Election 2008: Divorced? Single Parent? See Where Candidates Stand on your Issues
Divorced? Single Parent? Wondering why election 2008 should concern you? Because you’re one of the largest voting blocks in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
About 36 percent of the voters in the 2004 presidential election who were unmarried. In 2006, there were about 92 million unmarried and single Americans who were 18 and older. This group comprised 42 percent of all U.S. residents. Of those, 54 percent were women. A total of 12.9 million were single parents living with their children– 10.4 million of those were single mothers.
We asked community members Wevorce.com to consider what topics they wanted to see tackled by the two presidential candidates, and they didn’t have a tough time making a list. While foreign policy might be on the mind of many Americans, those who are divorced or single parents are more interested in topics that are closer to home.
Among the topics of concern: the quality of the country’s public scand theandthe increasingly high cost of health care. “We all need access to affordable and dependable health care. Yes, I get insurance though my employer, but it barely covers anything. It only covered about 25 percentof my daughter’s hospital stay from when she was there fortwo days for a bacterial infection.When did this become acceptable?” said community member firefly.
Another member, Trish9054, worried about the government bailout of the freefalling economy and how the instability will affect daily living and retirement. “I haven’t heard anything I am comfortable with about how to stabilize our economy.”
Another top concern from single parents involved the system of collecting child support in the United States and its inadequacies. “Too many dead beat parents out there,” wrote community memberPaula1. “One quick change in the divorce laws should fix it — child support tied into visitation. (It) won’t change anything for the people who don’t care to be a parent…but will make a huge difference for that other group — the ones who play parent but don’t offer financial support.”
Given the topics of interest, Wevorce.com researched the platforms of both candidates so you could make up your own mind about who will get your vote this November.
ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
John McCain: Introduced the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007 with Sen. Joseph Lieberman which would reduce the nation’s greenhouse gases with a combination of trading markets and technologies. Supports gas tax holiday and opposes taxing windfall profits; opposes drilling in the Arctic, supports offshore drilling; opposes ethanol subsidies. Calls for building 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030. Would commit $2 billion annually to advance clean coal technology. Proposes a $300 million award for developing cars that are better than hybrids. Would promote alternative, low carbon fuels such as wind, hydro and solar power and would work to create a system of tax credits to develop such sources.
Barack Obama: Opposes gas tax holiday, Opposes drilling in the Arctic, but modified his position to say he supported offshore drilling; supports ethanol subsidies. Would invest $150 billion over 10 years in clean energy. Proposes increasing fuel economy standards and would require that 25 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S. be from clean energy by 2025. Suggested giving every working American family a $1,000 energy rebate. Advocates a windfall profits tax on oil companies. Wants to explore nuclear power as an option. Wants to invest in clean coal technology. Would mandate all new cars be flex-fuel capable and supports research into new engines and hybrids. Would make $4 billion in loans to help domestic manufacturers retool factories and build fuel-efficient cars. Wants to put 1 million 150-mpg hybrid cars on U.S. roads in six years and provide a $7,000 tax credit to consumers who buy them. Supports next generation biofuels. Would require10 percent of U.S. energy to come from renewable sources by the end of his first term. Proposes reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Would create a program dedicated to exporting climate-friendly technologies to developing countries. Would offer incentives to maintain forests globally. Would develop domestic incentives to reward the planting of trees.
ABORTION
John McCain: Wants to overturn Roe v. Wade, but has been supportive in the past; supported Supreme Court decision that upheld ban on partial-birth abortions.
Barack Obama: Supports Roe v. Wade; criticized Supreme Court decision that upheld ban on partial-birth abortions.
ECONOMY
John McCain: Wants to lower the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. Would allow first-year deduction of equipment and technology investments and establish a permanent research and development tax credit equal to 10 percent of wages spent on R&D. Wants to make the Bush tax cuts permanent.
Barack Obama: Wants to repeal the Bush tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000. Would pump $75 billion into the economy through tax cuts targeted at working families, seniors, homeowners and the unemployed. The plan includes $45 billion that can be injected into the economy if needed. Would provide a $250 tax cut for workers and a one-time $250 bonus to seniors on Social Security. Would expand unemployment insurance.
EDUCATION
John McCain: Believes that the federal government should play a limited role in public education. Has said the country needs more charter schools, vouchers, and homeschooling. “We need to reward good teachers and find bad teachers another line of work,” he said. He voted for No Child Left Behind. He proposesgiving states money to recruittop graduates as teachers. He would fund incentive bonuses for high-performing teachers in math or science. He would target $500 million in federal funds to build new virtual schools and support online courses. About $250 million would support states expansion of online education. Another $250 million would help students enroll in virtual schools. Low-income students could get up to $4,000 to enroll in an online course, SAT/ACT prep course, credit recovery or tutoring services.
Barack Obama: Proposes $18 billion a year in new federal spending on early childhood classes, teacher recruitment, performance pay and other initiatives. Advocates access to early childhood education programs by investing $10 billion to increase the number of children eligible for Early Head Start, increasing access to preschool and providing affordable and quality child care. Make science and math education a national priority. Reduce the dropout rate. Wants to increase the child and dependent tax credit. Proposes college scholarships for teachers, including programs for mid-career recruits in exchange for teaching for at least four years in a high-need field or location.Would provide $1 billion to create mentoring programs for teachers. Wants to expand the Pell Grant and lower interest rates on existing federal student loan programs.
