Our guide to how your vote affects the local economy
Having trouble figuring out how to vote, despite the barrage of TV ads and flyers you have been getting? You are not alone. Moreover – and what is truly sad – is that too often we are given the impression that we are bitterly divided. It feels like two rigid, ideological camps at war.
The truth, however, is that most of us agree on quite a lot. Most importantly, we really care about having a strong economy, providing good jobs at fair wages, and a community that provides essential services – education, health care, safety – so that we can take care of our families. And here in rural Virginia, we particularly want a healthy level of development, one that does not compromise our way of life or our open spaces, so that our young people don’t have to run to the cities to find jobs.
Sure, some people will want to scare you with fancy words like “socialism”. But that’s just a distraction. The truth is that – for the most part (and more about that later) – what we are talking about is not what kind of future we want, but how we get there.
The problem for us voters is that both parties are promising that their policies will create a prosperous future. So how to choose?
New Rural Virginia did a little research on that. And here is an interesting fact:
From 1945 through the second quarter of 2020, gross domestic product – the measure of overall economic output – grew 4.1% on average under Democrats, versus 2.5% under Republicans. According to the Wall Street investment firm Merrill, in that same time period the returns of the S&P 500 companies were 15.6% under Democrats and 10% under Republicans.
Yes, that’s right: the economy has consistently done better under Democrats than Republicans. At first glance, that might seem surprising. After all, don’t Republicans ALWAYS argue they are the party of business?
Well, maybe of big monopoly businesses. But the truth is, providing a sound foundation of education, health, infrastructure, equal opportunity and regulatory protection against egregious corporate behavior -- all Democratic Party policies -- makes it possible for citizens to thrive and small companies to grow. It’s not “socialism” or “government-centric” policies as the GOP like to say, but common sense.
And what about the Republican “pro-business” platform? It’s actually about helping big business by allowing them to avoid any kind of business regulation, taxes, and helping pay for the programs that help average people. Great for the wealthy; not so great for everyone else.
So, what policies do we need if we want a prosperous future? Here are a few considerations as you decide which candidates to vote for:
Tax cuts versus value for money: Tax cuts! is the favorite slogan of many candidates. The problem is, empty treasuries can’t fund the programs we all need. Moreover, tax cuts go mostly to the wealthy, and the resulting cuts in government services mostly hurt the middle class. A great example of that is the disaster that happened when Kansas drastically cut taxes a few years ago. Kansas performed less well than its neighboring states in economic and business growth as well as jobs, and at half the rate of the national average. Its schools, services and roads deteriorated badly… until even their Republican legislature finally had enough and ended up over-ruling their governor. And who was their governor’s financial advisor – none other than the one that GOP candidate Youngkin says he is using. In short, states with too low taxes get hurt just as much as states with too high taxes. We need just the right amount of taxes to make our economies thrive.
A level playing field for small businesses and farms that creates economic opportunity: All politicians claim to love small businesses and farms. But one of the major obstacles for the little guy is that Big Ag has become so enormous that it can force farmers to accept rock-bottom prices. There is an answer to that – the government already has the power to force big companies to play fair (through effective anti-trust enforcement). The Democrats want government to use its existing authority to force big companies to play fair by making the playing field more level. The Republicans, however, at the behest of big business, just argue against any regulation without offering any protection against big company predatory practices.
Widely available and affordable health care and child care: Let’s face it: nobody in America except the very rich can afford to pay their doctors out of their own pockets. It is way too expensive. And the cost of child care is crushing young families. This is a problem not just for families, but for employers too: when companies can count on capable, healthy workers and the infrastructure they need for their businesses, they are able to focus on what they do best – develop and market better products and services. However, when families have to scramble to make ends meet, while trying to find affordable healthcare and child care, they simply can’t focus on their jobs. The Democrats understand this. They have greatly expanded health care over the last decade and have recently created an essential child care tax credit. The Republicans? They have consistently opposed both. We will give you tax cuts, they say, and then you are on your own. Which do you choose?
Education and training: We all know that a high school education is rarely enough anymore. Maybe you don’t need or want college, but you need some kind of training. Until recently, even training in state schools was expensive. The Democrats, however, have been pushing to make the community college free for many young people. Many employers like that too – they need more trained workers. And the Republicans? Their candidates are only interested in stopping the teaching of a course that is not taught in any school: CRT. All this at a time when parents should be concerned about whether there will still be a local high school nearby for their children, after they fulfill their promise to get rid of all taxes as they like to promise.
Family Leave: We all know that no matter how well we plan for our families, bad things happen sometimes. A kid or a parent falling sick or having an accident can mean you need to be at home. But when you are an emergency caregiver, you also need your income all the more. Unlike virtually every other developed country, however, America doesn’t help families out in tough times like this. In America, too often, you lose your job and your income if you need to take time off to take care of your family. The Democrats believe that is wrong – and that is why they have introduced the family paid leave plan in Congress. The Republicans? They are absolutely against giving families that kind of safety net.
Getting our economy ready for climate disruption: Some politicians like to claim that fighting climate change is too expensive. Actually, the opposite is true. As we have seen in other parts of America, where people are fighting floods, droughts and wildfires, climate change brings crazy weather that can be economically devastating. Here in Virginia, we have been mostly lucky so far. But extreme weather is not only not going away, it is getting worse. We need politicians who will prepare the economy now, before disaster strikes, not after. So ask yourself, which politicians have recognized the problem – and which ones still have their head in the sand.
Keeping elections fair: We all know that, thanks to gerrymandering and (in some states) voter suppression laws, some people’s votes matter more than others. That’s not just bad for democracy, it’s bad for our economy. Politicians who don’t have to compete tend to be more extreme. They favor policies that support their own ideology, rather than common sense programs that the economy needs. Right now, we in Virginia are in pretty good shape, but that could all change. The lies and disinformation that Trump and his allies are pushing could really hurt us. Sadly, the Republican party is playing along with Trump. That could mean trouble if they return to control of the state.