A Day for the American Worker (from a tea-bagger perspective)
From my State Senator Bill Heath - billheath@billheath.net
The first weekend in September is one of the busiest travel holidays in the year.
Marking the end of summer, the cooler mornings of a fall hunt, and the first break
in a new school year, Labor Day is a working holiday to celebrate the exceptional
American workforce.
Throughout our personal daily grind, the work ethic of everyday Americans often
goes without praise. Millions of workers, business owners and their employees work
long hours day in and day out as a shining example of the hard work and dedication
that makes our economy turn.
The power of the American worker can be traced all the way back to our nation's
humble beginnings relying on personal determination and the entrepreneurial spirit
of other business owners. Today, our nation is a vibrant, complex system of workers
and consumers as a part of a much larger economy.
Because of the recession and federal policies, employers limited their risk and
either downsized or chose not to hire. Fighting through the hard times of the last
few years, those tirelessly looking for work embody the persistence and resiliency
that makes us an economic stalwart. On the other hand, so many who were in the
workforce are now unemployed and have given up on the idea of working again. The hard working
job seekers have made the labor market so competitive that it is definitely saturated
with talented, young professionals. It is a challenging time to have 20 years of
work experience and be searching for a job.
The good news is that seemingly every day another company announces an expansion
or relocation into the Georgia economy. With developments to the agriculture, tourism,
technology and export sectors of the state economy, the future is looking brighter.
Although Labor Day started as a day to recognize organized labor,
Georgia's role as a right to work state encourages every individual to market their
work skills. There are too many stories of labor unions acting on behalf of their
leaders and to the detriment of their members. When companies are held hostage during
a one sided negotiation, the cost of labor becomes too high pushing a number of
jobs overseas killing more jobs than the union can even think to create. That's
a major factor to why I'm proud of Georgia's decisive position to be a great state
to do business.
The Georgia General Assembly has passed a number of measures in the last few years
to reign over taxation on Georgia's citizens and its businesses. From capping the
income tax or phasing out the ad valorem vehicle tax, your state legislature knows
that the productivity of Georgia's citizens should be encouraged instead or punished.
The beauty of my district, Senate District 31, is that it has everything you could
want. It is full of friendly small business owners who are truly the salt of the
Earth. I am thankful for the opportunity to be the voice of this community that
is willing to make a sacrifice in order to help their neighbor without asking anything
in return.
Through a sense of community, we can endure the hard times. Through the outstanding
work ethic that made this country great, we can make a better nation.
As always, if there is ever a way that our office can be of assistance to you, please
don't hesitate to call on us. It is truly an honor to be able to represent the
Thirty-First Senate District of Georgia.
Have a safe and happy Labor Day.