Letter to the Editor: Not interested? Maybe you should be

To the Editor:

This letter is for those of you who do not vote, who don’t really care about “politics” and pay no attention to any of it. Please read on.

What happens in Washington, or in Des Moines, matters to you. It affects your own lives, your health, your rights and your finances.

The more progressive party in Washington has recently voted in some pretty cool stuff. These are some highlights from the Inflation Reduction Act:

Now, corporations making over a billion dollars will have to pay taxes - 15%, not 0%, and when they buy back their own stock, a 1% excise tax. Contrary to the opposing party lies, the more progressive party did not add taxes to everyday Americans.

Senior citizens on Medicare will have a lower cap on out-of-pocket expenses and Medicare will be able to negotiate some drug prices with those billionaire pharmaceutical companies.

The Inflation Reduction Act extended the subsidies for Obama Care premiums for everyday Americans.

It also budgeted $300 billion for efforts to curb climate change, and expand renewable energy. The more progressive congress folk understand the urgency to save our planet.

The more conservative party, to a man (and woman), voted against all of the above.

The more conservative party votes to deny a woman’s right to control the health of her own body, to choose whether or not she will make the difficult decision to end a pregnancy, or soon, if she can even get birth control.

The more conservative politicians vote to make it more difficult for all Americans to exercise their right to vote, especially if they are black, brown or disadvantaged.

The more conservative party voted against the extension of the “child tax credit” and capping insulin at $35.00. They want to privatize Medicare like they tried with Medicaid. You know how well that worked.

The more conservative party voted to censor books in libraries and schools. Tolerance for opposing ideas is under threat from them.

Now, I know you said you weren’t interested and didn’t care, but maybe you should. Please register to vote, and consider progressive candidates. As you can see, they are in the real party that cares what happens to you.

Ann Klees
Waterville