Priorities as a President…
“A Call to Arms”
4 million deaths from climate change [2], a 7x inflation surge [15], and $18.5B on unauthorized immigrant healthcare [19]—how can we unite to fight and make things right? As a strong candidate running for the 2024 election, I plan to tackle America's issues by halting inflation, stopping the incoming illegal immigrants, and conquering the climate crisis. Inflation has caused stores and people to go bankrupt due to costly gas and groceries [21]. Illegal immigration is negatively impacting citizens through the quality of healthcare and jobs, as evidenced by the longer wait times at the Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas [6]. Hundreds of people are dying in Florida due solely to climate change[19]. Imagine America, a ship sailing through unstable waters, with the stormy clouds of poor policies encircling us. Solving these challenges will clear the horizon, empowering us to glide through any ocean.
From 2020 to 2022, inflation rates nearly septupled, rocketing from 1.2% to 8.0% [15]. From the limited gas production from OPEC and Alaska and the Russia-Ukraine war, gas prices have skyrocketed to $4.24 for regular gasoline for everyday consumers[16]. Increased transportation costs affect both the general public and businesses through shipping and exportation of goods [16]. In the last four years, grocery prices have increased by 25%, and 54% of Americans have reduced what they purchase [9]. With less demand, stores and citizens are losing their jobs, as evidenced by the closing of 1,000 Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores [17]. With the high inflation, young adults can not afford housing, but by offering tax incentives to home builders, we can lower the housing prices. While moderate inflation is necessary, current prices are impractical to most, demanding infrastructure investment to increase job opportunities and ensure price stability.
The effects of inflation can drastically differ, depending on one's financial position. For wealthy individuals, the impacts of inflation are trivial. Still, for one living paycheck to paycheck, the effects not only limit purchasing power but create food scarcity and trap families in a cycle of poverty. Business owners can raise the prices of products, making the rich richer and the poor poorer.
A strong gust of wind, illegal immigration, pushes our ship backward, causing more economic damage, less job availability, and a strain on public resources. People who come to our country illegally use public resources, leading to longer wait times at medical facilities like Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and the drain of public funds[6]. Addressing this issue requires measures such as implementing background checks that ensure residential safety and improving conditions in other countries to discourage individuals from leaving their own country [6]. Over 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. do not pay taxes [8]. In 2019, a report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) articulated that providing healthcare to these individuals has cost taxpayers roughly 18.5 billion dollars annually [19]. With illegal immigration, we need to find the balance between helping people and protecting our communities.
While stopping illegal immigration would ease wait times at hospitals, we can't ignore how individuals are landing in hospitals due to the waves of climate change. Many states, like Florida, have experienced climate change's impacts through intense heat and reduced rainfall. This event has led to rising sea levels in the state, causing the flooding of wetlands and drylands. In a decade, Florida faced the misfortune of 215 deaths from climate change [20], and our nation saw 11,000 deaths—can you imagine knowing and losing 11,000 individuals? These numbers inform the truth of how humans are suffering from climate change, boosting the importance of acting now [2].
During my childhood, I remember flying to Florida and visiting Disney World for summer vacation. The roller coasters and long walks not only made my trip exhilarating but also exhausting. Early in my trip, signs of climate change were evident. With the temperature of 115°F, I felt nauseous before fainting onto the blistering hot concrete. With ice packs, rest, and most importantly, juice, I was able to make a full recovery, but couldn’t save my vacation. This expanded my horizons and created empathy for the many people affected by climate change.
And it’s not just happening in Florida. Climate change has increased temperature globally, and we need a solution. The global temperature has risen only by 2°F in the last two centuries. However, it is projected to grow by 7.2°F by the end of the 21st century [14]. Losses to water supply, increased likelihood of fires, and damage to civilians' health are why 140 Californians died in just July 2022[3]. Fortunately, by investing in eco-friendly buildings and renewable energy, we can create new jobs and businesses, getting more people on board with sustainable practices. By recycling, using electric vehicles, and spreading environmental knowledge, we can help America deviate from this negative path, which is on track to sink our ship.
