No matter where we live, what our income is, or what we look like, we all want and need stability in our lives. As we vote in November, we can evaluate the candidates regarding stability.
Candidates who will build greater stability have both personal character traits and policy proposals that will strengthen stability. Their focus is on what matters to those of us in the middle class or with less income.
We have felt the instability of the last five years, and it has been tough. If we step back, it is clear that this started with the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, it has taken years to once again gain economic stability; economists predicted that it would take a decade to recover.
But our economy has come out strong in less than four years. The U.S. economy is, in fact, the envy of the rest of the world with very low unemployment, booming expansion of new businesses, increased wages, and the highest stock market ever. And inflation, the most hurtful effect of the pandemic, is at 2.5% annually, as low as it was in 2019.
So, as we vote, the question we should be asking is what party and which candidates are most likely to build on our hard-won stability for the future. The choice is clear. Trump’s economic proposals threaten the stability we have.
Economists agree that consumers will pay for Trump’s tariffs, likely at the cost of at least $2,000 a year or more.
Further, his proposal to deport millions of immigrants will jack up prices on food, housing and many other sectors. Inflation will start increasing again.
In contrast, Harris and the Democrats propose building on the stability and strength in the economy. They have concrete proposals to go after price gouging and to increase competition in markets such as meatpacking and groceries. Harris proposes policies to increase housing and to bring down healthcare costs.
These proposals directly address the major areas of concern for most Ohioans – housing, healthcare, and food. This will increase our stability and security.
In terms of personal character traits, the choice could not be more stark. Trump is showing his 78 years. Even his campaign staff acknowledge that he’s “exhausted”. He is repeatedly canceling events including interviews and a second debate with Harris.
When he does have events, he rambles on without focus, typically barely touching on any of the policy issues that, as Americans, we care about. Finally, for the second time, he will not commit to accepting the election results.
Kamala Harris, in contrast, speaks clearly about her policy proposals.
She demonstrates the necessary toughness to make the hard decisions required of our president. At the same time, she demonstrates understanding of the issues and challenges many of us are facing. We can help to assure stability and move in the right direction by voting for Harris, Sherrod Brown and other Democrats on or before Nov. 5.
Patti Ray
Mount Vernon, Ohio