By Shawn Wygant, McKeesport, Pa.

When I was growing up in the Pittsburgh area it was known as “steel city,” and many people among my family members and friends had good, middle class jobs in the industry.  In fact, they would say to me, “We can’t wait until you turn 18, so you can come work with us.”  But those good jobs are long gone.

What is Pittsburgh known for now?  The same thing President Obama was drawing attention to when he gave a speech about the jobs crisis on an Ohio bridge recently.  Our bridges are falling apart.

In Pennsylvania, one in four of bridges are “structurally deficient,” the highest number of any state in the country.  If you visit Pittsburgh you might think you’re secure because our main bridges look safe.  But we locals know that if you take a shortcut on one of the side bridges, you are taking your life in your hands.

Map of Deficient Bridges from http://www.pittsburghlive.com/

Our country’s dilapidated bridges and scores of unemployed people like me have something in common: We both need work badly.

I lost my job at an industrial laundry five months ago after working there for three years.  Some corporation got greedy and decided they weren’t making enough money, so the laundry lost their big contract and I lost my good job.

I have not been able to find a job since.  Even temp agencies in the Pittsburgh area have more applicants than they can handle.  I would take work on a construction project in a heartbeat.

The effects of unemployment on me and my family have been severe.  We’ve cut out everything that is not necessary – no home phone, no cable TV, no eating out.  And we’ve got no health insurance, so I’m even cutting back on the insulin I need to keep my diabetes in check because it costs so much.

Here is what I have to say to Congress:

• Stop playing politics on the jobs crisis. You’re playing politics with our lives.
• You’re supposed to be representing us, and instead you’re working on more handouts and tax breaks for CEOs.  Their paychecks keep going up, up, up while we’re losing jobs.
• Don’t just keep talking about it the problem.  We want to see some solutions.

The first elected officials who say to us, “Here are the projects we’re funding, put your job applications here,” are the ones who will get our votes in 2012.