#and her expensive prescription food!!!!!

[lastoneout]

We're currently switch my cat's food and litter to try to figure out what's causing this weird mystery allergy she's had for the last like 5 years and I was kinda worried she wouldn't like the new food bcs you never know, but actually she likes it so much it's actually ridiculous. Cuz like when you switch a cat(or dog's) food you have to taper it like a medication, you keep giving them the old food but slowly mix in more and more of the new food while mixing in less of the old, cuz if you don't you can make them sick, and she is SO SO SO mad that I keep giving her ANY of the old food.

Whenever I go to fill up her bowl I first add in the old food and then mix in the new, and while she used to just immediately start eating when I'd pour her food now she just watches me do the first one, sniffs the bowl, and then sits back and stares at me like "uh mother it appears there's been an error" and then when I reach for the other food she looses her MIND and starts shoving her face in my way and meowing and getting all excited and she only starts eating once it's mixed in.

So like, glad she enjoys the new stuff at least!

[yoshistory]

Fuuuck I'm like 99% sure the cat food that got put in the wrong package locker and I couldn't access it for over a week spoiled from being left in the heat. Hope always had a bad throw up problem but it's like immediately after she eats it she'll throw it all right up and can't hold any of it down ... it's so expensive and my vet's office doesn't have any on hand I can pick up i have to wait on an order for it ...

After work I'm gonna go pick up some more of her favorite but bad-for-her food so she has something not spoiled she can eat for now until I wait for it to get shipped out again -__-

[telepathicapathy]

My old dog has a tooth infection and she has an appointment this afternoon for it but I'm just braced for the vet to tell me I'm a shitty owner for letting it get this bad even tho their records will show that she had a dental recently.

[pearl-kite]

Been wondering for a while why Trio seems extra whiny about food. I feed her her wet food in the morning, and she has a bowl of dry available all day, and there's been food in the dry bowl. So, like, why?

I just noticed that the bag of food I've been using has two shapes.

There is only one shape left in the bowl.

This little shit is sorting through her dry food and only eating one shape

[ms-demeanor]

I've been following what's been going on with Belphie the kitten and his person, Greer Stothers, has just mentioned pet insurance in a tag on a post and I wanted to give an example from my life backing up why pet insurance can be a good idea and why I think it is worthwhile.

Two years ago my sister's dog had bloat while she was on vacation. The kennel he was staying at recognized symptoms and called my sister to clear them to take him to the emergency vet. My sister is very financially secure and this dog is an enormous part of her life, so she said yes with barely a moment of hesitation. That ended up being about twelve thousand dollars of emergency surgery.

Large Bastard and I got pet insurance for Tiny Bastard the same week because we realized that if someone had presented that option to us, we would have had no choice but to have Tiny Bastard put down, and we didn't want to be put in that position.

I did a lot of research about different kinds of pet insurance and different levels of coverage and annual maximums and deductibles and so on and so forth. Tiny Bastard is a senior dog, so this was going to be expensive no matter what options we went with, so I chose a moderately priced plan with a $500 annual deductible, unlimited annual coverage, that pays 80% of the bills incurred annually below the maximum. What that means is that we pay the first $500 of care totally out of pocket, after which point we are reimbursed 80% of any vet bills for care covered by the plan.

The first year we had this plan I was kind of iffy about it. It's a noticeable monthly expense and we didn't even spend the deductible in vet bills the first year. Except that a month before the policy was set to renew, Tiny Bastard got diagnosed with diabetes. We now have monthly insulin costs and syringe costs; there are tests she has to have regularly to monitor her overall condition and we need to do more frequent vet visits to track symptoms.

Suddenly the insulin alone means that the insurance is break-even within six months and the additional visits and tests are something we can afford instead of something we'd have to put on credit.

Our plan (through ManyPets) covers medication, surgery, diagnostics, medical equipment, and euthanasia and cremation. It doesn't cover pre-existing conditions, joint conditions for dogs who were signed up over a certain age, dental care, spay/neuter, vaccinations, or prescription food but honestly all of that makes me just kind of wish we'd signed her up earlier - her knee problems *would* be covered if we'd had her signed up as a puppy, and the monthly cost would have been lower if we'd signed her up then. And there are at least a few emergency vet bills that I wouldn't still be paying off on my credit card. Hell, I've probably paid more in interest on some bruising she got in a fight three years ago than I have for this policy as a whole.

