Social Security began collecting January 1, 1937, for the sole purpose of assisting those citizens without financial means to support themselves. During the Eisenhower administration in 1956 the act was amended to provide assistance to disabled U. S. citizens. A country that does not recognize its citizens in dire straits is wrong headed. America has in various ways been benevolent in this regard, not only here but abroad.

To move on past benevolent acts afforded by Government. When in 1973 Congress approved NAFTA, allowing industry to abandon American workers and move their manufacturing base offshore, in favor of obtaining cheap foreign labor. This thoughtless act by our government jeopardized that force which drives the economy, (middle class workers). The middleclass paycheck pays the bills, it buys houses, cars, vacations, groceries, clothing, agricultural output and pays the Social Security Trust Fund. It provides the only trustworthy source of income to a functioning government. High paid worker income derived from manufacturing and high-tech jobs, where employers withhold an amount of taxes and S. S. from each worker’s pay and remit it to the State and Federal government provides funds necessary for government to operate. NAFTA ended this tax windfall of revenue from middleclass America, along with absent paid salaries by absent manufacturers, forcing borrowing by our Government of trillions of dollars to replace this lost income due to effects of NAFT A. (America is owed apologies and resignations for NAFTA, Our NAFTA trading partners owes America more than an apology.) Note: China hires 130 million migrant workers each year to provide the world’s retail merchants with “stuff.” The world used to have “stuff” made in America.

Presently, Dem’s and Rino’s want to provide more financial incentives to America’s workers — $15.00 minimum hourly wage, free education and open borders, to load more expense on the American “middleclass worker.” Unless industry returns high paying jobs to this country we are doomed to mediocrity. Low paying service jobs will fail a required monetary effort of support to our burgeoning government.

The leftist movement in America wants desperately to have people dependent on them. Say NO, say it often, we do not want a labor supported $15.00 hourly job, we want our jobs returned so that we may feel the dignity of an unobligated worker. A guaranteed minimum wage is supported by middleclass workers that purchase the meals that you provide. Make no mistake about it: When you are being paid a guaranteed wage, the company which you work for will not mind passing the higher wage cost on to the purchaser. That purchaser will in many cases be you, yourself. Only through competitive wage can an employer provide its workers with benefits, insurance and retirement.

Many of you work a second job, maybe your spouse does also. Why should this have to be the case? Post WW-II on through 1996, until manufacturers began closing their doors to middleclass America, the American worker’s income was sufficient with one income, if one lived within his budget. A secure border and fair trade agreements with America’s trading partners is what we want. We voted for a President who is trying his dadgumdest to accomplish these things, things,”that will make America great.”

Tom Rogers

Moultrie