Latest news with #economicissues
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here's what a California Democrat told a Utah crowd about the GOP's ‘big, beautiful bill'
California Rep. Sara Jacobs spoke to a crowd of about 150 at a Sandy town hall Friday evening, making the case that Democrats need to adopt a message focused on economic issues such as housing affordability and child care. Although Utah Republicans love to take swipes at liberal Californians, Jacobs, a Democrat, said concerns about cost of living cross party lines, and she said she visited the state to let Utahns know their worries are being heard in the halls of Congress. 'Showing up and answering tough questions and having conversations with our constituents is another really important part of our job,' Jacobs told before the town hall. 'Our title is literally 'representative,' and so it's our job to represent people. We need to come and make sure that we're listening to everybody.' The town hall was held at the Salt Lake Community College Miller Campus in Sandy, within the boundaries of Utah Rep. Burgess Owens' 4th Congressional District. Democrats in attendance criticized Owens for a lack of public town halls this year and said the event was meant to let constituents in the area have their voices heard. Jacobs, who represents parts of San Diego, California, in Congress, spoke out against the Republican tax and spending bill — which she called the 'Big Ugly Bill' — that was signed into law last week. She noted that nearly 200,000 Utahns could lose access to Medicaid over the next decade and warned of cuts to food stamps that could impact people in the state. 'Actually, there is a better way, and we as Democrats want to listen,' she said. 'We do care, and we are showing up everywhere.' The Democratic National Committee has held similar town halls across the 50 states in recent months. Friday's town hall was the first one attended by Jacobs, who is the youngest member of House Democratic leadership. At 36, she said she resonates with Utah as the youngest state in the U.S. and pitched her vision for an 'affirmative vision' of the Democratic Party going into elections next year and in 2028. 'To me, we need to laser focus on bringing down the cost of housing, bringing down the cost of child care, making sure that everyone can have the housing and child care that they need to be successful,' Jacobs said. 'And we can build trust by making sure that we do that and do that well and then to expand to other issues.' Like Utah, which faces a housing crunch, Jacobs said San Diegans are worried about the cost of living. 'Look, I've been here in Utah a day, but in that time, the things I've heard from folks here in Utah are that the cost of housing is too much, the cost of child care is too much, the cost of health care is too much,' Jacobs said. 'Those are the exact same three things I hear from my constituents in San Diego.' She argued that the policies Republicans have passed recently will fall hardest on many voters who supported the GOP. 'We need to welcome them in, and we need to show them actually that we understand the status quo wasn't working and that we actually have a plan to how to make their lives better,' she said. Jacobs is the granddaughter of Irwin M. Jacobs, the founder of semiconductor and software giant Qualcomm, and she leaned into her privilege when she called for higher taxes on wealthy Americans. 'We just need to actually tax the really, really, really rich people and be able to use those resources. And here I know this because I grew up in one of those families,' she said to applause. 'My grandfather founded a Fortune 500 company, so believe me when I say, there are plenty of resources to go around.' Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini spoke to what he sees as the Democratic Party's working class roots, saying the party has to 'get back to the roots of that.' 'We are the party of the working class,' he said. 'But we shouldn't be so focused on the little things like pronouns and things like that that don't matter to people or that alienate them and really show them that we care about the working people.' Utah Democrats and left-leaning groups have been active in pushing back against the Trump administration and its GOP allies through a series of protests against the Department of Government Efficiency, the 'big, beautiful bill' and deportation raids. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, filled the Huntsman Center in April, and angry constituents have confronted Utah lawmakers during town halls. New Utah Democratic Party Chairman Brian King said he would like to bring more national figures to speak in Utah in the future and is planning more town halls in the coming months, particularly in rural parts of the state thought to be more conservative. 'They should have an opportunity to come out, be invited to come out and let their elected officials — or people who are candidates for office — find out what's on their mind, and so that is a high priority of mine as chair of the party,' he told reporters before the event. Immigration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids were another focus of the town hall, and Utah Rep. Grant Amjad Miller, D-Salt Lake City, spoke of being a 'direct son of an immigrant' — his mother is Palestinian. His American roots on his paternal side go back to the American Revolutionary War, when an ancestor who immigrated from Prussia fought. 'My point being this: It does not matter if your American roots are new or if they are old,' Miller said. 'Unless you're Indigenous, those roots came from another place.' Jacobs, whose district is just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, said it's easier for politicians to 'fearmonger' about immigration the further they are from the border. 'Those of us close to the border, we know how important the border is for our community. We know how important immigration is for our communities,' she said. 'We're literally talking about people who are just trying to make a living for their families, and the more we can highlight that, I think the more that we'll get public sentiment on our side, and we'll be able to push back on this, because we're already seeing the president's poll numbers change on immigration.'
