As Americans, we must ask ourselves: Who is truly benefiting from the policies shaping our nation?
The Trump administration’s reckless tariffs have devastated everyday Americans in the past—workers, retirees, veterans, and small business owners—while billionaires grow even richer. Tariffs aren’t paid by foreign governments; they fall on us through higher prices on food, fuel, and essential goods. Meanwhile, the so-called trade victories with Mexico and Canada offer nothing new, meaning the economic pain we’ve endured has been for nothing.
Farmers crushed by retaliatory tariffs were promised relief, yet corporate agribusinesses reaped the benefits while independent growers struggled to maintain operations.
At the same time, federal grants remain at risk, endangering infrastructure, education, and public health. If upheld, these policies could destabilize Medicaid, cut vital farm subsidies, and limit access to life-saving treatments.
Trump’s isolationist approach continues to weaken our alliances and damage our global standing, leaving everyday Americans to bear the cost. In the past and presently, his politics of fear and division have torn families apart, hollowed out communities, and deepened economic inequality. While working people, retirees, and veterans struggle, the ultra-rich remain shielded from the fallout of these failed policies. The American Dream wasn’t built on billionaires hoarding wealth while hardworking people can’t make ends meet—it was built on fairness, opportunity, progress, and diversity as a strength – not a weakness.
This isn’t about partisanship; it’s about justice. If we stay silent, we accept growing inequality as our new reality. But if we believe America stands for fairness and opportunity for all—not just the privileged few—we must demand better, speak out, and reclaim the future we deserve.
Zach Schmidt,
Chair, Wood County Democratic Party
Rossford