HEALTH CARE
John McCain: For free-market, consumer-based health care system; has pledged affordable health care for every American without a mandate; says universal health care is possible without a tax increase. Supports health care tax dividends for low-income Americans, medical malpractice reform, improving electronic record-keeping, expanding health savings accounts and encouraging small businesses to band together to negotiate lower rates with health care providers.He wants families to be able to purchase health insurance that they can take from job to job. Would work with governors to develop a health insurance model that other states can follow. Would increase promote the use of existing children’s health insurance programs and expand community health centers. Would foster competition in the drug markets through faster production of generic drugs and safe importation of drugs.Would promote technology that allows doctors to practice across state lines. Co-sponsored Combating Autism Act of 2006 and worked to ensure its enactment.
Barack Obama: Requires all children have health insurance. Allows individuals under 25 to be covered by their parents. His plan aims for universal coverage, but allows individuals to choose between a newly created public insurance program and private plans. The newly created insurance program would cover those who don’t have employer insurance and who don’t qualify for federal programs. He plans to pay for insurance changes, estimated at $50 to $65 billion, by rolling back President Bush’s tax cuts for households earningmore than$250,000. Employers who don”t contribute to the cost of employee health care would have to contribute to the public plan, with small businesses exempt. Will allow states to experiment with health care plans if they meet federal standards. Wants to invest $10 billion a year over five years to put an electronic health information system, which would include records. Would allow Americans to buy medicine from other countries if the drugs are safe and prices are lower. Wants to repeal a ban that prevents the federal government from negotiating with companies on the cost of drugs.
HOUSING
John McCain: Initially opposed federal assistance, but has called for the government to help homeowners with subprime mortgages refinance and get federally guaranteed 30-year mortgages. Supports a Justice Department investigation of lenders. Believes a government bailoutwas a last resort. Supported governmenthelp to keep Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
Barack Obama: Create new Federal Housing Administration program to allow troubled homeowners convert subprime loans to fixed-rate, 30-year loans; create a $10 billion fund to help people avoid foreclosures. Eliminate some taxes and fees for families who must sell and offer counseling to homeowners. Announced a “credit card bill of rights” to provide disclosure of hidden costs. Would provide tax credits to 10 million middle class homeowners who struggle with mortgages. Supports maintaining the role that the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae play in providing capital to the housing market.
IRAQ
John McCain: Voted in 2002 to authorize invasion, still supportive; in favor of troop increase; against a timetable for withdrawal, but projected forces would behome by 2013. Was an early supporter of sending moretroops to Iraq. Believes the United Nations should supportthe national government elections in 2009. He believes that economic progress is essential.
Barack Obama: Opposed use of military force in Iraq. Voted to withdrawtroops by March 2008. Would remove them from Iraq within 16 months. Would maintain force to perform specific missions in Iraq, like targeting al Qaeda, protecting U.S. service members and supporting Iraq’s security forces. Would commit $2 billion to support the more than 4 million displaced Iraqis. Wants a comprehensive compact on the stability of Iraq, Iran and Syria.
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
John McCain: Believes marriage is a union between a man and woman. Voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, but says states should set their own marriage policies. Voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1996. When asked about the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, McCain opposes changing it. He does not endorse federal legislation on gay adoption, which he says is a state issue.
Barack Obama: Opposes same-sex marriage, but also opposes a constitutional ban. Would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment. Supports civil unions that give same-sex couples health insurance, employment benefits and property and adoption rights. Says the Employment Non-Discrimination Act should include sexual orientation and gender identity. Says federal hate crimes law should include sexual orientation and gender identity. Wants to repeal the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Barack Obama: Opposes the privatizing Social Security. Wants to improve it by examining payroll tax system. Supports increasing the maximum amount of earnings covered by Social Security.
John McCain: Advocates supplementing Social Security benefits with individual investment accounts. Prefers slowing the growth benefits to raising taxes.
TAXES
John McCain: Voted against 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts, but later voted in favor of extending them through 2010. Would keep the current rate oncapital gains and maintain the current income and investment tax rates. Would double the child deduction from $3,500 to $7,000 and repeal the alternative minimum tax. Would reducecorporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. Proposes a three-fifths majority vote in Congress to raise taxes.Wants to allow companiesto deduct the cost of equipment. Would stop new cell telephone taxes and ban Internet taxes.
Barack Obama: Opposed extending 2003 Bush tax cut law through 2010. Supported eliminating marriage penalty and extending child tax credits. Proposes atax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. Proposes eliminating income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000 per year and eliminating all capital gains taxes on start-ups and small businesses. He would reform the child tax credit by making it refundable and allowing low-income families to receive up to a 50 percent credit for child care expenses. Favors tax cuts for middle-class workers and tax increases for top earners. Says he would restore the top two income tax rates to their pre-2001 levels of 36 percent and 39.6 percent, instead of their current rates of 33 percent and 35 percent. He would keep the estate tax but would freeze the exemption amount at $3.5 million. He would createarefundable credit to ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is free for most Americans and would cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average university.
STEM CELL RESEARCH
John McCain: Supports federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on embryos that would be discarded. Opposes the creation of human embryos for research purposes. Opposes human cloning and any related experimentation.
Barack Obama: Advocates increased stem cell research, Opposes human cloning. He was one of the co-sponsors of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (S. 5), which expands the number of human embryonic stem cells eligible for federally funded research.
