opt for the free market and freedom and property rights. look at history. the prosperity has always, the greater freedom. we have had the greatest freedom and we have the greatest prosperity. it is going downhill. these last 10 years have been bad news for us. it has been bad news. we have not created any real jobs in the past 10 years and we have accumulated all of this debt. it is coming to an end. what are going to do about it? are we going to reinstate these values? if you look at all of history, all of history, and it has been occupied by dictators. yet we have the test. it was wonderful. we are allowing it to slip from our figures unless we make a declaration that we do truly believe in freedom.

that is what the goal should be. that is what you should do politically. do not allow this to leave us. the opportunity is there because the need is there. four years ago, six years ago, 20 years ago, the attention has been minimal. today, there is a lot more attention. there is a greater need. people are realizing the system we have to date is not working. he even goes to the ban on the receiving end are getting worried. -- even at those who has been on the receiving end are getting worried. there is a lot of concern and that means there are a lot of opportunities. our party has traditionally stood for these values. we have to restate those principles and stick to them. there is no reason why we have to continue to go downhill. there is every reason to believe that if we did the right thing,

it would not take long, we could get on our feet in no time. if we do not restore our liberties, we are in big trouble. it may take a lot longer. thank you very much for coming today and allow me to speak. it was great visiting with you. i will see you on another day. >> thaddeus mccotter also spoke to polk county republicans. >> thank you for that kind introduction. for once again proving that rock-and-roll does not pay. great to be back here at the state fair grounds as well. the last time here, i was out on a soapbox and i was discovering such exotic bemusement as friday butter -- fried butter on a stick.

i've also learned that people are very concerned about their future. that is why, for the first time in my life, when i arrived at a republican event, i was given a bodyguard. erick, where are you? there is my bodyguard. when he introduced himself to me, i said, you are my bodyguard? dude, i am from detroit. it was going to protect you from me? it is great to be here. despite the difficult times in which we find ourselves, we embrace the challenges before us. just as the party of lincoln embraced the challenges that were born in civil war. to support union and the emancipation. just as the republican party in 1980 came together in the midst of a cold war to support liberty and prosperity.

today, the challenges we face are equally daunting to some, namely those who believe that only government can solve our problems. we know better. we understand the democratic party is not progressive. the democratic party is regressive. [applause] this country was founded as a revolutionary experiment and liberty and self-government. the future of this country remains liberty and self- government. when the democratic party tells you that your decision and your property and your liberty must continue to be housed within a large mass of imploding federal welfare state, we tell them know.

-- them no. when you look around the world, you live amidst a communications revolution, lunch -- one which is in power in new -- in powering you. you can go home tonight and at your laptop computer, you can seek information from anywhere in the world. you are no longer bound by mainstream networks or a handful of newspapers. you can go home tonight and after laptop computer, you can order a good or service anywhere in the world. you are no longer bound by how far your car can drive or what the male might bring you. you can go home tonight and use your laptop computer to spread the message of the republican party, of our optimistic view

over the country is going to go. you can send it to your friends. you can send it to your family. you can send it around the world. in short, we live in a world where you would not allow the federal government to tell you what to put on your facebook page. you would not let the federal government tell you what to tweet. you would not allow the federal government to tell you how to run your life. or what to put on your ipod. why would anyone let the federal government tell them who their doctor could be? why would anyone of the federal government continue to foster regulations that destroyed the capacity of the united states in a time of recession? why would anybody go from an -- a citizen-driven future back to the field politics of jimmy

carter? the answer is, we will not. [applause] we will restructure a government for the 21st century to make it smaller, more accountable, were flat. our democratize the economy is. the federal government cannot operate as it did in the year of my birth, 1965. no individual, no business can operate as if this was 46 years ago and expected be viable in the 21st century. we must use the principles of lincoln and reagan in restructuring this government. as a compassionate nation, we understand the need for a social safety nets. we understand the morality of helping those who cannot help themselves. we understand the morality of helping those who are struggling

to get back to the dignity of self-reliance. what we will never accept is the welfare state that takes individuals who are self-reliant and times them to become dependent upon government and the redistribution of other people's wealth. that is unjust. [applause] restructuring government to get this economy going is not the only challenge we face. we have to be willing to accept that the same big government that bailed out the big wall street banks is the central problem facing our economy today. we experienced the greatest credit contraction since the great depression. this is not the fault of community banks. it is not the fault of credit unions. which are being punished as if

