Hero or Zero?
March 30th
Welcome to Progress Virginia’s Hero or Zero, a weekly, unapologetically progressive take on this week’s heroes and zeros in Virginia politics. Check out this space every Friday, and Tweet us or post to our Facebook to nominate your own heroes and zeros.
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HERO: Door Knockers
Knocking on doors is time consuming and repetitive. It’s also effective. That’s why this week, all the Virginians who knocked on doors to talk to voters about Medicaid expansion are our heroes.
Our friends and neighbors went door to door, urging voters to talk with their elected officials and encourage them to support Medicaid expansion when the General Assembly reconvenes on April 11.
400,00 Virginians could benefit from Medicaid expansion. It’s past time for waiting. These voters are getting up and making their voices heard, fighting for healthcare for their neighbors. That’s why they are our heroes.
ZERO: commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross
Attacks on immigrants seem neverending under the Trump administration. In the latest offense, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced this week a that a citizenship question will be reintroduced in the 2020 Census.
A citizenship question could discourage immigrants from filling out the census form—without an accurate count, states could lose millions of dollars in federal funding. That means less money for schools, roads, Medicaid—many services that Virginians rely on every day. This is another anti-immigrant and racist policy from Trump’s cabinet (I’m looking at you Jeff Sessions), and it is one that could harm our economy.