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Albert L. Morgan Jr.
1681 Rosalyn Drive
Mineral Ridge,
Ohio 44440
January 26, 1983
Mr. Ronald Reagan
The President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C.
Mr. President, Sir;
I have never before written to a President, but feel compelled
to do so at this time. Last evening I like most other Americans
watched as you presented the State of the Union Address over
National television. It was a hopeful message. One full of promise
and optimism. I feel certain that most people were inspired by
your speech and look forward to the achievement of the goals set
forth by you and your administration.
Unfortunately, on the economic front I fear the long awaited
recovery of our country's industrial strength will arrive too late
to help many of us who have lost our livlihood due to the current
recession. Plant closings and widespread lay-offs have taken thier
toll on the industrial heartland of this great nation. Unemployment
in the Mahoning Valley is among the highest in the country which
I am sure you are painfully aware of. A once proud and productive
community has been reduced to a place of dispair and depression.
People who have worked all of thier lives, paid thier own way, and
placed thier faith in the future here in this Valley have now been
forced to accept welfare and public assistance.
The nagging question that is foremost in all of our minds is
where do we go from here? We want to contribute and work, but
there are no replacement industries prepared to fill the void
left when tens of thousands of us lost our jobs and futures as
the steel mills shut down permanently. Regretfully, there are no
jobs to return to even when the recovery arrives. Even if, years
from now, new industry finally does revitalize this area what is
to become of the families, and the homes they worked hard for in
the interum? Being an economically depressed area we cannot expect
to sell our homes for there are no buyers. For the most part,
these homes represent a lifetime of hard work. It would be devas-
tating to lose them now, but many of us are facing that prospect
at this very moment.
We are not the spongers or welfare cheaters of which you
speak of from time to time. We are proud, hard working people who
want employment, no handouts. At present, we have no other options.
Sadly, our skills and knowledge are not in demand in other parts
of the country, so relocation is not a viable choice. This exper-
ience has truly been a nightmare, and many of us do not know where
to turn.
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"ocrText": "/ vious\nAlbert L. Morgan Jr.\n1681 Rosalyn Drive\nMineral Ridge,\nOhio 44440\nJanuary 26, 1983\nMr. Ronald Reagan\nThe President of the United States\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue\nWashington, D.C.\nMr. President, Sir;\nI have never before written to a President, but feel compelled\nto do so at this time. Last evening I like most other Americans\nwatched as you presented the State of the Union Address over\nNational television. It was a hopeful message. One full of promise\nand optimism. I feel certain that most people were inspired by\nyour speech and look forward to the achievement of the goals set\nforth by you and your administration.\nUnfortunately, on the economic front I fear the long awaited\nrecovery of our country's industrial strength will arrive too late\nto help many of us who have lost our livlihood due to the current\nrecession. Plant closings and widespread lay-offs have taken thier\ntoll on the industrial heartland of this great nation. Unemployment\nin the Mahoning Valley is among the highest in the country which\nI am sure you are painfully aware of. A once proud and productive\ncommunity has been reduced to a place of dispair and depression.\nPeople who have worked all of thier lives, paid thier own way, and\nplaced thier faith in the future here in this Valley have now been\nforced to accept welfare and public assistance.\nThe nagging question that is foremost in all of our minds is\nwhere do we go from here? We want to contribute and work, but\nthere are no replacement industries prepared to fill the void\nleft when tens of thousands of us lost our jobs and futures as\nthe steel mills shut down permanently. Regretfully, there are no\njobs to return to even when the recovery arrives. Even if, years\nfrom now, new industry finally does revitalize this area what is\nto become of the families, and the homes they worked hard for in\nthe interum? Being an economically depressed area we cannot expect\nto sell our homes for there are no buyers. For the most part,\nthese homes represent a lifetime of hard work. It would be devas-\ntating to lose them now, but many of us are facing that prospect\nat this very moment.\nWe are not the spongers or welfare cheaters of which you\nspeak of from time to time. We are proud, hard working people who\nwant employment, no handouts. At present, we have no other options.\nSadly, our skills and knowledge are not in demand in other parts\nof the country, so relocation is not a viable choice. This exper-\nience has truly been a nightmare, and many of us do not know where\nto turn."
}