Ehrlich on Washington column, August 25, 1996

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Lutherville, Maryland 2 1 093 Washington, D.C. 205 1 5 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of August 25, 1996 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. THE HEROES OF LABOR DAY This weekend, I hope each of you will use the long Labor Day holiday to spend time with families and friends. But while you are enjoying a cookout, spending time at the beach, or visiting the Maryland State Fair, I hope you will remember the quiet heroes to whom Labor Day is dedicated— millions of Americans who have made, and are continuing to make, this country into the greatest, most powerful nation in human history. Think of the momentous achievements of the past century. America led the world through two world wars and one cold war, liberating hundreds of millions of people from tyranny and oppression. The United States was transformed from an agrarian nation into a thriving industrial and technological giant. Few could have anticipated such progress and prosperity. These events didn’t just happen. They occurred because the American workforce, working in factories and farms all across the nation, rolled up its sleeves and achieved economic greatness. The United States was founded upon the principles of personal and economic freedom. But it was the American people themselves who made the free enterprise system a success. Over the years the nature of the American workforce has changed. More and more people are now working in offices and in other service-related jobs. Women have entered the