Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
10 — Wednesday, September 14, 2022 

T

oday we live in a 
wearied 
America 
where tensions run 
high and trust in government runs 
low. With over three quarters 
of Americans convinced the 
country is headed in the wrong 
direction, the need for political 
stability is perhaps as high as it’s 
ever been. With inflation, the 
economy and poor leadership 
ranking among the top issues 
for 
Americans, 
conservative 
leadership is needed to balance 
out a progressive agenda that 
has achieved some success, but 
has largely gone unchecked with 
Democrats in complete control 
of the legislative and executive 
branches. 
Unfortunately, 
the 
Republican Party in its present 
form 
is 
ill-suited 
to 
meet 
this challenge and needs to 
change dramatically to once 
again become a constructive 
contributor to the two-party 
system.
Up until the 2016 election 
cycle, 
the 
Republican 
Party 
prided itself on fighting for 
family values, public safety and 
a strong economy, but the last 
6 years have seen the party’s 
leadership lose focus entirely. 
Now, the party of Reagan and 
McCain has been overrun by 
conspiracy theorists, right-wing 
extremists and hate groups. With 
Joe Biden’s approval rating down 
nearly 10% since the start of his 
term, the GOP looked destined to 
achieve a tremendous midterm 
victory just a few months ago. As 
the party continues to devolve, 
however, they risk distancing 
themselves 
from 
everyday 
Americans and failing to take 
back the House and the Senate 
this November.

Since 
Donald 
Trump 
left 
the White House, his power 
within the Republican Party has 
arguably increased. In the two 
years since his loss, he has used 
his influence to close ranks and 
fight back against those within 
the party who question his 
election narrative. His level of 
control has been stunning, with 
only two House Republicans who 
voted to impeach him advancing 
to 
their 
general 
elections. 
Perhaps the most high-profile 
Republican 
to 
oppose 
him, 
U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., 
recently lost her primary by a 
colossal margin of over 37%
In addition to the dangerous 
election 
security 
narrative, 
Republicans have shifted to 
become more extreme on other 
issues like abortion. After the 
Dobbs decision this summer, 
the party’s leaders raced to 
implement 
stringent 
bans 
on abortion, with some GOP 
members 
even 
pushing 
for 
national legislation to prohibit all 
abortions through the Heartbeat 
Protection Act, introduced by 
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa. 
Beyond national politicians, the 
GOP is being completely remade 
at the state and local level. In 
Michigan, Tudor Dixon, the 
GOP candidate for governor, 
has pushed the false election 
narrative 
and 
promises 
to 
prohibit abortion in all instances, 
including rape, if elected. 
With 
all 
these 
extreme 
stances, 
the 
Republican 
Party is on the brink of falling 
into 
irrelevance 
and 
needs 
to immediately pivot to save 
itself from becoming a fringe 
organization. 
As 
anti-Trump 
Republicans in leadership thin 
out, however, the GOP is left 
with fewer and fewer examples 
of what a moderate agenda might 
look like. Luckily, an example of 

a reformed GOP can be found 
in the policy proposals and 
governing styles of Sen. Mitt 
Romney, R-Utah, and Virginia 
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, both of 
whom have fought to maintain 
independence from Trump. If 
Republicans are serious about 
helping restore balance to a 
fractured political system, it’s 
paramount 
that 
leadership 
ditch Trump-era priorities and 
focus on the mainstream issues 
championed by Romney and 
Youngkin.
While the GOP has moved 
further to the right, Romney has 
been an outlier in continuing 
to push moderate policies that 
align with the family values he 
ran on in 2012. Most recently, 
he proposed a plan to send most 
parents up to $350 monthly 
per child. As opposed to the 
vitriolic proposals of many other 
Republicans, this policy would 
reach back to the roots of the 
GOP and help improve quality of 
life for many families. According 
to 
the 
Niskanen 
Center, 
Romney’s proposal would slash 
child poverty by approximately 
12.6%, a tremendous boost to 
the working class Americans 
that Trump Republicans claim 
to fight for. In addition, it could 
provide couples with the support 
system they need to expand their 
family 
comfortably, 
without 
concerns about feeding and 
providing 
support 
for 
their 
children. Rather than forcing 
women to start families against 
their 
will 
through 
abortion 
restrictions, this policy would 
offer a healthy boost to the 
family values that Republicans 
have traditionally embodied.
Another 
example 
of 
a 
Republican bucking the trend 
of their party is Youngkin, 
whose 
economic 
policies 
helped Virginia make a strong 

