PATRICK'S RUNNING SHOES... appropriate for this bridge.
THE TWENTY-SEVEN-MILLION-DOLLAR BRIDGE TO...

“Healthy businesses need healthy communities... Jobs, education, and healthcare are essential... ...”Because the truth is, our business depends on thriving communities.”

from the Chevron advertisement (Human Energy) On the inside cover of the April Atlantic magazine.

In legislative chambers of Washington and in fifty state capitol buildings around America business is often pitted against government as legislators debate issues around the subjects related to questions about what government should do for businesses and for individuals and what businesses should do for people. Republicans in Wisconsin are leading a charge to destroy unions first in that state and then in all of America. The idea is to aid businesses by taking away bargaining rights of workers. In a recent ruling the Supreme Court strengthened the political hand of corporations, and corporations have funded campaigns of legislators who vote against increasing taxes on obscenely high annual salaries and benefits of leaders of corporations. To balance budgets in almost all fifty states and in federal jurisdictions drastic cuts are being proposed by governors and legislators, and those cuts take away jobs and eliminate programs in America that do exactly what Chevron says it wants to provide in countries where it does business: provide jobs, education and healthcare. Chevron says “healthy businesses need healthy communities.”

Isn’t it about time Americans, including those Americans who manage and work in the business world, recognize their responsibility for maintaining jobs, education and healthcare for workers in America... for the families of workers in America while they are working and for retirees when it is appropriate for them to retire? Isn’t it about time for American businesses to take the hard but responsible role of keeping jobs in America for American workers rather than shipping their work to cheaper labor markets in other countries? Isn’t it time for Americans who work in private corporations to recognize that people who work in government jobs do the work of the nation and of states, and that their jobs are vital to the health of American communities? Isn’t it time for Americans to stop fighting each other recognize that government is important and that workers in government jobs are critical to the success of our nation? Isn’t it time for all of us to do whatever is necessary to rebuilt American communities that are no longer thriving? Rebuilding physical, educational, and health-care infrastructure creates jobs and helps communities thrive.