October 1, 2017. I stayed home that night. I lived in Laughlin, NV but I drove 90 miles to Las Vegas to drive Uber several times a week, especially on a busy event weekend. Route 99 Festival was going on and I decided to stay home instead of driving that weekend because I lost money working a previous large event. I was scrolling social media and started seeing my Las Vegas friends, all casino workers, marking themselves “safe.” I turned on the news and watched the nightmare unfold. Minutes after the shooting was reported, my husband came home from work and sat down immediately to follow what was happening.
We watched for a few minutes and I told him, “That shooter is a hosted player! And somewhere out there is a casino host having an anxiety attack, throwing up, ugly crying, or all 3.” My husband responded, “Why would you think that?” I did not think It. I knew it.
I divorced corporate America on April 20, 2016. There was a lot to celebrate that day. My final position title was, “Assistant Director of Player Development.” It’s just a fancy title that means I managed the players club, VIP check in and Executive Casino Hosts who analyze casino play (how many dollars someone cycled through the casino) to determine whether or not players qualified for complimentary services, rooms, meals, etc. Our team catered to “high rollers.” I could write 10,000 words about all the things people think they know about the gaming industry. I will not. I will, however, assure you that the casino industry simply caters to wealth and greed. The more money someone spends, the more they get away with and the more “free stuff” they get. Do not get me started.
The point is, I knew the shooter was a hosted VIP player because of the floor he was on and the direction his room was facing. Route 99 festival was a high occupancy weekend and hotel rates were at a premium for retail guests. Suites on high floors with a direct view of the festival would not likely have been available for retail sale because the hotel would have reserved them for only top-level players as an incentive to bring them in during an event weekend to boost gaming revenue. I don’t know for sure but with a little research I would not be surprised to find out that the shooter held 2 tickets to the festival, compliments of the casino. If he did not have complimentary tickets, it is because he didn’t request, or he refused them. Your average Joe would not have had access to that room that night. Maybe on a Tuesday in the middle of August when occupancy is low but not on a Saturday night during a festival in October. I am so grateful I stayed home that night. Many of my friends were not so lucky and they witnessed awful things.
After the shooting, social media blew up with a lot of questions. People were screaming about the response from the police department. There was controversy over the casino security using a private direct line to the police department instead of calling 911. There were all kinds of criticisms about how law enforcement responded and the accusation of corruption. If you don’t remember that, google it and remind yourself. Just 3 years ago social media was filled with people screaming about how the police mishandled the response to the Route 99 shooting. I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with how the police responded. I am pointing out that just 3 years ago, Americans were willing to scream about disliking the way law enforcement responded to something and nobody accused them of not being American. Nobody accused them of hating the police. Nobody insisted it was impossible that corruption was involved.
Some people were celebrating Valentine’s Day in 2018. Other people sent their children to school in Parkland, FL. The loss that day, overwhelming. As parents were mourning their children, the outrage began. Where was the campus police officer? Why didn’t he go in? I am not here to weigh in on the matter. I am simply pointing out that this police officer is facing criminal charges for the way he responded to the shooting. The American people demanded answers and challenged law enforcement. Nobody insisted that officer was flawless. Nobody was making excuses for him.
Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City, Arizona are neighboring towns, divided by the Colorado River. Laughlin is home to a handful of small quick service businesses, an outlet shopping mall that is barely in business and 9 casinos along the river. Living in Laughlin means you must drive to Arizona for basic amenities. The communities are integrated, though in separate states. Casino is the primary source of employment for residents on both sides and workers rely on tourism dollars and gratuities to survive. Laughlin River Run was a huge event for the little town of Laughlin. The motorcycle rally started in 1983 with just under 500 bikers and grew over the years to crowds of up to 70,000+ people. In 2002 there was a fatal shooting at Harrah’s casino between members of opposing biker gangs. I worked in that casino years later. After the shooting there were many changes made to make people feel safe about returning for future events. Part of that included bringing in backup law enforcement. As the event continued year after year, the rules kept getting tighter. No colors, no patches, no weapons. There were signs posted on every door in every business within Laughlin. The casinos were prepared for the worst. Law enforcement was brought in from Las Vegas. Bait bikes were set up. Cops were on foot, horseback, on bicycles and motorcycles and in cars. Police openly detained and arrested people who were intoxicated. Police set up “DUI traps.”
As the police presence grew year after year and the cost of managing the event went up, attendance dropped. In 2018, River Run was a ghost town in comparison to past years with the complaints being mostly about “too much law enforcement” and “too many rules” and the cost being too high. Today, the same people who are crying about the cops ruining their debauchery filled motorcycle rally are claiming allegiance to police officers and the thin blue line. The police presence was way overkill at the event, but it was in response to a crowd with a reputation for violence at times. On the other hand, I witnessed some law enforcement officers harassing attendees who were not breaking the law. I heard and understood concerns from residents, employees, casino management, police officers and patrons. Everyone had a different perspective because everyone was experiencing the event differently. I sat on the planning committees in 2 different casinos and served this group. It was fun but required diligence and taking safety measures. The point is, this is an otherwise conservative community that relies on tourist dollars to survive. They want law and order, they “back the blue,” but they don’t want the cops to ruin their motorcycle event by taking it over and intimidating attendees by showing up in large numbers and using excessive force. Ironic. Excessive force by police was among the many reasons that event has diminished.
