Wolfson: It’s time to bring some balance to our state
Guest opinion
I’m Savannah Wolfson, and I’m a candidate for House District 26. I’m running to be your voice and a problem solver, and we have several urgent problems to solve.
A few weeks ago, I was chatting with another mom as her kid boarded the school bus.
“Have a good day at school! Happy birthday, buddy!” I heard her say.
“Aww, it’s his birthday? Are you bringing cupcakes to school later?” I asked.
“Actually,” she responded, “I can’t fill up my tank with gas to get to the grocery store. I really don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Support Local Journalism
How many families are hurting this badly? I hear this fear, uncertainty and anger everywhere I go in the district. Kids only get one childhood. Mothers only get to raise their children once.
And what about the mother from Oak Creek who is grieving the loss of her son? A violent man was let out of prison on a personal recognizance bond “so he would not catch COVID-19.” There was no consideration for his previous victims. He illegally obtained a firearm and went out on a rampage in Oak Creek. He shot multiple people and succeeded in murdering a young man. He was stopped by a legal gun owner.
Because some of our leaders have more compassion for criminals than victims of abuse, a mother in our community will never hold her son in this life again. This is a statewide problem that must be addressed by the legislature.
Another problem for families in our district is a massive child care shortage. An employer in House District 26 recently told me this is the next “community emergency!”
I’ve looked into this shortage and it is caused, in part, by our state laws. They disincentivize people from starting licensed, in-home child care centers. Let me give you an example.
Infants in licensed, in-home child care centers must be placed in a crib within 10 minutes of falling asleep. They must be monitored using eyesight; video monitors cannot be used.
So let’s say you’re a child care provider and you have several ages in your care. You want to go for a walk to take the kids to the park. You choose to babywear the infant in a sling so you can bring her on the go. If she falls asleep and you’re more than 10 minutes from your home, you’re breaking the law.
One provider told me, “I break the law every day.” Another told me, “I no longer take infants.” I myself was a proud babywearing mama to two-under-2. If parents want to select a provider who safely wears a sleeping infant out on a walk, that is their right.
It’s time to bring some balance to our state. We voted in politicians who are eager to start up their pet projects, like raising your gas prices by 8 cents to install electric car chargers across the state, and families are suffering as a result. Electric car chargers are great, especially if you can afford a Tesla. But why should the mom who can’t afford cupcakes have to pay for it?
The last few years felt like our state leadership is picking new drapes for the dining room as our roof caves in on us.
That’s why I’m running. I will be on your ballot in the June 28 Republican primary. I humbly ask you to stand up for your struggling neighbors and restore justice to this district. It is never too late to start doing the right thing, and we will solve these problems together.
Savannah Wolfson of Oak Creek is a candidate for State House District 26.
