A couple of years ago, I was walking down a busy street when a man stopped me and said "Sir, do you have a job?" I was a little startled, but managed to respond "Yes sir, I do have a job." The man then pointed to a dilapidated, half-broken parking sign and said "look at that, doesn't that sign need someone to fix it? I'd like that job. Why won't they give me a job. I need a job." I tried to help by looking up some temporary employment offices, and he said he'd go there first thing in the morning. I hope they gave him a chance.

This experience has really stuck with me, and reminded me of all those times growing up when my dad couldn't find a job. Is it the fault of the individual worker? Whether it is the man on the street or my own father? No, none of this is the workers' fault. Rather, it is the system that is at fault.

In a well-functioning society, every person who is willing and able to work would be guaranteed a job that provides them both with security and with meaning. Some would choose to fix our parking signs, others would want to spend their time with children and seniors, and yet others would create books and songs for us all to enjoy.

Every person should be able to choose their job, and money should never be a roadblock for anyone. After all, the U.S. dollar is basically just a token to legitimize the government. If We the People consider our government legitimate, we can compel the government to create more tokens for us. If we ever consider the government illegitimate, we have the option of creating a new society.

Truly, there is no reason to keep people from achieving their dreams and desires through the fruit of their labor. Every person who wants a job should be able to sign up for a job, or create their own job.

Because really, a job is just a little sweet spot in the universe that we can call our own. A job provides us with the opportunity to create something of value and meaning for ourselves and our communities. It's time to demand the dignity of a good-paying job for all peoples. This idea of a #FederalJobsGuarantee is one of the reasons I decided to run for office. Rodolfo for Congress.

Professor Kelton is one of the academics who is pushing for this idea. You may be interested in her interview. She goes into some of the details that would be relevant under the current system. But we do need to push even further than this, toward a future of shared and ultimate prosperity for all of our communities.

Dr. Rodolfo Cortes Barragan
September 25, 2018

Barragan is the California Green Party congressional candidate for District 40