When George Floyd was murdered, I witnessed the same people who bitched about police at River Run also declare they support the thin blue line. When the Las Vegas Shooting happened, I watched the thin blue line crowd spout conspiracy theories and question how a guy could get so many weapons into a building without being questioned and whether the cops responded appropriately. When the Parkland shooting happened, I listened to people scream about how the cop failed to act and save lives.
Suddenly, things are not so black and white and not all cops are good? Where do you draw the line on the thin blue line?
The “thin blue line” is not all that solid. The “thin blue line” is selective. I respect good police officers and the sacrifice they make. I am not disillusioned into thinking that all cops are good guys and they deserve my unconditional support. I personally know a police officer who is dangerous to the community he serves, and he goes unchecked. He gets off on hurting people and has said racist things directly to me. Don’t tell me there aren’t racist cops. I know them. Don’t tell me there aren’t good cops. I know them. All cops are in such a position of power within your communities that scrutiny is vital to the balance of power. A person with nothing to hide should welcome such questioning.
I don’t know anyone who can say they trust the government. Most of the unrest around us is a direct result of people not taking the initiative to educate and empower themselves to elect a government that represents us and remove the ones who don’t. Why are people over the age of 70 making decisions for us when they aren’t going to be here to suffer the aftermath of their decisions? Now that we’ve established that we should question our government, can we agree that the police are a part of government? At its core, policing and training is developed by government policy, at local, state, and federal levels.
3 Branches of government, my fellow Americans, executive, judicial and legislative. Law enforcement falls under the governance of the judicial branch of government. If we agree that our government is highly flawed and we have trust issues, then we must agree that while there are heroes in abundance, there are flaws within law enforcement too. Furthermore, with so many Americans disregarding FBI statistics and warnings about hate groups, our elections, and top administrative officials reported as being involved with foreign governments, how can we say that we trust our police unconditionally and that all cops are good, wave a thin blue line flag and close our ears to the possibility that there may be corrupt individuals within law enforcement? The FBI IS law enforcement. They ARE the blue. You are disregarding information they are providing to you. So, if you want to ride that thin blue line, make sure you back it 100% and you know what you are talking about because when you waiver and make exception, your lose your credibility.
With some analytical thinking, we must agree that law enforcement is subject to scrutiny at all levels of government. Some wear a suit, some are on the street in uniform, all report to the same power structure. The government. If you aren’t asking questions about law enforcement culture, you are putting too much trust in the government.
I unplugged social media. I had to. I found myself trying to right all the wrongs and inform my poor friends who looked dumb for regurgitating things that weren’t true. I’ve had a 2-hour conversation about the whitewashed history on a syrup label and realized that society is a wreck. First, I wanted to believe that people cared so I innocently shared information thinking the depth of the topic mattered to them. I soon realized I was wrong. People don’t care about checking the truth about something because it may question their point of view. It is infuriating and it’s the reason people are divided. Opinion is gold and ignorance is bliss. Before social media, I had no idea how hateful some people are. Many have set me free by exiting my life along the way, but I cannot ignore what is happening in my country, so this is my plea.
To my fellow American, how do we come together? Can we agree that both people debating to run our country leave a lot left to be desired? Can you drop your solidarity and allegiance to one or the other and be real about what is not working? I am voting for Joe Biden. Is he going to fix everything and make miracles? No. But he is not a monster and Trump is. I’m not here to debate that either. I’m done debating about “why” Trump is wrong for the country. I am here to talk about what is at stake for my family because I think that is what people are losing sight of. I understand you are “pro life” and you feel passionate about stopping a woman thousands of miles away from you from making her own personal reproductive decisions and I respect your passion. I just ask you what is more dire today? Is a stranger’s abortion going to affect whether you have a job or can feed your family? If a transgender person has a surgery covered by health insurance to make a physical change to their body that you can’t begin to understand, you have a right to dislike it, but how does that effect whether you have healthcare or your children have healthcare? It doesn’t. You do not have to be comfortable with a lifestyle you don’t understand but let’s not cut off our nose to spite our face here, friends. We own guns in our home. We are not afraid of changes to gun laws because we don’t have any reason to fear that we would be disqualified from owning a gun. We are not criminals, mentally ill, and neither of us have a record of any kind. I understand your fears and slippery slopes. I’ve heard it all. I’ve been hearing gun owners cry about how they are coming for our guns since the 90’s. Relax. Obama didn’t take your guns. Clinton didn’t take your guns. Biden isn’t coming for your guns. You can read his plan regarding gun legislation in black and white. If you read his legislation and feel threatened that you may lose your guns or ammunition as a direct result of his legislation, the system is finally working (if implemented). You know you don’t meet the criteria to own weapons, but you own them anyway. I am not ok with that and neither are your neighbors. I don’t feel threatened and you do. Why? My guns are secure because I have nothing to hide. Do you have something to hide? Keep your guns. Really. Most people don’t care, and some people will never be ok with it. You can’t please everyone so if your “far-left progressive” friend hates that you and I legally own a gun, it’s not the end of the world. We still get to keep our guns. The 2nd Amendment is solid, and it protects your right to own a gun, if you aren’t a criminal or mentally ill. Can we move on and get back to the real shit? The things that affect our daily lives, like being able to pay your rent and having enough to feed your family after you pay bills, if you can afford to pay your bills at all.