The issues facing America require urgent attention to remodel our ship to fit the 22nd century. Inflation has disrupted the economy and households by bankrupting businesses such as Dollar Tree and limiting the purchase of products for everyday Americans[10]. This issue demands tax incentives for homebuilders and infrastructure investment[16]. Secondly, unauthorized immigrants influence overpopulation, job competition, national security, and tax compliance, hence the importance of background checks and improving conditions in other countries [8]. The climate crisis threatens the lives of all, requiring the implementation of recycling practices, the transition to electric vehicles, and the promotion of environmental education and awareness [11]. We must tackle these issues by taking global responsibility, collaborating, and determination to improve America. Together, we will change policies and create initiatives that cover the root causes of climate change, inflation, and illegal immigration. The time for action is now to save our ship from being lost at sea.
Note: The following URLS are not mine, but are where I got the information from.
[1] Bloom, Dan. “Survey: Consumers Buying Less, Opting for Value at Grocery Store.” Chain Store Age, www.chainstoreage.com/survey-consumers-buying-less-opting-value-grocery-store.
[2] Carlson, Amanda. “Opinion | Climate Change's Death Toll.” The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/22/opinion/environment/climate-change-death-toll.html. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[3]“Climate Change Impacts in California.” State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General, 4 Oct. 2022, oag.ca.gov/environment/impact.
[4] Eilperin, Juliet, and Brady Dennis. “New U.N. Report on Climate Change Suggests World Has 15 Years to Take Action.” The Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/03/20/climate-change-ipcc-report-15/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[5] Forbes. "How American Citizens Finance Health Care for Undocumented Immigrants." https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2018/02/26/how-american-citizens-finance-health-care-for-undocumented-immigrants/?sh=5e6b956712c4. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[6] International Monetary Fund. “Inflation.” IMF, www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/Series/Back-to-Basics/Inflation. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[7] Jansen, Bart. “Family Dollar Stores Are Closing: Here's What You Need to Know.” USA Today, 13 Mar. 2024, www.usatoday.com/story/money/retail/2024/03/13/family-dollar-stores-closing/72955357007/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[8] Lamborn, Doug. “Illegal Immigration.” Congressman Doug Lamborn, lamborn.house.gov/issues/illegal-immigration. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[9] Modern Retail. "Bankruptcy Filings Soared in 2023 as Retail Companies Ran Out of Lifelines." https://www.modernretail.co/operations/bankruptcy-filings-soared-in-2023-as-retail-companies-ran-out-of-lifelines/#:~:text=Debt%20loads%20and%20lending%20issues&text=But%20there%20were%20also%20cultural,ways%20people%20responded%20to%20inflation. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[10] NBC News. “Immigration Debate a Hot Issue in Colorado.” NBC News, www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14172601. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[11] NerdWallet. “Are Gas Prices Going Down?” NerdWallet, https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/are-gas-prices-going-down. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[12] Pew Research Center. “Key Findings About U.S. Immigrants.” Pew Research Center, 20 Aug. 2020, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/08/20/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[13] P. H. (n.d.). Inflation. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/inflation.asp. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[14] The New York Times. "Climate Change's Death Toll." https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/22/opinion/environment/climate-change-death-toll.html#:~:text=In%20a%20recent%20commentary%20for,diarrhea%2C%20malaria%20and%20cardiovascular%20disease. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[15] Thomas, Lauren. “Grocery Price Inflation Heats Up as Biden, Lawmakers Mull Food Stamp Boost.” CNBC, 2 Feb. 2024, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/02/02/grocery-price-inflation-biden/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[16] U.S. Department of State. “Climate Crisis.” U.S. Department of State, www.state.gov/policy-issues/climate-crisis/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[17] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystems.” EPA, www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-ecosystems. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[18] United Nations. “What Is Climate Change?” United Nations, www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[19] U.S. Inflation Calculator. “Historical Inflation Rates: 1914-2023.” U.S. Inflation Calculator, www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/historical-inflation-rates/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[20] Bureau of Transportation Statistics. “Record-Breaking Increases in Motor Fuel Prices in 2022.” BTS, www.bts.gov/data-spotlight/record-breaking-increases-motor-fuel-prices-2022. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
[21] “Predictions for Future Global Climate.” UCAR Center for Science Education, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-change-impacts/predictions-future-global-climate#:~:text=Climate%20models%20predict%20that%20Earth's,to%20rise%20at%20present%20levels. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.