WASHINGTON, DC – The nation has made great strides over the past two years and there’ll be more to come if the GOP keeps control of Congress for the next two years. It’s a good reason to muster the energy on Tuesday to go out and vote and to encourage family, friends and neighbors to cast their ballots in a responsible way.
The economy is booming. Unemployment is at record lows. There are better jobs out there – for all Americans – and there are more of them than there have been in years. And, ADP Payroll Services, which keeps track of such things, says that 227,000 new private sector jobs were created in the month of October. Many economists were expecting only 178,000 new jobs. On top of all of that, taxes are lower so workers are pocketing more take home pay.
Seniors, in particular, are benefiting from the return of reasonable Social Security Cost of Living Adjustments. In the first year of the Trump administration in 2017 the Social Security recipients received a 2% COLA, in 2018 they received a 2.8% increase in benefits and in 2019 they will receive another 2.8% increase. And, the nation is safer than it has been in a long time.
The only things that increased under the previous administration were unemployment, the deficit and the National Debt. The jobless rate steadily approached double-digits. The deficit was nearly doubled and the National Debt soared.
Under the previous administration, we saw the establishment of socialist policies that eroded trust, confidence and America’s standard of living. And, don’t forget the Great Recession.
But, in just two years we have seen the restoration of our economic confidence. And, we’ve seen the reaffirmation of the country’s commitment to protecting our core principles with the appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the political opposition has grown uglier over the past two years. Instead of offering hope for the future, the progressive movement threatens anarchy and a return to the bad old days of higher taxes, growing debt, high rates of unemployment and economic stagnation.
In just four days the fate of America’s renaissance will be decided at polling places across the country. There’s been a lot of speculation that the House of Representatives will wind up with a progressive majority bent on disrupting the status quo and the momentum we’ve gained over the past two years.
They want to focus on scatter-brained ideas such as opening our borders to more illegal immigration. They want that not because they are compassionate but because they seek an increase in the numbers of voters to ensure a socialist future for the U.S.
They want to bankrupt the country by adopting a foolhardy system single-payer health insurance that would guarantee that more people will get sick and die. And, they want to waste the country’s time and energy by staging a mock impeachment of President Trump.
This year’s local election battles may not have the excitement of a presidential election, but they certainly have a relevance that is worth the same level of attention. And, if enough of us in key Congressional districts put their minds to it, we can make the difference and we can ensure the preservation of our nation’s heritage and make strides toward ensuring the future for the next generations.
So, on November 6 get out and vote.
About AMAC
The Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] [https://www.amac.us] is a vibrant, vital senior advocacy organization that takes its marching orders from its members. We act and speak on their behalf, protecting their interests and offering a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today. Live long and make a difference by joining us today at https://amac.us/join-amac.
All Amac members please go out and V O T E Republicans today Nov. 6, 2018. Your vote is very important there’s a lot at stake. The future of this country depends on your vote. President Trump needs help in Congress. Thank you.
I would like to offer a disagreement to this article. In fact, the “previous administration” inherited the Great Recession because of the huge corporate tax cut that the Bush Administration put into place. Obama was forced to spend billions of dollars to jump start the American economy, and once he was able to do that, he reduced his spending. Obama’s final year’s deficit was only $587 billion compared to Trump’s first year which was $666 billion according the Forbes which is generally conservative leaning (https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2018/01/15/obamas-federal-debt-grew-at-a-slower-rate-than-reagan-h-w-bush-or-w-bush/#5804942b1917).
While lower unemployment rates may sound great, there is actually a point where too many jobs can actually hurt the economy. There is a curve in economics called the Phillips curve which shows that there is a negative relationship between unemployment and inflation. If the unemployment goes below the NAIRU (non-accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment), then inflation will grow drastically until the economy is once again in a bad situation. While we have not hit the NAIRU yet, many economists fear that we are close or that we may not fully understand the NAIRU. (https://qz.com/1272656/nairu-and-the-phillips-curve-the-strange-thing-about-the-low-us-unemployment-rate/)
One thing that many people feel is an important issue in this election is healthcare. While Trump and republicans claim that they will protect coverage for pre-existent conditions, they have voted to gut protection many times. Their plan to create a “newer and cheaper system than Obamacare” is based on the idea of creating two separate systems. One system would be very poor coverage that only covers a very small portion of medical issues, but it would be very cheap. All of the young and healthy people will sign up for that coverage, and they will be at risk if they get sick. Since they are leaving the system that covers pre-existing issues, the price of that coverage will drastically increase. In a time where more people 65+ are going bankrupt than ever before (the #1 reason being increasing medical costs), medical protections for all people is such an important issue (https://www.businessinsider.com/older-americans-are-filing-for-bankruptcy-during-retirement-2018-8).
The rhetoric of this article is filled with many appeals to emotions. I am not trying to use any form of pathos (emotional appeal), but instead I call for you to use logic and reasoning. Many of you have seen America through some of its greatest times. The changes of the new world can be intimidating and unusual, but I promise that they are based out of compassion. The people who wish to give immigrants shelter do so only because they are people currently in need. Unless you are of Native American lineage, all of your ancestors came as either refugees or immigrants. They came here to escape war, poverty, or simply in search of a better life. That is all anyone wants when they come to America.
I have attached my sources for any type of statistic I have given. Please feel free to fact check me if you think I have given incorrect information, but I have only used very reputable sources.