they cause the problem. it is the fault of the individuals who brought our economy to the press is everywhen. in michigan, -- we understand the need for credits, the need for capital to produce wealth and put products into the marketplace. we must be willing to take on the big failed wall street banks so they are forced to recapitalize. they are no longer subsidized by ben bernanke on this federal reserve board. if we do this, we will continue with tax reform and regulatory reform. when you match those reforms with the creative genius of the american people, you will see a period of unprecedented prosperity that will not only

did this out of this economic stagnation, it will lay the foundation for america to remain the world's leading economic engine in the 21st century. [applause] finally, we must also defend america from our enemies. we understand peace through strength must be matched with the capabilities of the united states to have any merit and receive respect and the world. we understand the united states cannot turn around to the people of afghanistan and abandon them to their fate. we must continue to work with them and trusted commanders on the ground, protect the fragile gains and the harvard and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform said that america keeps her word so that those people have a chance for

liberty. as we learned from lincoln, at those who seek to ensure liberty from thence -- for themselves must extend liberty to others. if we fail and that mission, we will fail and stain the legacy. we will do no favors and no honor to the men and women in uniform who have given some much to make this possible. i would like to end on an optimistic note. i have no doubt that despite these difficult times, it will be a hard road to a better day, but we will get there. as americans, we have always done so. while there are doubts about the virtues nature of our free people, the day and thus are not the problem. the problem is a big government that believes that it knows how

to live your lives. despite president obama talking about all the horrible interest groups that are holding america back, he left one out. i would like to remind him. the most powerful special interest in the world is a big government. president obama is its lobbyist. [no audio] [applause] in 2012, with your support, with the support of the american people, we will ensure that big has allnt's lobbyist the time that he wants to vacation on martha's vineyard. [applause]

and it will happen. regardless of whether i am the nominee. our party will come together and we will usher -- we will reject the democrats' new norm of america mediocrity. we will not cede the 21st century to european socialism. as republicans, as americans, we will guarantee that the 21st century is one of the american freedom and we will remain a purposeful republic that does not exist to emulate the world. it exists to inspire the world. thank you very much. [applause] >> waterboard video of the

candidate, see what political -- watch more than video of the candidate, see what political reporters are saying. it helps you navigate the political landscape. >> in a few moments, a forum on jobs and social justice posted by the afl-cio and the martin luther king, jr. center. we will reair the republican presidential candidate speeches.

several by the bench to tell you about tomorrow. president obama speech to the american legion national convention in minneapolis at noon. just after that, at 1:00, labor secretary will be at the national press club for an hour- long interview about jobs and the economy. at 3:00, the atlantic council post a discussion on the training of afghan security forces. ♪

>> a symposium on jobs and social justice, hosted by the afl-cio. this includes remarks from afl- cio president. >> feeling pretty good, as this started tuesday earlier.

-- as we started to say earlier. we are going on and i am so happy that everybody is here. good morning. i am arlene holt-baker. on behalf of the secretary treasury here, we want to welcome all of you to the house of labor this morning. [applause] we are so excited for those of you that are in the room. as you know, this is also being a web cast, we are on c-span. we absolutely thank all of those who are participating. this has been an historic week in washington, d.c., in many ways. as we all know, the unveiling of

the martin luther king, jr. memorial has been postponed. the eastern seaboard is in the path of hurricane irene. natural disasters, brothers and sisters, we cannot control. but it is the man-made disasters, that we have the power to change their direction if we so choose. we are reminded on this day of that march on washington 48 years ago when dr. martin luther king, jr. moved our people and our nation to embrace his dream of america, and a dream that he it and -- a dream that he shared. [applause] when we began talking about

coasting aid jobs and justice symposium during this week, we knew that we wanted to highlight the needs of america's struggling families, the families that dr. king devoted his life to fighting for. we wanted to hear from those who are unemployed, but want to work. hear from academics who study the effects of economic and social injustice on all of our community. and you're from students who dare to dream. hear from workers who want justice and a voice at work. and you're from civil-rights legends you have devoted their lives in search of the american dream. for months now, the lives of millions of americans have been shaken up by the economic uncertainty. just as our nation's capital literally shook this week, we hope that the discussions like the one we will have today will shape -- will shape our elected

