In July, Ann Curry of NBC News reported, "All across America, it is happening. People are hurting. For some, this economy may be turning around. But millions of families are at risk of going hungry in one of the richest nations on earth. The number of Americans visiting local food pantries has jumped 30 percent in the past two years alone. And here, in this rural region of Ohio, the very heart of America, the need is especially urgent...the stories poignant. Tonight, a very personal look inside the lives of families who’ve had it all vanish – jobs, homes, and dreams. How do you choose between paying your bills and feeding your kids?"
What If?
How many of us have called our phone company, our bank, or internet support and have ended up talking to someone in India? If companies can build and operate call centers thousands of miles away, why can't they build them in Appalachia? Business is conducted by telephone and computer. Call centers can be anywhere.
What if the State approached the companies that have outsourced American jobs to foreign countries with a proposal:
-The State of Ohio will build and operate educational/training centers in Southeastern Ohio to prepare Ohioans for employment in call centers.
-The State of Ohio will build the infrastructure, as needed.
-The State of Ohio will provide tax incentives to any company building a call center in Appalchia.
-The State of Ohio will, on a sliding scale, subsidize employee income to offset the salary differential between wages paid to workers in Third World countries and those paid in the U.S,
-The State of Ohio will pay employee contributions to company-sponsored health insurance.
-The company will import temporary management to oversee operations, as needed, with the intention of eventually promoting exclusively from within.
-In return for incentives provided by the State, the company will agree to a long-term commitment to the area.