Do you know who’s been getting the short end of the economic stick for a long time? Rural America.
Do you know who they’re going to vote for (probably overwhelmingly)? Donald Trump.
Do you know who has a plan to actually help them? Kamala Harris.
Do you know what’s really beautiful about that? While Harris would love to earn the votes of rural Americans, her plans aren’t just a carrot to buy their votes, they are a recognition of what’s good for America. These are things she wants to accomplish even if they don’t vote for her.
The details of the Harris/Walz plan for rural America are scattered across the campaign website but you can find them all in one place at Charlotte’s Web Thoughts. He is my summary of the important aspects of the plan and why I view them as important:
- Recruit 10,000 additional rural health care professionals, expand rural telehealth services, and cut the number of ambulance deserts in half.
- Where population densities are lower it can be a challenge to maintain access to affordable care. These measures help to ensure that needed care is available.
- Lower the costs of buying a home, starting and expanding a business, and raising a family.
- Rural communities (in some places more than others) struggle to maintain a sufficient population base because new generations find it impossible to get a house, raise a family, or earn a paycheck where they grew up so they end up leaving even when they want to stay. That leaves communities that can’t remain viable.
- Keep rural schools open and thriving.
- This is both a cause and a consequence of people leaving rural communities. On top of that, thriving schools tend to be a catalyst for healthy, thriving communities.