I am glad that Greer is able to take care of Belphie. I am glad that my sister was able to take care of her dog. But I'm also really, really glad that for a relatively low cost, I would be able to take care of Tiny Bastard if she were catastrophically injured, or if she needed emergency surgery. I'm glad that I'm able to take care of her now with her medications and her additional vet visits.

There are a lot of people who say that pet insurance isn't worth it, especially not for young animals. But if your young animal gets very sick, or gets badly injured, or eats a hairband and needs an emergency endoscopy, then it will probably be VERY worth it. It's a risk/reward question. You feel like you're wasting money if you're paying for a policy that you never use, but honestly that just means you're lucky to have a healthy pet.

I'm lucky that Tiny Bastard was relatively healthy before I got the insurance; I'm also lucky that she was insured when she was diagnosed with a chronic illness that will need lifelong care. This enables me to provide care for her that would otherwise be financially unmanageable, and that makes the insurance *extremely worth it* from my perspective.

And Belphie is a good example of why it's a good idea to get coverage even for very young pets. Greer is recommending it because this kitten has required a tremendous amount of care during a period in his life when it's generally taken for granted that a cat will be healthy. (And Greer is not stupid for forgoing pet insurance - pet insurance is still a relatively new concept and there are lots of people who are leery of it for a number of good reasons)

So I'd say that if you've got a pet or are getting a pet it is very worthwhile to find a pet insurance plan that fits in your budget. There are a variety of plans out there and some are very inexpensive. Check coverage levels (you can even get some with wellness plans that include dental care and vaccinations) and see if there's something that works for you.

I personally don't think I'm ever going to own another pet without having pet insurance. It's ridiculous how much easier it is for me to say yes to diagnostic tests or different treatments than it was before because I know I'm going to be able to fit Tiny Bastard's care into our budget.

[heystephen]

hi guys i know this is kind of a big ask so im going to try to elaborate as many details as i can even if many of them are painful and private and i do want to give a content warning for mentions of animal injury and abuse

as some of you know, my sister is an addict and i am currently estranged from her. about a month and a half ago, her dog was abandoned at a rescue that partners with the animal shelter i volunteer at, tied up to their front door in the middle of the night with injuries that are presumed to be from being struck by a car.. severe road rash on his legs and paws and bruising, thankfully nothing broken. he received some medical treatment and was transferred to the shelter i volunteer at. during this time, my sister did not attempt to reclaim her dog and i assumed responsibility for him at an expense i and my family wasn’t exactly prepared for. due to his age and his illness and injuries, he would not have been a fit adoption candidate but i did not feel that he was ready for euthanasia. he is a good dog, still full of life and still making every effort to keep going, and he’s so deserving of spending his remaining time here comfortably despite what he has been through the past several months. the truth is, he has been abused and severely neglected. my brother in law knocked several of the dog’s teeth out and broke them (he is currently in jail), and both he and my sister were aware of the dog’s kidney disease but did not seek medical treatment for him and often allowed the dog to go days without food or water.

at this time, he needs further vet care; antibiotics, pain medication, treatment for his anxiety, medicated baths, and prescription dog food for his kidney disease. a family friend created a gfm to help us with these expenses and im asking y’all to help or share this anywhere you can, if you can. he has a long way to go but he’s not giving up yet. 🩵 if you have any questions or any details you want verified, please don’t hesitate to send me an ask and i will do my best to get back to you quickly!!

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-steve-heal-support-his-medical-care?attribution_id=sl:d1bb7b4e-4220-4912-8a93-8c32f23dcf55&utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

[froody]

please help my scruggly cat

Tommy, Tumblr micro-celebrity famous for featuring/being the muse for hit posts such as ‘father is…evil?’ and ‘my cat can tell when I’m sad and instinctively bites my toes’ and ‘frustrating each other is our love language’ needs a little financial support. Please consider donating to my ko-fi or buying something from my teespring store.

Tommy was diagnosed with diabetes earlier this year under dramatic circumstances that involved a week long intensive care vet stay. She has stomatitis (an inflammation of the gums and mucus membranes) that she was on steroids for and the steroids may have damaged her pancreas. Since her diagnosis we’ve had a hard time controlling her blood sugar. Her insulin dose goes up and up. The vet thinks she has a good chance of stabilizing, that diabetic cats can and do live long, healthy and happy lives. She’s only 5. Her 6th birthday is later this month. She’s fighting. She wants to live.