officials to move with boldness and a fierce urgency. we call on our leaders to respond to the desperate cries of the people for jobs and justice. today, many wonder where we will go from here. a renewed sense of movement and unity. >> and whites, young and old, workers and the unemployed. it is up to us whether we choose chaos or community. i would like to welcome martin luther king iii and the co-host

of today's symposium. he has taken the torch from his father and has got around the nation with a message of hope and stability. he believes that we must choose the beloved community over chaos. [applause] >> good morning. let me thank god for the wonderful opportunity to be back at the afl-cio national headquarters. thank you for your warm introduction, arlene holt-baker.

and to the secretary treasurer. and also to moderators, the reverend jackson -- i am sure that i am going to miss somebody. not my heart. it is a great pleasure to join you this morning in this symposium on jobs, justice, and the american dream. you might remember that at the time of my father's passing, he and his team were mobilizing for

the poor people's campaign to bring together blacks and whites and native americans to say to our nation's policy makers that we demand the right to decent jobs and decent pay. in 1968, as they were mobilizing, he was talking about a living wage. we are still trying to get the minimum wage adjusted properly. it shows how far we still have to go. it is also providential that this is perhaps the last official act that i am going to be involved in before the dedication that was to have taken place on sunday. the memorial, some could say that it is an idol. the idolize dr. king. there really is about working to

not idolize him, but to embrace his ideals. this is the work that we are talking about today. i do not see it as-that the dedication is postponed. i see it as we are here to do the work that still must be done to continue what martin luther king, jr. represented. [applause] i must thank first the president and the afl-cio for hosting this symposium. most importantly, for the dedicated leadership you provide for american workers. i must express my heartfelt

gratitude to the executive vice president arlene holt-baker, in particular, for her creative vision and energetic leadership for putting a symposium together. [applause] it is certainly one of the most substantive and relevant programs leading not -- or i should say -- i was going to say leading up to the dedication of the memorial. that is going to happen. until recently, i thought that the king holiday would always be the highest honor commemorating my father's leadership. but having a major memorial honoring him on the national mall will underscore his place in history and amplify his influence on the coming generations. technically and theoretically, congress may one day choose to change the king holiday to human

rights day. we do not know. as long as this civilization exist, as long as our nation's capital exists, as long as we are a democratic society, there will be a martin luther king, jr. memorial on the mall. [applause] my father is widely remembered for his i have a dream speech. the theme of that great march on washington. two parties that remain absolutely critical for our hopes of fulfilling that dream. i want everyone to know that martin luther king, jr. was also a champion of the american labor movement. this memorial honors an american leader who lost it his life in a labor union struggle and strongly supported unions as a central part of the quest for

economic justice. when he addressed the illinois afl-cio convention in 1965, he said the labor union was the principal force that transformed despair into hope and progress. everywhere he went during the civil-rights movement, he welcomed the support of unions. he knew they were essential for winning the war on poverty. he often spoke about the critical importance of job training and job security unions provided. he was concerned about job loss to nations where workers had few rights. my father challenged organized labor in the civil rights movement to work together to bring about a society in which working people of all races

could prosper. as he sat in his speech, -- as he said in his speech, the two most dynamic and movements that shape the nation during the past three elected -- decades are the labor and silver rights movement. our combined strength is enormous is far too movements unite. 30 years from now, people will look back on this day and honor those who had the vision to see the full possibilities of modern society and the courage to fight for their realization. on that date, the brotherhood of man will be a thrilling and creative reality, he said. after he was assassinated, my mother picked up the torch of public workers' rights in memphis, and helped to lead the campaign to organize hospital workers in charleston, south

carolina. she supported dozens of unions, organizing campaigns. she also served as the active national co-chair of the employment action council, meeting with every united states senator in support of jobs. she called for full employment and economic justice. it is a family tradition that i intend to keep for the rest of my days. [applause] economic injustice is even more of a concern today. we are witnessing a widening gap between the rich and poor. making matters worse, the political guardians of the rich are not only refusing modest tax increases, they are demanding even more tax benefits for the

