The views and opinions expressed in these editorials are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Maryleaf. Any content provided by our authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.
by Ellie Mustico
The Trump train is the best train in this 2020 election. Take a look at what he has actually accomplished, not what the biased media wants you to believe. Remember that the following impressive list of just a few accomplishments is just within 4 years.
In regards to the Black community, Trump has signed a bipartisan bill that will more permanently provide more than $250 million a year to historically Black Colleges and Universities and has promised to label the KKK a terrorist group. He also has signed the First Step Act, a criminal justice bill which enacts reforms that make our justice system fairer and helps former inmates successfully return to society. This addressed laws that disproportionately harmed Black Americans and reformed mandatory minimums that created unfair outcomes. Black Americans were 90% of the people who benefited from this and African-American unemployment reached an all-time record low.
In regards to foreign relations, he has secured an historic peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to advance peace and prosperity and was nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize. He also imposed tariffs on China in response to China’s offered technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and their chronically abusive trade practices.
He has declared war on sex trafficking, and has given $35 million to aid human sex trafficking victims and has signed the FOSTA-SESTA (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act/Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act) which gives law enforcement and victims new tools to fight sex trafficking.
Prescription drug prices were soaring out of control for many decades. Before Trump was in office prescription drug prices increased by an average of 3.6% per year but since he has been in office he has dropped it year by year with a 1.1% DROP as of the most recent month. He also will provide free HIV prevention drugs to 200,000 uninsured patients per year and has secured $6 billion in new funding to fight the opioid epidemic.
Trump has also defied experts in regards to environmental issues. He gave the EPA $100 million to fix the water infrastructure problem in Flint, Michigan. He also signed a bill protecting 375,000 acres of land as well as the Save our Seas Act which funds 10 million per year to clean tons of garbage from the ocean.
The economic milestones he achieved are among the best in the history of our nation regardless of income class. In regards to low-income households, the 25% lowest-paid Americans enjoyed a 4.5% income boost in November 2019, which outpaces a 2.9% gain in earnings for the country’s highest-paid workers. The poverty rate dropped to a 17-year-low of 11.8% under Trump administrations. More than 7 million jobs were created after the election but prior to the coronavirus.
As impressive as all this is, we are not in a Republican versus Democrat election. This is about bringing power back to the people. Trump has become such a threat to their way of life that every corporate giant, mainstream media and social media company has declared war against him. Thoughts are being banned and alternative viewpoints being blocked. A handful of companies control 90 percent of the media. America needs to wake up and realize they are taking our rights away one by one and they are starting by programming everyone to think exactly the same.
Not only do they tell us what to be upset about, they tell us what to ignore. Biden has made countless racist comments that the media just pushed under the rug because that is not their narrative. Biden was friends with a former leader of his local KKK chapter and even spoke at his eulogy. But again the media does not want you to see that. Biden’s son may have proof of illegal foreign activities on his computer. But the MEDIA DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW. Social media has blocked posts that mention this including the NY Post, one of the oldest papers in America. It now appears obvious that Biden’s greatest accomplishments in 47 years of public service was enriching himself and his family. This is probably the reason that Biden supporters can’t ever state why he deserves their vote without mentioning the word Trump.
We, the people of America are being used and stripped of our rights. Some people have said that this isn’t a big deal because they are after Trump. This is not true. They are after us, Trump has thrown himself in the way. Wake up, see what’s happening, research, think for yourself, and VOTE TRUMP 2020.
by Alexandra Meier
The 2020 presidential election is swiftly approaching and the future state of this nation is heavily dependent on the candidate elected into office. Democratic candidate Joseph R. Biden and running mate Kamala D. Harris have proposed and implemented promising policies over the course of both this election and their political careers to aid the country’s recovery from such an uncertain year. Joe Biden’s proposed series of policies will combat the ongoing public health crisis as well as the fractured economic and social fabrics of the United States.
The trajectory of Covid-19 in America has reached an alarming condition under President Trump’s administration as positive cases continue to climb. The pandemic has caused immense economic struggles for working and middle class families over past months as well as needless amounts of death. Joe Biden is determined to aid this nation’s recovery by the means of a five-step plan to be enacted within moments of his declaration to presidency. His plan can be condensed into the areas of testing and tracing, distribution of personal protective equipment, vaccines, reopening steps, and protection of high-risk individuals. Biden’s most significant plans to stop the spread include building a national contact tracing workforce to be equipped with ample resources and over 100,000 American employees in response to multiple failures of containing the virus in past months. The mass shortage of personal protective equipment among healthcare workers is a disappointing consequence of Trump’s negligence. Joe Biden is committed to establishing a national effort to acquire, produce and distribute PPE under the authority of his proposed Four Point Plan for healthcare and other essential workers. The Biden administration understands this nation’s urgent demand for a safe and clinically-trialed vaccine and will accelerate a coordinated approach to develop, manufacture, and distribute this under the Emerging Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Network. Biden is dedicated to rallying scientific talent behind the most promising treatments and restoring a prominent relationship with the World Health Organization in order to coordinate a global response to this pandemic. In the midst of a growing public health crisis, this country is in need of strong leadership under Joe Biden and stability to ensure the safety of all Americans and address worsening economic conditions for working families.
