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Growing Up under Republican Power
Were you born between 1981 and 1987?
If so, you may not realize how different life could
be if – while you were growing up – political power had been used for
the common good.
If you’re 18, you were born during the presidency
of Republican Ronald Reagan. You were probably learning to tie your
shoes during the administration of Republican President George Herbert
Walker Bush, father of George W.
If you’ve lived here all your life, you’ve had a
Republican governor ever since you began to talk.
When you began elementary school, our country
elected a Democratic President – the only Democratic president in your
lifetime. The Senate and House were controlled by the Republican Party
during most of Bill Clinton’s presidency – which prevented moving ahead
with health care initiatives – but for a time poverty diminished, the
middle class grew, we had a budget surplus, and America’s leaders were
respected by other nations.
Since 2000, our national government has been run
entirely by the Republican Party: a Republican President, Republican
Senate, Republican House, and Republicans in leadership positions across
the federal government.
We’re fortunate to have Democrats vigorously
representing us in Massachusetts, but Republicans have the votes in
Washington and the power of the executive branch, including our corner
office in Boston.
For most of your life, the Republican Party has
determined the public priorities and the hiring of public officials –
even investigations into the incompetent handling of national security
and disaster relief.
You’ve been a witness to the Republican “ownership
society” - which to most of us really means “We're all in this alone.”
If you’re in college, you probably have signed
large loans in order to pay for tuition, textbooks, and living expenses.
You’re likely to be working too many hours to take full advantage of
golden opportunities to learn and make lifelong friends.
Affording college has always been a problem for
those who aren’t rich, but your generation has had it the hardest since
World War 2. At public colleges, funding has been cut, forcing schools
to raise tuition and fees. Federal student loans have been cut at the
same time.
Are you able to see a doctor when you’re in serious
pain? If you have insurance, what is it costing you and your family?
During your lifetime, there’s been an enormous increase in the number of
uninsured Americans, and in the cost of premiums.
What about a job that will allow you to cover your
rent and gradually pay off debt? We’ve seen a burgeoning of part-time
jobs with low pay and few benefits during these “ownership society”
years.
Even the best employers are struggling under the
burden of paying employee health insurance, which means they’re
reluctant to expand jobs.
In the “old days,” before you were born, there was
a long period after World War 2 when average people could afford a
decent apartment in the city they grew up in.
Tuition at public colleges was low. Federal loans
allowed many to graduate from college with little debt.
It was customary for employers to provide health
insurance.
Usually workers received annual raises that allowed
them to stay ahead of inflation.
Bridges used to be kept in good repair. Local fire
and police protection were considered high priorities.
The country was reducing air and water pollution.
When deterioration in public services is gradual,
or all you’ve ever known, it doesn’t seem like a crisis – until a
televised emergency like Hurricane Katrina exposes the decay.
It’s fair to say we’re in a crisis when it comes to
all public services.
The “ownership society” has turned us into a
debt-ridden society. The tax cuts given to the very wealthiest Americans
while the US is fighting a staggeringly expensive war have caused our
government to pile up debt. You and your future children will be
struggling with that deficit for years to come.
In the name of an “ownership society,” Republicans
are mortgaging your future in terms of education, health, income,
security, and environment.
If you look at America’s progress during Democratic
administrations after World War 2, you’ll discover ample evidence that
the Democratic Party works for the common good. Against vehement
Republican objections, our party fought for economic justice and civil
rights. Your parents and grandparents benefited from Democratic
policies.
Once Democrats regain power, you’ll start to see
improvement. It won’t be an immediate transformation, because we have
many years of neglect to overcome. But we’ll be taking steps forward
rather than backward. Our leadership won't be down hill!
Catherine Bayliss is chairwoman of the Gloucester Democratic City
Committee and a member of the Democratic State Committee. |
Gloucester
