MoveOn.Org organized national day of support for the Wisconsin Workers called the Rally to Save the American Dream. One such rally was held in Dallas, Texas from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM at The Beckley Courthouse at 410 S. Beckley in Dallas, Tx. Speakers were invited from a number of groups including the Students For a Democratic Society, Jobs for Justice, WorkingAmerica.Org, and MasspartyofLabor.Org. and Tom Berry Democratic Nominee for U.S. Congress, Texas 5th district. There were approximately 200 people in attendance. That is a respectable gathering in the heart of Texas' Corporate loving, Individualistic, Right-To-Work territory.
My name is Cliff Potts. I am a father of six children. My eldest son is currently serving in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. I have a degree in Telecommunications Management. I graduated third in my class. I am also a published author.
We are here today to talk about the American Dream. I am here to tell you my story. Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you that we are under siege.
This economy has cost me everything, including my marriage!
In 1998, I was moving a server rack. It was not in my job description, but it needed to be done. The rack fell off the dolly. I caught it, and twisted my back.
The firm I was working for denied me access to medical care for 90 days. The day after I demanded to see a doctor they terminated my employment. Both actions are illegal, and the state did nothing about it.
When I finally did see a doctor, the delay in treatment made it necessary for me to have to have surgery. If we had universal health care in 1998 none of this would have happened. The surgery was in November 1999.
I recovered and returned to work in 2000.
In 2000, I was working for Johnson Controls in Milwaukee, WI -- see, I do have a connection with our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin.
I was released from that assignment for taking one person day off. My employer did not have a problem with the day off. Johnson Controls has the problem with it.
I returned to Texas in 2001 to attend to the legal issues from the injury. I earned a diploma in Radio Broadcasting from American Broadcasting School in Arlington, TX. In November 2001, I re-entered the work force.
Due to outsourcing and the telecommunications bust that was just starting to bubble up, the only job I could land was working as a Security Officer for Eight Dollars and fifty cents an hour.
That is when I decided to get busy and try something else. I tried all of the wonderful, web based, ideas. I could not get traction with anything. As I said, I am even published with a small local publisher here in Dallas.
I did finally re-enter the Technical Support Field in 2009. I worked for Volt at the, now closed, Apple Site in Addison, Texas. That job ended in January 2010. I am still unemployed.
That job was a Level One Technical Support Agent. That same job paid $25.00 an hour in 2000. Apple was paying $14.00 an hour. Apple made millions on the release of the iPhone 3Gs, then they shut down the site.
We are under siege by the multinationals. The American economy has become a vast wasteland. It is foolhardy to trust the corporations.
Thank you, and may your God go with you.
The truncated speech as delivered is viewable on YouTube.
