With election day just around the corner, many of us are doing our last minute research and making our decisions about who to vote for this year.
What if Obama were to win the election and hold his position as president for the next four years? How would it affect my life as a student and a woman?
Obama has a few ideas that are great and would positively impact the life’s of others in this country such as health care for the uninsured, free education for some and a tax decrease for the “middle class,” which are those making $250,000 a year.
With Obama’s health care plan, uninsured Americans could buy into already existing plans through a series of subsidies and tax incentives. His healthcare plan also helps to prevents insurance companies from denying people coverage due to pre-existing illnesses. Another bonus to this healthcare plan is that it allows children to stay on their parents’ health care plans until they are 26, which is great for us college students! He also is a supporter of abortion rights and believes that women should receive free contraceptives.
President Obama also signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which supports the Paycheck Fairness Act and acknowledges that “gains in education and labor force involvement have not yet translated into wage and income equity.” The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act supports fair wages for women and allows them a 180 day time period to file a suit against unfair pay.
In regards to higher education, Obama plans to lower interest rates for those who take out student loans and borrow money to pay their way through college, which is the majority of us. This will benefit many of us and give us a piece of mind when we graduate, knowing that we may not have to pay as much money back in interest. He has a plan, as well as strong views about student loans but does not have much of a plan for lowering cost of college tuition.
Obama is also a supporter of Loan Forgiveness. He revealed a plan to forgive loan balances for those who have made steady payments for 20 years amounting to 10 percent of their total income. He argues that the program will spur economic recovery.
If Obama were to win this upcoming election, our lives would change. I love that Obama is so supportive of women’s rights in regards to abortions, fair wages and contraceptives. For a majority of women in the United States, free contraceptives will help them save money every month. His support of fair wages also will help women to be paid fairly and could prevent discrimination in the workplace.
As a student, what Obama wants to accomplish in regards to student loans and higher education will greatly help a majority of college students. Most people who receive a college education take out student loans. Many graduates are still paying back their student loans many years later. With a decrease in interest rates from student loans, many people will be able to pay off their debts more quickly.
While I may not see eye-to-eye with Obama, I think that his views and his support of women and students are fantastic. He seems to be supportive and understanding of discrimination against women in the work place. He also understands the financial hardships of students and that their debts, due to student loans and the high interest rates, can take them years to pay off. His ability to understand those two issues makes him relatable to many of my peers, not just women, but men as well.
