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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 2019)
Page 12 April 10, 2019 O PINION Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. ‘No One Can Prove I Committed a Crime!’ A Russiagate reality check productive lives is valid. However, even if Trump gives a voice to your anger, he doesn’t ap- pear to do much more than that in terms of solving your prob- by J ill r iChardson lems, or America’s problems. Donald Trump Trump appears to run his is bragging that the administration like he ran Mueller report did his businesses — and in not prove he collud- this case, that’s not a good ed with Russia during thing. When people advocate the 2016 election. running government like a For most of us, when we rate how we’re doing in business, I understand them to our jobs, we don’t say, “Nobody can prove I committed a crime!” or even, “I didn’t commit a crime!” and then pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. At this point, we’ve seen the Trump White House in action for over two years. Several investiga- tive books and articles corroborate the chaos and disorder within it. Let me say for a moment, to the people who are angry at the state of the country, who feel left behind and disrespected by the mean that the government should media, government officials, aca- be more efficient. However, there demics, and other elites, your feel- are some key differences between ings are valid. Your desire to be government and business — and treated with respect and dignity, even more between government to have your concerns taken seri- and Trump’s businesses. A business is accountable to its ously, and to have a government that makes policy to help you and shareholders. The government is your family live safe, happy, and supposed to be accountable to the American people. A business’s ob- ligation to shareholders is mostly financial. The government’s obli- gation to the American people is far more. A leader in government should be a public servant, called to serve the people and improve the na- tion. A business leader can just be someone who wants to get rich for themselves. I don’t want a leader who runs the country like a business. I want decisions and found himself in a scrape, his father bailed him out. What’s more, Trump and his father used corrupt practices and racial discrimination to build their real estate empire. Trump appears to use his busi- ness and the presidency to bring wealth, glamour, and attention to himself. If he’s doing so without producing evidence of the specific crime of collusion with a foreign power, that doesn’t mean he’s do- Trump appears to use his business and the presidency to bring wealth, glamour, and attention to himself. If he’s doing so without producing evidence of the specific crime of collusion with a foreign power, that doesn’t mean he’s doing a good job for the rest of us. them to run the country like a country. Trump’s business is even more different. He was born into wealth, connections, and property, so he didn’t have to earn his way to the top with experience, education, and skill the way other CEOs do. When Trump made bad financial ing a good job for the rest of us. The government is supposed to be accountable to the American people. A business’s obligation to shareholders is mostly financial. The government’s obligation to the American people is far more. A leader in government should be a public servant, called to serve the people and improve the na- tion. A business leader can just be someone who wants to get rich for themselves. I don’t want a leader who runs the country like a business. I want them to run the country like a country. Trump’s business is even more different. He was born into wealth, connections, and property, so he didn’t have to earn his way to the top with experience, education, and skill the way other CEOs do. When Trump made bad financial decisions and found himself in a scrape, his father bailed him out. What’s more, Trump and his father used corrupt practices and racial discrimination to build their real estate empire. Trump appears to use his busi- ness and the presidency to bring wealth, glamour, and attention to himself. If he’s doing so without producing evidence of the specific crime of collusion with a foreign power, that doesn’t mean he’s do- ing a good job for the rest of us. OtherWords columnist Jill Richardson is pursuing a PhD in sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She lives in San Diego. Distributed by Other- Words.org. What Health Care Means for Families Like Mine My newborn got life-saving care and I got a GED k aty M oreno As a young moth- er doing it on my own, Medicaid has become a necessity. After giving birth at 17, I re-enrolled in high school in my hometown of Austin, Texas. But I felt lost. I didn’t know how I could take care of my son — an expe- rience that was entirely new and scary for me — and finish school. Meanwhile, my son Futur faced his own health concerns. The first few months of his life involved constant visits to different doctors trying to diagnose him. He was struggling to hold down food, and no one knew what we could feed him without making him sick. At six months old, he was re- ferred to a specialist who diag- nosed his condition, and he was given new medication to treat it. Futur had his first birthday in Jan- uary, and his health has dramati- by cally improved since he received the proper medication. Throughout this frustrating ex- perience, there was one constant that helped give me some peace of mind: Medicaid. Thanks to Medicaid, I re- ceived prenatal care through providers I trusted. Medic- aid helped cover my deliv- ery and hospital stay when I gave birth. Medicaid helped cover all the doctor visits we needed to make sure Futur could eat. Medicaid became a major life- line and support as I figured out how to be a new mom. While I take pride in being independent, I know that without programs like Medicaid, I wouldn’t be able to properly care for my baby. The country is currently having two very different conversations about health care. Some elected officials and can- didates for office are debating how to expand access to care to more Americans. Meanwhile, states like Texas still reject the opportunity to expand Medicaid under the Af- fordable Care Act, which makes it harder for young people like me to get the care they need to live with dignity. We’re the ones who get lost in the debates in statehouses and Washington. And there are so many of us. Here in Texas, near- ly 1.7 million people could bene- fit if our state decided to expand Medicaid — including more than born, and I’m grateful that I did. But I worry about the millions of other young people in my situa- tion struggling to make ends meet and unsure of where to turn for that help. That’s what programs like Medicaid can provide — a support network during challenging times. would have been possible without Medicaid. Medicaid saw my son and me through uncertain times, and we’re covered by the program now as I work to create a better fu- ture for us. As debates continue around how to improve our health care system, please remember that We’re the ones who get lost in the debates in statehouses and Washington. And there are so many of us. Here in Texas, nearly 1.7 million people could benefit if our state decided to expand Medicaid — including more than 600,000 who don’t have any coverage now. 600,000 who don’t have any cov- erage now. Rather than making it harder to get access to Medicaid, as many are proposing, we should be fo- cusing on ensuring everyone can get access to the care they need. Despite the complicated pro- cess, I was able to get enrolled in Medicaid for myself and my new- And that support can make all the difference. I’m proud to say that since Fu- tur’s birth, I earned my GED and am currently working towards a certified nursing certificate. Mean- while, I’m working two minimum wage jobs and have the full-time job of being a parent. It’s still hard. But none of this programs like Medicaid are more than a political talking point — they help people like my son and me stay healthy and live happy, dignified lives. Katy Moreno is an 18-year old mother and GED graduate pur- suing her certified nursing certif- icate in Austin, Texas. Distributed by OtherWords.org.