Each insulin vial costs $160. Her prescription cat food is $35 for a 4 pound bag. She’s also on gabapentin for her pain and neuropathy and she’ll probably need another course of antibiotics. She currently goes to the vet every two weeks and the cost of that varies immensely. Basically, she’s a much more expensive cat than she was before and the cost of living for me has risen as well. It’s not an immediate emergency but we need funds. I’m disabled, I have an autoimmune disease that attacks my colon, I have a hard time working outside of the home or even at all because my health fluctuates and my energy levels are low. I’m trying so desperately to get better but for now I’m living in my mom’s house and sponging off my loved ones and tapping into my meager savings.

I know what you’re thinking, the thing people always comment on donation posts about pets, “if you can’t afford to care for your cat, why do you still have your cat?” and as biting as that question is, I know it’s a valid one and I’ve thought about it myself. I still have her because I need her and she needs me. She’s like my soulmate animal. We met when I was 16 and she was about 4 weeks old. There was no way I could have known we’d both be struggling sick moneypits in 5 years. I’m trying to give her the best life I can and she’s trying to give me her best self. I’m her person. I’m home 24/7 so we’re so used to having each other. She brings me immense joy and I know she’s brought a lot of other people joy. If you’re one of those people, please consider giving a couple of dollars. If you can’t afford to, that’s fine. Thank you for reading anyway.

TL;DR: cat sick. I’m sick. please help.

[transgendz]

My roommate has dental surgery the day after tomorrow. It was initially supposed to be today, but he started vomiting leading to us needing to reschedule and anyways we haven't gotten the costs covered. He needs to cover the numbing injection for surgery, the prescription, and post surgery appropriate food. Food in particular is a concern because his supplemental nutrition his gastrointerologist has him on is expensive. Helping our housemate with her with leaving her abusive husband has also taken a lot out of our funds.

Dm me for proof or details

I will do art for anyone who gives $50+ just message me at my art blog @theartistrans

$creepiecrippl

V: tab-99

$120/$979

[wotisla]

We take very long baths in my family because we're water soluble and it can be thermodynamically very expensive to extricate oneself from solution.

My father lost an older sister to the bath drain when he was young although he doesn't talk about it very much. When her parents (my grandparents) decided the bath had gone on too long and broke in there there was no sign of her except her two eyeballs rattling around in the bath tub.

I like to imagine that one day she reconstituted on a beach somewhere but she never came back for her eyes.

Anyway I need money for medical treatment so I'm selling them. £700 + shipping to wherever you are. They're in good condition + I'm told she had no glasses prescription and good colour acuity. [Please don't purchase these to consume as food! Even though I never met her she was my aunt and I don't want these to be eaten by a stranger]

[pokemonshelterstories]

How long does it take for an Oddish's leaves to grow back after being cut? For context, Oddy (my Oddish) likes to bury herself up to her leaves and sleep in the garden in my front lawn during the day; it's a good way for her to get sunlight and she knows not to wander off. But this morning she was sleeping at the very edge of the garden while my dad was mowing the lawn and, well, now Oddy has a buzz cut. No other injuries thankfully, but I'm worried about her getting malnourished since she gets most of her energy from photosynthesis, and the rest from nutrients in the soil/water and the occasional berry for dessert. Do I need to give Oddy food supplements until her leaves grow back? How do I even do that? Do I mix Liquid IV into her water or something?

please go to your vet for medical advice and don't ask a blog. this is a serious medical event and requires emergency intervention.

for the sake of explaining why: there's a lot of variables that go into how fast an oddish's leaf growth is, but the most important factor is the nutritional content of the soil it buries itself in during the day. soil provides the oddish with the water and micronutrients it needs to stimulate plant growth.

the difficulty here is that your oddish can't survive without the macronutrients she receives from photosynthesis. oddish don't actually have a digestive system powerful enough to absorb enough energy through food to sustain themselves, and soil alone won't give her what she needs either. she'll have some energy stored up, but she's not like an actual plant, and she uses too much energy to survive for very long without absorbing sunlight. she's going to need artificial photosynthesis supplement in her soil to give her an alternative way to absorb energy. this supplement is pretty expensive and typically only available for use in pokemon by prescription.

it's also important to be very mindful of potential disease in the regrowing leaves, since she's going to be more susceptible to infection where the leaves were cut. all the more reason why it's important this is seen by a veterinarian!

