For many liberals and conservatives, the national election was a disappointment. Many citizens who voted for Trump may not be happy; Trump was not their first choice (or second). However, the key idea from this election is not that your vote...
Read moreMinimum Wage and the Wage Gap
(Source: Texas Research Institute) In today’s society, we consider men and women to be equal. Yet, on average, men still get paid more in the field than women. In the status quo, women who work year round typically make only 78 percent of what...
Read moreMinimum wage should be increased, according to our economy
Raising the minimum wage is sound economics. Here’s why: Consider inflation: Most people don’t realize that the real minimum wage or the minimum wage adjusted for inflation has been declining in a steady pace. If we adjusted the previous minimum...
Read moreWhat’s Going on with the Healthcare Gap?
For the past couple weeks, I have been working with Representative Sue Chew on researching a solution to the Medicaid gap. This is a complex problem where 78,000 Idahoans do not qualify for Medicaid and do not qualify for a lower rate insurance...
Read moreMinimum Wage & Protecting Small Businesses
(Refresh Leadership) Most people believe that small business owners can’t afford to pay their workers if the minimum wage is increased. This in fact is not true. A survey taken in 2015 found that the majority of small business owners would...
Read moreHow High Tuition Rates Punish Students
Young people are the future. For every single generation, an education is the most valuable gift that the world can offer. The monetary value of an education should be reasonable, and most importantly – affordable. Most people would agree that...
Read moreRaising the Minimum Wage Won’t Lead to Unemployment
(Source: Economic Policy Institute) The common misconception about minimum wage and employment is that raising the minimum wage causes unemployment. This, in fact, is not true. The easiest way to debunk this myth is by looking at how unemployment...
Read moreThe Economic Case for Medicaid Expansion
Idaho is one of 19 states that rejected federal funding to expand Medicaid, and as a result 78,000 Idahoans live in the coverage gap, without any form of healthcare. These Idahoans must pay out of pocket for medical bills while struggling to...
Read moreWhy Money Matters in Education
There is a misconception that cutting education funding won’t harm the quality of education. Such declarations have been frequently leveraged by politicians to justify hefty cuts in educational funding. However, as a recent report from...
Read moreMake College Tuition Affordable
It haunts high school seniors everywhere – every second they’re awake. It’s just too expensive, and yet we still need to go. If you don’t attend college, you won’t be able to find a job that provides a livable wage. In addition, financial aid is...
Read moreBusting the Myths, Part II
Jessica Kunzman, a senior at Centennial High School, answers some common misconceptions regarding the healthcare gap. “Why don’t people in the gap just get a job?” Many people in the gap do have work; however, the work...
Read moreWhy Covering the Gap is a Mental Health Issue
The health care coverage gap is an issue in Idaho that affects 78,000 Idahoans. Those who make too much to be eligible for Medicaid but too little to be eligible for assistance through the marketplace are left in an intermediate state without any...
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