That is what we need to talk about. Forget Trump. Forget Biden. Forget political parties. Look at your own kitchen table today and what is happening there. Focus on your pro-life values, gun hobby and conflicts about sexual identity under your own roof and let’s work together on the things that will make ALL our lives better. We must agree that we cannot trust any politician right now. It’s up to us to change that by elevating candidates who represent our interest. Complacency isn’t going to get us there. I do not identify with any political party, but the reality is that I must register with one or the other for my voice to be heard. I cannot pout and refuse to participate because I don’t like the rules. The women who fought for my right to vote deserve more respect than that. I did my homework and registered with the party whose policies I could identify with most, considering that both are highly flawed. As an “Independent,” I was silenced in the 2016 primaries. All that “independence” got me nowhere. You don’t have to like the game but it’s important to know how to play it or you will be disqualified. I am still Independent in my ideas for a future America, but I have shifted priorities as of late because our future looks very dark.
We have an election next month and, “it is what it is.” We have a choice between 2 people who don’t represent us. Moving forward, we need a no party system. We need to start locally, state level then federal level by electing candidates who will implement the changes we demand. This means we must do the work to demand a different structure of government through action and voting and unity rather than getting angry that politicians are not making those changes for us. It is not to their benefit. They are not going to fix it. If we want something, we must work for it. Until we figure that out and come together, we are stuck with 2 candidates who have a chance of winning.
I know firsthand that being a leader means being misunderstood. It is as thankless as it is rewarding at times. I took being a manager very personal because every decision I made impacted my employee’s livelihoods. I accepted a management position running a banquet department at Harrah’s casino and inherited a team of terribly angry employees. I heard them out on every issue and took steps to make our department better wherever possible. What stands out to me is a change I was fighting ridiculously hard for. A previous management decision based on favoritism was causing some of my servers to lose gratuity money during VIP events. They complained to me about it and I did the research to find out if it was true or just perception. I discovered they were right! They were losing money because of bad policy. I collected all the data I could find to back them up and put it in presentation format. I wrote a new proposal to adjust the policy to increase pay on a more equitable scale for everyone. I had several meetings with senior management team to present my case and my goal was to resolve it so that my employees could make the best possible money during our biggest night of the year, New Years Eve. I also held a holiday party in my home that year to thank my employees for their hard work. Over dinner as people were expressing their anger about the pay issue in casual conversation, I assured them I was not going to let it go. The most senior employee on the team blurted out, “You aren’t doing anything about it. You are way too nice about things.” I don’t give into childish behavior and act badly in professional environments, but I assure you, I am not too nice about things. 3 days before New Year’s Eve I received approval to implement my newly proposed gratuity structure and all my employees made more money that year. She didn’t apologize and she didn’t thank me, but I know she appreciated the extra money. My effort went without gratitude, but my heart was happy knowing that my team was making more money. I know better than to assume and blame leaders for all things good or all things bad because there is a lot behind the scenes. By the way, now that I no longer must be professional about it… FUCK HER! Sometimes people are fighting for your cause at the same time you are fighting against them. I’ve been in those shoes.
We could spend all day arguing Joe Biden’s good and bad decisions in government over the past 47 years and we would probably agree on a lot of it. We could also spend all day dissecting the facts behind the man who currently holds office and could potentially take office again. Here are the facts surrounding real life policy that makes a difference to my family.
Healthcare and women’s healthcare:
The American healthcare system is broken and expensive. If you have ever had a medical condition, surgery, or had to navigate the healthcare system you know this. If you are a healthy person paying premiums that make you cry but you’ve never had to pay out of pocket expenses, co-pays and deductibles as you treat serious conditions, I pray you never to know the expense and pain. I also beg you to refrain from forming an opinion about a system you do not understand if you’ve never had to navigate it. It is expensive, exclusive, imbalanced and leaves people to die. We could spend all day debating what is broken but here is my biggest concern, we are fighting with each other about the politics of healthcare and overlooking some simple facts:
It is so expensive that not everyone can afford it, even though everyone needs it AND not one politician or party has implemented a plan that works for everyone 100%. Not even Trump.
