BEACHWOOD, Ohio – Reading about current legislative attempts to significantly increase teacher pay in Ohio got me thinking. Many people, especially Republicans, think almost all government spending is a bad thing. First, let me say that unlimited government spending is not the goal. But at the same time, much of government spending should be seen as investment rather than expenditure. Investment is good.
“Investment” is a word Democrats need to start using this election season. So regarding the aforementioned article about Democrats’ attempts to raise teacher pay, should this be talked about as an investment in a major part of our nation’s future: our children? Better educated children lead to better citizens who are also more productive workers.
Now, there’s a catch here. Do higher salaries attract better teachers and produce better educational outcomes? I don’t know.But the sponsors of House Bill 411 We need to look at other cities and states that have significantly increased teacher pay to see how things like student performance on standardized tests and graduation rates have changed over time. If the results support a higher salary, justify it this way. And if Republicans still stop the increase, they should advertise their reluctance to invest in Ohio’s children.
Another obvious investment is childcare. The Plain Dealer reported last year that Ohio has one of the lowest child care reimbursement rates in the nation. Yes, it costs money to increase your child care credit. However, this investment will be recovered very quickly. When people rejoin the labor force, they pay taxes on their income. Additionally, when those families make additional purchases, they receive more sales tax collections, which increases demand and creates even more jobs. This should be the easiest of all investments.
A similar argument can be made about increasing federal infrastructure spending under the current Biden administration. It is clear that better roads and bridges make travel safer and more efficient. This is a huge benefit to the country. Additionally, Ohio is seeing the impact of a new chip factory that Intel is building. The government is not spending. It’s investing in our country.
All of this is not to make light of government deficits. All successful businesses, whether large publicly traded companies or small businesses like the one my wife and I ran before we retired, must evaluate their spending and stick to what they need. . Smart planning is key. This helps provide funds for investment in the business. Without investment, your business will decline. My wife and I weren’t afraid to take on debt for the right investments. These investments led to profits and helped pay off debt. The same goes for large companies when they set up a new factory.
The list goes on and on. You can talk about investing in clean energy, cleaning up the environment, and equal opportunity for all.
My goal is not to list every investment. My goal is that a simple change in terminology from spending to investing, if used properly, can be a great tool in convincing undecided voters that the Democratic Party’s economic platform is truly beneficial to the country. It’s about helping convince the Democratic Party. In today’s short attention spans, we know that too many people ignore policies and actions that require detailed explanation. Simplicity is how you get people to listen. Republicans have become experts at simplicity, using simple scare tactics to motivate their base. Motivate the Democratic base, especially young voters, by telling them how the Democratic Party is investing in their future. Don’t give in to fear tactics.
Democratic Candidate: That word is “investment.” It’s amazing how a simple word change can reset the tone of a conversation.
Brad Swimmer is a former financial manager for corporate America. Starting in 1991, he and his wife Judy started a printing business in downtown Cleveland, which they sold in 2019 for retirement.
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