Keith Bailey

Keith Bailey
Dayton, OH

Keith Bailey is a young retiree who knows that he is blessed to have his union benefits. He works part time for the fire department; and after 34 years in a Delphi plant in Dayton, OH, Keith receives his pension and health benefits from General Motors. Even though Keith survived Delphi’s bankruptcy proceedings, he knows that many of the people in his community have not been so fortunate.

Here is what Keith had to say on some of the pressing issues of our time.

On the Economy:
“I have seen so many friends who worked for 20 years get laid off with nothing. They ended up leaving with no pension or health benefits. It’s not easy to find a new job at age 40, and the time put in with Delphi should be worth something. It just seems like people are dropping lower and lower on the priority list.”

“I know that I’m lucky to have my pension and healthcare with GM, but I pray every day that they survive. You never know in this economy, if everything you worked for will be dumped out with the trash.”

On Healthcare:
“I was born and raised in Dayton, and I knew that if I worked hard, my health would be taken care of. I have seen family members with two jobs have to declare bankruptcy due to medical bills. It’s not right for people who work hard and are responsible with money to be forced into that position.”

On Ohio:
“Ohio is one of the hardest-hit states, and Dayton is just a mirror to America. Unless things change, there will be nowhere for our kids to work and nothing for them to work toward. It is in these situations that we see our communities fail.”

“Both of my children were fortunate enough to go to college, but there aren’t many opportunities for them in Ohio. A family shouldn’t have to make the decision between staying close and being successful.”

On the Election:
“Even people who supported the administration before are afraid of four more years of these
economic policies. The country and hardworking Americans in general just can’t survive them.
If you aren’t rich, the current economy puts you in a lot of trouble.”

“I always believed in working hard and taking care of myself, but I thought that 34 years of paying in would translate to a comfortable retirement. If Social Security is privatized and Medicare gets even worse than Part D, people will need to rely on the government for assistance and that just isn’t the American way.”