Small-Town America has a Political Problem
How can Rural Communities Move Forward if they keep Electing the Most Extreme Members of Congress?
Small-town America has a political problem.
Our communities are increasingly (mis)represented by some of the most extreme members of Congress: elected officials who are loud, divisive, and more concerned with opposing everything than getting to work, collaborating, and passing bills to help rural communities.
Today’s Republicans would rather pander to their radical base than solve real issues:
Family farms being swallowed up by corporate giants?
It’s the free market.
Environmental crises stifling crop harvests?
You mean the climate hoax?
Lack of access to health care, high speed internet, job training, and educational opportunities?
That’s socialism.
From stalled-out infrastructure projects to embarrassing behavior by elected officials – we don’t need to remind you about Lauren Boebert or Marjorie Taylor Greene – we deserve so much more from our leaders in charge.
But it hasn’t always been this way! For years, we had good, bipartisan working relationships with Democratic leaders in rural states (like our own Heidi Heitkamp as Senator in North Dakota) and Republican leaders of blue states (like Charlie Baker in Massachusetts or Arnold Schwarzenegger in California).
But with the kind of folks in power today, it’s no wonder corporate ownership of farms is on the rise, basic public services are underfunded, and “infrastructure week” is a guaranteed punch line.
It’s going to take a while, but we will slowly right this ship. Folks who were apathetic or asleep at the wheel are awake and engaged now. Voters who feel taken advantage of are ready to check a different box on their ballots. But no one, not us and not you, are sitting around waiting for the next big election to do something. Millions of Americans have shown up to rally, protest, and march from big cities to town squares in all fifty states to put pressure on the folks in charge to save our Social Security, protect our Medicaid, and bring down the cost of living for working families.
See you out there!