I have been thinking a lot about this lately: Why be a Democrat? Well, it is obvious that I would not want to be a Republican. On the other hand, many of my friends are Republicans; they are not biased or trying to end abortion or carrying their guns around in public. Maybe THEY need a new party, too.
Unfortunately, the Democrats do not care about me, an independent voter. They push social legislation that would not benefit me, including child care, family leave, and college loan forgiveness. These may be nice to have, but can we find enough rich people and businesses who will pay for them?
On the other hand, I would dearly love to have Medicare negotiate lower prices for my prescription drugs. And I would like to see an end to the “doughnut hole,” which limits me to the cheapest generic drugs rather than the better new ones recommended by my doctors. So why do the Democrats not pass legislation that even some Republicans can support?
I may have to stay an independent, which means that both parties will continue to ignore my wants and needs. I could become a moderate Democrat or Republican, which would mean I am similarly ignored. Maybe we do need a third party. Or change our government to a parliamentary system that does not let special interests or a minority segment of voters control all of the power.
Thomas Oatway
Valencia
