Sean Mickalitis
News Editor
Did you vote? Were the lines longer than you remember in recent years?
Voter turnout for the midterm election was higher than years past, and that’s great for our nation’s development.
According to the Associated Press, 113 million Americans voted in the 2018 midterm elections, an increase of 30 million people from the 2014 midterm.
The election had great momentum from liberals hoping to capsize the conservative ship with their Blue Wave.
Though, the surge only flooded the lower decks.
Democrats took control of the House and gained 32 seats from Republicans; though 10 seats are yet to be determined. Democrats did not fare well in the Senate, where Republicans won two seats.
Numerous challenges are facing the U.S. and the world, and many Americans now realize they can no longer remain stagnant as our country continually descends into dystopia, where the wellbeing of the typical American is threatened.
Now that Democrats have control of the house, the nation stands a better chance for improvement in many sectors that are neglected.
One of the top issues that Americans are concerned about is healthcare.
Not only do we spend more on healthcare, but 27.3 million are uninsured, even under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to the U.S. Census.
The Trump Administration has threatened and attempted to repeal the ACA but has failed. The act isn’t perfect, but why repeal a healthcare system that millions of people depend on without a replacement?
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, 18 percent of the U.S.’s GDP accounts to healthcare, whereas other wealthy nations’ GDP accounts for 9.6 to 12.4 percent.
We’re spending more and getting less in return.
Although our healthcare system is inefficient, it’s the best we’ve ever had. Americans, whether living comfortably in homes or in alleyways and abandon buildings, deserve to live healthy lives regardless of income level.
Another major issue facing our nation is our crumbling infrastructure, a problem that President Trump and the former Republican Congress has failed to address.
Although, last February, Trump did sign America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, which includes a $1.5 trillion budget that states would pay four-fifths of.
No progress has been made to implement the act.
The last report published by the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the U.S. infrastructure a D+ rating. The grade, which reflects the conditions of our roads, bridges and other crucial aspects that enable an economy to thrive, describes the American infrastructure as fair to poor.
It states that many elements have substantial deterioration.
If we want a healthy economy and jobs for the middle-class, we need to invest in our infrastructure.
Lastly, a dire issue facing the nation is climate change, and President Trump along with former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt have repeatedly denied the existence of global warming despite mounting scientific data.
The E.P.A. is now led by Andrew Wheeler, who was a former coal-industry lobbyist.
I doubt he has the environment’s interests in mind.
Climate change is real, and it’s going to rock our world.
In the coming years and decades, we are going to experience famine, drought, mass-extinctions and many other catastrophic events due to human-induced warming of the atmosphere.
I believe these issues are most important, and they’re problems that need to be addressed quickly.
We need to elect progressive politicians who do not support big business.
Although both parties are corrupted by industry lobbyists, I believe the nation’s best interest lies with the Democratic Party who address the importance of improving healthcare, infrastructure and the environment.
If Democrats can gain control of the Senate and the Oval Office in the next election, then our nation will begin to prosper—I hope.
Email Sean at:
smickalitis@live.esu.edu
