June 24, 2009

Dear Mr. President, Senators, Councilmembers and Staff:

I write with a great sense of urgency it behooves me to communicate my personal gratitude, volition and sense of your scope of governance.

You don't hear often enough the good news about our great society on a microcosm level. The results of your sense of duty, service and ambition has positive far reaching spheres of influence. Personally, I am living with emotional, cognitive and physical illness, awareness and limitations. However, I am not locked away, instead I am brought out front, making my contribution, and enjoying the benefits of good citizenship here in America, namely in Staten Island, New York.

I have notable cognitive, emotional and physical restraints which DO NOT limit my ability to make a contribution to the great machine, America, which is the most successful experiment in our human history, democracy. These elements do not make it so that I CAN NOT be productive, it is just a situation where the work has to suit my capacities of self.

In short, I just want to write you, to say, Thank YOU! And let you become ever more aware to the possibilities for all of us who wish to participate in the marketplace.

I work for a T-Shirt Factory, alongside those who are in what is deemed a "sheltered workshop."The facility I work for hires, trains and utilizes the workforce of persons with every form of disABILITY. Some work cleaning remote controls for a cable company, some make T-Shirts, uniforms and just about any item you might want to create an image on; for instance, promotional items &C.

We make minimum wage, we show up on time, do our job and appreciate having a place to go. Notable also, my, AOT " Assisted OutPatient (Voluntary) Treatment Program" make managing my position possible; its an example of how well we can do with whatever we are given....

The environment is very encouraging without the presence of slackers, scammers and opportunists, because we LIKE to WORK.

Personally, I make way more, once you add in my SSDI benefits, than I would just assisting with the manufacture of T-Shirts, and I just wanted to thank you for providing me a place in the Marketplace at Special Tees alongside those who work for Community Access. Ancillary to these statements, I wish to express sincere dismay at news I've heard in my conversations with others regarding business flux. The story goes that someone decided that it would be much cheaper to make items with silk screening printing in China, solely based on the price.

I know personally that shifts in the marketplace like that can and does create short term monetary gains, without sense of patriotism, simply loyalty and senses including awareness. People don't really want to see that small jobs are big business. We know well of the fallout from NAFTA.

We have had a reduction, I'm told in overall production due to such frivolous purchasing.Maybe, you can stem that tide of short sighted-money driven greed? I heard that it was significant loss, the figures are not available to me, but perhaps you can muster up the numbers?

Again, this is just a verbose note to say, Thanks and to let you be ever mindful that we are out here, doing what we can, because of what you've provided for us. That's all, folks!

Sincerely yours,

Learn more about this author, Rosemarie Dundon.
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