We Need Economic Revival

At the heart of a thriving Virginia is a thriving economy. But sadly, we all know too well that our economy is in trouble. More than 15,000 jobs have been lost in Southside over the past 12 years. While there are signs of hope here and there and great work being done on the local level, there's no silver bullet on the horizon. We need to do the tough work to make our economy competitive again.

Last month, I launched an economic R.E.V.I.V.A.L. tour throughout all 22 counties and municipalities of the fifth district. I road-tested my seven-point plan and listened to folks' struggles and their ideas. Learning from that experience, here's what I think we need to do to turn our economy around.

• Relief for small business, including immediate tax breaks for healthcare and energy costs.
• Energy solutions that put the fifth district at the forefront of the new energy economy.
• Vocational and skills training and a national teacher recruitment program to make our workforce competitive.
• Infrastructure investment, including in transportation, broadband and our historic downtowns.
• Putting Virginia workers first by punishing employers who hire illegal aliens and ending billions in tax breaks to companies that move American jobs overseas.
• Protecting Agriculture by making sure small farmers are helped, not hurt, by subsidies and regulations.
• Providing Leadership that will serve the middle class instead of drug companies, oil companies, and big corporations.

So many of these initiatives already have a great groundwork in Southside. At Danville Community College, machinists' program graduates are hired at a 100% rate. Farmers in Brunswick and Mecklenburg Counties are innovating how to produce their own energy to sustain their farms. The citizens of the fifth district are ready to step up to the plate.

But there needs to be a partner on the federal level to make sure these programs are not just a handout, but a hand up for the economy of the next 20 years.

Lord knows I won't be able to accomplish every one of these initiatives in my first term; it's going to take a long time to revive our economy and make our workforce competitive again. We've taken our eye off the ball for so long, that nothing but hard work and perseverance will get us back on track.

But one thing is for sure: if the people of the fifth district give me the chance, I will work a double shift every day in Congress to bring jobs and economic fairness back to the district. I can work at least as hard as you all are working every day just to keep food on the table and fuel in the tank, and I pledge to do just that.

Tom Perriello is the Democratic candidate for Congress in Virginia's Fifth District. You can find out more about his campaign at www.PerrielloForCongress.com or by visiting one of our seven district offices in: Appomattox, Bedford, Charlottesville, Danville, Farmville, Martinsville, and Moneta.