top earners. if we have to fill the streets with nonviolent protesters like our sisters and brothers have done [applause] we have suffered great setbacks in recent years, with the uprising of working men and women in wisconsin, indiana, and ohio, which signals the great rebirth, our great hope for real and lasting change. i believe we can adopt the traditions that animated the movements in the 20th century to forge a vibrant, new spirit of militancy and a culture of organizing and powered by the

latest communications technology, so let us link arms as brothers and sisters, united and determined to put an end to the war against workers and the unjust harassment of latino workers and their families. let's join forces with an unshakable spirit of solidarity for jobs and economic justice. let's reach out to one another and build a great, multi- cultural coalition on a scale never before seen in this nation. let's served notice that we're not going to be discouraged by political obstructionists. we are not going to be deterred by the citizens united decision, and we are not going to be turned around by any detractors, but with our faith in each other and with our shared vision of hope and opportunity and with our irreversible commitment to solidarity, together, we will launch a new weather of progressive change, in which martin luther king jr.'s dream

can become a luminous reality. thank you, and god bless you. [applause] it is now my pleasure to introduce, actually present, he does not need an introduction, a man who i am proud to call my ally and one of our partners in this movement, a man who has never backed away from the fight for workers' rights, human rights, or civil rights. you can count on him to be in the front lines, marching, and calling us to action around jobs and justice and the american dream, the president of the afl-cio, mr. richard trumka. [applause]

>> thank you, martin, for the very kind introduction, but more importantly, so they q4 what you do every day and what the king family does every day. we all owe you and your family a tremendous debt of gratitude, and i just want to say thank you on behalf of all of us on that, and let me say good morning to everyone, and behalf of the unions of the afl-cio and are 12 million members, i want to welcome you all here today, and i want to take just one moment to give a special welcome to reverend jackson, who has probably stood on as many padilla lines with me as anyone else around when it came to defending justice and standing up for workers' rights. jesse, you have always been there, and i want to say, thank you for all of the things you have done. [applause]

48 years ago this weekend, literally hundreds of thousands of people gathered here in washington to march for jobs and march for freedom. they came at a call of randolph, who was the president of the vice president of the afl-cio and a truly historic figure in the history of the american labor movement. the buses, the signs, the food were all paid for by working men and women of america and their unions, the distributive union, the packinghouse workers, the united steelworkers, and most of of the united autoworkers. there is always a temptation at a moment like this to sugarcoat the past, to pretend that

everyone was on the right side, that all of us did exactly what we should have done in the way it should have been done. the truth is that that day, the afl-cio building was closed on the day of the march on washington in 1963. the historic fact is that although the afl-cio endorsed the principles behind the march, the federation had not endorsed the march itself, even the major unions of the afl-cio were making the very march possible. martin luther king jr. often said it was not just african- americans who needed to be freed from the burdens of racism. the labor movement is rightfully proud of all working people did it to help the civil rights

movement, but we do not often enough that knowledge of what the civil rights movement did to free the american labor movement, because -- [applause] as we learned, and i learned particularly in the united mine workers even long before i was born, if workers let racism divide us, we will always be weak. so today, our doors are wide open, and it is both with humility and pride that we welcome all of you to the house of labor. we have assembled this morning an extraordinary panel to address the continuing struggle to make real in america division and the values of dr. king. so as we gather to dedicate the king memorial, far too many of us lack of jobs and freedom.

unemployment is still over 9%. twice, twice what it was in 1963. in state after state, powerful political forces are organizing to revive the poll tax and literacy tests under other names, to place obstacles in the wake of americans from participating in democracy. today, the americans legislative exchange council and some brokers are working feverishly to under the voting rights act, the act that truly made america and democracy in all 50 states. in 1965, when john lewis crossed the bridge in selma, alabama, seeking the right to vote for all americans, those same brother dollars were finding the

