Columbia County Political News

DOW BE DAMNED!
Part One

Recently the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit 26,000 an unthinkable mark 10 years ago.  Now that the stock market is soaring, what does that mean for you?  When the Republican lead Congress passed the new tax reform bill it was touted as the "greatest" tax bill every.  President Trump said, "this bill is going to allow corporations to bring billions back to the U.S., which they will use to create jobs and increase wages, raising up the middle class.  To this point we've seen corporate revenue go up, stock values go up, but what about your paycheck?

How many of you reading this know the DJIA, (Dow Jones Industrial Average) is up 28.5% over the last year?  Can you see that increase in your pay? Has your financial situation gotten dramatically better over the last year?  I don't ask these questions to be a downer, I ask these questions to make a point to the average middle class american citizen.  The stock market is a great vehicle to make money, it's also risky, you have to be in it, to win it!

The reason almost half of you aren't aware of the stock market gains, nearly half of you aren't in the stock market. "54% of Americans invest in the market, either through individual stocks, mutual funds, pensions or retirement plans like a 401(k), according to Gallup", that means 46% isn't in the market at all.  The tax cuts and stock market has made the rich richer, (CNBC) "84 percent of the stock in the United States is owned by the top 10 percent of households by net wealth".  (CNBC) What's incredible, statistics show more than 93 percent of the stock is owned by the top 20 percent of households. The bottom 80 percent of households owns only about 7 percent of stock.

If you think you're getting rich by the rise of the stock market think again, unless you are one of the top 20% or one of the lucky few who got into the market before its historic rise.  There is no doubt the tax cuts have increased corporate profits and spurred economic growth in the U.S., yet, the national minimum wage remains at $7.25 an hour.  You would think, if Congress can create a bill to increase corporate profits, why can't they raise the national minimum wage to at least $10 an hour?  Although I'm thrilled the stock market is doing well the middle class is seeing little of that gain in their paychecks.

This market and recent Republican tax cuts is widening the wealth gap between the have and have nots, but listen to President Trump tell it, you would think everyone in the Country had a good paying job, got a wage increase and a big bonus.  Don't be fooled by the gimmicks corporate greed is alive and well.  I will talk about the tax cuts, corporate profits and the middle class in part two.

MEDICAID FOLLY

While everyone who watches the news is well aware of the recent government shutdown few are talking about the change in Medicaid that could affect millions, including you if you receive Medicaid. 

While everyone was paying attention to something else, here is what the Trump Administration did.  Health & Science

“Trump administration opens door to states imposing Medicaid work requirements”

 The Trump administration issued guidelines to states that would allow them to force people who receive Medicaid benefits to work.  Medicaid is a fundamental part of the social safety net for U.S. citizens.  Is there fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system? Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean you take the extreme path to addressing the issue.  The reason for Medicaid is, Medicaid is the safety net for people who fall on hard times, run out of money, come down with a debilitating illness or some kind of family crisis.  Forcing people to work for benefits is not that easy, there are many reasons why a person would be on Medicaid. 

Here is a list of those exempt from having to work for Medicaid benefits: Pregnant women, Full time students, Caretakers of children under 19 or disabled adult, and those deemed medically frail.  Some would look at this list and say, this looks about right to me! I would say, this list is ripe for abuse and unfair management.  Some things are obvious like a pregnant woman, but what about the healthy looking man or woman with a mental illness?  Trump’s administration gives such vague guidelines States can build on them as they go along putting vulnerable people in a worse situation than they are already in.  Unless States plan to put examination boards in place to qualify individuals to work this is unjust treatment waiting to happen.

States that are currently looking to move toward the Trump Medicaid work for benefits programs are: Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah, and Wisconsin.  Kentucky has received approval and is on its way to implementing a work for Medicaid program.  I think it’s worth noting, every State on this list has a Republican Governor, except for Roy Cooper of North Carolina who’s a Democrat with a Legislator controlled by Republicans.  It’s no secret that Republicans have a problem with safety net programs like Medicaid, they often refer to Medicaid and other safety net programs as, “entitlement” programs.  Say what you want Medicaid and the people who need it knows no party line, just hope you’re not one of those needing Medicaid that would mean you too have fallen on hard times and need help.

I am positive Governor Cuomo of New York will not sign up for such a draconian change in how citizens receive Medicaid benefits, so Counties in New York are safe for now, but if we were to elect a Republican in the Governor’s office in New York who knows, it does seem to be a tread for Republicans.

William Hughes Jr.