Seniors - Infrastructure

I’m turning 66 this month. Our generation and the ones right above and below us - let’s say 50-80 years old - have not done our part. While we were working and raising our children we put our trust in the government to do the right thing. We were raised by parents that believed the government worked for them. They taught us that the government would work for us too.

Why wouldn’t they teach us that? Government worked for them. During their lives the government pulled the Country out of a depression, fought two world wars, built an amazing Interstate Highway system, built electric dams, schools and so much more. We took it for granted that it would always be that way. We never really knew the sacrifices they made for us. The taxes they paid. The taxes they made corporations pay.

But just like our bodies, the infrastructure is worn down. We failed to maintain it. We allowed our government to lower taxes on us. We did not complain because we had more money to make our lives better. The trouble is that people with a lot of money and large corporations had their taxes lowered even more. The corporate tax rate dropped way down as did taxes for rich people. We were happy because our taxes were lower.

By allowing the taxes on the rich and large corporations to drop so low we cut off funding to the government. The result was the upkeep of the infrastructure went undone. Now the bills are coming due. Bridges are failing, roads are full of potholes, city services are aging and over stressed. You and I can not afford the taxes to fix everything. Yet it all needs fixing.

We old people need to stand together and with the power and with the votes we have left to do at least two things;

1. Keep our taxes level and raise taxes on high income people. The high income they enjoy is from a combination of hard work, low taxes and by using every aspect of the infrastructure I’ve been talking about to their benefit. It is time they paid their fair share to rebuild the infrastructure they so freely use.
2. Keep our taxes level and raise the corporate tax rate. While our wages were restrained corporate income grew by leaps and bounds. Corporations use every bit of the infrastructure that now needs repair. Roads, sewers, water, electric grids and schools. They use the people that were educated by our school property taxes. And then often fail to pay them a living wage.

I have stepped up to take our combined voices to the State Senate and make the changes that are so needed. I can only do that if you trust that it can be done. And then trust that I will work to get it done.

I believe I am worth your trust. Please give me your Vote.