By Dennis Richardson
While I have not watched the debates I have read some articles on stances that each of the candidates take. Well, most of them.
Debates are a good way to shed light on the issues and to meet the candidates.
I don’t know about anyone else but I like to hear a little more meat than simply “beat Trump”.
As the candidates parade back and forth with their ideas of what they wish to accomplish. Common phrases include “raise the minimum wage” and “free health care for all.”
Who can argue with a bigger paycheck or free health care? I do not see any negatives at face value so the next question is what is tied to those benefits? Is anything truly “free?” Do candidates also want to raise taxes that will effectively lessen the take home pay from what it is today or diminish abilities to pay for what health care presently costs? What percent of our workforce is actually paid minimum wage? I believe that most workers are above that already.
Many workers ask for more hours and a better pay rate while being oblivious as to whether or not their employer can turn a profit from the time they put in. When workers are profitable then wages will probably rise on their own. If large payrolls and more taxes turn a business from a profitable one to one that loses money then that wage source will be no more. Gone. Closed. What good is that?
I believe that more incentives for small business like incentives to add more equipment and tax breaks helps grow those businesses which in turn offer better-paying jobs.
Back to the “freebies”. If there is free health care, would those services be readily available today or would they be more like months down the road? And what illnesses or symptoms will be covered?
Other buzz words I hear pertain to social security, term limits, Congressional pay rates and pension plans?
Are we headed toward socialism? That single word may be just what keeps some candidates from making the final cut.
As good as ideas may sound, I do not believe one candidate can get every one of their agenda items accomplished. There is a Congress divided strictly along party lines that must vote to approve. I believe it is good that we have our systems of checks and balances.
It will be interesting to see what candidate(s) emerge to face our incumbent president (assuming that the Republicans nominate Donald Trump again).
I am just one vote. My wife makes two for our household. What difference can two votes make? There will be millions of votes cast. All we can do is vote for the person that we think is the best one to lead our country … one who truly cares for America and not one what desires to make our country like the rest of the world.
I hope more people get to the polls and vote. I would love to see a 100 percent vote. That won’t happen. It is important to vote. Voting is the one thing that we each can do.
But that is my opinion. What is yours?
