With the results of last week’s election the people of America have made it clear that they want change.

They no longer want a government that is ineffective and politicians that are unable to work out their partisan differences. They want our leaders to work together to provide good paying jobs, a quality education for our children and rebuild the infrastructure that made our nation the envy of the world.

But unfortunately they elected the same type of politician that for the past four years have done nothing but obstruct progress to satisfy the corporate agenda that only cares about tax breaks for the wealthy and the destruction of the middle class.

The Republicans now have a 54-seat majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and control over the U.S Senate. Last week republican leaders Mitch McConnell and John Boehner announced their plan in an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal to make changes or totally repeal Obamacare with no clear plan to replace it possibly leaving millions of Americans without health insurance and making it clear that they have no intention of working with the president or compromising in anyway. Regardless of the fact that 7.3 million people signed up for Obamacare last year and even more are expected to sign up this year despite their propaganda smear campaign aimed at Obamacare the fact is many Americans like the Affordable Care Act and the ability to keep their children on their health insurance until they are 26 and coverage for preexisting conditions and many other benefits.

But unfortunately the republicans have gerrymandered the nation to the point that they will be able to pass all sorts of the corporate sponsored and conspiracy driven legislation that will only do more harm to the poverty stricken of this nation and continue to wage war upon the middle class and the president will be forced to veto them.

Under President Obama our nation has prospered and unemployment is down to 5.8 percent this month and the economy has added 2.3 million jobs this year. In order to continue to improve our economy we need to continue to raise the minimum wage, invest in education and infrastructure and protect our unions to protect the middle class.

Apparently the Republicans intend to govern through scare tactics and ultimatums with their new majority and make our government even more dysfunctional and use lies and half-truths to place the blame on the shoulders of the President. Not to be swayed President Obama has made it clear that he intends to use executive orders to carry forth his agenda and stand up to the obstructionists who have no intention of passing legislation that is in the best interest of the American people.

I understand the frustration that many Americans feel and many voters believe that their voice no longer counts. 6 out of every 10 voters in Michigan chose not to vote last week and two-thirds of Americans overall chose not to cast their ballot which allows for just one-third of Americans to make the decision for the rest of the nation. But we should always remember our elected officials are there to serve the will of the people and we must hold them accountable but we can only do so by participating in the election process.

 

William Crandell is a community activist and member of the Michigan Education Association and the Michigan Democratic Party. He is also a member of the South County Democratic Club where he has served as their communications director and as the chairperson of the SCDC Blue Tiger Community Action Committee.