Larry Kissell, NC-08: This is the Mill Robin Hayes Closed

This is the mill Robin Hayes closed.



This is the mill Robin Hayes closed.
This is the man who worked all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.














This is the bill the man couldn't pay
when he lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.











This is the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.





This is the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.










This is the child who goes hungry at night
who clings to the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.








This is the family that can't shop at the stores
to feed the child who goes hungry at night
who clings to the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed





These are the shops that closed their doors
When the family stopped shopping at all the stores
to feed the child who goes hungry at night
who clings to the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.






This is the town that almost shut down
When the shops closed their doors
As the family stopped shopping at all the stores
to feed the child who goes hungry at night
who clings to the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.







This is the man in a foreign land
who works for less than the American man
who lives in the town that almost shut down
when the shops closed their doors
As the family stopped shopping at all the stores
to feed the child who goes hungry at night
who clings to the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.



This is the man who lost his job, his insurance, his retirement, his home, his savings and his self esteem when Robin Hayes' actions helped send the mills and their jobs to other countries.

This is the man who worked in a mill town. A man who has seen a way of life disappearing because of NAFTA, CAFTA and Republican fiscal incompetence.

This is a man who has lost so much because Robin Hayes lied to the people of the 8th District when he promised he would vote against CAFTA, but voted for it, failing miserably to protect jobs in the district.





This is the mill Robin Hayes closed.











One year ago today, Robin Hayes broke his word to the folks living and working in the 8th Congressional District. He had promised to vote against CAFTA - a free trade agreement that would have made an already precarious unemployment situation even worse for the district. Initially, Hayes voted no, but caved to pressure from the Republican Party leadership.

This piece is dedicated to the men and women who lost their jobs and have struggled to train for new positions. This is dedicated to the families that continue to struggle and to the man who wants to help lead this district and these families toward a better future. Please help Larry Kissell bring honest and effective leadership to North Carolina's 8th Congressional District. This link is to the Netroots fundraising page, or you can snail mail a contribution using the address you'll find at Larry's site.


Our challenge for today is to see 365 contributions for $7.28 (or that end in $7.28) to commemorate the 365 days of Robin Hayes' broken promise to the workers in his district - the backbone of this state.


Thank you.

Special thanks to Lance McCord for the shot of the city street. It is actually from Greensboro, but all other location shots are from Kannapolis, NC. Kannapolis was the home of Pillowtex, which put 4000 people out of work when it closed. Robin Hayes family used to own the mill. The two smokestacks showing are what remain of the original mill. They are the Fieldcrest and Cannon smokestacks. Robin Hayes is a Cannon. His family's fortune is intact.