The most recent stimulus bill proposal from Republicans would have denied full benefits to the lower class — the class that needs it the most. The proposed bill would allow the poorest of families with no taxable income to receive only $600. Democrats have included more expansive benefits for the low income and working class, but both Democrats and Republicans still want to pump billions of dollars into bailing out large corporations.

A couple of weeks ago, the Fed pumped $1.5 trillion dollars into the stock market to ease the nerves of rich investors. With weary eyes and trembling hands, the people of this nation are hopelessly hoping that our government will help, but can our money-hungry leaders look past large corporations and profit?  

Checks for $1,200 will appear in a few months time for some if all goes according to plan, but what about now? Immigrants with tax IDs (ITINs) are not eligible for those funds, even though they are taxpayers too. How will folks who have recently lost their jobs pay the rent that is due on the first? How will sick people get accurately tested when here in Iowa, our entire state of over 3 million in population size now has access to only 600-some COVID-19 tests? What about the bartenders and servers who rely on the tip-outs at the ends of their shifts who no longer can work because the government has put out a mandate of closures? What about the small businesses that hardly make profit to begin with that will now spiral into bankruptcy or failure? What about the grocery store workers who risk their health every single day to ensure that you and your family get the food and supplies you need, all while make unlivable wages or having no benefits or paid time off?

Why don’t they (the government) care about us? It’s no surprise that selfish greed is overtaking the avaricious elite class we call politicians, but who would have thought that even during a global pandemic, money is valued higher than human life? This isn’t simply affecting some; this is affecting ALL of us. The true nature of our leaders is being exposed during this trying time. Bailouts and slush funds are allowed and applauded for big corporations and the rich, but socialistic policies aimed at putting more money in the pockets of the middle- and working-class people of this nation is bad and comparable to communism? Suddenly, parts of Andrew Yang’s universal basic income plan make sense? Suddenly, we can come up with trillions of dollars to help the stock market, but Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All plan is too expensive and not realistic?

Plans and proposals to help the American people are deemed impossible and “pie in the sky” when it benefits the hardworking people of this country but are brilliant and doable when it benefits the 1 percent. This is a horrific moment in history, and it should be a wake-up call to the American people that most of our elected officials and the large corporations/super political action committees funding them are not working in our interests. They would rather watch you die than fall deeper into economic turmoil.