Senator Discusses Economy In Western Palm Beach County

PAHOKEE, Fla. - WPBF.com

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said Thursday he doesn't have an immediate answer for the staggering unemployment in western Palm Beach County, but he said it all starts with the banks.

According to the Palm Beach County Economic Development Office, 32 percent of people living in the Glades are unemployed. Including people who have given up seeking work, 40 percent of people living there are out of work.

That's why Nelson spent more than an hour talking to local elected officials in West Palm Beach about what needs to be done to improve things.

Nelson told WPBF 25 News that the U.S. has given billions of dollars to the banks, "and they are just keeping that money. They're not turning around and lending it out like it was intended."

Millie Wasdin is one of the few people living in Pahokee who is working, but she said those who are employed aren't busy enough to hire people. Wasdin said she was "hanging on by a thread."

Allie Biggs, a Pahokee council member who attended Nelson's meeting, said many residents are traveling to the coastal communities to find work, while others are doing things like washing cars to make ends meet.

"But if we had a major breakthrough, we could really see the light of day, and that's what we're praying for," Biggs said.

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