john birch society opposition to the voting rights act. you know, we have a saying in the labor movement. which side are you on? well, too many who have the funds and the power to influence american leaders -- in fact, some of those leaders themselves have taken the wrong side in american history, the side of slavery, the side of segregation, the side of denying justice, the side of the economic dictatorship. in the decades since dr. king was taken from us, our nation has made enormous strides in the direction of racial justice. today, as we meet, barack obama is our president. and it is not just that barack obama is our nation's first african-american president. it is that his vision for our

country owes so much of its moral power and its language to dr. king, but dr. king's vision was not simply an end to racism. he sought ending racism as a part of a larger struggle for human dignity, a larger struggle centered on economic justice. the tragedy of american history in our lifetime is that today, while we have defeated legal segregation and driven open racism away from our public life, we live in a country less economically equal than in dr. king's time. jobs are scarcer. it is harder to go to college, and the right to a voice on the job has largely been taken away from american workers. so we have become a country less

and less able to hear dr. king's phone message of economic justice and of nonviolence. rising inequality is a barrier to hearing dr. king's message of economic justice, a foreign policy based on war and not on diplomacy makes it impossible to even talk about dr. king's vision of nonviolence. dr. king was assassinated in memphis as he prepared to march in a potential violation of a court order. with public employees, with sanitation workers, who were seeking the right to form a union. i still envision that sign, a simple message. "i am a man." think about that, a country that

had to be reminded that some of our most of stating citizens, that they were men. when i listened to wisconsin governor scott walker speak of his admiration for dr. king, i cannot believe anyone can be quite so cynical. it must be that he simply cannot hear dr. king's message. you see, dr. king gave his "i have a dream" speech against the background of the magnificent statue of president lincoln, seated in the memorial that bears lincoln's name. now, reverend dr. martin luther king jr., his image will join president abraham lincoln in perpetuity on our national mall. and while we have memorial's two great leaders of the mall, from

george washington to franklin roosevelt, i believe that president lincoln and dr. king were something more than leaders. i think they were profits who walks among us, menu gave their lives to defeat our great national evil of slavery. and racism. so we gather this morning to demand that dr. king be remembered and that his privacy made real in our time, his message of justice for all, his message that the american dream is for all of us, each and everyone of us, and his absolute conviction that the american dream begins with a good job and the right to vote. you see, i believe we need to carry his dream forward, and the dream of a time when all men and all women, not only here, dr.

king's world, but to hear his message, and they act on it. thank you. [applause] and now, it is my privilege and honor to introduce the moderator of our panel on jobs and the american dream. bob jher -- herbert is a former columnist, now a senior distinguished vote. he is an incredible voice for the message of dr. king. bob? >> i have a great pleasure this morning to introduce one of my heroes, one of my real heroes,

congressman john lewis, who is one of the most courageous persons the civil rights movement has ever produced. john was a national secretary of the student nonviolent coordinating committee, a big deal when i was a young man. snc. they were trying to register african-americans to vote. i mean, just think about it. black people without the right to vote in this country. it seems bizarre, but it did not seem bizarre in those days. john was literally laid his body on the line for social justice, from beatings to freedom rides to citizens to at lunch counters and beyond. he is, and i just realized this today and was shocked to learn at, he is the last living speaker from the 1963 march on washington. it is my honor and a great

privilege to introduce congressman john lewis, a genuine american hero. [applause] >> thank you, bob, for those kind words of introduction. mr. president, madam secretary, and treasurer, madame vice president of this great organization, this great institution, it is good to be in the house of labor one more time. one more time. i am pleased to be here. jesse jackson, with you, martin

luther king the third, and so many others of you who have labored long and hard. good to see you there. lucy. i'm going to be brief. there are some students coming from the koran as scott king academy, and i am supposed to greet them at the bus. in 1963, i had all of my hair, and i was a few pounds lighter, 23 years old. i it just been elected the national chair of the student nonviolent coordinating committee, better known as snic. in 1963, we had a meeting with president kennedy right across

the way in the big house, in the white house, and it was in that meeting that randolf spoke up and said, "mr. president," in his baritone voice. he said, "mr. president, the monsters are restless, and we are going to march on washington to " use of president kennedy moving around in his rocking chair. he did not like the idea of hundreds of thousands of people coming to washington, and he says something like, "do we not have this order? we will never get a civil rights bill through congress." mr. randolf responded and said, "mr. president, this will be an orderly, nonviolent protest." we left the meeting, coming out

