« A Look Back On Boston: Charlotte Arbogast | Main | DNC Bus Day Four: Contributed Photos »

August 26, 2004

Day Four: Bruce Roemmelt on the DNC Bus

Bloggers,

American Can Do Better Bus Tour

Hey folks. Here we are on Day 4. The odyssey continues and more stories of difficult times and a promise unfulfilled in America continue.

We're picking up people and momentum. Today we did Youngstown Ohio (actually Niles a small burg near by) where the United Steel workers have been locked out of work for 10 months! More about that in a minute.

We also stopped in Cleveland Ohio and Erie Pennsylvania and overnighting in Pittsburg.

As you know all along the way we pick up more "real people" and I've been so honored to be among these wonderful, concerned, patriotic, hard working Americans. They all have some phenomenal stories to tell and their personal stories will be detailed in the "Profiles" section below, but we all are on the same page with out mission. We truly believe that America Can Do Better and we are on the bus so we can share that message.

One other detail of note happened today. At our first stop (the RMI steel plant) in Niles Ohio were heckled! I guess this means that we are starting to make a real difference. No more than 10 people there but I was impressed with the quality of their protest. This group was definitely not the top 1% that got the vast majority of the Tax Breaks. Or if they did they sure didn't spend the money on education. My favorite was the hand lettered sign, written on paper plates that stated, "Bush Cheayney '04" perhaps the heckler was in solidarity with the Bush Malapropism! My guess is that Bush even scripts his mistakes (or at least Karl Rove does) so he can look more like a regular guy.

Regardless they were a ripple compared to the torrent of stories told at the steel mill. Congressman Ted Strickland spoke passionately about worker issues. Leo Gerard, the president of the United Steelworkers of America also was passionate about the issues surrounding the problems his members are experiencing. The RMI plant has locked out the steelworkers for 10 months. In contract negotiations the union offered bankruptcy terms and the company countered with their "need to have over $3 million of ANNUAL wage concessions." This is a company that has $75 million dollars in the bank and nearly $300 million dollars in assets. If was comforting to know that our pictures were being taken by the "security guards" hired to ensure that the scabs weren't disturbed...

Lost jobs, no health insurance, and other tales of how American has not done better were the order of the day. I was especially struck by the retired guys and gals who showed up and told many tales of their retirements and health care lost. Real Americans in trouble. It's sad that Enron gets all the ink and the other thousands of stories about heartache and loss never even make the media. Well I guess this real world reality is not nearly sexy to the people that are supposed to tell these stories (the supposed free press and media) than the latest version of Survivor.

We've seen real survivors. And America Can Do Better. Especially when w

Sylvia Watkins:

I am Sylvia Watkins from Dunbar, WV. I am a registered nurse and a Vietnam Vet. I am riding on the America Can Do Better bus tour because I honestly believe that America is in crisis. President Bush has eroded Veteran's benefits so badly that it causes me to question why I spent 20 years. Pres Bush is attempting to erode our social security system with "carve out" plans to privatize the system. Pres Bush is slowly eroding the Medicare system while trying to make us think he is doing us a favor with a useless drug program. Affordable and obtainable healthcare insurance seems to be the one issue Pres Bush avoids speaking on. All of these issues are important to me and I know the Sen. Kerry & Sen. Edwards have plans addressing a fix for all of these issues. I passionately believe that Sen. Kerry & Sen. Edwards are the "Real Deal" for "Real People"

Jim Wills:
I am Jim Wills riding on the American Can Do Better bus. I know Kerry & Edwards can do better because we can't go but one way and that is up. If we have to put up with Bush for four more years our children and grandchildren will never be able to get out of debt. The main reason I am here is because of personal reasons. The company I retired from after 41 years of service mismanaged funds and filed bankruptcy. The judge that was appointed by old man Bush, at the request of the company set aside our contract and by doing so took our health insurance away. Something has to be done, such as changing laws if that is what it takes, so judges can't with the stroke of a pen take away health insurance. I feel that when the judge took away the health insurance that he took several years of my life as well as my wife's. We both have severe heart problems and I lost a leg while working for this company. There is no insurance co. that will give us insurance at no cost. I was raised in a union home and I will die as a union person.

