Sometimes, it feels like the people making decisions up top are living on a completely different planet. They live on one where everything’s made of gold & nobody has to worry about things like paying rent. For those of us stuck on Earth, some of these policies show just how detached politicians are from the rest of us. Here are thirteen policies that some people think show politicians don’t care about regular people.
Featured Image Credit: EvgeniyShkolenko/Depositphotos.com.
Criminalization of Homelessness through City Ordinances
Making it illegal to sleep in public places doesn’t make homelessness go away but pushes it out of sight. We’ve all passed someone sleeping on the street & felt helpless—now imagine how they feel knowing there’s nowhere they’re allowed to go. Most of the time, these people are homeless because life has dealt them a bad hand, time and time again.
Water Privatization Efforts in Flint, Michigan
Flint’s water crisis is a clear sign that politicians don’t value everyone’s health equally. Policies to save a few bucks in the city have left families with toxic water. Where do the priorities lie? It’s rather infuriating watching a community struggle for basic needs while calls for help go unanswered.
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Public Transportation Funding Cuts
Reductions to public transportation sure are an inconvenience and they’re also a barrier for people without cars. They’re the difference between getting to work or not, seeing a doctor or staying home. It’s hard not to feel left behind when the bus you rely on suddenly doesn’t come anymore. We have the power to make things fairer.
Rising Prescription Drug Costs
Watching the price of prescription drugs skyrocket hurts—especially when you’re sick. It makes you wonder if the people setting these prices have ever had to choose between filling a prescription and paying their electric bill. In some cases, your health is less important than someone’s profit margin.
Lack of Affordable Housing Initiatives
Every year, rent goes up but paychecks don’t. Unfortunately, the lack of action to make housing more affordable makes some people question whether people in charge understand what life is like for normal people. What’s worse is seeing luxury condos popping up left & right. What we really need are affordable homes for everyday people!
Ignoring Student Loan Debt Crisis
The student loan debt crisis hangs over millions of Americans yet those in power have given it a shrug. Lots of us are drowning in debt just for wanting a better education—so you’d think there’d be a rush to find a solution. Instead, it’s more like a slow crawl. Many graduates have put their lives on hold because their monthly loan payments are more than their rent.
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Repeal Attempts
Over the years, there have been several attempts to get rid of the ACA, also known as Obamacare. The Health Care Freedom Act of 2017 was one of those attempts that thankfully didn’t pass. But even the effort to take away healthcare from millions of people was enough to raise some eyebrows. People are just trying to see a doctor without going broke!
Budget Cuts to the Department of Education
In 2020, the powers that be thought it’d be a good idea to cut the education budget by 8%. Essentially, this allocated less money to schools, teachers & programs that help students get by. Suddenly, those dreams of a better future start to look impossible. Teachers are already stretching every penny—now they had to tell their students they couldn’t have new books because the budget had been slashed.
The Clean Power Plan Rollback
The Clean Power Plan aimed to reduce pollution from power plants yet it was repealed in 2019. Suddenly, the focus wasn’t on turning off the lights to save electricity—it was on whether the air outside was safe to breathe. For people with asthma or little ones at home, such a change was a step back into the smog that made them feel disregarded.
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act involved big tax breaks for the super-wealthy & corporations. Sadly, many regular people’s paychecks stayed the same. A lot of people were unhappy that the billionaires received tax breaks while they felt none of the benefits. It made them question who’s really benefiting from these policies.
Voter Identification Laws
Introducing strict ID laws to vote sounds sensible on paper—but in practice, it’s very different. Laws like this tend to target minorities as they’re not able to get the required identification to vote. Critics argue that voter ID laws send a clear message—not everyone’s voice is valued the same.
Proposed Cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Proposals to cut SNAP funding made life even harder for families relying on it to put food on the table. Rather than simply being numbers on a page, these cuts are meals that disappear. In a country as wealthy as ours, it’s hard to face the idea that we simply can’t afford to feed everyone.
The USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act increased security at the cost of our privacy, making it easier for Big Brother to listen in. Of course, safety’s important—but it feels a little over-the-top to know that each of your phone calls may be recorded. How far can we compromise privacy in the name of security?
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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