pandemic recovery. While other 
Republicans have diverted their 
focus from economic reform, a 
large part of Youngkin’s agenda 
has centered around helping 
small businesses, promoting job 
creation and helping individuals 
weather 
economic 
hardship. 
With economic problems ranking 
as the top issue for Americans, 
Youngkin 
has 
advocated 
for measures that focus on 
household problems rather than 
ideological squabbles.
Since taking office, Youngkin 
has aggressively cut regulations 
and red tape surrounding the 
creation of businesses, part of his 
goal to add 400,000 new jobs and 
10,000 startups over his term. In 
addition, he has worked to cut 
taxes across the board, reducing 
taxes on veteran retirement pay, 
eliminating the grocery tax, 
reverting the gas tax hike and 
instituting the largest tax refund 
in Virginia history. With these 
popular policies, Youngkin has 
fortified Virginia’s economy and 
demonstrated the true power of 
classic conservative values.
If & when Joe Biden and 
Democratic leadership continue 
to lose support, Republicans 
have an opportunity to capitalize 
on their political weakness by 
retaking one or both houses 
of Congress. Even if the GOP 
succeeds 
in 
doing 
so 
with 
their current agenda, however, 
implementing 
the 
dangerous 
policies their platform proposes 
would further alienate the party 
from voters in future election 
cycles 
and 
fail 
to 
improve 
the lives of most Americans. 
With the right mix of policies, 
Republicans can remake their 
tarnished image and provide 
relief and stability for everyday 
Americans in a turbulent time.

It’s time for common-sense Republicans 
to take the party back

NIKHIL SHARMA
Opinion Columnist

 Read more at MichiganDaily.com

I

n Michigan, we innovate. 
From cars to medical 
equipment, 
aerospace 
manufacturing 
to 
defense 
vehicles, 
and 
even 
energy 
production, Michigan remains 
one of the top states in America 
for high-paying manufacturing 
jobs. In fact, nearly 20% of 
Michigan’s economy is based in 
manufacturing. 
That’s 
nearly 
$100 billion of economic output 
and over half a million jobs for 
our state. 
Our economy is as strong as it is 
because we don’t just look to the 
jobs of yesterday, we are retooling 
to compete in this global economy 
for the high-paying jobs of today 
and tomorrow. The pandemic 
hit everyone hard, but one major 
bright spot was our clean energy 
and transportation industry. 
While overall job recovery 

from the pandemic was slow, 
Michigan’s clean energy sector 
grew by over 20% in the latter 
half of 2020, leading our state’s 
economic recovery. Additionally, 
the shift to hybrid and electric 
vehicles brought over 24,000 
new jobs back to our state. In 
total, clean energy in Michigan 
accounts for over 100,000 jobs, 
with nearly 20% of those jobs 
being in rural communities, and 
that number is growing fast. 
In other words, if we hadn’t 
started transitioning to a greener 
economy when we did, many 
people who are working now and 
taking home a check would not be.
That 
brings 
us 
to 
the 
transformative 
climate, 
healthcare 
and 
economic 
investments 
made 
in 
the 
bipartisan Inflation Reduction 
Act (IRA), which President Biden 
signed into law last month. The 
IRA will hasten the transition 
to a cleaner economy, creating 
scores of high-paying jobs across 