Tony Savage:
My name is Tony Savage and I am from Catlettsburg, KY. I am on the American Can Do Better Bus Tour because in one way or another every member of my family has been affected by the misguided policies of President Bush. My son lost his job due to outsourcing. My daughter's tuition has gone up 40 percent because of cuts in higher education. I am a member of IBEU LU 317 and my Local has 50 percent unemployment because of President Bush's environmental policies and tax cuts. My wife is an R.N. and along with six million other people is in danger of losing overtime pay.

Also, I believe we went to war based on a lie and must have new leadership now before it is too late.

Betty Dunham Bailey
Virginia Beach, VA
Bbailey415@aol.com

I worked for the U.S. Federal Government (Navy, Marine and Army) for 37 years to include overseas tours in South Korea, Italy and Saudi Arabia. Among my many concerns about what has happened during the Bush administration is, first, the unilateral invasion of a sovereign nation. Regardless, of how horrible its leader may have been, the needless loss of almost 1000 wonderful men and women of our armed forces is inexcusable.

My second concern is what has happened to seniors (and others) regarding health care, insurance costs and finding doctors who will take Medicare patients. Not counting prescription drug purchases, I have in my work years and since paid to Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Medicare over $250,000.00 but used it seldom. Under President Bush, Medicare payments will have been cut 17% by 1 January 2005. No wonder they do not want us as patients. For the first time in my life I have had to pay for such things as eye refraction and pap smears and I cannot have a mammography every year.

For the first time, I am terrified about what is happening to my country.

Gary Barnes:
My name is Gary Barnes and I am from Bridgeport, WV. I am an organizer for IBEW Local 596 in Clarksburg, WV. The main reason I've decided to join the America Can Do Better Tour is I've talked to many of our members who have not worked for sometime. Projects in our area have been delayed or done away with. They have lost their health care, run out of unemployment and gotten behind on their bills. This is a new experience for them because work has always been somewhat plentiful in our state. We need a change now or the country will be in a hole for a long time.

Troy Ferrell:
My name is Troy Ferrell; I am a union electrician from Marietta, Ohio, Joining the America Can Do Better Bus Tour was an easy decision for me to make. I jumped at the opportunity to tour the northeastern states and talk about why we should back John Kerry over Bush.

Bush has turned his back on the working class of this great country who are:
Running out of employment benefits
Losing family health insurance
Leaving home to take a lower paying job.

It's not the American dream of most hard working men and women. If we don't stand up for leaders who will stand up for us, we deserve what we get after November 2nd.

Bonnie Buchanan:
Hello, my name is Bonnie Buchanan of Parkersburg, WV. I went to work in 1974 right out of High School. I'm riding the "America Can Do Better" bus because I am concerned with the outsourcing of jobs. The company I work for announced in October of 2003 that it was sending our jobs to Germany, Spain, and Brazil. After 30 years of service, I am faced with unemployment and no health care.

America needs a regime change. We need to keep our jobs here in the United States and I believe John Kerry and John Edwards are the ones that can help us keep our jobs.

Kenny Floyd:
My name is Kenny Floyd and I live in Wallace, WV. I joined the "America Can Do Better" tour because I truly believe America can do better.

George Bush, in my opinion, has done nothing good for America. I know he has done nothing good for me or my family. I am a 4 year Air Force Veteran, a 26 year employee of the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and I have seen nothing from the Bush administration that is good for veterans.

He has kept the budget for veterans programs lower than what is needed. He has cut services and benefits. He has done nothing good for labor. He has contracted out, abolished overtime, and is doing everything possible to abolish unions and the labor movement.

America will do better with John Kerry and John Edwards.

Linda Floyd
My name is Linda Floyd. I joined the "America Can Do Better" tour because I want a change for the better, not just for me, but for my children and grandchildren.

