edwards and I have a plan to restore the progress and prosperity that our nation enjoyed until just a few years ago. This plan is detailed in our book, "Our Plan for America," as well as at www.johnkerry.com
We will make health care affordable for all, reducing premiums for the average family by up to $1,000.
We will provide tax relief for 98 percent of all Americans, and tax breaks to help the middle class with soaring heath care, child care and college costs.
We will close tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping jobs overseas, and help companies that create and keep good paying jobs right where they belong -- in the United States of America.
In addition, our energy plan will use American ingenuity to create jobs and free us from dependence on foreign oil.
And to ensure victory in the war on terrorism, we will strengthen our military and strengthen our alliances so that we get the terrorists before they can get us.
Beginning here at home, we will work together to build a stronger America -- one that respects our values and honors workers and their families.
So by this time next year, Americans will have much more than a day off on Labor Day -- they will have real solutions, real hope and a real future for themselves and their families.
¶ 6:16 PM
