My Political Thoughts

Growing up I learned a lot about different political issues in a lot of different ways. My opinions on different issues was influenced by my family and our beliefs and I grew up hoping that politicians I supported would be elected. The politicians I supported were people I thought could help the country, not a certain small group. I know that my reasons for supporting certain politicians are clearly different than other peoples. I always thought it was funny why some people supported a certain position on an issue when it would never impact them. An example is the Bush tax cuts. The tax cut only helped a very small but very wealthy group of people. Growing up in a small town in Missouri there weren’t a lot of wealthy people, and certainly not a lot of people who would benefit from the tax cut and yet people thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I know that my family would have supported and needed a tax cut that helped people who did not make a lot of money. As I reflect on the candidates we saw in New Hampshire and what they stand for I see several positions and policies I agree with and several I do not. One of the biggest ones is the tax cut, I would appreciate a tax cut that would help the those who made below at the poverty line not a continuation of the Bush tax cut. Some candidates would support a flat tax rate but would it be fair? No, the poorest would be paying more and the wealthy would be paying less, how is that fair? Another big issue is healthcare, it is no secret that many people do not have healthcare in this country and for numerous reasons. Premiums are too high, jobs don’t offer it or the health care that is available is horrible. A few candidates proposed taking the healthcare plan that Congress has and opening up to America, what’s wrong with that? If my Congressman can go see a doctor and get his medicine paid for and not worry about what to do when he is sick, why can’t I? My Congressman was elected to serve me and make my life better, not make it harder for me to go to the doctor and get medicine when I’m sick. Education is also very important to me. Growing up my mom and my grandmother always encouraged me to finish high school and go to college. My mom didn’t go to college; in fact she didn’t get past ninth grade. Yet she wanted me to go to college but it is hard when you make less than my tuition is for George Mason. Some candidates proposed programs that will pay for part of school but require volunteer work, fine by me just as long as I can get my degree at a school I want. For me it is really hard to agree that we need to cut taxes for the wealthy, that we need to leave healthcare alone or at least protect the companies who make tons of money from high premiums or leaving interest rates high on student loans. Maybe I’m a little biased, but if the government is supposed to help you then they should help you and not hold you back. I don’t see how cutting government jobs which would increase the unemployment rate helps me. I don’t see how cutting taxes for the wealthiest 5% of our country helps a college who made nearly $8,000 this year and who’s mother only made $4,000 dollars and who has a college tuition of over $25,000 a year. I don’t see how keeping premiums high and protecting insurance companies helps me when I’m sick and need medicine. I don’t see how high interest rates on student loans helps me when I have to go out-of-state for college because I want to follow my dreams and George Mason is one of the top schools in the country for my program. I don’t see how spending over $300 million dollars a day on a war that is poorly organized and we were lead into falsely helps me. So I don’t see why I should vote for someone who wants to protect the wealthy, the privileged, those who don’t have to worry about paying their bills, about not getting sick or hurt and someday graduating but then being in debt over $100,000. I don’t see why I should vote for someone who doesn’t help me, and I don’t know why the American people should vote for someone who doesn’t help them. Sure a tax cut sounds great, or a slight drop in interest rates, or a small cut in premiums or cutting a few thousand federal jobs may sound great. If you’re wealthy and have a house by the water in another country and can afford your kids college no problem and buy almost anything you really need. But if you’re a family of four and you work as a cop and your spouse is a teacher and you have a child that is sick a lot and you’re still paying student loans, do you really benefit? Is your President really helping you pay the bills and make your kids future brighter? More than likely not so why vote for the candidate who is going to do anything for you? Why not vote for a candidate that wants to make this an America for everyone not just a few. Didn’t we fight to make this a land of opportunity, a place to follow the American dream? Not a place for a few to benefit and the rest to work and struggle for their rent and car payment. I wonder almost daily how long I’ll be in debt, how long it will be until I own my own and can have a better future. I wonder when we will have a president that will make this an America for all Americans and how long it will be before we can all follow our dreams and actually be able to achieve them.