From Susan Andersen

Monroe

To the Editor:

Many people are struggling economically in our state of Wisconsin.  Our minimum wage is still $7.25 and one in five Wisconsinites make under $12 per hour.  That’s just not enough. It needs to change and folks on both sides of the aisle need to start listening and talking about poverty.  People living in poverty and low wage earners make up 40% of the electorate in Wisconsin and could determine the outcome of the election if they vote.

Which presidential candidate do I trust to address the economic issues that plague so many of us? Without a doubt, I trust Vice President Kamala Harris and will be voting for her in November.  I trust her past record of cracking down on predatory lending practices and improving access to venture capital and loans for overlooked communities.

I trust her economic agenda going forward. She plans to lower costs by cutting taxes for the middle class, cut the red tape for new housing construction, take on corporate landlords who are making rental prices unaffordable, work with builders to construct 3 million new homes, and help first-time homebuyers with $25,000 down payment assistance. She promises a federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries and will continue to cap prescription drug prices.

At the Harris rally in Madison, I heard Teamsters Joint Council #39 President Bill Carroll endorse the Harris Walz ticket and I sat next to a sea of LiUNA (Laborer’s Union) members who had come to support Harris.  She and Walz are the pro-union candidates — and we need unions to support the workers who build our houses, clean our buildings, and educate our children.

I believe fiercely in small businesses (including family farms in Wisconsin) and  Harris and Walz are the candidates who support them.  Small businesses generate 50% of new jobs and keep the market diverse and competitive.

I realize that no one presidential candidate will agree 100% with my beliefs.  That’s OK.  What is essential is a president who shows that they are capable of understanding the problems people are facing and care about finding solutions.  I’ve watched both Harris and Walz listen to people and propose sane, practical and ground-level effective economic policies.  I’ve seen them approach people with kindness, humility and strength.  That works for me.

Please consider voting Harris-Walz this November and all the other down-ballot candidates, too!