While the revelations coming out of the January 6th Committee would seem sufficient cause to think multiple times before supporting Republicans, there are more mundane, but critical, reasons to consider whom to entrust your vote.
A few weeks back, the contrast in governing practices became very clear when a not-quite hurricane force storm slowly traversed Florida, causing widespread flooding of citizens’ homes, neighborhoods and business. The Republican governor has spent most of the last year addressing a wide range of culture war issues. It seems nearly all of his time and effort went to ensuring students remain ignorant of broad sections of American history and American society with his so-called “parental rights” legislation. The topics he wants to have teachers avoid were not even being taught to begin with.
Instead of ensuring that the infrastructure would be in place and ready for the inevitable high rain events that visit the south on an annual basis, Florida’s governor was focused elsewhere - and his citizens suffered.
An alternative governing practice is on display here locally. In Rockford, at the same time Florida was flooding, the local government was investing funds from the American Rescue Plan to benefit local citizens. Specifically, a long empty retail space is being adapted to house a small business incubator that will encourage entrepreneurs to grow their dreams in ways that expand job opportunities.
That’s an investment which will benefit us all. As new businesses form, they create jobs, which create taxpayers, and expand the local economy generally.
When considering where you want your taxpayer dollars invested, consider if those resources would best serve you by fighting fake culture war issues, or would we do better to invest those funds in a way that creates opportunities and jobs.