Prioritize the middle class
To the editor:
As a Lee County resident, I see first hand how the rising costs of housing has impacted the housing sector.
Retail workers receive a starting salary of $15 to $18 with little purchasing power — $600 per week with 10% for federal taxes, 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45 % for Medicare.
This does not provide well for living costs such as groceries, utilities and rent. Many workers struggle to make ends meet, leading to stress and financial hardships.
The mean range for a house in Lee County is $350,000. This is unattainable as many workers work for years trying to live to the American dream of home ownership.
Mortgage rates are 6%, there are also, FHA loans at 2.5%, 0 down with VA loans and 5% for RDA (rural development loan).
Legislators need to put the middle class first, expand education, and support the “employee free choice” act to benefit wages and the voices of workers.
Stagnation in wages is the biggest problem as I see it. Wages have not been raised and Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren fight every day for regular people and try to make housing and living affordable.
Vote, vote, vote in the next election to make your future better in 2026 and beyond.
Kathleen Callard
North Fort Myers