On Wednesday, July 29, I drove to Astoria from Nehalem to attend a “Bernie for President” meeting. There were an estimated 100,000 supporters at more than 3,500 organized meetings all over this country on this day. 

In American politics there are two primary sources of power: Organized people and organized money. Organized money has been buying our federal government and our state governments for years, and look where we are: Broken economy, crumbling infrastructure, unfair tax codes, and the people we elect vote in favor of $pecial interests instead of our interests.

At the rate we are going, our children and grandchildren are going to be in big trouble. College is all but unaffordable. Most loans have fees besides interest. The Federal Student Aid website (https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans/interest-rates) says that interest rates range from over 4.29 to over 6.84 percent, fees range from 1.073 to 4.272 percent. Average college costs range from $10,000 to $35,000 per year. When our kids graduate from college with these big debts, will there be jobs?

According to www.politifact.com, our overall unemployment rate is over 10 percent, and that doesn’t count the thousands who lost their jobs and received no unemployment, and those in their 40s and 50s who just simply can’t find work today. White kids entering the job market  have an unemployment rate of 33 percent, Hispanic kids 36 percent and black kids 51 percent.  

Bernie Sanders makes it plain that most changes occur from grassroots organizing, and it will take most of us doing something to change the downward path we are on. I know this is true. Thats why I went.

If you don’t know who Bernie Sanders is, you should find out.

Dixie Gainer

Nehalem