Score one for Joe Biden
While the Rust Belt was a focus of both of Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns, he did very little to improve the quality of life in the region, despite vague promises about making America great and bringing back jobs that no longer exist.
However, thanks to the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Biden, a considerable change for the better is about to take place in this region – a $1 billion restoration project on the Great Lakes, with 40% of funding going to underserved communities – many of which are Black and Latino communities disproportionately affected by pollution.
It’s become a staple of right-wing politics to point to Detroit as a sign of the failure of Democratic politics, which is really a not so subtle racist dog whistle and cover for a city that is struggling due to the terrible economic policies set forth by Republican administrations. The Trump administration in this way was no different – routinely opposing funding to the region in their ongoing effort to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency.
Even when Trump proposed some funding for cleaning up the Great Lakes he was determined to do so while gutting the EPA – something that would almost certainly happen under his watch if he were awarded a second term. With each passing day, it’s clear that simply voting Democratic can make a great difference in our lives by every objective measure.