Michigan and helping households 
save on their energy bills, all 
while reducing toxic greenhouse 
gas emissions. The benefits to 
our state will be tremendous, 
as highlighted by the members 
of our statewide congressional 
delegation 
who 
lent 
their 
support to this landmark piece of 
legislation. 
A study commissioned by the 
BlueGreen 
Alliance 
estimates 
that the investments included in 
the IRA will create as many as 9 
million jobs nationwide over the 
coming decade — all supported 
by strong labor and prevailing 
wage standards codified in the 
bill. Through record investments 
in green power sources such 
as wind and solar, the bill is 
projected to create 5 million jobs 
in the clean energy sector. The 
legislation is a particular boon to 
the manufacturing industry — a 
critical component of Michigan’s 
economy 
— 
as 
tax 
credits 
for the production of critical 

technologies like solar panels and 
battery cells prompt innovation 
and hiring. 
Clean energy jobs already 
pay 25% more than the national 
median, putting more money 
into people’s pockets, and these 
jobs are far more likely to include 
health 
care 
and 
retirement 
benefits. Once more, the median 
wages in solar, wind and grid 
modernization are higher than 
jobs in coal, natural gas and 
petroleum fuels. All people — 
even those who do not work in 
the clean energy economy — 
will benefit greatly from this 
investment. More higher-paying 
jobs 
mean 
other 
companies 
wanting to compete and hire 
workers will need to pay more, 
raising wages across the board. 
But 
perhaps 
even 
more 
importantly, the transition to 
electric vehicles (EVs) that the 
IRA has encouraged will lead to 
huge savings on a family’s daily 
commute. EVs cost less to power 

than those powered by internal 
combustion 
engines, 
helping 
keep the price to power a vehicle 
low. It’s why I championed 
bipartisan legislation to enhance 
EV charging infrastructure in 
our state. The energy equivalent 
right now to fully power an EV is 
the equivalent of paying $1.40 for 
a gallon of gas. And that’s with 
today’s rampant price gouging, 
with 
gas 
prices 
remaining 
stubbornly high. With advanced 
battery technology and wider EV 
adoption, that cost will only go 
down. The IRA, with rebates up 
to $7,500 toward the purchase 
of a new electric vehicle or up to 
$4,000 toward the purchase of a 
used electric vehicle for low and 
moderate-income families, helps 
to put the cost of an EV within 
reach for all Americans.
Much 
of 
the 
commentary 
around the Inflation Reduction 
Act has focused on the significant 
impact that the legislation will 
have on our climate, and rightfully 

so. Predicted to help lower 
greenhouse gas emissions by as 
much as 40% by 2030 — and 50% 
when coupled with the bipartisan 
Infrastructure Investment and 
Jobs Act of last year — it makes 
significant strides to curb the 
climate crisis. But let’s not forget 
about the economic benefits as 
well. At a time when many are 
feeling the pinch of inflation and 
rising gas prices, this legislation 
will bring welcome respite in the 
form of good jobs and savings on 
energy costs. 
The Inflation Reduction Act is 
a big win for the state of Michigan 
— a win that is only possible 
because of bold leadership and 
a strong call for change from 
millions of residents across our 
state. 
State Rep. Padma Kuppa, a 
mechanical engineer and former 
member of the Michigan House 
Energy 
Committee, 
represents 
Troy and Clawson in the Michigan 
Legislature.

State Rep. Padma Kuppa: “The Inflation Reduction Act is the economic 
investment Michigan needs” 

