This is the future right here
The first night of the Democratic National Convention turned into a well-deserved tribute to President Joe Biden, who has sacrificed more than 50 years of his life to our country. Unlike his immediate predecessor, he didn’t do it for money or fame; he did it because he loves our country. It was difficult to get a feel for how stepping down felt for President Biden, but we got it in his farewell speech. He’s a wonderful man, human being, and one of the best damned presidents we’ve ever had. We were blessed as a nation to have him, blessed by his legacy, and blessed that he chose Kamala Harris as his vice president. She is exactly who we need in the White House.
Harris’s housing plan has been released. Noah Smith, a macroeconomics expert, wrote about the plan on his blog. Smith said it’s very similar to what they have in Singapore. Smith wrote: “In Singapore, the government controls the supply of housing, because it owns about 90% of the land, and can decide how much to build.” Smith goes on to say that the homeownership rate in Singapore is close to 90%, made possible through a wealth redistribution system by giving lower-income, first-time homebuyers a government grant. In Harris’s plan, she wants to give $25,000 in downpayment assistance and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time buyers, tax incentives to builders to build starter homes and affordable rentals, a $40 billion fund to build, repurposing some federal lands for housing, a ban on price-setting tools used by landlords, and removing tax benefits from buyers who buy a large number of homes (which they then hoard to charge exorbitant rents). All I have to say about this plan is this: I wish Harris had been president when I bought my first home last year. Obviously, this will take a lot of doing, including moving around funding, but the very thought that Harris wants to do this for Americans is extremely heartwarming. Heartwarming is what this campaign has been all about.
Both Harris and Walz seem to genuinely care about people. They are thoughtful, empathetic, and both have already walked a mile in our shoes. People thought Donald Trump a good choice in 2016 because he appeared to be a successful businessman, which one might assume would make him understand spending and the like. People could not have been more wrong. He’s not only a failed businessman, but he has no experience whatsoever with how the rest of us live. He’s had things handed to him since he was born. Neither Walz nor Harris had that luxury, and they learned the hard way like the rest of us that hard work brings big rewards. Who better to lead this country into the future?
Democrats showed that they were all in during the first night of the convention. Hillary Clinton’s speech set the stage, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez spoke with power, and Jasmine Crockett gave us yet another humorous view of her alliteration skills (vindictive, vile villain violates voters’ vision). These young women (including Harris) are our future, and we’re off to a great start.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years