Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
The President keeps talking about jobs, jobs, jobs and then we don’t hear anymore.

What is wrong with bringing back the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps for young and older men to do the work that needs doing at a fair price?  The CCC camps took young men up to the forests to work and make and straighten up whatever needed doing; clearing the ground of debris, etc.  They were given room and board and small wages to work and earn a living.  That sure needs doing now given all of our forest fires every season.  

The WPA put men to work in the cities and counties repairing, renovating and doing whatever needed doing to our public facilities to maintain for the future.  The WPA put men and women to work doing whatever was needed, and they were paid a small stipend that kept body and soul together, and families.  My father and his whole family migrated from Canada to the Los Angeles area and worked in the building industry until the Great Depression.

My father was then given a job working on the WPA as a recreation teacher, teaching the young children in the Inglewood schools and parks during the Great Depression to keep them off of the streets.  He taught himself all the crafts needed for children to learn, i.e. woodcraft/wood burning, leather craft, painting, and then them came every day after school let out and could learn whatever they wanted – free - as materials were furnished as I remember.  I still have a photo album with “Mary Had a Little Lamb” wood burned on the cover and then painted.

They had young ladies teaching dancing in the gym for those that wanted to learn how to dance, i.e. tap dance, ballet, ballroom, etc.

I was a little girl and we stood in line for whatever the food line was passing out that day - once a week - food (very little meat, mostly vegetables and greens) and used clothing.  I have pictures of me in those clothes; I looked like a little ragamuffin, but I had clothes.  

Why can’t we do this now?  What is wrong with our elected officials?  Greed!  They have their big salaries (with a raise voted for themselves) and the little people suffer, and continue to suffer.

That is about it.  What can you do to help in your articles?