Politics & Government
'Jobs Not Cuts' Rally Held In Lawrenceville
Activists call on Congressman Rob Woodall to create more jobs in Gwinnett.
Shouting "Give me a job, Rob," a dozen people rallied outside US. Rep. Rob Woodall's office Wednesday at the in Lawrenceville.
The rally was organized by MoveOn Gwinnett, a branch of MoveOn.org. It was part of more than 200 rallies happening across the country as part of National Day of Action. "We're here to tell Rep. Woodall that enough is enough with focusing on cuts. It's time to focus on jobs," said Scott Szymanski, media coordinator for MoveOn Gwinnett.
Right now, of Gwinnett County residents are unemployed. That's lower than the Georgia average at 9.9 percent, but higher than the national average, which is 9.2 percent.
Find out what's happening in Duluthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The group claims Congressman Woodall, R-GA, and Congress has been spending too much time focusing on the debt ceiling and cuts, rather than putting people back to work. "If he thinks that it's better to deal with things that don't have anything to do with the real people that are voting...and just make the corporations happy, then he is not representing me," said Glenda Poindexter, council coordinator for MoveOn Gwinnett. "I call on him today to make jobs happen in this state."
"It's not right that they balance the budget on the backs of the poor and the disabled and those that don't have," said Iris Basham, a MoveOn activist. "Once you have a job, you start spending. Once you start spending, the economy starts working... but the government's got to take that first step and employ all of us."
Find out what's happening in Duluthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Patch asked Congressman Woodall for a response to the rally. “The concerns Moveon.org shared highlights the division between Republicans and Democrats today," Woodall said Thursday. "One side believes that government spending creates jobs, while I and other conservatives know that excessive government borrowing destroys jobs. I remain focused on job creation and am committed to continuing our work in the House to rein in borrowing, which will lead to a more stable economy."
"I am grateful for their participation in these important conversations and encourage Moveon.org to take these same concerns to the President and ask him to act on the many job creating opportunities that sit on his desk today like the three pending Free Trade Agreements that would absolutely expand U.S. markets and grow jobs,” Woodall said.