[remyfire]

[UPDATE, July 27th 2024] You all helped me meet my goal in less than 24 hours again and I am absolutely overwhelmed by your compassion and care!! I'm disabling reblogs so it doesn't keep circulating because for now, everything is taken care of ;v; Thank you so, so much

I was really not wanting to have to do this again so soon, especially while I've been spending time away from the Internet due to my poor mental health, but here we are. Peach is my wonderful, beautiful, perfect, sassy, cuddly, loving cat. She's 12 years old and exactly a month ago, we found out that she is diabetic. I love her so, so much and I will do anything I can to keep her healthy and give her a wonderful life as she enters her senior years, but unfortunately the costs of caring for a diabetic cat are more than I can afford right now.

Thanks to the AI boom, the transcription industry is drying up because if there's one thing these things are good at, it's transcribing audio files. Work has been increasingly difficult to come by, and while I've been fortunate to receive work this weekend, I won't be getting a paycheck for it for a couple of weeks, and even when I do, it absolutely has to go to my bills first and foremost and there will be no extra to put toward her cost of care. I continue to be on the hunt for jobs in my area and even had my first interview yesterday, but I haven't been lucky enough to receive an interview from any of the other places I've applied to thus far. And wouldn't you know it, but my credit card is just a hair away from maxing out.

Here's the current damage, which includes Peach's prescription food ($70), syringes ($20), and her most recent vet visit ($282), where they took her blood pressure and applied a glucometer in order to track her blood sugar levels for the next two weeks. Cats often have their diabetes go into remission, and if that happened then we would only need to maintain her diet—still expensive but far more affordable—but to get there, we need to see if this treatment is working, and that's going to take time.

I've set up a Ko-Fi goal here (a flat $400 in order to cover the PayPal fees) so you can see how much I still need to pay for her cost of care. I know that this is a miserable time to ask for donations and that we are so fatigued on giving already, but I legitimately have no choice. Until I can find work somewhere, I desperately need help.

Reblogs are appreciated. And here's one more cute photo of her in her little shirt from the vet as thanks for taking the time to read this post!!

[catsofcalifornia]

Cinnamon and Lady Catherine from Feral Cat Foundation in Alamo, California

Click here for more information about adoption and other ways to help!

Click here for a link to Feral Cat Foundation's main website.

Cinnamon and Lady Catherine are a bonded pair of fluffy 7-year-old cats. (Might be siblings; we are not sure.) Theirs is a bit of a hard-luck story, and they have some special needs. They’re looking for that special home to help them blossom, so if you think that might be yours, read on!

Six years ago, the two fluffballs were trapped in a retail parking lot as part of a feral cat fixing program. Both seemed pretty feral at first, but with one needing extra medical care and both being so doggone cute, their rescuer just couldn't bear to return them to the parking lot. She kept them at her home and worked with them, seeing substantial progress over time.

Cinnamon is a cute-as-can-be orange male cat. When he first came to us, his tail was dragging on the ground. It was found to have permanent nerve damage and had to be amputated. He didn’t seem to miss it, and has just a cute little nub on his backside now. Cinnamon has developed a sweet, demure and laid-back personality. He has such a lovable begging face when he wants pets, purrs very loudly and looks so serene when he receives them!

After some time in foster care, Cinnamon was noticed straining to urinate and was found to have bladder stones. He had surgery to remove them, and thereafter was placed on a prescription diet formulated to keep the bladder crystals from recurring and forming into stones. Right now he’s primarily eating Hills S/O dry food. (Increasing the amount of wet food would probably be even better if you can.) At any rate, he’s been maintaining on the diet for several years now, and the bladder issue has not recurred. To check up on him, we had an ultrasound done very recently, and the vet found no signs of additional stones forming. So, it’s a good indication that the diet is working as planned and keeping him healthy. The food is easy to obtain, and while it is a little more expensive than regular cat food, it’s not outrageous.