The US economy faces a crossroads as unemployment rates continue to increase amidst the pandemic and working class families endure the repercussions of inequitable tax cuts. The pandemic has created many unfavorable circumstances for the economy as the unemployment rate is higher than what it was during the Great Recession and millions of Americans have lost jobs, pay, healthcare, and small businesses. These conditions considered, Trump’s administration has been rewarding corporate wealth over working families long before the pandemic infiltrated American economics. President Trump spent his first year in office advocating for the Tax Cuts and Job Acts, which primarily benefited only the top 1% of earners in the country. To compensate for this tremendous tax giveaway, his administration raised taxes on the middle class by slowing the rate of inflation and pushing working families into higher tax brackets. As President, Biden will work to lessen these inequitable wealth gaps by taxing the corporations and refusing to further tax Americans with an annual salary of less than $400,000.
Prior to the pandemic, President Trump was frequently credited as responsible for this nation’s increased GDP growth and lowered unemployment rate; however, this sentiment is not well-supported by unbiased facts. The GDP growth for the first nine quarters of the Trump Presidency has averaged 2.77 %, compared to the 2.3% average over the sixteen quarters of Obama’s second term, however Trump does not deserve all the credit for this growth. His most significant economic policy was the Tax Cuts and Job Act passed in 2017, aimed directly at business investment of which was increased by a small amount. National accounts show the growth rate of nonresidential fixed investment to rise from 6.3 % before the tax cut to 7% over the following quarters. With nonresidential fixed investment amounting to about one-seventh of GDP, the boost in economic growth during Trump’s first nine quarters proves to be minuscule. The acceleration of federal government spending between Obama’s second term and Trump’s first nine quarters accounts for the remainder of President Trump’s overall GDP growth. Overall, Trump’s economic policies must have boosted GDP growth a bit; however, this also comes at the expense of a federal budget deficit, environmental damage, and reduced protections for workers. Joe Biden will compensate for Trump’s past incompetencies by launching a national effort aimed at creating jobs to build a sustainable economy and deliver a clean-energy future.
According to Vice-President Biden, healthcare is a human right; accordingly, every individual regardless of gender, race, income or sexual orientation is entitled to affordable and quality health insurance. Under the Obama-Biden administration, the Affordable Care Act was passed as an assurance to the American people that no individual could be denied healthcare coverage for a pre-existing condition. The Affordable Care Act has experienced unabated criticism from Congressional Republicans in their constant efforts to repeal it. As president, Joe Biden will protect the Affordable Care Act by providing Americans with the option of public health insurance like Medicare, reducing healthcare costs for low income families, and making the health care system more inclusive. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, disparities in the public insurance system and lack of access to affordable private insurance left millions without health coverage. The Obama-Biden administration was able to reverse this incline of uninsured rates by passing the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Subsequently, President Trump’s efforts of repealing Obamacare proved to be detrimental as the number of uninsured Americans has increased by about 1.4 million since 2016. Joe Biden will work to stop this reversal of progress by increasing the value of tax credits to lower premiums, thereby extending affordable coverage to more working Americans. Biden believes healthcare is inclusive to all individuals; however, he recognizes the racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and other forms of discrimination still present in the health care system. The Trump Administration’s opposition to abortion has cast unjust conditions on women’s reproductive rights. Biden will work to reverse these sentiments as President by codifying Roe v. Wade and banning Targeted Regulation of Abortion Provider laws, which are in violation of one’s constitutional right to an abortion. Biden and his administration will continue to combat these issues by implementing policies, which expand on reproductive rights, accessible healthcare protections for LGBTQ+ groups, and reducing the abnormally high maternal mortality rates for women of color.
In order to address social injustices in the nation, the Biden administration has proposed a series of progressive policies aimed to establish reform for race equality, working families, immigration, and climate change. Joe Biden understands the entrenched societal challenges faced by Black Americans in this age and plans to rebuild the economy in a manner that extracts systemic racism from law, policy and, institution. As the fourth pillar of the Build Back Better agenda, investments will be made in infrastructure, innovation, manufacturing, education, housing, clean energy, federal procurement and small business to advance racial equality as part of the nation’s economic recovery. A new economy must be rebuilt in response to the pandemic by which Black and Latino Americans, Native Americans, immigrants and women are no longer excluded. In this time of crisis, Biden plans to create millions of well-paying jobs including work to fight the pandemic through a Public Health Job Corps, tools, and freedom that will give the American people the means to recover. This also includes strengthening the American immigration identity as a nation that flourishes with immigrants. As Vice President, Joe Biden championed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows individuals who arrived in the country as children to receive a two-year period of deferred action from deportation. As president, Biden will finish the work of building a fair and humane immigration system, restoring the work that Trump’s administration has undone.
