Reminder: 290 and 67. The 290 represents how many U.S. House of Representatives members it takes to override a presidential veto (all Representatives are up for reelection this year). It takes 67 U.S. Senators to override a presidential veto (35 Senators are up for reelection this year with 22 of those being Republicans—the ones we have to concentrate on the most). These numbers are very important this year at the ballot box because it will take this number of votes to help right this vast ship of a country for all of us, not just the billionaire class.
Today’s post will be a little different. The story today will be told mostly with graphics. These are things on my mind as we head into the November general election. With early voting about to start across many states as early as September, it’s time to inform ourselves of our choices—what is best for us working folks.
The first is what is foremost on my mind every time I head to the grocery store. This graphic is a picture of where costs were before Trump came into office and where we are now. Unless you are very wealthy, I’m sure like my family, yours is also watching the cost of the basics go up with each shopping trip, and this doesn’t even factor the current price of gas.
As a husband, parent, grandparent, and educator, my health, and the health of my family, and of students across the country is also on my mind. The outbreak of measles, along with other potential health threats, is very concerning. It is also very disturbing to see pictures of children with measles, and the recent deaths due to the disease, especially when measles is an extremely preventable disease. This was a disease that was considered eradicated in our great country, a designation we may now lose.
With the debt ceiling hitting $40,000,000,000,000 (40 trillion) due to tax cuts in 2017, and the most recent passed by congress (2025) as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” I worry about the debt we are leaving future generations. The cost of the Iran War in both loss of civilian life and soldiers, which can never be replaced, and damage to military bases, which if allowed to rebuild will cost trillions of dollars, weighs on my mind.
The amount of wealth gained by the President, an unprecedented amount I would think anyone would agree, gives me pause as well.
Among the many other things on my mind going in to this next election is the gerrymandering done across mostly southern states, and the most recent news of Texas moving to purge or suspend over 1.2 million voters in what appears to be mainly democratic strongholds. Texas is using a data system known for its inaccuracies, leading it to provide names wrongly who are eligible to vote, such as naturalized citizens.
If any of the above weighs on your mind, or your pocketbook, please carefully consider the political party, Republicans, currently in charge of the decisions that are making our lives harder, not easier. I’ve always been the first to say Democrats are not perfect angels, but in their hearts, and in most of their actions, they have the American people’s best interests in mind.
As we move into the actual casting of ballots, it is all the more important to check on your voter registration status. You can easily do so at this website for all 50 states (and I believe territories as well): vote.org. I highly recommend checking this site weekly, especially for those of us who may be living in a Republican controlled state.
Remember, the harder they try to take away our right to vote, or our ability to easily vote at a precinct, the more should be our will and courage to do what is needed to vote (including making sure you are registered!). Don’t let them scare you or take away your constitutional rights.
Together we can take back our democracy and create a country in which all of us thrive, not just the billionaires.
Make your plan now to vote, then Vote!
Leave a Reply