Lady Catherine is a drop-dead gorgeous calico female and Cinnamon’s best buddy. She is shyer than Cinnamon, and would require a good dose of patience as she settles into a new location. Once she gets to know someone, she can be quite friendly, rubbing coquettishly on the cat tree and hoping for a visit. She does blow a bit hot and cold and sometimes just isn’t in the mood at all. We are sure that with more personalized attention, she would continue to blossom further and really get the chance to live her best life.

For convenience since they are roommates, Lady Catherine has been eating the same food as Cinnamon (it doesn’t hurt for her to eat it, even though she doesn’t require it).

What is so much fun about these two, is watching them interact together. They spend most of their time sitting and cuddling together, or sort of weaving around each other with purrs and nuzzles. It is really sweet to see how much they love each other!

A couple years ago, this pair actually did get adopted. Their new dad adored them but tragically, he passed away unexpectedly, and the family called the rescue to come repossess the cats. They had been blissfully happy in the home, and they do not understand why they had to come back to foster care. From this experience, we know Cinnamon and Catherine would need a quiet home with patient person(s) willing to take it slow. It would probably go best to keep them in one room of the house for a month or possibly a couple months until they acclimate. They would not be a good fit for a home with kids or dogs; they have gotten very accustomed to quiet adults. They do get along great with other cats, but of course there is the food requirement so if there are other cats eating other food in the home, you’d need a method to separate Cinnamon for feeding (which certainly is not impossible and we can talk about strategies for this, if that’s your situation).

Both kitties are about 7 years old at this time. I know most people will think this is too old for a new cat… keep in mind however that with proper care, indoor kitties typically live 15-20 years. Cinnamon and Lady Catherine have a whole “ACT TWO” ahead of them! They are special kitties, and so very deserving of that second chance to live their best life. They have been fixed, brought up to date on vaccinations, and tested FIV/FELV negative. They have always done a great job of using the litterbox! There is an adoption donation to the Feral Cat Foundation (an all-volunteer organization, which helped get them out of a bad situation and provided all of their medical care) to help us continue our work with homeless cats. If you would like to meet this fluffy pair or have any questions, please reach out by phone or email!

[thebookewyrme]

So, I finally got the apartment I’ve been waiting for after being on the waiting list for 9 months. Unfortunately, they were kind of dicks and gave me about 2.5 weeks notice. I had just spent all my extra money on kittens, but I’ve been able to scramble and borrow and arrange payments to paychecks in such a way that all my move in costs are covered.

However, this doesn’t leave any room for “nonessentials” like food and vet visits. The kittens need their next set of shots, and it can’t be delayed because they have to be given a certain amount of time apart. Additionally, Bella’s expensive prescription dog food is about to run out (I can’t feed her regular cheap dog food because she has gall bladder disease and it’ll literally kill her like her mother went).

So. I need about $350 by November 10th, for these things! Anything over will go to feed me, but I can probably subsist on the food bank for a couple weeks if I have to. Any boosts are a help, even a dollar is a dollar more than I had before. I really appreciate how everyone has come together for me in the past, sorry to have to ask again.

$0/$350

Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/TheBookewyrme

PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/LiaWolff05

Cashapp: $TheBookewyrme

As payment, I offer pics of the miscreants in question!

Miscreant #1

[Image ID: a grey kitten sits on a messy desk with books and papers piled around him. A computer screen is on the right side. /end ID]

Miscreant #2

[Image ID: a orange and white kitten lays on his back with his back pays in the air clutching at an orange toy on a string and looking at the camera. /end Id]

And not a miscreant, only the goodest old girl!

Image ID: a german shepherd curled up on a rug. /end Id]

[he-i-mean-they]

Tldr; i need help affording end of life care for one of my dogs. you can help by sharing this post and donating what you’re able to (more info below image). thank you <3

(image description; a red dog with pointed ears is resting his head on the lap of his owner and looking in to the camera)

one of my dogs has been sick recently and when we took him to the vet we found out that it’s a lot worse than we realized. within the last month he’s accumulated fluid in his abdomen and chest from a mass in his liver. we tested his stool + urine, did blood work + x rays, and scheduled an ultrasound to see if there’s any chance of it being operable. they drained over 350ml of fluid from his abdomen and put him on a diuretic + pain meds to help keep him comfortable. we won’t know for certain until after he has an ultrasound but the prognosis isn’t very good either way. it’s very likely that he’ll continue to fill up with fluid until he goes in to organ failure from the masses and we were told he only has a few months left.

