Yesterday, workers in Annapolis, Md., were hoping to get a chance to talk to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) about jobs, the housing crisis and the economy.
They got to have their conversation—but McCain stayed away.
What he missed was an opportunity to hear firsthand how the economic crisis is affecting real people. Beverly Norton, an AFSCME member and 20-year state employee, described her situation, one that’s all too common today. She’s at risk of losing her home because her economic situation has left her without a safety net.
I had wanted a piece of the American Dream and purchased a home. My mother became disabled two years ago and was not able to work. In two year’s time, I have gone through my 401(k), borrowed money and had to file for bankruptcy when my home was put up for foreclosure. I am not eligible for any assistance programs, and I may end up losing my home. Where can I find a decent place that I can afford? There needs to be real help for people. McCain says it will work itself out. This is not about houses, this is about people.
Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO President Fred Mason, discussion moderator, said he was disappointed McCain didn’t come hear the perspectives of Beverly and others.
His support of the failed Bush economic agenda leads us to believe that he may not be fully aware of just how difficult it is out there for working people. Unfortunately, Senator McCain has decided not to join us today for a frank discussion about the housing and jobs crisis with those who are feeling the squeeze firsthand.
Today’s no-show is just another example of why Senator McCain isn’t giving working people reason to rely on him to turn our country around.
Union members are greeting McCain wherever he travels around the country, looking for answers about what he’ll do to help working families struggling to keep their jobs and homes. So far, they’ve been disappointed—in a much-touted address on the housing market, he blamed home owners for “causing trouble” and offered no solutions beyond coordinating meetings of mortgage lenders.
Indeed, McCain’s campaign is funded and run by lobbyists, including some who lobby for the corporations most responsible for the crisis. It’s disappointing that he won’t take the time to listen to the other side of the story.
Does he not get it, or does he not care? Either way, he’s not offering the answers people need. Even one of his fellow Republican senators gave McCain an “incomplete” for his housing speech, and he’s been missing in action on many crucial votes, including a much-needed stimulus package that failed by one vote.
McCain says he “never really understood” economics. And he’s apparently not interested in learning about pocket-book economic issues from the people most affected by the nation’s financial crisis.
More worker roundtables are set this week in Arizona and Florida—and McCain has an opportunity in each state to hear how the economic crisis is impacting the real lives of America’s workers.
For more information on McCain’s record on the issues that matter to working families, check out McCain Revealed.