WELLESLEY, MA – Democrat Chris Zannetos, running for Congress to represent the 4th district of Massachusetts, on June 29, announced two key elements of his plan to fix our broken economic system that has delivered a huge and widening income gap in the midst of massive economic expansion. As a tech entrepreneur, job creator, and education activist, Zannetos knows that we need bold leadership on each of these issues and he possesses the necessary experience to get things done.

“We have tens of thousands of chronically-unfilled, high paying jobs in Massachusetts because companies seek out candidates with 4-year college degrees, which the majority of Americans can't afford,” said Zannetos. “It’s time we made the opportunity of the 21st century economy accessible to all Americans via New Collar Jobs, entry-level, growth jobs that don’t require a person to be a science expert. Many of these jobs can be created in clean energy and other industries while taking urgently needed action to tackle our climate crisis.”

Technology is transforming every industry. Reform and innovation in these areas will deliver education that better prepares our people for jobs of the tech revolution rather than the industrial era, resulting in good-paying jobs while improving the health of our planet.

Key elements of Chris’ strategy include:

New Collar Jobs: https://www.chriszforma.com/new-collar-jobs

• Create a GI-Bill like program to invest in our people—training and retraining them for the jobs of the 21st century
• Invest heavily in our 1-2 year college programs and combine with apprenticeships to provide access to growth jobs for people from marginalized communities
• Challenge and provide incentives to businesses to partner with educational institutions to expand experiential learning
• Expand laws such as the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act to spur science and tech innovation and job creation

Climate Change: https://www.chriszforma.com/climate-change

• Commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050
• Align infrastructure investments to improve quality of life and improve access to jobs for lower income communities while reducing emissions
• Investments that enable Massachusetts and the U.S. to lead in the clean energy, environmental remediation, and conservation industries—sectors that will see dramatic growth this century
• Make environmental justice a legislative priority

Chris Zannetos and family, left to right, daughter Anna, Congressional candidate Chris Zannetos, wife Jennifer, and son Andrew. (Photo by Beth Shedd Photography)

The underlying systemic issues driving income inequality were with us prior to Donald Trump and our current economic crisis. And, they will be with us after, unless we take bold action to change the system. Chris’ experience creating jobs for the growth economy, and leading the non-profit he founded to make them accessible via Community College education will enable him to lead the effort in Congress to build our economy back, and to build it back better.

Zannetos told The National Herald in a previous interview, “My father immigrated to the United States to find an opportunity that at the time was unavailable in his homeland of Cyprus. He stepped off the boat with $100 in his pocket, and a scholarship to a college that went bankrupt after his first semester. With a lot of hard work, risk taking, help from others – and the opportunity given him by the greatest country on earth – he and my mother built a great life for themselves and a head start for me and my siblings. I've always believed in the American Dream because like so many other Greeks, my family has lived it. But I know that many in our community face obstacles that make it seem impossible to achieve, and that must change.”

“For a Greek, hard work, drive, and the power of community are engrained in our DNA,” said Zannetos. “My parents, Zenon and Clotilde Zannetos, taught our family in word and action the meaning of Hellenic citizenship, and that’s exactly what I plan to bring to Washington. Even before the COVID crisis, most American’s struggled to fully live the American Dream. By investing in job creation for the 21st century and education reform we can make opportunities for success available to all, not the few, and I hope you will join me in making that a reality.”

To learn more about these policies, the Zannetos for Congress campaign, and ways in which to get involved, please visit www.chriszforma.com.