Photo/John Ramspott
“I am woman, hear me roar!”
More than 100 women will go to Congress next year! Women understood that someone
had to stand up. In part women were driven by the Trump effect, but also because of the suffering
in their communities. The Women’s March of 2017 galvanized hundreds to run for public
office. Nevada, for example, now has the first majority women state legislature. Women candidates
represented diverse backgrounds and many were first-time candidates. Many took up the issues that spoke for everyone: women’s rights, Medicare for All, public education, native rights, clean water, infrastructure, the
environment, and an America that cares for us all. The conditions inspired women to step forward. And, they did so with a roar!
Healthcare: the majority want major changes
Health care was a central issue in a number of races, including in ballot initiatives. Exit
polls of voters showed that 70% said the health system needs “major changes.” The poor won some victories regarding
Medicaid expansion, with voters in three “red states”—Utah, Nebraska, and Idaho—passing ballot measures calling for Medicaid expansion. These measures are expected to extend Medicaid coverage to around 300,000 new recipients. The election of new governors in Wisconsin, Kansas and Maine may also clear the way for Medicaid expansion in those states, which would give coverage to another 300,000 people. The candidates brought Medicare-for-all to the fore. This may improve the prospects for passing Medicare-for-all. This depends on the grassroots keeping up the fight.
Prop C: Taxing corporations to help the homeless
In San Francisco a ballot measure to tax companies making $50 million or more a year to help people get out of homelessness was passed by the voters with a 60% majority. This is expected to raise hundreds of millions of dollars a year. In this city with the highest rents in the nation, the shining glass high-rise offices of financial institutions and tech giants such as Facebook, Twitter and Salesforce overlook streets where people sleep on the concrete. Clearly most people want their fellows housed, and think corporations should pay their fair share where they profit so greatly.
Photo/Rob Crandall, Shutterstock
