McConnell’s failures vs McGrath’s vision

As I was taking my early morning walk, I came upon two Trump/McConnell supporters who know that I write a column. They began to quiz me about what Democrats, namely Amy McGrath, could do in Washington that would have any impact on Kentuckians. I promised I would return with the information they requested. Here it is.

Housing Crisis
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic began, the housing crisis was a pressing issue in parts of Kentucky. To afford a one-bedroom apartment, someone would need to work 60+ hours at minimum wage per week. Now, more than 40% of our state’s renters are at risk of eviction.

Mitch’s Failure

Mitch failed us by ending the unemployment bonus that allowed people to afford rent, he has politicized the eviction moratorium that kept families in their homes, and he gave state and local governments little to help people afford to stay in their homes.

Amy’s Vision

Protect families and their homes. Amy wants to increase SNAP benefits to make sure people have the food they need. She wants to help renters and continue the eviction moratorium, continue the unemployment benefits so that families have the money they need. And she wants to help state and local governments with the aid they need to help their communities.

Health Crisis
Only 17% of those living at the federal poverty level in Western Kentucky reported very good or excellent health.

Mitch’s Failure

Mitch voted to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at least 19 times and supports the lawsuit trying to overturn the ACA in our unsettled Supreme Court. In Western Kentucky, this would mean more than 70,000 people would lose their health insurance.

Amy’s Vision

In addition to creating a public option that would make health care more affordable, she wants to expand funding for community health centers to provide care to Kentuckians.

Internet Crisis
In West Kentucky over a third of homes have no internet access, and many more have no nearby access to the internet with the speeds they need to do things like complete schoolwork or participate in the modern economy.

Mitch’s Failure

In 2013, Mitch voted against expanding rural broadband service. In 2012, he voted to cut federal assistance for rural broadband expansion.

Amy’s Vision

Amy will invest in ensuring every home has broadband with a 21st century equivalent of the Rural Electrification Act, which brought electricity to the more than 90% of rural farms that needed it.

Investing in broadband will give children the resources they need to learn in today’s economy, spur job creation, and will make health care more accessible/affordable through telemedicine and improve the job search process.

School Facilities Crisis
In addition to the lack of internet access in the region, which prohibits every student from having an equal education, and any education during this pandemic, school buildings in Western Kentucky need investment. For example, Graves County Lowes Elementary school has no HVAC system.

Mitch’s Failure

Mitch doesn’t care about our schools. He has voted three times to eliminate the Department of Education, putting in jeopardy $500 million per year for K-12 school programs in Kentucky.

Amy’s Vision

Amy will work to create federal grants for school districts that lack resources to upgrade their infrastructure, from installing a new HVAC system in Graves Co. to providing computers to students.

Rural Kentucky is the backbone of our state and has made vital contributions to the economic growth of our country. From the coal miner whose work kept our lights on, to the farmers who keep food on our tables, the prosperity of our state and country would not have been possible — and still would not be — without Kentucky’s rural communities.

Sen. Mitch McConnell has turned his back on our rural communities. Rural counties go without clean water and high-speed internet, and family farmland continues to shrink as Big Ag has grown to dominate the industry. In coal towns, jobs continue to dwindle, and schools continue to struggle to support the next generation.

The verdict should be obvious. We need to term limit Mitchell McConnell. He can sail off into the sunset with his unearned millions, and we can start building the Kentucky that ALL of our citizens need.

–30–