I know that there isn’t a one size fits all solution and even if you checked every box, someone would bitch about what they don’t like. Do you know what I don’t like? I don’t like that Republicans have spent taxpayer dollars to repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act 63 times but have absolutely no plan to replace it with something better. I am not against repealing a broken system, but I refuse to accept that they don’t have a solution and continue to spend our money to fight a battle they don’t have the tools to win. If they win, millions of Americans lose. The fact is that under the Affordable Healthcare Act, more Americans had health insurance than before the Affordable Healthcare Act. We can debate cost, coverage, effectiveness, implementation, and areas of opportunity but more people were in fact covered. Some people were left out and screwed because of ACA and that needs to be addressed and corrected. Absolutely.
As it relates to the election and making a non-emotional decision, how can I vote for Donald Trump when his plan is only to repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act? He is signing executive orders to dismantle a law that helped millions of Americans without a plan in place to offer them something better. Meanwhile, Joe Biden has a full healthcare plan laid out in black and white. We could spend the day debating whether every aspect of his plan is fool proof. What we cannot do is compare it to the plan the current president has in place because there isn’t one. For that reason. I must choose a person who has a plan, understanding that not everything will go according to plan but at least there is one. It is not productive to remain in a toxic cycle that is not working and place blame instead of taking steps to improve it. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have a healthcare plan that I can read and understand. Trump and Pence want to dismantle the current system and bad mouth the previous administrations that built it, but they don’t have a plan laid out to replace it and expand healthcare to Americans. How does it help you and I to vote for a person without a plan? I cannot vote for anyone who feeds me lip service with no plan. I don’t even want to be friends with people who feed me lip service. All imperfections considered. Joe Biden wins on Healthcare
Jobs/Wages/Unions:
I am the first to acknowledge that the Coronavirus pandemic has a huge impact on the economy, domestically and internationally. The US economy and jobs report would have suffered this past year regardless of who was in office. I do not believe the challenges we are facing are exclusive to Donald Trump and I do not believe he can fix any of it. I don’t blame him and I’m not counting on him. So, I’m looking at the facts.
Joe Biden was Vice President during the previous administration, so it’s fair to say he has hands on experience with saving a broken economy and reigniting stagnant job growth. We’ve seen him do it first-hand. His experience in the past is fair to compare to the current president’s experience. They both have both managed economic depressions, a major health crisis (H1N1 vs. Covid), and record unemployment. That said, I’ve analyzed performance side by side.
Job growth performance under Obama/Biden’s last 3 years in office was greater than job growth under Trump’s first 3 years in office. Obama/Biden inherited an economy in recession. Fact. Trump inherited a booming economy with an already decreasing unemployment rate and that trend continued. Fact. Trump carried the torch Obama lit for America. America has faced challenges during Trump’s first 4 years just as we faced challenges during 8 years of the previous administration, but the numbers don’t lie. I used to take time to provide percentages, resources, and charts to prove all of this, but I’ve found people who don’t want the facts won’t read that stuff anyway. I am summarizing truth for you and you are welcome to fact check me. I dare you. Please. Do a long, hard Google search and prove me wrong.
Wages and benefits: After working in front line and executive positions, wages and benefits are a topic I am passionate about. I can break down multiple scenarios where corporate America chewed up and spit out the employees I was responsible for managing. Wages were not acceptable under Obama. Wages are not acceptable under Trump. Wages compared to living expenses in the United States must be addressed. We must look forward when the past has failed us. Joe Biden has laid out a plan in black and white to rebuild our infrastructure, invest in clean energy and investing in the concept of all things made in America for America. My Korean car was made in America and my American car was made in Canada. “Made in America” is a farce right now. Trump talks about making America Great Again. He plays with the tax code to appease corporate millionaires but where is his plan written in black and white to increase wages for the average American worker? How is he engaging with the business world to make sure workers are rewarded in the form of true compensation? Is he being supported by most labor unions and why not? Too many Americans are working multiple jobs just to pay rent. I used to be one of them. I have read Joe Biden’s plan. It is aggressive. It addresses economic needs, jobs, stagnant wages, and environmental changes. I may not agree with every word and some of it may fall apart. What I cannot vote for is a slogan and a red hat with no substance. Can you? Are you making more money now than you did in 2016 as a direct result of a policy implemented by the current president? If you are, I want to know which policy and I promise to study every word and support it if it really does benefit middle class workers. I don’t care who presents the plan. I will support one that makes sense, period.
Labor unions: I am begging you to understand their value. I am begging you to support unions in your state and come together with your fellow workers, Unionize! I’m going to give you some very personal perspective.