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrats might be ‘overthinking' strategy to recapture voters
Democrats are rethinking ways to recapture voters they've lost to President Trump in recent election cycles, and they may have been offered an important lesson in the New York mayoral primary. In various post-mortems and focus groups done on the heels of their devastating 2024 election loss, Democrats have thoroughly examined exit polls and voter demographics in search of the gaps in their party's appeal. But Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha, who served as a senior adviser on Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) presidential campaign in 2020, said Democrats are 'overthinking' the solution by analyzing the voters who flipped sides or skipped voting during the last election. 'It's more simple than that,' Rocha said. 'Just concentrate on people who are frustrated as hell and get both of them.' Rocha pointed to the New York mayoral race as proof. He says progressive upstart-turned-party nominee Zohran Mamdani (D) was able to capture voters — including those who did not vote a few months ago in the presidential election — by talking about affordability and other tangible economic issues that appealed to them. Rocha said voters 'want anything that's different' from the status quo when it comes to the cost of living. 'It shows how desperate people are,' he said. While many Democrats disagree with Mamdani's politics, they say the campaign he ran shows the unwavering preeminence of economic issues. And Trump taught the same lesson in 2024, political observers say, by telling voters what they wanted to hear on the economy and his message on 'draining the swamp.' 'Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani just showed, in very different elections, that economic issues are still king — and that you can appeal to a wide, bipartisan swath of voters by saying you'll bring down the cost of living,' said Democratic strategist Christy Setzer. 'Working-class voters have been drifting away from the Democratic Party on so-called 'cultural' issues for a long time, but they're still very gettable through a clear message and from a compelling messenger.' According to exit polls, Democrats in 2024 lost significant ground with middle-class voters, a cornerstone of their traditional base, down 10 percentage points from 2020. At the same time, there is a decreasing sense of strong party leadership and little optimism about the party's future, respective CNN/SSRS and AP/NORC polling out in May revealed. But Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, took aim at the Democratic establishment, calling for draining the swamp to make room for change. It was an echo of Trump's messaging in his 2024 campaign. 'Donald Trump was successful because … he wasn't afraid to be against and call out people in his own party and other parties,' said Susan Del Percio, a longtime New York-based Republican strategist who does not support Trump. 'Mamdani was the exact same. He was calling out everybody, and then that's when you get to act with no fear.' Mamandi strayed from the Democratic establishment with a clear message of affordability and came out on top in a crowded and competitive primary. Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani's only serious competition, ran on a message of protecting New York City from Trump. But the New York City electorate is drastically different from the rest of the country, political observers say, noting someone like Mamdani may not appeal to moderates and centrists. 'Being a self-proclaimed democratic socialist … doesn't play in swing districts. It plays in New York City primaries,' Del Percio said. 'The Democratic candidates have to look more like Elissa Slotkin talking about the cost of living than they do Mamdani talking about the cost of living.' Realizing they need to do more to appeal to the middle class, Democrats across the country have begun to put forward plans and back legislation to regain lost ground. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) recently came out with her 'Economic War Plan,' the goals of which, she has said, are to reconnect the Democratic Party with the middle class. At the same time, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) signed a bill this week overhauling California's environmental protection laws to accelerate much-needed housing construction in the state. In the name of bringing down the cost of living, Newsom's move goes against a history of California Democrats unconditionally defending the state's environmental protection laws. But the New York race gave some Democrats an injection of hope that their party was starting to turn things around after the crushing loss last year. 'We have proof now, and the proof is the NYC mayor's race,' Rocha said. Mamdani won 'the same precincts in New York City where Donald Trump overperformed in the general election,' he explained. Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons said while not every voter is gettable, 'a lot of them are,' and he said some of the people who supported Trump are Democrats who simply found Trump's message more compelling than the Democratic ticket in the 2024 race. 'Voters are not captive to any political party,' Simmons added. 'They have agency. They get to make their own choices, and if politicians aren't speaking to them, they'll look elsewhere.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Wall Street Journal
06-07-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
WSJ Opinion: New York City Gears up for a Long, Hot Socialist Summer
From the award-winning opinion pages of The Wall Street Journal, the Journal Editorial Report sees columnists and members of the Journal Editorial Board debate the major economic, political and cultural issues of the day. From the policy debates to the political fights, each week get critical perspective and the analysis you need on developments from Washington.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Merdeka Center poll: 73pc of Malaysians say economy is top issue, Anwar gets 55pc approval rating
KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — A total of 73 per cent of Malaysian voters identified economic issues as the biggest problem facing the country, according to a new mid-term survey by Merdeka Center on the performance of the Madani administration. According to the center's 'National Survey Highlights May 2025' report, when respondents were asked to name their top concerns, they pointed to inflation (33 per cent), economic growth (13 per cent), corruption (seven per cent), Also cited were job opportunities (seven per cent), and issues related to Malay rights and fair treatment of all races (seven per cent). Concerns over racial issues and public safety were comparatively low, at just three per cent each. 'Concerns over instability have evaporated, but there is a slight rise in [concerns regarding] identity politics (protection of Malay rights),' said the center. Leadership and governance ratings Despite these concerns, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's approval rating stood at 55 per cent, up from 53 per cent in December 2024. A further 36 per cent expressed dissatisfaction, while nine per cent were neutral. According to the centre, Anwar's ability to maintain a two-thirds majority in Parliament and provide political stability was credited for easing public anxiety over governance. Satisfaction with the overall performance of the government was evenly split, with 50 per cent expressing satisfaction and 48 per cent dissatisfaction. 'Public sentiments on the direction of the country shows 50 per cent of the voters surveyed think the country is headed in the wrong direction (compared to 61 per cent one year ago), while the number of voters that think the country is heading in the right direction improved to 43 per cent compared to 29 per cent in June 2024. 'The major reasons for the wrong direction remain focused on the trajectory of the national economy and the performance of the current administration,' the survey said. Demographic breakdown of public sentiment Among those who believed the country was heading in the wrong direction, 68 per cent were Indian respondents, followed by 55 per cent Malay and 43 per cent Chinese. According to Merdeka Center, by age group, those aged 51 to 60 made up the highest percentage of respondents who believed the government was on the wrong track, at 59 per cent. Meanwhile, younger respondents aged 21 to 30 were more optimistic, with 54 per cent saying the country was heading in the right direction. Macroeconomic trends 'In terms of the economy, government data indicates that inflation has cooled to just 1.4 per cent in March 2025 — a three-year low — and economic growth hit 4.4 per cent in the first quarter. The government's minimum wage hike to RM1,700, combined with festive cash aid for civil servants and ongoing fuel subsidies, has helped ease some public frustration over the cost of living. 'While the survey continues to show that the public's top concerns remain the economy, the absence of price shocks despite the withdrawal of diesel fuel subsidies in 2024, has helped ease sentiments,' said the center. The survey was carried out by the Merdeka Center between May 12 and 23, 2025, to gauge voters' perceptions of current developments. A total of 1,208 registered voters were surveyed, comprising 52 per cent Malay, 29 per cent Chinese, seven per cent Indian, six per cent Muslim Bumiputera, and six per cent non-Muslim Bumiputera (from Sabah and Sarawak). Respondents were interviewed via fixed line and mobile telephones, selected through random stratified sampling across age group, ethnicity, gender, and state constituency.
Malay Mail
23-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Merdeka Center poll: 73pc of Malaysians say economy is top issue, Anwar gets 55pc approval rating
KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — A total of 73 per cent of Malaysian voters identified economic issues as the biggest problem facing the country, according to a new mid-term survey by Merdeka Center on the performance of the Madani administration. According to the center's 'National Survey Highlights May 2025' report, when respondents were asked to name their top concerns, they pointed to inflation (33 per cent), economic growth (13 per cent), corruption (seven per cent), Also cited were job opportunities (seven per cent), and issues related to Malay rights and fair treatment of all races (seven per cent). Concerns over racial issues and public safety were comparatively low, at just three per cent each. 'Concerns over instability have evaporated, but there is a slight rise in [concerns regarding] identity politics (protection of Malay rights),' said the center. Leadership and governance ratings Despite these concerns, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's approval rating stood at 55 per cent, up from 53 per cent in December 2024. A further 36 per cent expressed dissatisfaction, while nine per cent were neutral. According to the centre, Anwar's ability to maintain a two-thirds majority in Parliament and provide political stability was credited for easing public anxiety over governance. Satisfaction with the overall performance of the government was evenly split, with 50 per cent expressing satisfaction and 48 per cent dissatisfaction. 'Public sentiments on the direction of the country shows 50 per cent of the voters surveyed think the country is headed in the wrong direction (compared to 61 per cent one year ago), while the number of voters that think the country is heading in the right direction improved to 43 per cent compared to 29 per cent in June 2024. 'The major reasons for the wrong direction remain focused on the trajectory of the national economy and the performance of the current administration,' the survey said. Demographic breakdown of public sentiment Among those who believed the country was heading in the wrong direction, 68 per cent were Indian respondents, followed by 55 per cent Malay and 43 per cent Chinese. According to Merdeka Center, by age group, those aged 51 to 60 made up the highest percentage of respondents who believed the government was on the wrong track, at 59 per cent. Meanwhile, younger respondents aged 21 to 30 were more optimistic, with 54 per cent saying the country was heading in the right direction. Macroeconomic trends 'In terms of the economy, government data indicates that inflation has cooled to just 1.4 per cent in March 2025 — a three-year low — and economic growth hit 4.4 per cent in the first quarter. The government's minimum wage hike to RM1,700, combined with festive cash aid for civil servants and ongoing fuel subsidies, has helped ease some public frustration over the cost of living. 'While the survey continues to show that the public's top concerns remain the economy, the absence of price shocks despite the withdrawal of diesel fuel subsidies in 2024, has helped ease sentiments,' said the center. The survey was carried out by the Merdeka Center between May 12 and 23, 2025, to gauge voters' perceptions of current developments. A total of 1,208 registered voters were surveyed, comprising 52 per cent Malay, 29 per cent Chinese, seven per cent Indian, six per cent Muslim Bumiputera, and six per cent non-Muslim Bumiputera (from Sabah and Sarawak). Respondents were interviewed via fixed line and mobile telephones, selected through random stratified sampling across age group, ethnicity, gender, and state constituency.
