Washington D.C. – Joyce Fisk of Almelund testified before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure this morning (Friday, March 26). Fisk told the committee about how she was able to go back to work because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).

“There has been so much talk by economist and politicians about economic models and projected growth rates, that I think it’s high time that people here in Washington met a real person who works for a living,” said Eighth District Congressman Jim Oberstar.  “When I heard how the Recovery Act made a difference for Joyce and her family, I knew that we were following the right course to get American back to work.”

Joyce Fisk, Almelund, testified in Washington, D.C. today (Friday, March 26) regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Seated next to her is Florentina Esparza Luna, a carpenter who is also employed because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. (Submitted photo)

Oberstar is chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  When the Recovery Act was written he insisted that his committee maintain a strict schedule of hearing to track the job growth created by the law.  As of February 28, 2010 a total of 9,722 Minnesotans have been put to work on road and infrastructure projects around the state.

Read a copy of Fisk's prepared remarks:

Ladies and Gentleman of the Committee,

My name is Joyce Fisk. I am 35 years old and the mother of a 12-year-old boy named Austin, and my husband Gene Fisk is a volunteer firefighter and first responder in our community.  I drive a belly-dump, tractor-trailer truck and he drives a dump truck for Knife River Corporation’s North Central Region in Minnesota. I have worked for Knife River since July of 2002. I live in Almelund, Minn., a small town located 10 miles east of North Branch, and 10 miles west of Taylors Falls, near the Wisconsin border.

I first met Congressman Oberstar while working on the Interstate 35 project near North Branch. This project began in July 2009, and was completed in October. I was absolutely thrilled that Mr. Oberstar took the time to come see firsthand the job in progress. He took the time to talk to someone like me, just a truck driver--the average worker in America--thankful to have a job. At that time, he talked to me about the new bill he was working on and the progress it was making.  I didn’t have long to chat. The visit was quick but it made me more aware of the need for a long-term Federal Highway Reauthorization bill. I went home that evening and personally wrote a quick e-mail thanking him for taking time to visit with me and for taking time to see his hard work in action.

Driving sounds like an easy job. As a belly-dump truck driver I am responsible for transporting materials to and from a job site. I usually haul road base materials, haul millings away from the job when we do road tear outs and deliver bituminous mix to a paver. There are many different stages involved in the making or repair of the road and each part requires many people with different skills.

I not only drive the trucks, but I am expected to help maintain them. I grease every moving part possible to keep it moving freely, I check the oil daily, crawl in the engine compartment and get down and dirty on the ground to check for cracks in my truck’s frame. I also set my own brakes, change my own lights and even make some small repairs if I break down on the road.

I travel many roads and drive nearly 500 or more miles on any given day. Driving an 80,000-pound truck is not easy. I must constantly be alert for traffic hazards, other drivers, animals, potholes, and drive all day hoping to not get tired. I like to work close to home but that is not always possible. Sometimes we are not so lucky to have a job as close as the I-35 stimulus-funded job this past summer. It’s a challenge to work away from home. I have to stay the night in a hotel and find family members to watch Austin. It’s stressful not knowing from day to day what job you will be on next.
A greater challenge is trying to forecast what will happen next season when the snow melts. I get laid off every winter, usually around Thanksgiving when the ground starts to freeze. I generally am recalled in May after road restrictions are lifted. Last year was the first time Gene and I panicked when we heard that the plant I work out of only had 10,000 tons of hot-mix and no bids were being won. He and I started to wonder what we were going to do if something didn’t come in soon. There was not enough work for the summer.

The questions we asked ourselves were pretty basic. What can we afford to give up? Are both of us qualified to get a different job that could sustain the household? What about health care premiums? Austin has ADHD and needs medication to control it. Austin also would have to give up his saxophone. I remember what it was like to give up a musical instrument. I once had an electric guitar, but my mom had to sell it because we needed the money. As I mentioned previously, driving is not easy. Now add the stress of not knowing if you will have a job, and suddenly safety behind the wheel of that truck becomes a concern.

We decided to sell the pickup we were making payments on. The newest vehicle we own is an 8-year-old Pontiac Grand Prix with 163,000 miles on it. We figured it was cheaper to make the repairs as they come instead of making a truck payment. We were preparing for a long summer consisting of no work. The year 2008 was hard on our industry. Close friends at other companies lost their jobs and we witnessed firsthand what can happen in the blink of an eye.

Until last year, I took my job for granted. I work for a large corporation and there was no way we could lose. We had pride and a large work force of knowledgeable men and women who care about the community. We relied on each other and provided moral support. But, when there were no jobs to bid on, and the state was not letting new work because of economic uncertainty and no long-term plan for federal funding, I watched morale fall. Attitudes became increasingly bad, and it was difficult to stay optimistic. We started disagreeing with each other about who should be getting hours and it made work stressful.

As for health care, throughout the construction season we bank hours. For every hour we work, one hour is added to our health care coverage bank. We work long hours for seven months to try and bank the 600 hours needed to qualify for full health care coverage when we are laid off. Each month during layoff season we use 100 hours of what we could bank as a qualifier. Then instead of the money coming from a paycheck, we must come up with a pre-set amount to continue the coverage. When those 600 hours run out we are offered insurance through the COBRA act. If we wouldn’t have worked on the I-35 stimulus-funded job I am most certain I would already be paying the enormous COBRA insurance premium. We can’t afford to pay that and our mortgage on unemployment benefits.

Then we received the best news. Our plant estimator won the bid on the I-35 project. We were relieved. That stimulus-funded project was the heartbeat of a newfound source of happiness for me and my co-workers. I had faith in the economy again.

I feel the impact in more than one way. My husband Gene has been with Knife River for 14 years. He is the main bread winner and wants to make sure his family is taken care of. While we do whatever it takes to support each other, he still feels it is his duty to make sure we have food and a home. Overall, he wants his family to feel safe. Gene worked on the I-35 project more than I did. However, we all have our purpose and the amount of work is sometimes decided by the size of the truck. My brother-in-law, who drives a belly-dump truck, also worked on the I-35 stimulus-funded job.

There are many Minnesota roads in serious condition. As I mentioned, I travel up to 500 miles in one day. I cover a lot of ground and can tell you firsthand that we are in desperate need of repairs throughout the state. Many state highways are in such poor condition, it is not safe to driver a tractor-trailer on them. The county I live in has so many roads in disarray that we travel out of the way to avoid them.

Congress must get serious about a federal highway reauthorization bill that will make a big impact for years to come. We need a long-term dedicated bill that will allow small companies the chance to rebuild. We need to support these companies so they can grow to provide real jobs that will last.

Short-term bills are great for sustaining and keeping a few companies afloat. A six-year dedication of funds for American transportation and infrastructure will give confidence back to workers and companies. A new funding bill can ease congestion in big cities and on heavily traveled highways. Providing funding for light-rail transit can save time and money and help clean up our environment.

Without future funding, I don’t see manufacturers selling new equipment. There will be no new companies in our communities starting up and offering new jobs. Road construction is constant and there will always be a need for repairs. Let’s end the band-aid approach and start a trend that is going to offer real jobs that are going to last more than a summer or two.

Thank you for your time and attention.

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