My husband is a locomotive engineer for a class 1 railroad. He hauls freight, such as pipe, grain, vehicles, methane fuel, crude oil, and coal. His wages, our healthcare, paid time off and our retirement benefits are all negotiated by the labor union that’s been representing him for 27 years. We could debate all day long about the imperfections and politics of union membership, but I’ll break it down for you like this because I have worked in non-union positions my whole life. I have also managed hundreds of employees in non-union positions my whole career. Union employees who think their union isn’t doing anything for them do not know what they have and how hard they should work to save it. Let me overshare for the sake of helping you understand.
I am living the forgotten “American Dream” because of my husband’s job, wages, benefits, and the security negotiated by his union. I have such deep conflict and guilt about my current blessings because my past life didn’t look anything like this. I know how hard other people struggle and I wish I could give what I have to all of them. We just bought a new home and my husband will tell you that I have stood on my front porch and cried at the beauty of my neighborhood because my heart is so grateful.
There are always contract disputes and delays and rules and politics, but you know what else there is? SECURITY!! My husband is guaranteed a position within any qualifying terminal in the United States based solely on the number of years he has been in the job. The more years he invests in working for the company, the more his seniority builds and so does his job security. A guy with less experience can’t come in and take his job for less pay. He doesn’t have to interview or compete with the less senior employee for a job he wants if he qualifies to hold it. He has worked for 27 years so he can literally move himself on a computer and start working the job of his choice if the guy currently holding it was hired after he was. There is no dispute, discrimination, or argument. There isn’t a way for a manager to hire a person due to personal preference or politics.
My husband has strategically increased our household income by nearly 50 percent the past 3 years by simply working in the same position with the same company, never violating any rules, building his seniority and moving into one of the highest paying jobs on the system because with his seniority, he can hold that job securely unless a guy with 28 years comes along. It could happen. It has happened. He still always has the next available job. If he were to violate a rule and get terminated, the union would represent him to fight and get his job back. He has never needed that kind of representation but many of his coworkers have been bailed out and represented in some situations where you would have been terminated with no questions asked in another other job. We’ve been together 12 years and I’ve watched his income increase, his schedule become more flexible, and his job security increasingly solid. He’s an “old head.” I am overwhelmed with gratefulness for that kind of security because I know what life is like when you don’t have that. I also know what life is like for the people I love who don’t have that.
Every railroad worker, my husband included, has struggled with years of forced relocation, family separation and furlough but the long-term reward is guaranteed. If you asked him about hiring on with the railroad today, he would tell you it is as stable for a new person as hoping to have a future making VHS tapes. Policy driven by politics and shareholder greed, automation, and thousands of railroad workers furloughed, the future doesn’t look good if you are just starting out. I won’t give you a full report of the trend of rail freight over the past 4 years in the United States but watching it closely tells you the truth about the economy. Look for yourself.
Full disclosure. With seniority comes flexibility to work the highest paying jobs. More than that, even when contracts are in negotiation and politics are in abundance, his wages are increased like clockwork according to the existing contract. When the new contract is finally agreed to, he gets back pay for the difference. He never has to apply for a better position. He never has to ask for a raise. The union negotiated that raise into his pay automatically. If he’s working as a Conductor and they ask him to “switch a car,” they have to pay his wages plus the wages they should have paid that Switchman. The company isn’t staffed properly so they have to pay my husband for doing someone else’s job instead. It’s about $350 extra dollars that day. Do you know how many hours I spent on salary doing someone else’s job and not getting paid for it? My heart bleeds at the thought. Our healthcare premiums are $250 per month regardless of how many family members are covered and we have 90/10 coverage with $25 co pays. We have mental healthcare coverage. I received the best maternity care possible and special services directly through the programs set up by the union in our healthcare benefits. I have used the benefits, so I know how great they are. One of his coworkers was recently terminated because he thought it was ok to make racial comments against another coworker. He deserved to be fired. He contacted my husband later and was not sorry about his racism but could not believe how much he would be paying out of pocket for healthcare without his railroad job. $1,800 per month for him and his wife. If you add our monthly union dues and healthcare premiums and multiply it by 2.5, that is about the average my friends and family are paying for private healthcare if they can afford it at all. I have paid up to $700 per month as a single woman for high deductible coverage in the past. I know people who pay more. His union is the reason we have these benefits and don’t have to argue about pay and raises. They do that for us! Union dues is worth every penny. Just like politics, if you are paying into a union that is not representing you, show up and speak up. You must participate too.
If you are not a union worker and you can’t understand why I want this so badly for you, read my words again!
I have struggled my whole life financially. Still today, I make a grocery list to make sure I only buy what I need, I plan ahead with coupons and use a calculator when I shop because I’m terrified of over spending, even when I have money in the bank. When I met my husband, I had never met people who went to dinner and ordered pints of beer with their meal because quite frankly, I could not afford that lifestyle. I served people like him in my multiple jobs and hoped they tipped me so I could pay my electricity bill. I do not take any of my fortunes for granted and it makes me angry when I hear his peers disregard the advocate they have in a labor union. Voting for Trump means voting against my own interest.