PADMA KUPPA
Opinion Contributor

From the Editor: Leadership 
changes for Fall 2022

PAIGE HODDER
Editor in Chief

I 

write 
to 
you, 
the 
faithful, occasional and 
everywhere in between 
readers of The Michigan Daily, 
as the newly elected editor in 
chief of this publication. The 
details of this transition in 
leadership may seem pedantic, 
complicated and unnecessary 
to 
your 
engagement, 
but 
are nonetheless essential to 
maintaining 
transparency. 
We are a publication that has 
operated for over 130 years, 
providing an accurate and fair 
account of the news and issues of 
consequence while maintaining 
editorial 
independence 
and 
accountability to its readers. As 
such, this communication felt 
especially necessary.
For those who may not know, 
The Daily operates in two cycles 
of managerial staff, one during 
the school-year months, from 
January to December, made up 
of mostly upperclassmen and 
longtime staffers. Another staff 
of editors then works during 
the summer, generally made 
up of younger staffers, many of 
whom are taking on leadership 
roles for the first time. Our 
school-year editors, including 
the editor in chief and managing 
editor, my previous role, are 
typically elected in November 
and work the next calendar year.
Unfortunately, the previous 
editor in chief had to step 
away 
from 
The 
Daily 
for 
personal reasons after the end 
of the Winter 2022 semester. 
After 
they 
announced 
their 
resignation over the summer, 
I, as managing editor, stepped 
in as acting editor in chief in 
their absence. Following this, 
the appropriate steps were then 
taken, in accordance with the 
bylaws of our organization, to 

elect a new editor in chief. 
In 
July, 
I 
was 
formally 
appointed 
interim 
editor 
in 
chief by The Daily’s governing 
body, 
Management 
Desk 
(MDesk), which is made up 
of each section’s senior and 
managing editors. In this role, 
I managed our publication’s 
transition back to school-year 
staff, acting as both editor in 
chief and managing editor as I 
transitioned from my previous 
role and prepared to take on my 
next. 
Once an all-staff election 
could be held, I ran uncontested 
and 
was 
elected 
permanent 
editor in chief of The Daily. Once 
in this position, I appointed Kate 
Weiland and Vanessa Kiefer as 
co-managing editors to fulfill 
the role I was leaving open. I 
will hold this new role until the 
end of the Fall 2022 semester, 
when 
our 
next 
school-year 
editor in chief will take office. 
We 
always 
welcome 
interaction with our audience 
as we strive to better serve 
our 
community, 
but 
that 
communication 
will 
be 
especially important and valued 
during this time of transition. 
I can be reached at eic@
michigandaily.com. 
As of right now, email is also 
the best way to communicate 
with our various sections, and 
this contact information can be 
found here.
As a final note, I would like 
to express my sincerest honor 
to have taken upon this role 
and my deepest commitment 
to fulfilling my responsibilities 
with 
care, 
compassion 
and 
integrity; I hope to serve you, 
our readers, well. 

Paige Hodder is The Daily’s 
Editor in Chief and can be reached 
at eic@michigandaily.com.

The feminist importance of girl-talk

I 

know what you’re thinking: 
the term “girl talk” reeks 
of 
uncomfortable, 
pre-
adolescent 
years 
where 
your 
clothes 
fit 
differently 
every 
day and you’ve ruined one too 
many pairs of jeans when it 
was “that time of the month.” 
And no wonder! Judging by its 
definition, the term sure seems 
like it was coined by a man. Girl 
talk (apparently) is “conversation 
between women or girls, typically 
about subjects considered to be 
uninteresting to or inappropriate 
for men.” How can we not cringe 
at the thought of having girl talk 
when its meaning conditions 
women to think of themselves 
as people with very little of 
significance to say to each other? 
Periods, bodies, feelings. These 
aren’t matters of importance! 
Not like drinking, sex and sports, 
anyways.
For decades, women have been 

having 
conversations 
between 
themselves under a male-imposed 
societal 
framework 
whose 
core belief is that the feminine 
experience is of little to no 
significance. Men were the bearers 
of the realm of importance: they 
held the keys to inclusion, respect 
and equality, and they weren’t 
about to include feeble-minded 
women in their 
scope.
Therefore, throughout history, 
discourse between women has 
both been written off as trivial 
and has been silenced, sometimes 
brutally. In 1917, 33 women 
suffragists 
were 
beaten 
and 
tortured at a prison in Virginia 
for peacefully picketing outside 
the White House. Incumbent 
president 
Woodrow 
Wilson 
wrote to his daughter at the time 
that suffragists “seem bent on 
making their cause as obnoxious 
as possible.” 
So, if not about superficial, 
trivial matters, what constitutes 
girl talk? 
Girl talk is about sharing the 
female experience. Whether it be 
sex, identity, relationships, work 

