OPINION:
Many positive developments are happening in America.
Yes, more work remains to be done, but the policies of democratic socialists would lead to negative outcomes for most Americans.
This is what President Trump and his allies should be talking about during the next month.
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Real median household income reached $87,460 in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That was the highest since the reporting began in 1967.
In the same period, the poverty rate decreased from 10.7% to 10.2%, the lowest in the modern reporting series.
The 2026 forecast has food-at-home inflation at 2%, according to the Department of Agriculture. That is below the 20-year historical average of 2.6%.
Growth in the national economy — as measured by gross domestic product — for the third quarter is projected at 5% annualized, according to the Federal Reserve. That is up from the previously predicted annual growth of 1.5%.
These are all good signs for the economy in 2026 and beyond. That said, there is work to be done.
One of the biggest concerns for most Americans is the high cost of gasoline. Polling conducted for Young America’s Foundation shows that even younger voters list the cost of living as their top concern.
Conservatives should be pushing for relief at the federal and state levels.
Four major policy changes would lead to huge relief at the gas pump. First, suspend the federal gas tax and do the same with the state gas tax.
Next, repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard at the federal level. Finally, remove any other regulatory provisions that drive up prices.
In Wisconsin, that means repealing the minimum markup law. Combined, these changes would lower the state’s gas price by $1.11 per gallon. With those savings, filling up my Chevy Traverse would cost $22.26 less at the pump.
If I fill my tank more than once a week, that means savings of more than $100 a month on gas alone. That is real money.
By contrast, voters must understand what will happen if they elect democratic socialists. As mentioned in the past, the path toward socialism — more government control of the economy — has driven up numerous costs.
Regulations, mandates and bureaucracy increase the price of healthcare coverage without making us healthier. Meanwhile, the cost of corrective eye surgery — largely untouched by government and bureaucracy — has gone down, while quality has remained the same or improved over the years.
Similar things can be said about the housing market. Permits, regulations, local and state property taxes, and other factors helped drive up home prices. Excessive government spending and high debt led to higher interest rates.
In higher education, federal student loan assistance has risen at more than three times the rate of inflation since the late 1970s, while college tuition has surged at nearly the same rate.
Giving students more money to borrow to cover higher costs that cannot be repaid within a reasonable time sounds more like a Ponzi scheme than sound fiscal policy. Moving to socialism would mean more crazy ideas such as this one.
Venezuela is a real-time example of the failures of democratic socialism. It went from being one of the most prosperous nations in the hemisphere to one of the world’s poorest. Even people with jobs and homes pick through garbage to find food because of the country’s shortages.
Socialism and, eventually, communism ultimately eliminate the desire to work. People realize that the government will pay them regardless of their productivity, so they give up on work.
Last year, I heard this from people in Cuba: “The government pretends to pay us, and we pretend to work.” I heard the same things decades ago from people in the Soviet Union.
True freedom and prosperity do not come from the clumsy hand of the government. They come from empowering people to control their own lives and destiny through hard work.
Overall, many measures show that times are good. We must remind people of our successes. That said, many people are hurting because of high costs, particularly high gas prices.
We have to show them a plan to bring down those prices, and we must remind them that the alternative — electing the radicals — would be far worse for our country. We cannot allow those radicals to win.
• Scott Walker is a columnist for The Washington Times. He was the 45th governor of Wisconsin and launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He lives in Milwaukee and is the proud owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King. He can be reached at swalker@washingtontimes.com.
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