Tuesday night, the American people decided what course our nation would take for the next four years. But for many looking forward, the course — an actual plan of action — seems to have been lost behind the ideals of the 2012 presidential race. This was not an issues election but a concept-based one: platform over policy.
Now, newly re-elected President Obama has another four years to take the platform he ran on — one of equal opportunity, affordable health care and accessible education — and execute a plan of action. The cacophony of the Romney campaign will no longer be a distraction, and America can focus again on the right policies to responsibly get us back on track.
So, let us recall Obama’s plan for his next term. His goal is to raise taxes for those whose incomes are more than $250,000 a year. Clinton-era tax rates are the objective, and the extension of the middle-class tax cuts are the bread and butter of Obama’s economic policy. The president also plans to pass pro-growth measures for the manufacturing sector, cutting taxes for manufacturers here at home and ending deductions for companies sending jobs overseas.
In an investment particularly important to students at NYU, Obama will revamp the Perkins loan program under the proposition of rewarding colleges that offer lower tuition prices. He also looks to provide $1 billion in aid to states that reign in higher education costs while awarding those institutions that increase their profits via innovative policies an additional $55 million in initial funding.
Republicans object to these proposals because they would add to the national debt. Taxpayers wouldn’t need to worry about the Perkins loan program though, since students would pay off financial aid with interest. Just as the 2012 race displayed, it’s about priorities. One party opposes investments in education and infrastructure but continues to push for lower taxes on the rich and additional defense spending — a budget already bloated and not requested by our military leaders. And the other supports the rebuilding of roads, bridges and schools to create jobs and spur economic growth and legislation such as Wall Street reform so that our financial system is more transparent and accountable.
Even with Obama in office, there are many uncertainties and challenges ahead. We need
single-payer health care. This reform would save $400 billion expended each year on insurance companies, and instead, cover the uninsured and provide better coverage for the rest of the 99 percent. While promises of bipartisanship and compromise sound nice, I count on some real progressive change over the next four years without much help from Republicans. And I’m okay with that.
A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Nov. 8 print edition. Raquel Woodruff is a staff columnist. Email her at [email protected]