Our nation’s environmental justice policy was developed decades ago and no longer addresses environmental needs of the present future. In order to provide new opportunities to those who have been disproportionately burdened by pollution, Biden will revise and establish an Environmental and Climate Justice division within the U.S. Department of Justice. Biden will direct his Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice to criminal anti-pollution cases, neglected by President Trump’s administration.
Joe Biden is dedicated to criminal justice reform and the reconstruction of a country that is equal, equitable and just. The current American prison system is inherently flawed due to the excess number of incarcerated individuals, the racial and income-based disparities that exist, and the private prisons that are capable of profiteering off our criminal justice system. As President, Joe Biden will strengthen America's commitment to justice by passing the Safe Justice Act, which is a comprehensive bill to reform criminal justice in the United States. The policy is based on the premise of preventing crime and providing opportunities for all as opposed to criminalizing marginalized groups. Biden will accelerate criminal justice reform at the state and local levels by creating a new grant program where states, counties, and cities will receive funding to invest in efforts proven to reduce crime and incarceration, including efforts to address some of the factors like illiteracy and child abuse that are correlated with incarceration. The Safe Justice Act ensures federal funding for mental health and substance use disorder services as well as expanding health insurance coverage so that more Americans will have access to mental health treatment. Biden is dedicated to eliminating racial disparities in the justice system as well as ensuring fair sentences by addressing systemic misconduct in police departments and prosecutor’ offices, offering alternatives to detention, ending the death penalty, and decriminalizing marijuana. The juvenile justice system is in need of reform in which children are given a second chance to live up to their potentials. The Biden administration will protect children's rights in the justice system by investing $1 billion in juvenile justice reform, prohibiting children from being incarcerated in adult facilities, and expanding funding for after-school programs. Joe Biden believes in redemption and will work to ensure that incarcerated individuals are earning second chances and the opportunity to participate in our democracy after they have served time.
The future of this country faces a turning point this election as the American people will continue to endure health and economic crises under a new presidential term. Although Joe Biden is ahead in the national polls, the outcome of this election is still very unpredictable at this point. Joe Biden will aid the progress of this country’s recovery from the pandemic as well as restructuring in economic and social frameworks.
Works Cited:
“Plan to Protect and Build on Obamacare: Joe Biden.” Joe Biden for President: Official Campaign Website, 11 Oct. 2020, joebiden.com/healthcare/.
Jennifer Tolbert, Kendal Orgera Follow @_KendalOrgera on Twitter. “Key Facts about the Uninsured Population.” KFF, 14 May 2020, www.kff.org/uninsured/issue-brief/key-facts-about-the-uninsured-population/.
“Plan to Protect and Build on Obamacare: Joe Biden.” Joe Biden for President: Official Campaign Website, 11 Oct. 2020, joebiden.com/healthcare/.
Li, Huaqun, and Kyle Pomerleau. “Distributional Impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act over the Next Decade.” Tax Foundation, 31 July 2020, taxfoundation.org/the-distributional-impact-of-the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-over-the-next-decade/.
Blinder, Alan S. “Opinion | Don't Give Trump Too Much Credit for the Soaring Economy.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 16 May 2019, www.wsj.com/articles/dont-give-trump-too-much-credit-for-the-soaring-economy-11558047531.
Reported by Ellie Mustico
Brandon Hibbard, Senior: "Although I don’t like any candidate in particular, I’d vote for Joe Biden if I could vote. I feel his administration would benefit this country much more than President Trump’s."
Ana Milazzo, Senior: "Biden, because I think there needs to be a change in this country and it begins with stronger leadership. "
Steven Gough, Junior: "Mr. Trump."
Caroline Viselli, Junior: "I’m still waiting on Kanye’s campaign."
Zharia Ashley, Sophomore: "I would vote for Biden because my morals and goals align more with him than other candidates. "
Shane Maloney, Sophomore: "Biden"
Garrin Dougherty, Freshman: "Trump all the way. "
Mallory Sheehan, Freshman: "If I could vote, I would vote for Trump. "
Natalie Risley, 8th Grade: "Trump "
Caleb White: "Trump, because he isn’t racist, he isn’t a pedophile, and he has built a wall to keep out illegal immigrants. He also won’t take your taxes like Biden will if he wins office."