Mr. President-Elect:
All the previews on your inauguration have indicated you will urge unity among the American people, but it is you with your hands on the wheel of public opinion, and your first speech as the nation’s 46th president will be measured carefully.
That’s because a liberal agenda will accomplish nothing. Not unity. Not bi-partisan cooperation in the Senate and the House. And not with the American people. Democrats and Republicans have spent a decade calling each other negative names like deplorables and socialists, and after four years of an American president lashing out against anyone who disagreed with him, we’re tired of that kind of crap.
We’re also exhausted with the feud between the parties for political power. We the people need to be part of the process once again, and there’s only way to accomplish that goal. Put US (get it?) back into the equation so real progress can be realized by all of the American public.
The Wish List:
Health Care Reform:
This era of high premiums and ridiculous deductibles is killing people. Literally. Far too many common folks find it difficult to feed their families AND afford even marketplace policies because a one-size-fits-all approach is seldom the answer when considering an entire nation of more than 350 million Americans.
Infrastructure:
Thousands of bridges along federal interstates have been deemed “critical” by the Federal Highways Administration, and that is because nearly half of more than 600,000 spans are older than 50 years old. In fact, the federal agency estimated in 2016 that 188 million trips take place each day over structurally deficient bridges. Not only would addressing this nationwide issue increase the people’s safety, but such an initiative would create thousands of jobs.
Fossil Fuel Regulation:
Your party’s agenda to kill the coal and natural gas industries would destroy any hope held here in the Upper Ohio Valley that the economy would include something other than employment in the service industry. The same can be said about communities in Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, too, so when considering the demands of Democratic leadership, please realize the struggles of serving tables and working at Walmart.
Race Relations:
“White privilege” shouldn’t be a thing in the United States, but it still is. Police brutality against black men shouldn’t be a thing, either, but it still is, too. Defunding the police, in any fashion, is not what is needed, either, but we’re confident a local man, Ron Scott, Jr., could help you. Ron is black, and he grew up in a black neighborhood, but then he attended a predominantly white high school and college, and these days he works to wake up people of all races as an employee and as a person.
Pandemic Management:
The very first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine arrived to West Virginia on Dec. 1, and even though the Mountain State has been heralded for its effort to distribute to hospitals, nursing homes, and first-responder agencies, after three weeks of vaccinations all residents 80 and older still are not covered, and health departments in Ohio are just getting started with members of that population. Ramp it up, sir, so we all can experience the newer normal because this new normal sucks.
Sincerely,
We Are All Americans
