Tag: Politics

Essays

The numbers say inflation is 3.3%. That’s not the real story—and it never was.

Mandy Webster

Just a few months ago, inflation was reported at 2.4%, and we were told that meant things were stabilizing. The messaging was clear: the worst was behind us, the economy was settling down, and wages were starting to catch up. But for a lot of people, that didn’t match reality. Rent was still climbing. Grocery bills were still painful. Insurance premiums kept inching higher. The numbers said “progress,” but everyday life said something else entirely.

Split infographic contrasting official inflation with real living costs. Left side shows a politician at a podium in front of the U.S. Capitol with “Inflation: 3.3%” and positive economic headlines. Right side shows groceries, bills marked “past due,” and a handwritten list of rising expenses like rent, gas, and utilities, alongside the message “Paycheck? Not keeping up.”
When inflation is reduced to a single number, it hides the reality people actually live with—rising rent, higher grocery bills, and paychecks that can’t keep pace.

Now inflation has climbed to 3.3%, and suddenly the tone has shifted. What was once framed as “under control” is now something to watch more closely, something to explain, something to blame on global conflict and rising energy prices. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the difference between 2.4% and 3.3% doesn’t actually explain why people feel like they’re falling behind. Because the problem was already there.

Continue reading “The numbers say inflation is 3.3%. That’s not the real story—and it never was.” →
Essays

Journalism: It’s not about “both sides”—it’s about what’s actually true

Mandy Webster

When one person says it’s raining and another insists it’s not, a journalist’s job isn’t to quote them both and call it a day. The job is to go outside, look up, and report what’s actually happening. That basic principle—verification over balance—feels increasingly absent from modern journalism, especially at the local level.

Line drawing of a man standing in an open field looking up at the sky
A young man scans a cloudless sky, caught between what he’s told and what he can plainly see—reminding us that truth isn’t found in competing claims, but in the courage to look for ourselves.

I’ve seen this play out firsthand in the ongoing political arguments over property taxes here in Illinois. Republicans often argue that high property taxes are the governor’s fault. Democrats push back, saying the governor has no control over property taxes at all. And what does much of the local media do? Instead of investigating the claim and explaining how property taxes actually work, they hand each side a microphone and let the audience “decide.” But that’s not journalism. That’s outsourcing the truth.

Continue reading “Journalism: It’s not about “both sides”—it’s about what’s actually true” →
Essays

State governments as change-makers: Raising standards when Washington won’t

Mandy Webster

Many Americans talk about states’ rights as if it’s a shield for inaction, but the truth is that with states’ rights come states’ responsibilities. The federal government sets minimum standards for the country, but it’s up to each state to decide when those standards don’t go far enough. States have the authority—and the obligation—to raise the bar if they believe it’s the right thing for their residents. A higher minimum wage, stronger environmental protections, or expanded healthcare access can all start at the state level before ever being considered federally.

When states take the lead, change becomes possible. Highlighting the power of local action to set higher standards and drive national progress.

It’s easy to forget the sheer size and diversity of the United States. With so many people spread across vast distances and different cultures, making nationwide change is incredibly difficult, sometimes impossible, without groundwork laid by states first. Many social issues, including marriage equality, have followed this path. By June 2015, 36 states plus Washington, D.C., had already legalized same-sex marriage—proving that federal progress often relies on state-level experimentation and leadership. States shouldn’t see this as a hindrance—they should see it as an opportunity to lead national change from their own communities.

Continue reading “State governments as change-makers: Raising standards when Washington won’t” →
Politics

What if we redistributed the tax dollars we currently waste administering poverty programs into a basic universal income?

Mandy Webster

If you’re a writer – or spend much time with a writer – one thing you know about us is that we like to play a little game called, “What If.” It doesn’t matter what the topic is, we will find a different way to look at it and say, “Well, what if X happened?” It’s where our story ideas often come from, but it’s also a way that we poor, broke artists often get through life on a shoestring and a roll of duct tape. A writer is basically MacGyver minus the cool 1985 haircut.

Meme: The median adjusted family income for disabled workers is about half of the median for others aged 18-64 ($13,323 compared with $24,487). Source: ssa.gov
The median adjusted family income for disabled workers is about half of the median for others aged 18-64 ($13,323 compared with $24,487). Source: Social Security Administration via ssa.gov

I often find myself playing this game with politics and the multitude of social issues that plague our country. This morning, I had one of those curiosity moments where – seemingly out of the blue – a question reared its head in my head and demanded to be Googled. So, I went to Google and asked, “What’s the average annual income of a person on disability?”

Google’s answer didn’t shock me, but its accompanying information did. Did you know that the median adjusted family income for an American WORKER is $24,487? I was shocked while also somehow not surprised. I thought back to the days when I was supporting two small children on that amount of money and how hard it was. What a huge pain it was to constantly have to find time to make appointments with my local human services agency to apply for food stamps and child care assistance, along with the regular recertifications, blah, blah, blah, flashback after traumatic flashback.

Continue reading “What if we redistributed the tax dollars we currently waste administering poverty programs into a basic universal income?” →
Politics

It’s time for *****Drumroll, please!***** Presidential election coverage in the United States!

Mandy Webster

It’s that time of the decade again, folks… Time to start thinking about who we want for the next President of the United States of America (aka POTUSA). This time, we have an amazing cast of clowns to choose from! How will we even begin to determine who to vote for?


Embed from Getty Images

It’s hard enough when you’re someone like me who doesn’t believe in voting according to party lines. If I were a Democrat, I would have only 2 candidates to choose from at this point. If I were a Republican, I would have to wade through a cesspool of 15 (I think) as of today. But I’m neither, so now I have a minimum of 17 presidential candidates to choose from. Or none, as the case may be.

How about a huge round of applause for our latest candidate – Wisconsin’s top clown – Mr. Scott Walker! (And here, I thought I was done seeing that — “DOH! — grin all over my television screen when I moved away from Wisconsin!) Continue reading “It’s time for *****Drumroll, please!***** Presidential election coverage in the United States!” →

Politics, Random Rants

A house divided

Mandy Webster

English: Citizens registered as an Independent...
Image via Wikipedia

At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist…

Do you ever wonder if the Democratic and Republican leaders are secretly working together to divide the country so they can push through some hidden agenda behind our backs while we’re all too busy arguing with each other to notice what’s going on? Continue reading “A house divided” →