To the Editor:
Long before I was born, my father became a disabled veteran. He taught me many things including the value of public service and common sense. When he died at Walter Reed, I became homeless while in high school.
I respectfully disagree with Del. David Albo (R-42) and his commentary [“‘Somebody Else’ Didn’t Come,” Connection, Aug. 30–Sept. 5, 2012].
Most Americans are not millionaires or billionaires; Albo dismisses our contributions.
The American people are incredibly generous. My personal journey confirms it.
For a broader example, let’s look at Social Security. Most working Americans effectively pay 12.4 percent of their gross income to support an insolvent trust.
While most young working Americans do not expect they will see retirement benefits, studies show over 70 percent of working 18–29 year olds still want to continue paying because they see the need among today’s retirees. The American people are very generous.
Sadly, with over 17 years in the House of Delegates, David Albo shows rigidity of thought mired in division.
Del. Albo wrote he is “very angry” because President Obama talked about the interdependence among the American people. You didn’t build that; we all did together.
He also wrote, “I never met an unemployed person that gave someone a job. The only people who provide jobs are successful business people.”
According to Albo, spenders, savers and investors have no role in creating jobs. Others including engineers, scientists, teachers, first responders, secretaries, and stay at home parents have done nothing to create jobs. Really?
No business person achieves success without raw material, without consumer demand, without transportation infrastructure, without communication systems, without an educated workforce.
Consider the classic yellow number two pencil lying on Del. Albo’s desk. Thousands of people in diverse regions of the world who do not know one another, who might otherwise despise each other worked to assemble and deliver a complex product designed for a simple task. No one person can create it.
Albo’s assertion against unemployed persons rests weakly on the false concept of a static economy. Economic mobility in our nation is truly dynamic. Ask the victims of Bernie Madoff whether they have created jobs. Senior executives today can become grocery baggers tomorrow. Thankfully, the converse is equally true. We believe in the dignity of an honest day’s work.
Our economic mobility enables the American dream.
Representing a company exclusively owned by our clients, America’s largest mutual life insurance company, I am a small business owner. I find listening and taking responsible action for my clients instills confidence and remains essential to success.
Perhaps Albo’s legal practice prevails in dismissing the importance of attracting and keeping clients. Maybe he can afford to insult most people.
Will Radle