Ken Winters:
My name is Ken Winters and I am from Parkersburg, WV. I joined the "America Can Do Better" bus trip because I am angry with the Bush Administration.

I am angry that we have lost 1.8 million private sector jobs. I am angry that we have lost 2.7 million manufacturing jobs. I am angry that wages have increased .3% while corporate profits have increased by 28.4%.

Of the jobs created by this administration, 2/3 are low paying, with very few providing health care or benefits. I am also tired of this administration exporting jobs.

I am very concerned about workers' rights to join unions. The Bush appointed NLRB is not labor-friendly and has opposed the card-check procedures which Kerry and Edwards co-sponsored.

As a Vietnam Veteran, I am also concerned that an honorable war hero like John Kerry could have his war record questioned. The USA does not give out Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars frivolously and I am appalled that Bush and Cheney would question a true American Hero's service record.

Jackie Vacheresse:
I'm on the America Can Do Better tour because I feel that our country is in trouble. And I feel that the team of Kerry/Edwards is the one to lead us out of that trouble. My husband died on May 14th 2004 at 68 years old, and due to a bankruptcy ruling on Weirton Steel where all retirees lost their insurance. I had no money for my husband's funeral and had to borrow money from my three sons in law to pay to have my husband buried. Now I have prioritized my few funds and paid all my money for health insurance.

It is my opinion that when President Bush dropped the tariffs on steel, it marked beginning of the end of the steel industry in America. It is also my opinion that Bush raised the tariffs primarily for the purposes of the 2002 midterm elections, and then when they didn't serve his rich cronies he dropped them. John Kerry will at least listen to both labor and management, and make the best decisions for the American people and the American workers.

One of the things I have done is bought a burial insurance. I'm 70 years old and I pay $100.29 per month for the next ten years (if I live that long). At least my kids won't have to pay for my funeral.

Cleveland
One of the busses developed a chronic problem and we switched busses at a rest stop on the way to Erie. Since the Bush environmental enforcement is so bad there was no mention of the noxious clouds of oily smoke being emitted by our ride.

The stop in Cleveland ran a bit over. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones introduced a multitude of speakers at the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church. The church was the site of a speech by Martin Luther King in the 60's and very historic. We picked up the rest of the Ohioans that will be traveling with us and headed out to Erie.

We swapped out our bad bus for its non-evil twin, good one on I-90. A repair guy was there and as we pulled away he was deep into the bowels of the V-12 Detroit Diesel engine. I was having flashbacks to some fire truck I rode on, but that's another story...

Erie
The city with the painted gnomes was great. We were at the Maritime Museum and an enthusiastic crowd greeted us. We picked up the first bunch of real people from Pennsylvania here and they are excited about the rest of the toun and ending up in NYC. The final leg to Pittsburg is about 2 hours and dinner at the steak house.

Tomorrow will be a good day since we actually get to sleep in a bit in the am.

Final notes...

Today was a big circle. We ended up about 50 miles from where we started but after about 14 hours on the road and in events we touched a lot of people and traveled nearly 500 miles. The most important thing is that we continued to get our message out. You guys need to do the same thing. Talk about issues that affect you. Talk about the impact of the administration's policies on YOU! The numbers are great, but the personal stories have the most impact.

Let me tell you one. The week after I get back home to my bride, dog and homies, my International Association of Fire Fighters Union (Local 2598) will be getting together to do a community project. One of the kids who came home from Iraq without his legs is finally well enough and far enough along in rehab to go home. But guess what? The guy who says he's a War president or what ever the spin of the week is will not ensure that these kids are being taken care of. The kid applied for and did not get a grant to make his home wheelchair accessible. No ramp so we're going to build one for him.

What kind of country dishonors it's veterans so? Asking them for co-pays on health insurance, closing Veterans Hospital, not covering them? It's called America - but guess what? America Can Do Better!!

You guys are the bomb. Keep reading and keep bloggin'.

We can make a difference, we can do better America!

b

Posted by bruce roemmelt at August 26, 2004 11:57 PM

Comments