Democratic Oak Tree

Were you born between 1981 and 1987?

If so, you may not realize how different life could be if – while you were growing up – political power had been used for the common good.

If you’re 18, you were born during the presidency of Republican Ronald Reagan. You were probably learning to tie your shoes during the administration of Republican President George Herbert Walker Bush, father of George W. 

If you’ve lived here all your life, you’ve had a Republican governor ever since you began to talk.

When you began elementary school, our country elected a Democratic President – the only Democratic president in your lifetime. The Senate and House were controlled by the Republican Party during most of Bill Clinton’s presidency – which prevented moving ahead with health care initiatives – but for a time poverty diminished, the middle class grew, we had a budget surplus, and America’s leaders were respected by other nations.

Since 2000, our national government has been run entirely by the Republican Party:  a Republican President, Republican Senate, Republican House, and Republicans in leadership positions across the federal government.  

We’re fortunate to have Democrats vigorously representing us in Massachusetts, but Republicans have the votes in Washington and the power of the executive branch, including our corner office in Boston.

For most of your life, the Republican Party has determined the public priorities and the hiring of public officials – even investigations into the incompetent handling of national security and disaster relief.

You’ve been a witness to the Republican “ownership society” – which to most of us really means “We’re all in this alone.”

If you’re in college, you probably have signed large loans in order to pay for tuition, textbooks, and living expenses. You’re likely to be working too many hours to take full advantage of golden opportunities to learn and make lifelong friends.  

Affording college has always been a problem for those who aren’t rich, but your generation has had it the hardest since World War 2. At public colleges, funding has been cut, forcing schools to raise tuition and fees. Federal student loans have been cut at the same time.

Are you able to see a doctor when you’re in serious pain? If you have insurance, what is it costing you and your family? During your lifetime, there’s been an enormous increase in the number of uninsured Americans, and in the cost of premiums.

What about a job that will allow you to cover your rent and gradually pay off debt? We’ve seen a burgeoning of part-time jobs with low pay and few benefits during these “ownership society” years.

Even the best employers are struggling under the burden of paying employee health insurance, which means they’re reluctant to expand jobs.

In the “old days,” before you were born, there was a long period after World War 2 when average people could afford a decent apartment in the city they grew up in.

Tuition at public colleges was low. Federal loans allowed many to graduate from college with little debt.

It was customary for employers to provide health insurance.

Usually workers received annual raises that allowed them to stay ahead of inflation.

Bridges used to be kept in good repair. Local fire and police protection were considered high priorities.

The country was reducing air and water pollution.

When deterioration in public services is gradual, or all you’ve ever known, it doesn’t seem like a crisis – until a televised emergency like Hurricane Katrina exposes the decay.

It’s fair to say we’re in a crisis when it comes to all public services.

The “ownership society” has turned us into a debt-ridden society. The tax cuts given to the very wealthiest Americans while the US is fighting a staggeringly expensive war have caused our government to pile up debt. You and your future children will be struggling with that deficit for years to come.

In the name of an “ownership society,” Republicans are mortgaging your future in terms of education, health, income, security, and environment.

If you look at America’s progress during Democratic administrations after World War 2, you’ll discover ample evidence that the Democratic Party works for the common good. Against vehement Republican objections, our party fought for economic justice and civil rights. Your parents and grandparents benefited from Democratic policies.

Once Democrats regain power, you’ll start to see improvement. It won’t be an immediate transformation, because we have many years of neglect to overcome. But we’ll be taking steps forward rather than backward. Our leadership won’t be down hill!