of the white house, whitney young, others, randolf, and we said we had a meaningful and productive meeting with the president of the united states. we told him we needed jobs. we needed a civil rights bill, but we also needed jobs. if you days later, on july 2, 1963, the six of us met at the old commodore hotel in new york city, and it was in that meeting that we invited all major white religious and labor leaders to join us. one of the labor leaders, walter, uaw. we issued the call for the march

on washington. we met here, right down the street here at the capitol hill hotel. over and over again. we planned. we organized. we just did not wake up one morning and had a dream that we would walk on washington. we organized and had a plan, and it had -- if it had not been for organized labor, we would not have made it. thank you for all that you did and all that you continue to do. organized labor and the civil rights movement is like a glove on the hand. we go together. we learn from you, and you learn from us. thank you. thank you. [applause] there are people, there are forces who want to take us back. mr. president, you are right. they want to take us back, but

we are not going back. we have come too far enough to stop. we have come too far to turn around. a few days ago in atlanta, ga., just a few weeks ago, we had a job fair. we thought maybe 500 or six other people would show up, but between 5000 people and 6000 people showed up. our people want to work. they won dignity. they want to work, and they must be put to work and we must create jobs, and we must get this president and congress to spend millions of dollars to put people back to work. we must demand that. i think at this point in the civil rights movement and the labor movement, maybe a few places like wisconsin, i think they are too quiet. we need to make some noise. when i was growing up in rural

alabama, the signs that said white men, white men, colored women, white ladies, colored glaze, and i would ask my mother and father and my grandparents, "why segregation? why racism? " they said, it "that is the way it is. do not get in trouble." one day, i heard martin luther king on the radio, and i was inspired to get in trouble. it is time for them to get in trouble again, good trouble, good trouble. [applause] do not, do not, do not, to not be afraid. when dr. king came back from receiving the nobel peace prize,

you remember this, he had a meeting at the white house with president johnson. he told the president we needed a voting rights act. president johnson said in so many words, "dr. king, we just signed the civil rights act. we do not have the votes to do that." dr. king came to selma. you know what happened. which created the climate, we created the environment to get a president. if you days ago, i had the opportunity to go up to the memorial, to the monument. i have been there three times. four times. yesterday.

the scaffolds were still up. they invited me to go up on the scaffolds, and i was able to touch the head, were of the face of dr. king. it is amazing to me that after this man stood on the steps of the lincoln memorial 48 years ago and said, "i have a dream," today, a dream keeping with the american dream, that we can come back and see his like this standing between jefferson and lincoln. it says something about the man, but it also says something about the movement that he led. the movement that he died for. those of us in the civil rights movement and the labor movement in american politics, we have to do our part.

we have obligation, a mandate, and a mission, to speak up and to speak out, move our feet. we cannot be quiet. people are hurting. people are suffering. mr. president, we need to end the wars. we need to stop the violence. abroad and at home. we have to do it. if we fail to act, the civil- rights movement and organized movement failed to act. dr. king said, "history will not be kind to us." we have to act. i plead with you. get out there and push, lead, get in the way, and i will be there with you all of the way. thank you very much.

[applause] >> the symposium included a panel on the economy. it is about one hour. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> this is the second time i have had to come to the microphone after john lewis has spoken. let me introduce our panelists and get started here today. first, we had of a member of the painters' union in new york, davon lomax, who, like so many, are looking for work. if you would come up, we would really appreciate it. [applause] i am also delighted to introduce kathleen hoffman, a teacher in a school system,

where teachers are foremost among the public employees' being viciously attacked. katy, thank you so much for coming. [applause] sarita gupta is with an organization seeking to build a global movement around the fight for decent improved -- employment. let's welcome sarita to the panel, and i am delighted to welcome a sociology professor at harvard, bruce western, looking of the decline of unions as one of the big factors in the decline in equality in this country. welcome, a professor -- welcome, professor western.