In 2017, President Trump appointed a new Administrator to the FRA. Ronald Batory is the former COO at Conrail. That corporate railroad executive does not care about safety or rail labor and it is showing in his policies. I have watched the President of the union speak at congress regularly and the politicians beside him advocating for rail labor and safety are mostly democrats. I can’t ignore that. It’s the heart of what feeds my family and keeps my husband safe. I also cannot ignore that our Railroad Retirement fund has been the interest of Republican lawmakers in the past, Paul Ryan being highly obsessed during the election when he was running for VP. Democrats haven’t tried to find creative ways to dip into the railroad retirement fund. If you know of one who is proposing that, please send me the information and I’ll research in depth!
Republican lawmakers favor “right to work” laws which weaken labor unions and statistically, lower wages. Currently, 27 US states are “right to work” states (fortunately for my family, the railroad is excluded from right to work laws. I am concerned about your family.) On average, workers in states with “right to work” laws make 12.1% less annually than workers in other states. I have managed workers in a right to work state where some workers in the building were union and some were not. It is a nightmare for the non-union worker. It is a nightmare for the union worker. It is a nightmare for the union. It is a nightmare for the business. It is a losing situation for everyone. It is also majority Republican states with Republican lawmakers in favor of right to work laws. If Republican states with Republican lawmakers are making decisions for states where workers are statistically being paid 12.1% less than workers in other states, I cannot support that. I want better for the people in right to work states. Americans in all states need a livable wage but we need to be screaming to make changes for our friends in right to work states who make less overall!
Trump says he is union friendly, but he is the head of a party that passes these right to work laws, leading to lower wages. As a working class American, it isn’t logical or self-serving to support a man or party with this track record. It hurts all of us. Joe Biden has proven he supports unions. I accept that he hasn’t fixed all the country’s problems and has contributed in some ways. I cannot discount that his performance in the auto industry alone is proof that he understands the American worker and how to negotiate with American companies to promote job growth. Trump hasn’t shown me proof that he understands the American worker. Certainly, there have been an increase of jobs during his presidency. Certainly, we are seeing record job loss during his presidency. I mentioned earlier that Obama passed a lit torch to Trump. It’s evident the fire has burned out. Republicans have been far unkinder through policy to middle class union workers than Democrats have. All sides have made terrible decisions. Republicans win for making the longer-term detrimental decisions that favor corporations, allowing them to pay less wages for more productivity per employee. You don’t matter. The shareholders do.
You deserve livable wages, job security, healthcare, and a quality of life you truly enjoy. You do not deserve to be a slave to a system that requires you to work so many hours that you forget why you are alive. If you do not have this today and you are angry because you can’t get there no matter how hard you try, I understand you. I have been you. I have navigated a broken system alone. I have been homeless and working 2 jobs while people of privilege said I should just work harder. I know your pain. I don’t care how you identify politically. I want a better life for you and I care about actual policy that holds you back. I get frustrated when people don’t take time to research policy and be willing to challenge their own opinion.
The Economy:
Obama/Biden took our country from a recession to a booming economy with record job growth over an 8-year period. Trump/Pence took a booming economy with record job growth and drove both statistics into the ground in less than 4 years. I don’t know any American living their best life in 2020. Our 401k was performing well prior to Trump. Our 401k increased during the first part of Trump’s presidency. Our 401k has also lost nearly every dollar it has gained under Trump. There is no longer that steady increase we had before him either. The loss matters to my household and we are managing accordingly but I am talking to you. I am talking to the average American who does not have a 401k. You get up and work a 12 hour day, make the best decisions to budget so you can save a little bit (if at all) and hope to Buddha that social security will get you through your retirement years. 401k and Wall Street doesn’t mean shit to you. The fact is, when Covid hit the United States and we attempted to shut down to put our health first, the economy tanked immediately. People couldn’t pay their rent or mortgage immediately. People were in line at food banks in record numbers immediately. People lost their jobs and their healthcare immediately. People couldn’t make a car payment or pay a credit card bill immediately. The economy was booming but average Americans couldn’t survive a month without pay. I’m not judging anyone in that situation because it’s more common than not. I am pointing out that you are bragging about a booming economy and overlooking the impact of working people missing just one paycheck. Most Americans didn’t have enough in savings to survive. Americans who did, no longer do. Then, some weren’t impacted at all. Just as I begged of you about healthcare, if you have not suffered economically after living paycheck to paycheck no matter how hard you work or if Covid hasn’t hurt your family, please just show empathy and be grateful that you don’t understand. You are so fortunate. I cannot define the economy booming as a success when it means that millionaires are becoming billionaires and middle-class workers are drowning. That’s not a booming economy at all. For a country with such a booming economy, it’s a shame our leadership couldn’t implement a plan to provide immediate relief to American families and small businesses to get us through the shutdown without consequence. Booming economy for who? Coming together to focus on demanding livable wages and healthcare is a step toward a more booming economy for working Americans instead of corporations.
