FRANKLIN—Tommy Jensen doesn’t mince words when asked what has happened to the jobs in America’s fading manufacturing sector.

“I think they’re disappearing because of corporate America buying our politicians,” he said.

Jensen, who owns Portsmouth-based Jensen Apparel, is coming to the Paul D. Camp Community College Workforce Development Center on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. to lead a discussion on the disappearance of American manufacturing jobs and what citizens can do to bring them back.

“Just pound on your politicians and hold them responsible,” Jensen said. “They’re the ones that have sold us out and they’re the ones that need to be removed and replaced.”

He added, “If people don’t start doing something, we’re going to go right down the crapper. We’re going broke.”

On Thursday, an open forum for comments and questions will follow a one-hour presentation.

Jensen said he plans to hold a number of “Make it in America Now” meetings and thought Franklin would be a good place to start. Jensen’s own company has manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Southwest Virginia. Keeping jobs in this country is a priority, he said.

“The time of being able to sit in your recliner at home and eat ice cream and complain is over,” Jensen said. “The people have to get up and they’ve got to get involved.”