Every day on the nightly news, we listen to how dysfunctional our national government is. It is disgusting to me to listen to these stories of how disconnected our national leaders are with the reality of how much the ordinary citizen of this country suffers because our leaders are so out of touch.  What can we do? It seems like big business, big money and large lobbying groups sway the decisions of the people we elect to represent us. Our only option seems to be at the voter’s booth, and even then we are limited because of the lack of quality candidates. Look at the direction this country is going in, and tell me you are happy with it.

We live in a community of around 18,000 people, where we face many of the same problems other small communities face. There is a shortage of market-rate, affordable and low-income housing.  There are numerous jobs, but all do not pay a livable wage, and the ones that do, the employer can’t find qualified candidates to fill those positions.  So what do we do? We work with developers by offering whatever incentives are available to create new housing at each level of affordability — the hope being that as people move into this new housing, it opens up existing housing stock to first-time buyers entering the market. As for the job market, that takes more imagination, and I know it is being worked on, but the answer is quality education. Generational and situational poverty can be changed. There is help out there, and it starts with getting a high school diploma and learning basic life skills of being able to manage your money and time.  It also takes the personal initiative and drive to survive and succeed in life. The next step is to find and use whatever financial incentives are available to you to get an education or training in a field you are interested in and there is a demand for.

This community belongs to all of us, and in order for it to be what we want it to be, we have to work together. There are different levels of involvement based on time availability and personal interests, but you have to stand up and speak out against the injustices that are occurring. Many people like me take this involvement very seriously. I see and hear what goes on behind the scenes, and sometimes it is as disgusting as what is going on at the national level of politics.  In order to change this situation, you have to step forward and say I have had enough.  No one is above the law, and eventually they will be held accountable. There are labor and discrimination laws, land use laws and federal and state agencies that when they are made aware of abuse violations will step in. Sometimes when things get so far out of control and communication fails, the only solution and last resort is litigation.

Gary Hagen

Albert Lea