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Webb speaks at Pittsylvania County Community Action dinner
By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune Editor
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 9:58 AM EDT
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Danville Mayor Sherman Saunders (left) presents a key to the city to U.S. Sen. Jim Webb. Webb was the keynote speaker at Pittsylvania County Community Action Inc.'s annual dinner meeting Thursday night. Saunders is executive director of the Chatham-based agency.
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DANVILLE - U.S. Sen. Jim Webb highlighted the importance of restoring economic fairness and social justice at Pittsylvania County Community Action Inc.'s 43rd annual dinner meeting Thursday night.
About 400 people filled the Stratford Courtyard Conference Center in Danville to hear Webb, who the night before appeared with Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama at a town hall meeting in Lynchburg.
"I've worked hard to support Community Action programs and the funding that fuels them, " said Webb. "I'll continue to support these programs, but the challenge of restoring economic fairness in this country is bigger than any one program or agency."
Webb, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, noted the growing disparity between not just rich and poor, but the wealthy and everyday working people.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal story, 1 percent of Americans earn almost a quarter of the nation's income.
Twenty years ago, said Webb, corporate chief executive officers in the United States earned 20 times the average worker. Today, they earn 400 times.
"That's a problem that goes beyond simple corporate board policies," said the senator, noting the disparity is much less in other industrialized nations like Japan and Germany, where CEOs earn 11 and 10 times the average worker, respectively.
Webb, who walked a union picket line during his Senate campaign, said it is important to build bridges to the business community as well as partnerships with workers.
The senator was among the sponsors of a bill to raise the minimum wage for first time in seven years.
"This area in Virginia has had some bad times and faced some economic challenges," he said.
However, Webb cited a recent economic turnaround with the opening of Swedwood's furniture manufacturing plant in Ringgold and news of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.'s $200 million investment in new equipment.
Webb also said the United States needs to address health care.
"We live in a society that has the best medical care in the world, and one out of seven Americans does not have health insurance," he said. "Forty-seven million Americans don't have health insurance. A lot of those are working people."
The senator also spoke about the nation's incarceration rate - the highest in the world. The United States has 2.3 million people in prison. Half are African-Americans.
"It's a national shame," said Webb.
A former Secretary of the Navy, Webb serves on the Senate Foreign Relations, Armed Services, and Veterans' Affairs committees.
On his first day in office, he introduced the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which provides veterans with comprehensive educational benefits similar to those given to World War II vets.
"We owe those people who served their country honorably," said Webb, a Marine rifle platoon and company commander in Vietnam.
During his first term, Webb also successfully supported legislation on international diplomacy and stronger ethics laws to make government more transparent and accountable.
In addition, Webb is working with U.S. Sen. John Warner on new grant program for technology at historically black colleges.
The senator pledged his continued support for Community Action programs. "I'm very well aware of the critical role you play," he said.
Webb also announced plans to open a Senate office in Danville.
"This part of Virginia is going to get our continuing attention," he said. "We're going to be here for the people."
"My mission is to represent the people who have no voice," the senator added. "We're listening to you."
PCCA executive director Sherman Saunders described Webb as a "genuine American hero."
Saunders, who also is the mayor of Danville, presented the senator with a key to the city.
Founded in 1965, Community Action operates programs in Pittsylvania, Henry, Patrick, and Campbell counties, as well as the cities of Danville and Martinsville.
The agency, which served more than 12,000 clients last year, offers a variety of programs, including weatherization, emergency home repair, nutrition, rental assistance, indoor plumbing, disease prevention, and health promotion.
It also has "One Stop" Virginia Workforce Centers in Chatham and Danville that provide a variety of employment services, and has teamed up with local schools for Pathway to Success, a regional alternative education program.
In addition, it operates a Head Start program for preschool children and Project Discovery, a program that encourages young people to stay in school and attend college.
The Rev. Thurman Echols, chairman of PCCA's board of directors, noted the agency has 150 employees and an annual budget of $11.3 million.
"Everyone benefits from the services we offer - poor or rich," said Echols, pastor of Moral Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Axton.
Other board members include Carol Motley, Sharon Diggs, Greg Hairston, William Pritchett, Gwen Edwards, Stephanie Grasty, Bill Edwards, Patricia Carter, Robert Neals, Adrian Badget, and Thelma Glenn.
Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairman Coy Harville presented Webb with the county seal.
Harville also thanked PCCA for its work.
"You do an outstanding job of helping the citizens of Southside and we deeply appreciate that," he said.
Paula Burnett, a member and past chairman of the Henry County Board of Supervisors, cited PCCA's many programs, including Virginia Cares, which helps people released from prison find jobs and housing.
"Your services touch many lives and many hearts," she said.
Martinsville Mayor Kathy Lawson also praised PCCA, noting the agency's success is evident in the success of its programs.
"They truly believe in people helping people," said Lawson, echoing PCCA's mission and theme of the annual dinner meeting.
tim.davis@chathamstartribune.com
434-432-2791
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