I’m trying to be strong for him and give him the best chance that we can but it will require some serious intervention and management. We’re adjusting his diet and adding some supplements along with his meds and praying that it buys him more time. Even if they are able to operate there’s still a good chance that it could grow back…

But I’m holding out hope for his recovery and asking for all of the help that i can get. We have a shih tzhu that’s older than him and we were able to get her heart condition stabilized so much that she went from being a candidate for euthanasia to having a normal sized heart (it was so enlarged when we got her that it was pushing her trachea out of place), no murmur, and is very well managed with meds. I’ve depended on Vin for so much and for so long that he will always be a part of my life.

I’m just asking for any help that we can get. We’re in the process of filing for bankruptcy so we don’t have any credit cards to fall back on. We’re supported by my husbands single income as I struggle to find a part time job that can accommodate my disability. We were able to get a discount on our last visit because we receive food assistance but it still came to just under $400 ($381 to be exact). It’s a good deal for the amount of services that we received but it’s money that we were setting aside for rent.

(Image description; a cropped image of a bank statement that reads “At Humane Society Of, [redacted] On [Redacted] From Card number [Redacted]” and a charge for $381.15 labeled as Processed)

Our next visit is going to cost a little bit more than our last as the ultrasound is from a team that travels to the clinic. We were quoted around $412 for the next visit but it may be more if he needs fluid drained again… not counting prescription food, meds, or supplements, we’re already down over $800+ and that’s just for diagnostics and early stages of treatment.

It’s an embarrassing position to be in but the reality is that I’m struggling to keep up as it is. I really appreciate anyone who shares this post and/or donates to help us cover the costs of his medical expenses. I’ll make sure to update if I’m able to find a job, especially if I can get in at a clinic for discounted treatment (I have a history of vet assisting)

(Image descriptions; the first is a red shiba inu sitting on a couch next to a cat. both are looking at the camera. the second image is the same red dog cuddling with an elderly gray dog on a bed)

Ways you can help;

1. Share this post !

i totally understand if you aren’t able to give any money and i don’t want you to feel obligated to. sharing does help even if you don’t have a lot of followers

2. you can donate money for Vin’s recovery in the following ways;

- Paypal @ ReyOfTheLight

- Venmo @ rey-fillback

- cashapp $reyfillback

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dan Pfeiffer at The Message Box:

Amidst the political tumult of the last couple of months, one thing has remained constant — the economy is the top issue for voters. More specifically, concerns about elevated prices — despite declining inflation — continue to drive the political conversation. In the most recent New York Times/Siena poll of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, 22% of likely voters said the economy was the single most important issue in deciding their vote — 8 points higher than abortion and 9 points higher than immigration. Dissatisfaction with the economy helped propel Trump to a lead earlier this year despite his convictions, indictments, and involvement with insurrections. This week, Trump gave a speech in North Carolina that was billed as a major economic speech, and on Thursday, he gave an interminably long press conference at his golf club regarding high prices. Yesterday, also in North Carolina, Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first major policy speech of the campaign. She also focused on high prices. Head-to-head engagement on this issue tells us a lot of very good things about how Harris and her team are messaging on the economy. Others are more qualified than I to weigh in on the substantive merits of her proposals, but the politics are promising.

Read the full policy paper on Harris’s proposals HERE, but the major tenets include:

Lowering grocery costs with the first-ever federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries;

Restoring the Child Tax Credit that provided $3,600 per child for middle and working class families;

Cutting taxes to help Americans afford health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace;

Capping the cost of insulin at $35 and out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs at $2,000 for everyone;

Calling for the construction of three million new homes to end the housing shortage in four years; and

Providing $25,000 in down-payment support for first-time homeowners.

Even though these items represent a piece of her broader economic agenda, it is impressively comprehensive for a campaign created out of thin air less than a month ago.

[...]

3. Harris’s Economic Message

Because his fake persona as a business tycoon was imprinted on the American psyche via tabloids and reality television, Trump has always had an advantage on the economy. That advantage was magnified this cycle because he associated himself with the economic stability and lower prices during the pre-pandemic era. The best thing the Trump economy achieved was not massively fumbling all of the work Barack Obama did to rebuild the economy after the Great Recession — but I digress.

