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Are They Talking About Us?

Over the past month, you helped set our agenda. Now let’s see if the presidential candidates talk about our issues!

As you watch the debate tonight (October 15 at 9 pm ET), click on the issues below each time you hear a candidate mention one of them. We already know how important you think these issues are. Now we’ll know if the candidates agree!

Find Out if the Candidates Share Your Priorities.

60%
I heard this

Quality, affordable health care that young people can afford (23% said this mattered most to them)
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The average worker will switch jobs nine times between the ages of 18 and 34. Each time they switch jobs, they have a 60% chance of finding an employer who will offer a new employee health insurance. It’s no wonder that at any given time, one-third of young adults are uninsured, and young adults make up 39% of the uninsured in this country.

The entire system is broken. We need to work towards a complete overhaul AND the adoption of some immediate fixes, like allowing young people to stay on their parents’ health insurance past the traditional cut-off age of 19.
20%
I heard this

Fair pay for all (16% said this mattered most to them)
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Women today earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. Although this wage gap is smaller than it used to be, women have only closed the gap by a half-penny a year over the last 45 years. One of the most powerful tools workers have to combat persistent pay discrimination is the threat of legal action. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that victims of pay discrimination must file a claim within 180 days of receiving their first unequal paycheck or else they lose the right to ever do so. Many employees have no idea they are the victims of discrimination until long after this window has closed.

To move us one step closer to equal pay, Congress must pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and overturn this grossly unfair decision.
20%
I heard this

Programs to make college affordable for all (16% said this mattered most to them)
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Over the past ten years, the average tuition and fees at four-year public colleges and universities have increased by 40 percent, while median family income has increased by only 12 percent. In 1976, the maximum Pell Grant covered 84 percent of tuition at a four-year public college; today, it covers only 39 percent. So, today the average student borrows $20,000 to go to college, and two-thirds of students graduate with debt.

We need a comprehensive approach to student debt. Access to need-based financial aid needs to be increased, predatory student lenders need to be regulated, government programs need to be expanded and simplified, and innovative loan repayment programs need to be encouraged and replicated.
0%
I heard this

Responsible, accessible loans for first-time home buyers (15% said this mattered most to them)
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In 2006, 43 percent of first-time homebuyers purchased their house with zero money down. We all know what happened next. The sub-prime crisis shows that the housing market can hurt the entire economy. The flip side is that the entire economy can benefit when responsible home-buying increases.

We should push for programs that help young people get into their first homes by promoting savings and responsible loans.
0%
I heard this

Fair credit card practices (16% said this mattered most to them)
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Between 1992 and 2001, average credit card debt for young adults went up 55 percent. As a result, today, the average indebted young adult carries a little over $8,000 in credit card debt and spends a quarter of every dollar he or she earns on debt payments.

It is time to re-regulate credit cards and put an end to abusive industry practices such as raising interest rates any time for any reason, applying raised interest rates to existing balances, and aggressively marketing to college students.
0%
I heard this

Flexible work arrangements (12% said this mattered most to them)
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Computers, the internet, cell phones, and other wonders of the modern world allow us to work wherever, whenever. Many of us have experienced the down side of this—waking up on vacation to an hour of work emails sounds familiar—but few employers really allow us to take full advantage of the possible benefits.

More employers should allow us to work from home on flexible hours. This would allow us to save on the cost of gas and better balance our work and family lives.
0%
I heard this

Green collar jobs (New addition, thanks to our commenters)
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Our generation has a lot invested in solving global warming. We’ve been working on the front lines of the crisis for longer than many of our parents have believed it’s real, and we are the ones who will live with the consequences if we fail to take action now.
Green collar jobs programs are one way to address the problems of global warming while employing young people in well-paying jobs that train them for future employment. Cities and states should make a real effort to bring these programs to their communities.

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Are these not your issues? Add your own below.

