So what is it those politicians wonder? What are the issues that the youth vote wants to see addressed? With the economy stalling on the road to recovery and eligible graduates pouring out of campuses the answer is pretty obvious: jobs, jobs and hopefully full-time jobs. And the most recent Rock The Vote nationwide poll bears that out. In two rounds of polling, 54 percent of respondents said that jobs and the economy demanded the most concern. This no doubt reflects the sobering fact that back in July, 51.1 percent of Americans between 16 and 24 were unemployed.
The proposals coming in from many candidates however, are dominated by a single figure: the deficit. “The government is mortgaging our children’s future,” runs the line. Drastic cuts across the board in spending is the only way to reduce this man-made monster. Austerity looms. Video
And while the deficit is a top concern to RTV poll respondents, the policy proposals that gained the most support in the polling take on a very different track: investment. Investing in government grants to make college more affordable and investing in renewable energy rank the highest — which is apt: the US ranks 12th in the number of 25- to 34-year-olds with college degrees and is trailing China by nearly half in investing in clean energy.
When the country was last so challenged by an economic depression, it took massive spending and investment to emerge from its grip. And like the average student who takes on a record $24,000 of debt to pay for college, they do so as an investment, while hindered by the lack of economic recovery, remains the best route to more and better jobs in the future.
Tags: debt, Demos, guest post, jobs, voting, young voters
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Rock the Vote Bio: Rock the Vote was founded in 1990 to organize artists and fight against censorship of musicians. Since then we've evolved to focus on empowering young people to get involved in the political process. We use pop culture, peer-to-peer organizing, and the latest technology to raise visibility of politics and demystify the process of registering to vote. @rockthevote Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
I recently met a great group of young people. Very intelligent, thoughtful and serious — ready to VOTE and ready to be a part of their community. They understand very well that their future is worth investing in. Here’s what they had to say for themselves:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP5L0tBFw94
Let’s look at this in practical terms. Most of you want to be able to thrive in the future. You want good jobs. You want to feel safe. I would think that you would want a great education to help you with that. If you are in college and the Republicans do what they want, you will have a much harder time realizing your dreams. Why? Because the first thing they want to cut is education. Sharron Angle is hoping to geet rid of the Department of Education and along with it will go Pell Grants and Student Loans. For most of you, these are the best ways for you to afford your college educations.
Please take a look at the Pledge to America. Where does it talk about education, especially college education? Please go to http://pledge.gop.gov/ and press Ctrl+F (Find). Type in education and then press enter. You won’t find anything mentioned about education.
I realize that we have not done all that you hoped for, but to back the other side or to sit this one out will only hurt you.
Why? Because whereas the Republicans are devaluing education, India and China are improving it.
I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who is from India. He told me about his education. It would make you scared. They are putting out millions more people with highly regarded skills for today’s global economy. The Republicans are backed by the Chamber of Commerce, which loves the idea of outsourcing. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlHAekiDg74)
In other words, they will hire people from India because they have the same education only they are cheaper.
I know that Democrats have done some stupid things regarding outsourcing. We are not perfect, but there are more Republicans that believe in this kind of thing than Democrats. Put more of them in power and you guys will be in real trouble.
Also, don’t stop with just voting. We learned this year that an active group getting involved in the process (and in the face of legislators) can bring attention to what your needs are. You need to show up for more than a vote. The difference between you and those folks is you guys are smarter than they are.
As was said long ago, “Decisions are made by those who show up.”
Please show up on November 2nd and afterwards.
Thanks.
I grew up in a South that had racist and Xenophobic Dixiecrats who were just manipulating the ill-informed. Now we have the Pixiecrats, Palin and Beck leading the charge on a similar basis. If the Republicans as they are now constituted win elections, we can consider that America will become a third-world tax haven for the rich. I’m voting and all my under 30 children are voting too.
I am a 56 six year old pre baby boomer who feels like an alien politically in my own country. I taught for over twenty years in the U.S. mostly in the state of Washington where we now rank 48. Couldn’t get behind it so I quite. The joke among boomers used to be don’t trust anyone under thirty. After this last two years of watching a president with a brain gain back the respect from the rest of the world by winning the Nobel Prize. The over forty generation is obviously still very racist, does not believe in equality or democracy as a whole. Don’t you guys realize the huge impact you had on “Obama” being elected in the first place by showing up with your cell phones and cam corders ready to catch anyone who was trying to skew the vote toward John McCain. That was a freakin miracle that gave us our first real hope in eight years. Now, there seems to be no hope at all unless you young voters can mobilize once more to help lobby to strike down this unlimited campaign spending and strike down the idiocy of this whole “tea party” movement that is just frankly an embarrassment to our entire country. I’m with you guys from now on! I will volunteer in any way I can because, you are the first truly multi-cultural, non-special interest group, that has any hope of bringing these crazy waves of insanity to an end. It only takes giving up a small amount of your time and it will affect my generation, which apparently has mostly lost it’s mind, and showing future generations what our founding fathers’ truly intended, which is liberty and justice for all! Sincerely, Louise I. Todd