or education, being a woman in 
a male-dominated world always 
is a challenge. Through girl talk, 
women get to feel empowered, 
confident and prepared to take 
on the world. Most of all, we don’t 
feel alone.
For years, my best friend and 
I have relied on girl talk. When 
we were 14, we wondered what 
it said about us if we kissed two 
guys in one night. At 17, we tried 
to determine at what point in a 
relationship oral sex was socially 
accepted. Today, we try to balance 
our sexual desires with their very 
real consequences. In a world 
where feminine roles in society 
are constantly being re-evaluated, 
we are often unsure of how to 
behave. These conversations help 
to alleviate that uncertainty.
One of the greatest benefits 
of girl talk is giving women 
(particularly 
younger 
women) 
an understanding of how to deal 
with men — specifically, how to 
approach 
sexual 
relationships 
with them. Because, frankly, the 
U.S. is failing at that. As of 2020, 
only 29 states and the District of 

Columbia mandate sex education. 
35 states require schools to stress 
abstinence in the case that sexual 
education is taught. Only 16 
require instruction on condoms 
or contraception, and only nine 
require talking about consent. 
When it comes to exploring 
one’s developing sexuality, girl 
talk is essential for validation, 
whether you’re a teenager or 
an adult. Women and those 
who identify as feminine have 
to consider multiple facets that 
raise multiple questions: how am 
I supposed to act? What is the 
feminist thing to do? What do 
other women expect from me? 
What do men expect from me? 
What do I want to do? More often 
than not, we need help from peers, 
friends, 
mothers, 
sisters 
and 
others to find the answers.
This quest for answers doesn’t 
come to an end with maturity. 
Girl talk is essential at a young age 
because that’s when our minds 
and identities are most vulnerable, 
and it is crucial that we develop an 
understanding of ourselves that 
is centered around self-love and 

acceptance. However, once you 
get older, a lot of things also get 
messier. Decades into a career you 
might find yourself still having 
to deal with male chauvinism in 
the workplace and figuring out 
how to balance your ambitions 
with your family. Because while 
we may be more empowered and 
independent than a century ago, 
our previous responsibilities still 
fall on us. We are still expected 
to be mothers – and present ones 
at that. Additionally, we are to be 
in charge of meals and décor and 
generally providing a happy home, 
even with a male partner at our 
side. 
Reconciling social expectations 
with our personal beliefs and 
desires is no simple task. We 
need to help each other answer 
questions like: “should I lose 
myself to my sexual desires if, 
come Monday, I’ll feel crappy if 
they haven’t texted me?” There’s 
a lot to unpack in this example 
alone. For instance, do you feel 
crappy 
because 
you 
honestly 
liked them? On the other hand, 
do you feel bad because you’re 

replicating 
antiquated 
notions 
about sex, that on Friday you 
claimed to have forgotten, that 
tell you you should care? Girl talk 
is the medium through which we 
get closer to answering all these 
questions. By sharing experiences 
and perspectives, women can 
help each other find the solution 
that best fits their desires and 
personalities. We can help each 
other avoid falling into the traps 
that 
our 
intrinsically 
sexist 
upbringing has laid out for us.
It’s time girl talk got the respect 
it deserves for encompassing 
one 
of 
the 
most 
pertinent 
conversations of the 21st century. 
Today, we are no longer confined 
to the cultures and societies we 
grew up in. Through social media, 
women are exposed to a vast array 
of ideals and beliefs on how to be 
true to ourselves — on what that 
truth even is! Girl talk is a bridge 
between theory and practice 
where we can be transparent and 
honest about the struggles of our 
womanhood.

AZUL BLAQUIER
Opinion Columnist

 Read more at MichiganDaily.com

