This year’s general election must be about one thing only; the majority. The policy of ‘trickle-down’ economics began the destruction of the middle class. Now, less than 50 percent of Americans are in that economic category, while the rise in numbers of both those living in the wealthy class, and in poverty reveals an economic disaster.

The working class struggles for survival daily. Many are one paycheck away from slipping into poverty. Not a single Republican candidate has discussed income inequality, or offered a solution to increased poverty. They are owned by the one-percent, and have no concerns for the majority. Not one of them has discussed the criminal situation in Flint, Michigan where the austerity policies of a Republican governor have endangered the health of thousands of its people; 40 percent of whom live in poverty.

45.4 million Americans rely on food stamps; that’s one in every seven of our nation’s people. The increase is the result of the economic recession between 2007 and 2009.

During that period millions of Americans between ages 18 and 49 were only guaranteed food stamps for three months while they were searching for work. A longer recovery required an extension of that period.

However, by April the federal government will cease supplementing states for the cost of food stamps. Millions of Americans will be added to the numbers of those who suffer from hunger.

Statistics show that the average food stamp recipient earns just $335 per month. They receive $150 to $170 per month in food stamps; that may soon change in 22 states.

This is not the America I remember. I look around me and see sad faces in my own community. Northern Nevada has many areas where poverty is obvious. In a nation which has more than 1,000 billionaires, allowing one person to become hungry or worse homeless, is our nation’s greatest shame.

Candidates from the GOP can continue to scream about the danger of ISIS as long as they wish, but ISIS is not the greatest danger to our nation’s people; greed is.

Only Democratic candidates have spoken about the wage gap, and the rising number of our nation’s people who no longer have sufficient income to support themselves and their families. Not a single reference to the shame of America has been spoken in seven faux-debates.

If you are a member of the ’99 percent,’ and you vote for a Republican candidate for president, the Senate, or the House, you are casting a ballot against yourself, your family, and your friends and neighbors.

The Republican Party is the reason for gridlock in Washington. It wants to destroy social programs necessary for millions of our citizens to survive. It would reduce social security, a program which was created in a self-sustaining condition until our legislators embezzled funds from it for their own programs. Medicare benefits would be limited. The minimum wage would be repealed. Millions of Americans would lose health care; (but our legislators would keep their bloated benefits).

In all fairness, this was not the Republican Party of 20 years ago. Extremists in the party have forced the GOP to move so far to the right it must be renamed. The refusal of a small group to compromise for the benefit of the majority is the cause of the demise of our second major political party.

In November cast a vote for yourself; not for the wealthiest of Americans.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Source

Photo Courtesy of Gage Skidmore

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