Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore, via Wikimedia Commons
My Expectations of the Next President of the United States
I have been watching very carefully the candidates for this Presidential election. This election will have have a huge impact on the future of our country. There are so many issues to consider this election, and I have created a list of the issues that are important to me. I would consider my family to be working middle class. I have a child in college, a husband who is disabled, and I am a homeowner, so there are many issues being discussed this election that directly affect me. These past couple of years has been challenging for our family, but we have survived. I now am thinking about the future, and how this election will impact me and my family depending on whether President Obama or Mitt Romney wins this next election. My expectations for the next President of the United States are for them to address these issues:
1. Healthcare - I would like to see every American not to have to worry about having health care coverage, and for those of us that are working, not to have such a large portion of our salary allocated to paying for healthcare. Although many companies provide healthcare, the healthcare offered usually comes with hefty premiums and high deductibles. This puts working class people in the position that if they get sick with a major illness, there is a lot of money they will have to pay out of pocket. Many people today cannot afford this, and will choose not to address their health issues because they cannot afford to pay the out of pocket expenses. Then there are those who work for companies that do not offer healthcare coverage at all. These people just don't have any coverage and are forced to go to emergency rooms and urgent care clinics, which as we all know is not quality healthcare. My expectation is that the next President will address the issue of healthcare in our country, and allow the American people to have healthcare that is of good quality and affordable.
2. Housing Market - My expectation for the next President regarding the housing market is to stop the deluge of foreclosures in this country. There are too many families being forced out of their homes because in some cases, the banks are not willing to work with families to help them save their homes. The banks were bailed out and are now sitting on plenty of money that they are unwilling to part with. The banks were given this money to help people to stay in their homes and this has not happened in many instances. I need a President that is going to stand up to these big banks and force them to do a better job of creating efficient programs for people facing foreclosure so they are not forced out of their homes.
3. Jobs and the Economy - My expectation for the next President regarding jobs and the economy is that more jobs start being created so that people can get back to work. I really think that many companies have the money to hire more workers, but why should they when they can save money by having workers doing the job of two or three people? These companies are saving lots of money by not hiring additional staff, and I have found that some companies are hiring workers, but are only hiring temporary or part-time workers to save money on the benefits that would be afforded a permanent worker. I believe this is the reason so many people are out of work. I would like to think that this isn't a political move on the part of some companies, but it really makes you wonder. The next President needs to provide companies with incentives to begin to hire workers again, paying their workers a decent salary and benefits.
4. Education - My expectation for the next President regarding education is that I want to see our schools provided with good teachers and updated technology to give our students a chance to succeed. Our schools need to be made into an environment for learning. Teachers need to be paid better wages and given the necessary tools they need to teach our students. We are falling way behind other countries because we do not take education as serious as we should. The next President needs to make this a priority and fix our schools so our graduation rates can rise and our children can compete on the world stage.
On the issue of financial aid, I have a child in college and we depend on financial aid for his tuition and books. If we didn't have financial aid, we wouldn't have been able to send our child to college. I need the next President to realize that we are a working family but do not make enough money to afford the high price of tuition. Getting a little assistance through financial aid is a necessity for families like mine. I need the next President to understand that, and not cut financial aid to people that really need it to get their children through college.
5. Social Security and Medicare - This issue is very complicated for either candidate. The money is running out on Social Security and something has to be done to save it. The question is what will be most beneficial for our disabled and senior, but at the same time cut some costs. I don't know what the answer to that question is, but my husband is disabled and we depend on those benefits to continue as they are. I need the next President to educate me on the issue of Social Security, and show me the many ways that we can cut costs, but still allow these benefits to those that desperately need them.
There a number of issues that are on the table this election, but these are the ones that mean the most to me. My expectations for the next President of the United States is very high, and I will continue to listen closely to see which candidate I think will live up to my expectations.
1. Healthcare - I would like to see every American not to have to worry about having health care coverage, and for those of us that are working, not to have such a large portion of our salary allocated to paying for healthcare. Although many companies provide healthcare, the healthcare offered usually comes with hefty premiums and high deductibles. This puts working class people in the position that if they get sick with a major illness, there is a lot of money they will have to pay out of pocket. Many people today cannot afford this, and will choose not to address their health issues because they cannot afford to pay the out of pocket expenses. Then there are those who work for companies that do not offer healthcare coverage at all. These people just don't have any coverage and are forced to go to emergency rooms and urgent care clinics, which as we all know is not quality healthcare. My expectation is that the next President will address the issue of healthcare in our country, and allow the American people to have healthcare that is of good quality and affordable.
2. Housing Market - My expectation for the next President regarding the housing market is to stop the deluge of foreclosures in this country. There are too many families being forced out of their homes because in some cases, the banks are not willing to work with families to help them save their homes. The banks were bailed out and are now sitting on plenty of money that they are unwilling to part with. The banks were given this money to help people to stay in their homes and this has not happened in many instances. I need a President that is going to stand up to these big banks and force them to do a better job of creating efficient programs for people facing foreclosure so they are not forced out of their homes.
3. Jobs and the Economy - My expectation for the next President regarding jobs and the economy is that more jobs start being created so that people can get back to work. I really think that many companies have the money to hire more workers, but why should they when they can save money by having workers doing the job of two or three people? These companies are saving lots of money by not hiring additional staff, and I have found that some companies are hiring workers, but are only hiring temporary or part-time workers to save money on the benefits that would be afforded a permanent worker. I believe this is the reason so many people are out of work. I would like to think that this isn't a political move on the part of some companies, but it really makes you wonder. The next President needs to provide companies with incentives to begin to hire workers again, paying their workers a decent salary and benefits.
4. Education - My expectation for the next President regarding education is that I want to see our schools provided with good teachers and updated technology to give our students a chance to succeed. Our schools need to be made into an environment for learning. Teachers need to be paid better wages and given the necessary tools they need to teach our students. We are falling way behind other countries because we do not take education as serious as we should. The next President needs to make this a priority and fix our schools so our graduation rates can rise and our children can compete on the world stage.
On the issue of financial aid, I have a child in college and we depend on financial aid for his tuition and books. If we didn't have financial aid, we wouldn't have been able to send our child to college. I need the next President to realize that we are a working family but do not make enough money to afford the high price of tuition. Getting a little assistance through financial aid is a necessity for families like mine. I need the next President to understand that, and not cut financial aid to people that really need it to get their children through college.
5. Social Security and Medicare - This issue is very complicated for either candidate. The money is running out on Social Security and something has to be done to save it. The question is what will be most beneficial for our disabled and senior, but at the same time cut some costs. I don't know what the answer to that question is, but my husband is disabled and we depend on those benefits to continue as they are. I need the next President to educate me on the issue of Social Security, and show me the many ways that we can cut costs, but still allow these benefits to those that desperately need them.
There a number of issues that are on the table this election, but these are the ones that mean the most to me. My expectations for the next President of the United States is very high, and I will continue to listen closely to see which candidate I think will live up to my expectations.