7 Comments

Suzanne Kahn
10/06/08 02:56 PM

Thanks so much for your comments! At Qvisory, our focus will always be on policy that affects our money, work, and health lives. This limits our ability to tackle every issue we want to. That said, we hear you on the environment! Since all of you mentioned your concerns about the environment, we are adding green jobs to our agenda.

Now, we all need to watch the presidential debate (Tuesday, October 7 at 9:00pm ET) to see if Obama and McCain talk about our issues.

Thanks again!

Ina Ayliffe
09/17/08 07:45 PM

Most urgent need is to stop spending money on war so that we can keep our money at home to pay for this.. It is not selfish to take care of ourselves. We cannot help other countries unless we are strong ourselves.. We cannot help someone who is stuck in quicksand if we jump in with them. We must change course in this country. This may be our last chance to save our country. I am a strong Hillary supporter who is now happily supporting Barack Obama. Do not be deceived. Look around you. The average people are being destroyed in favor of corporate profits and unwinnable wars. We cannot provide needed social services (health insurance, pre-k and headstart for children, restoring the infrastructure , clean water,clean air ,m food inspectors, preventative health care, stem cell research, save social security and medicare) for our country. When have you last feel good about Americas reputation, maybe 8 years. Help save our country. Vote for the democratic ticket all the way.

Mike
09/16/08 04:59 PM

I agree with all of the comments above. It is nice to see a responsible forum!

Mike

Lonnie Ward
09/16/08 04:24 PM

I am concerned with MTR and the Bush admin. complete abducation of enforcement of the Clean Water Act,the Clean Air Act,and the ESA,at a time when global-warming is killing animals and US!!!

SteveO
09/16/08 02:40 PM

There are a number of issues that are important to me.
1) Home ownership - it used to be that home ownership was something that everybody aspired to. Now, some are actually saying that "some people just shouldn't own a home". If lenders are responsible, and the market is fairly priced, then everyone who wants to own a home should be able to.
2) Equity at the polls - the concept of 1 person 1 vote seems to be a pipe dream. From the primaries being scheduled in such a way that certain states always have the first votes, while others can't even get a candidate to visit, to the electoral college creating a Red/Blue mentality, these things need to change. When Florida and Michigan decided that they wanted to have an earlier vote, both parties slapped them and punished them for challenging the status quo. I feel that the residents of Florida and Michigan should all vote 3rd party candidates in November just so that they can see how important every voice is.
3) The economy - I am doing slightly worse than I was 8 years ago, and that was a struggle. After having to switch jobs, I started off with a 50% loss in salary, and while I am now within a few thousand dollars a year less than my 2001 income, the economy has not remained stagnate, so I am still behind where I should be based on the rate of inflation.
4) The environment - there should be better incentives for people to go solar at their houses, and for businesses. There are so many non-polluting options that just have not been explored, or encouraged.

Randy
09/16/08 02:34 PM

Additionally, I'm concerned about marriage equality, hate crimes legislation, gay rights in general, and alternative energy research.

Kate
09/16/08 01:51 PM

I'm also concerned about gay rights, women's rights, the effort to discover alternative fuel sources (not just dig somewhere else), and especially funding for free clinics/parent planning and mental health care.

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Qvisory is a nonprofit online community helping young people navigate the economy and advocate for changes that will benefit us in the areas of money, health and work. Check it out.

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Take Action

Are They Talking About Us?

Find Out if the Candidates Share Your Priorities.

Quality, affordable health care that young people can afford (23% said this mattered most to them)

Fair pay for all (16% said this mattered most to them)

Programs to make college affordable for all (16% said this mattered most to them)

Responsible, accessible loans for first-time home buyers (15% said this mattered most to them)

Fair credit card practices (16% said this mattered most to them)

Flexible work arrangements (12% said this mattered most to them)

Green collar jobs (New addition, thanks to our commenters)

Get the results!

Are these not your issues? Add your own below.

7 Comments

Comment on this

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