Taxes:
We agree that politicians lie, and government is corrupt. That is why I demand full disclosure from anyone holding or running to hold public office. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have both released their tax returns. Every American can see what they earned, how they earned it and how much they paid in taxes on that money. Trump will not release his returns. We have received a report that he has only paid $1500 during 2 years of his presidency in taxes and zero for many years before that. He has also received a tax refund in the millions. His tax returns are important to me because my household pays taxes. In fact, during the year Donald Trump paid $750 in taxes, my household paid $17,500. Trump claims he paid millions and after credits this is what was due. We paid $22,500, $3000 was an overpayment (because we don’t get to choose how much we pay upfront as a W2 employee), and we received the $2,000 tax credit for our baby for the first time in over 40 years, leaving our final bill at $17,500. Trump wrote off millions, including $70,000 for haircuts but the only tax credit available to my household was the $2,000 for our baby. I promise, I spend that in diapers and formula and then some. Trump, millionaires, billionaires, anyone who can afford to pay high dollar attorneys and tax accountants get away with more than you or I. If you have a tax bill with the IRS and no satisfactory payment plan, even if there is a dispute or misunderstanding, they can attach your wages and leave you only 25% of your net pay to live on. Your mortgage doesn’t matter to them. I know because it happened to my husband and I after his ex-wife left some hefty debt and tax liability on his lap. We had to fight for months to negotiate so we had enough money to live. We couldn’t claim losses for up to 10 years and get tax credits in the millions like Trump did. We had to pay every dollar. We didn’t qualify for bankruptcy because it meant losing what little bit we had left. We couldn’t afford that kind of legal protection. Neither can you. Stop defending him and look at your last tax bill. What did you pay? Did I mention that we paid $17,500? We paid $19,000 the year before. Trump paid $1500 in 2 years. We paid $36,000 in 2 years. I ask again. What did you pay? Why can’t you write off your haircuts or money you give to your kids in the form of wages and consulting fees at the same time? What middle class American gets a tax break for making their kids rich? Stop defending him and demand that he be held to the same standard as you. You cannot withhold your tax returns when applying for loans, opening a business, applying for certain level clearances or positions. You cannot hide your financials and get through doing business in this life. Why would you allow it from the president who signs bills into law that impact what you pay? Stop and think about this. The president of the United States isn’t paying taxes but by law, you have to, and if you don’t the government will take your wages from you and leave you to starve. We could argue taxes and whether any of us should pay. I could debate you on social security and all its flaws. But the laws as they stand today allow people like Trump to build wealth on the backs of American workers by paying lower than livable wages then taxing those wages, taking a portion of their pay to put into a system that doesn’t benefit them. Meanwhile, the millionaires who are rich because of these workers don’t have to pay into the system because they are rich enough to write off haircuts. Please do your homework. Trump isn’t the only rich person taking advantage. There are many of them. Stop voting for policies that enable them to hurt you and use you. Don’t praise the president as smart for using the corrupt tax code to his advantage. You sound stupid. There are rich, undesirable democrats but please compare policy, friends. Who speaks to your interest? We need a huge overhaul of our tax structure and I’m tired of getting screwed. I’m even more tired of millionaires getting richer on your hard work while you continue to foot the bill and vote for them. Your anger is valid! Mine is too. I beg you to channel that anger and educate yourself instead of listening to empty words from a fake millionaire, total con man who contributes to the system that enslaves you. How is your life better today than it was in 2016 as a direct result of Donald Trump? How much has your tax bill changed and do you owe more? I know of lot of people who owe more, and they voted for him.
Law and Order:
If we remove all politics and look at the bottom line, violent crime in the United States has fallen 51% between 1983 and 2018. That is a lot of US presidents from both parties during that period. There were spikes between 2004-2006 and again between 2014-2016. Violent crime is defined as rape, robbery, and assault. Most people I’ve talked to are under the impression that those numbers have increased overall but they are still in decline, statistically. I believe the perception has everything to do with social media, internet accessibility and the news media. There are no secrets anymore. We see and hear about everything. Bottom line, violent crime has peaked throughout the years but is down overall. Pew Research Center put out a report you can analyze if you wish.