I’m not an economist, but I’d like to think I’ve been paying attention to what’s been happening in this country. Just a few responses to your comments, and I promise to keep it short:
The Bush tax cuts resulted from a budget surplus, which President Bush wanted to go back to the people. It was our money after all. He got that much, at least.
The money that former Pres. Obama used to “charge” the sinking economy went to unions, public schools, and other entities that did not create jobs. As a member of a particular association, I remember being asked by the officer, “Okay, how do you want to spend it?” I offered my 2 cents, others agreed….time went by…and the money went poof–evaporated! No one knew where it had gone. Obama himself admitted, as if it were a joke, that there were NO SHOVEL-READY JOBS.
Cash for Clunkers—that was a real lemon, wasn’t it? My son, in the automotive industry, said it became impossible to get good used parts because the clunkers had to be DESTROYED! What a stupid waste. And as the economy sank even further into the mud, no one could afford a new car anyway!
I know nothing of the Phillips curve, but it makes sense to me that someone with a job would much rather pay 10 cents more for a gallon of milk than be unemployed and not able to buy any milk. Besides, the Federal Reserve competently keeps inflation down by raising interest rates, regardless of the absence of inflation…
Health care–from what I’ve heard on TV news and from interviews with legislators, the issue of pre-existing conditions has been addressed, and there’s no basis to fault the Republicans for ideas generated on that side of the aisle. The only way that health care will not bankrupt this country is to send it back to the private sector. The more government takes over health care, the worse the outcomes will be. And, of course, the more expensive it is. Competition within the private sector guarantees the best prices. All the democrats want is control over as many sectors of the economy as it can get its claws into, and control over us–the people–so we can be “managed” as they see fit. POWER and MONEY, that’s all they care about. Just replay some of the hot mic quotes from Jonathan Gruber, Cass Susstein, and Zeke Emanuel, and see if you agree that they never had the interests of the people in mind when they conjured the ACA. Legislators should look at keeping most of health care private, and reserve some funds as a fallback for the cases that potentially would bankrupt families. And all those topics that were mentioned years ago—competition over state lines, concierge memberships, group plans—ALL options should be considered.
To give shelter to those currently in need—well, line up, people—how many billions of people on this planet are not in need? Give me a break. Most of us, yes, descended from immigrants. My grandparents and great-great-grandparents all came here from Europe LEGALLY. It took them YEARS to accomplish this. Your ancestors probably came here legally, right? That’s all we ask for–to be able to guarantee productive citizens of this country the PROTECTION that is the first priority of the federal government. Even President Trump said we NEED people to come to this country because of the low unemployment rate and because of the growing number of companies coming back or offering new opportunities. But they have to come in legally. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SKIN COLOR! Not having employment opportunities in their homeland is not a reason to let them come in unvetted. The masses of mostly young men about to crash the gate are not escaping tyranny, for the most part. They just want $16 an hour and as many freebies the democrats have announced they’re willing to give away.
As for the COLA for seniors, AMAC forgot to mention that the Medicare premium went up the largest jump since I retired in 1999 so my retirement credit amounted to all of $6 a month. Actual cost of living (esp. food & utilities) has gone up more than 2.8%. Thank the Lord we were able to pay off our mortgage and I’m a frugal individual or I’d be in deep trouble.
There is going to be election fraud. Millennials might vote in the states where they attend college and then send absentee ballots to the state where they came from and there’s no way to trace who is voting twice.
I live in California, aka Mexifornia, or Commiefornia, and conservatives are greatly outnumbered here. I do vote, but feel like it usually doesn’t make a whole lot of difference due to that fact. Even when ballot measures we want pass, somehow the courts decide they’re “unconstitutional “ and we’re right back where we started. We also have an unfortunate law here that says the two highest vote getters in the primary election are who will be on the final ballot. In many cases, they’re both unacceptable under any circumstances. Example: Dianne Feinstein & her opponent, Kevin DeLeon, both liberal Democrats. We’d love to get rid of her, but Mr. D is even more liberal than she is, therefore I won’t be voting for him. But I certainly don’t want her to continue either!
It’s so frustrating and depressing to live here with those type people in Washington, a liberal wacko governor and a majority of liberals in the state government who keep passing laws that infringe on freedom in every area.
So it’s very tempting to just stay home and not bother voting, because here it really won’t and doesn’t make a difference.
I hear you Ellen, and it’s very tempting to feel like we don’t make a difference, but we cannot give into despair. We ARE here, and we DO matter. Let’s Speak–up, Vote and Surprise the socks off the “Dum-mob-crats” <3.
Unfortunately, it sounds like your only solution is to move from California!!
I am concerned about the mid-terms. I pray a lot and contribute
to the conservative candidates where/when I can. If the mid-terms
go liberal, I am afraid for our country as we have known it.
My mama always said “Don’t tell the pollsters anything”. It is a secret ballot, after all. Let them think there are only liberal voters, and get ALL who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 to vote in the midterm elections. With expected voter turnout of around 40%, that would shut down the DemonicRats and socialists.
Where does Amac stand on birth citizenship? I am a member but you answer decides wheath i continue my membership.i have not seen this question answered, so far?
Did you participate in the poll on this topic. The issue does need discussion and pressure on our elected officials who have been avoiding the hard facts.