Time to tighten the bolts and preserve true democracy

To The Daily Sun,

Our government is solid and it works properly, most of the time for most of “we the people.” For the last 100 years, citizens and elected officials made remarkable efforts to maintain a true democracy with a balance of power between the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of government.

It was a hundred years ago the 19th Amendment to the Constitution gave women the right to vote. In 1935, the Social Security Act was signed. The Federal Water Pollution Act of 1948 was deliberate work of President Truman’s administration. Credit goes to President Eisenhower’s Congress for the Air Pollution Control Act 1954. Other presidents, including Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, G.H.W. Bush, G.W. Bush, Clinton, and Obama continued fine tuning. It was Nixon’s Executive order that created the Environmental Protection Agency. The Carter administration created the departments of Education and Energy. The Energy Act of 2005 revised earlier water safety and pollution control acts with continuing research and development of alternative energy, including tax credits and incentives.

Partnerships between the EPA and the agriculture community were developed for land protection and revitalization, water protection, and research. President George W. Bush’s Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, increasing the minimum wage to $7.25. The ’90s also produced the Assault Weapons Ban, Violence Against Women Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. It was under the Obama administration that the policies against terrorism were implemented, as were steps to reduce carbon emissions and the signing of the International Climate Agreement. We saw the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

Now, after decades of work, research, cooperation, and negotiation, it appears we have come to the place of dismantling our government, bit by bit. Suddenly we see hundreds of earlier established regulations and programs dumped.

These are times we need to “tighten the bolts” to maintain the strong framework of our democracy. NH’s First in the Nation Primary gives one an opportunity to shop for a candidate who will move our nation forward. Uphold “we the people” and let your voice be heard. Cast your vote on Feb. 11.

Susan Wiley

Sandwich