I Am Joe the Plumber

I am “Joe the Plumber”…Well, not exactly,
I am “Joey the Teacher” (and a small business owner)

1. I am a first-generation college graduate. From the time I was a small child, my parents had hopes of college and a better life for me and my siblings. My parents showed each of their children, through example, the importance of hard work and personal responsibility. I grew up in a family that did not have health insurance. My parents did not complain or feel that they were entitled to health insurance for our family. Of course, it would have been very helpful if they had health insurance, considering that they had four children. Instead of feeling entitled, my parents worked that much harder to ensure that their four children would work hard in school and go on to college. They knew that education was the key to finding a job that would offer health care benefits. As a result of the values they instilled in me and my siblings, I graduated 8th in my high school class. This is a huge accomplishment coming from a family where no one had ever gone to college before. Not only did I go to college, but so did each of my siblings. I maintained a 4.0 in my graduate work and now have a Masters’ degree in education. I will continue my education throughout my life because of my passion and thirst for learning.

2. Growing up, my parents lived paycheck-to-paycheck. In order to attend college, I had to work my way through high school and college. I started working during high school in order to start saving for my college, as well as to pay for my car insurance, gas, and spending money. There were definitely times when I was envious of my friends who did not have to work during the evenings, weekends, and summers. But, I knew that the sacrifices I was making would pay off for me down the road. When it came time for college, I did have some small scholarships. However, the majority of my college tuition, books, room, and board was paid solely by me.

3. I have been a teacher now for 13 years. I am a teacher who tries to instill a thirst for learning and the value of education in all of my students. Education and hard work, not entitlement, are the keys to success. I differentiate my instruction to meet the needs of each and every student in my classroom. I do not promote mediocrity. I find ways to challenge the thinking of my high achieving students. At the same time, I find multiple ways to provide intense interventions to my struggling students. I want every child to achieve his/her highest potential, not to simply meet the status quo. Under Obama’s plan, why would someone have the desire to succeed and achieve more, only to be forced to share their wealth? Hard work should be rewarded, not punished. I pray that we do not put someone into office who devalues hard work and success in order to reward others who continue to lack a sense of personal responsibility.

4. Our ancestors immigrated to the United States to achieve their dreams of work and success for themselves as well as future generations…the American Dream. In our grandparents’ generation, jobs were seen as a privilege and people worked hard to keep those jobs so that they could put food on the table for their families. My husband’s grandfather grew up poor and dropped out of school in the 8th grade to help support the family. He later enlisted in the military and married our grandmother. They were so poor that the only wedding picture they have is one that a complete stranger took of them outside of the courthouse where they were united in marriage. Shortly after the wedding, Grandma and Grandpa loaded up all of their worldly belongings into their car and drove across the country to start their married lives together here in Ohio . They obviously didn’t have much, considering that absolutely everything was able to fit into the back of one car. After working at Wright Patterson Air Force Base all day, Grandpa would come home and work on literally building a house for his family. He built every nook and cranny of that house with his own two hands so that he could afford to own his own home. The house that he built is the same home he lives in to this day, at the age of 96.

5. Additionally, my husband and I are small business owners. We own and manage student rental properties near the University of Dayton . 90% of the actual work is completed by our own hands…painting, structural repairs, remodeling/updating kitchens, replacing windows, plunging toilets, unclogging drains, etc. It isn’t glorious work, but it is a way of making a living that allows my husband the flexibility to stay at home with our daughters. We are living the American Dream. We must pull together to spread the truth during this election in order to preserve America as we know it. The American Dream is a precious gift that we need to protect and preserve for our children and future generations.

6. John McCain is the man who is best qualified to lead this nation. I am saddened that Americans have been so taken with Obama’s charm and charisma. I can see how many have fallen for him. I for one, look beyond the charm and into his policies. I do not like what I see. As a matter of fact, I am terrified by what I see in Obama! Let’s stand together as Americans to SPREAD THE TRUTH, NOT THE WEALTH!

VOTE MCCAIN/PALIN on Nov. 4