we have not lived up to his in candice and division -- his incandescent division. not to hear him, not to heed the lessons he offered us in such abundance, and the result is that we have lost our way. america has become a country that pours shiploads of-into one futile war after another while at the same time demolishing school budgets, laying off teachers, firefighters, and police officers, and generally lead in the bottom falling out of our quality of life here at home. an army of the long-term unemployed counted in the many millions is spread across the land. the human fallout from the great recession began many long years of misguided economic policies. the few jobs now being created to often paid a pittance at

minimum wage or just above, not nearly enough to pry open the doors to a middle-class standard of living. poverty is once again on the march, moving like the third division of patton, through communities that were never able to secure more than a tenuous hold on the american dream in the first place. 44 million americans are living in poverty. more than 14% of the population. more than 15 million children are poor. that is 1/5 children in the united states, and that is a disgrace. 17 million people are living in extreme poverty. a family of four in that family would have an annual income below $11,000. try raising a family on 11 dozen dollars a year. it is not a recession that those folks are facing. they're in a full-blown depression. and what are our leaders doing

about this? il's to nothing. they are actually cutting essential programs, trying to outdo one another in washington's latest mad political fad, austerity. communities of color have been absolutely the hardest hit in this long and terrible economic downturn, and government policies right now are only making matters worse for them. already reeling from the hollowing out of the manufacturing sector, african- americans and latinos were clobbered by the great recession and now are being disproportionately hurt by draconian cuts to meditate, layoffs at the state and local level, and the unconscionable coordinated and profoundly destructive attacks on public employees, and all of this needs to cease. and that will not happen until people organize and fight back, and fight back hard, as dr. king and so many others

organized and fought back so many years ago. enough is enough. if there is but one message i would try to get through to the nation's leadership, it is that we cannot begin to put the united states back on track until we begin to put our people back to work. people rightly associate the phrase "i have a dream" with dr. king, but not so many remember or even knew that the march on washington in 1963 was a march for jobs and freedom. dr. king and many others understood in those days that it made no sense to speak of freedom for men and women if they were going to remain trapped in the shackles of poverty and unemployment. he pointedly warned us not to overlook what he called the circumstances of economic injustice. and we are here today to keep

that warning, to make sure that we at least do not overlook the circumstances of economic injustice. i've always found dr. king's dream and the american dream to be interchangeable. i do not see a whispers worth of difference between the two. what saddens me is that because of our folly and our neglect, both of those dreams are on wide support, gasping, straining to survive. it is up to us to change this tragic scenario, to do all that we can to make sure that dr. king's dream and the american dreams arrive. thank you very much. [applause] so i'm going to have to put on my old military sergeants at and start moving things pretty quickly here. we are going to go to questions,

if i can find my introduction here. which i cannot. davon, the first question is for you. you have the honor. you're a painter that works in the construction industry in new york city, right? >> right. >> construction workers have been particularly hard hit in this economic environment, so i want to give a sense of what the past two or three years have been like for you personally and for your colleagues. >> ok, well, for the past two years, well, let me go back to 2005, when i started as an apprentice, and there was an abundance of work. i was actually turning down work, but when the recession hit, i stayed home for several months, which was, believe it or not, was better compared to the men and women who have stayed home for over a year and who

have never all of their unemployment benefits expire. .they cannot pay their mortgages. they have a hard time figuring how they will send their kids to school, is and it is hard out there for them. >> if i had it correct, your a member of district council 9 of the painters' union? how does it work? how do you get gigs? >> we go to our union hall, and we talked to the business reps, and the business reps speak to the contractors, and give us work. now, at the contractors are not getting any work, then they cannot send us any work, so what there is, there is about 10 to 15 major buildings that had either been stalled or stopped completely because the banks are not giving the contractors loans, and they are not giving the loans, so that keeps 1000, it 2000, 3000 workers at home, and they could go back of those

were active. >> you mentioned one fellow who had fallen on the ticker leave hard times. what happened with him? >> yes. he lost his house, and at the time, he was going through a divorce, so it was very hard on him, and one of the business reps actually saw him panhandling in the subways, and they had to bring him in and talk to him, and they found him a job, but the fact that he was out there panhandling says a lot. >> this is saying a lot about what is happening in the united states of america, in 2011, 1950. it is beginning to look like the 1930's. k'd, first, it starts off by telling us what you teach and what your students are. >> i teach music to the young children. >> you have been targeted by the republican party efforts to eliminate collective bargaining