Kamala Harris’s message on the economy is what America needs.

[misfitwashere]

Friends,

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling more anxious about the outcome of the upcoming election. I’m still nauseously optimistic, but the nausea is growing. 

I’m as skeptical of polls as any of you, but when all of them show the same thing — that Kamala Harris’s campaign stalled several weeks ago, yet Trump’s continues to surge — it’s important to take the polls seriously. 

Harris will give her closing message to the American people tomorrow at a rally on the National Mall’s Ellipse in Washington. 

Over the last several weeks, she’s focused on Trump’s threats to a woman’s right over her body and to the rights of all Americans to a democracy. 

Tomorrow night, though, she needs to respond forcefully to the one issue that continues to be highest on the minds of most Americans: the economy. 

She must tell Americans simply and clearly why they continue to have such a hard time despite all the official economic indicators to the contrary: It’s because of the power of large corporations and a handful of wealthy individuals to siphon off most economic gains for themselves. 

Most Americans are outraged that they continue to struggle economically at the same time billionaires are pulling in ever more wealth. Most know they’re paying too much for housing, gas, groceries, and the medicines they need. They also know that a major cause is the market power of big corporations.

They want someone who’ll stand up to big corporations and the politicians in Washington who serve them. 

They want a president who’ll be on their side. A president who will crack down on price gouging, who will bust up the monopolies and restore competition, who will fight to cap prescription drug costs, who will get big money out of politics and stop the legalized bribery that rigs the market for the rich, and who will make sure corporations pay their fair share and end tax breaks for billionaire crooks. 

A president who will put working families first — before big corporations and the wealthy. 

Harris needs to say she will be this president. 

Her policy proposals support this. She’s committed to strong antitrust enforcement — cracking down on mergers and acquisitions that give big food corporations the power to jack up food and grocery prices, prosecuting price-fixing, and banning price gouging. She needs to remind voters of this. 

She also says she’ll raise taxes on the rich, provide $25,000 in down-payment assistance to help Americans buy their first home, restore the Expanded Child Tax Credit to $3,600 to help more than 100 million working Americans, and introduce a new $6,000 tax cut to help families pay for the high costs of a child’s first year of life. 

All should be parts of her speech tomorrow about why she will be the champion of working people. 

She wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, make stock buybacks more expensive, and expand Medicare to cover home health care — paid for with savings from the expansion of Medicare price negotiations with drug manufacturers.

She needs to frame all of this as a response to the power of big corporations and the wealthy — and say in no uncertain terms that she’s on the side of the people, not the powerful. 

If she fails to do this in her closing argument, Trump’s demagogic response will be the only one the public hears — that average working people are struggling because of undocumented workers and the “enemy within,” including Democrats, socialists, Marxists, and the “deep state.”

Harris should fit her message about democracy inside this economic message. If our democracy weren’t dominated by the rich and big corporations, fewer of the economy’s gains would be siphoned off to them. Average working people would have better pay and more secure jobs and be able to afford to homes, food, fuel, medicine, child care, and eldercare. 

A large portion of the public no longer thinks American democracy is working. According to a new New York Times/Siena College poll, only 45 percent believe our democracy does a good job representing ordinary people. An astounding 62 percent say the government is mostly working to benefit itself and elites rather than the common good.

In her closing argument, Harris should commit herself to reversing this, so government works for the common good. 

Harris started her campaign in July and early August by emphasizing these themes about the economy and democracy. 

But in more recent weeks, she’s focused mostly on Trump’s particular threat to democracy. Her campaign seems to have decided that she can draw additional voters from moderate Republican suburban women upset by Trump’s role in fomenting the attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

That’s why she’s been campaigning with Liz Cheney and gathering Republican officials as supporters. And why she has chosen to give her closing message on the Ellipse — where Trump summoned his followers to march on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. 

Yet when she shifted gears from the economy to Trump’s attacks on democracy, Harris’s campaign stalled. I think that’s because Americans continue to focus on the economy and want an answer to why they are still struggling economically. 

If Trump gives them an answer — although baseless and demagogic — but Harris does not, he may sail to victory on November 5. 

Hence in her closing message she must talk clearly and frankly about the misallocation of economic power in America — lodged with big corporations and the wealthy instead of average Americans — and her commitment to rectify this.