Presently, the FBI has released information to Americans about the threat of right-wing extremist white supremacy groups. I do not selectively listen to statistics. The FBI is telling us that we have a problem. The president of the United States keeps deflecting to Antifa. Statistically, they are not the problem but definitely a nuisance. I have studied Antifa. The anti-fascist movement doesn’t scare or offend me, and I recommend you research it. It’s not a group at all. Violence dilutes any message and there are certainly people who identify as Antifa and they act violently. Those people are idiots, but they are not representative of the movement as a whole when you actually research it. If you are a Raider fan and another Raider fan acts violently, does that mean all Raider fans are violent too? Be honest with yourself. When you research the right-wing hate groups we are being warned about, they are calling for civil war. They aren’t all driven by white supremacy, but many are. It concerns me that their gatherings include a mix of the confederate flag, the US flag, and thin blue line flags. What message does that send and why are all 3 of these at the same party? They aren’t patriots. They are violent morons. They support the president so much they are willing to turn violent if he loses and turn a gun on their fellow American. They are willing to intimidate Americans at the polls. They are willing to defend a 17 year old carrying a long gun across state lines looking for a fight and he found one. Everyone carrying a weapon that day, left, right or otherwise is THE problem. It’s the reason our gun culture is a controversy. People are willing to defend the indefensible. That kid’s parents need to be held accountable and so does he. They taught him to solve his societal concerns by showing up with a gun to dominate and you are rooting for him. Is that what you teach your kids? I am concerned about the safety of our communities and I want civilized and peaceful order. I am paying attention to the warnings about who is rooting for civil war. Those people aren’t rooting for Joe Biden. They want you to be afraid of Antifa. You can fact check me on this if it makes you angry and I hope you do.
It’s About Us!
I could share ideas for reform that I have on every topic and why I think things aren’t working. I assure you, none of my ideas have a “D” or an “R” in front of them. I feel passionately about social issues. I feel deeply that with love and understanding we will find unity and justice for every American. I care about immigration and welfare. My heart aches over the way our government treats our veterans. I am in anguish that my fellow Americans disregard the warning of military leaders then claim to be patriots and claim allegiance to Donald Trump. It is ok for the president to openly disrespect our military but a black man can’t kneel during the national anthem to call attention to injustice. I can’t sleep at night knowing our government has children in cages, regardless of where those children were born. I know that the civil rights movement didn’t solve all our problems.
What we should ask ourselves is why Americans won’t listen to Americans who are trying to help them?
I do not agree with every policy or statement put out by Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. What stands out to me about her is that she IS the American dream. She is the daughter of immigrants. She grew up in poverty and worked to help care for her younger siblings. She lost a parent young. She worked her way through college as a bartender and educated herself. She ran a successful campaign by identifying with the community she represents, and she raised money by reaching out to them. She is one of them. When she was elected, she was vocal with you about lobbyists and corruption she was witnessing first-hand. She speaks out when something is wrong within government, and conservative Americans hate her. You don’t have to agree with any of her policies but why can’t you listen when a politician who has worked like you and I, and struggled makes it to congress and is telling you exactly what is happening? Is it because she is a woman? An immigrant? Young? A former bartender? Let me tell you something about bartenders and resourceful women… we are highly underestimated. We can manage a room full of intoxicated people and keep track of your wife and your girlfriend. Bartenders and resourceful women listen, observe, and react. We multitask, problem solve and manage unpredictable adults.
You don’t trust the government, but you won’t listen to a working-class politician who is willing to tell you about corruption in the government she is witnessing. We should want more working-class people who’ve had to navigate the system to excel in life running for office. If she doesn’t represent your views, that is ok. I implore you to find a firecracker like her who does and elect her to office, or him. Just elect someone who understands you and stop trying to silence people who are telling you when something is wrong! Stop discounting younger people who enter politics to make a difference. Is the 70+ year old men making good decisions for you today?
I am voting for Joe Biden because I only have a choice between 2 people and one of them has proven to me that he does not identify with me at all. I make no apology for my decision. The “pervert” argument goes both ways and Trump has actual accusers and proof that he has paid off victims. I am not a hard-left progressive liberal who wants to take your guns and hurt your God. I am still in dismay that some of you believe that. Disliking Trump doesn’t make me any less American than you. Voting for a Democrat doesn’t make me less American either. I have lost friends because they can’t discuss policy and understand there is more to politics than what Trump said, Fox said, or CNN said. Read policy! Read bills! Read the law! Read the constitution! Go to Joe Biden’s page and read his actual platform. Go to Trump’s page and read his. Compare the 2 side by side and come back to your kitchen table. We can get emotional about a lot of topics, but facts don’t lie. When you consider your wages, healthcare, the and the economy, do you feel good about the future?
I have spent 5 years talking with people who disagree with me and observing who they are to understand why they think the way they do. I am comfortable with my decision and who I consider to be moral and reliable. America, we need to take responsibility and do better. Stop the bleeding and move forward toward a better future for our children and grandchildren. Vote this election to stop the bleeding. Then, come together with your neighbors to start looking for a leadership that speaks for you.
I’ve been called a lot of names by Trump supporters because I refuse to jump on their bandwagon. I’ve seen my friends act like fools trying to bait me into an argument and a few times I’ve engaged only to find they could not get past the depth of the first issue.
Stop blaming the media for misinformation. Stop blaming the democrats and the republicans. Educate yourself so hard that you don’t have to rely on the media. Understand how every single vote you cast affects your net paycheck. Then, and only then, we will change for the better and stop being angry with one another.
VOTE!!!
Freckled and Unfiltered 