Reposted from
AsiaTrend, Jan 21
by Kamalakar Shenai
Last Tuesday, I saw my handyman sitting in his truck, staring at his phone.
“My truck broke down,” he said. “Fix is $400. I had to borrow from my brother-in-law just to get back to work.” He looked at me. “I work 60 hours a week. I’m good at my job. Why can’t I pay for this without asking for help? What’s Washington really doing about it?”
I had no good answer. That’s the big problem.
Politicians use big, fancy words. Regular folks hear confusing talk and tune out.
They say: “We need to fix debt-to-GDP ratio and do fiscal consolidation.”
Simple truth: The government borrows too much, so interest rates stay high. Your mortgage is around 6%. Credit cards charge over 20%. Their big debt makes your debt hurt more every month.
They say: “We’re working on healthcare reform and drug pricing.”
Simple truth: Insulin is capped at $35 a month for many on Medicare, but lots of others still pay way too much. One big sickness can wipe you out. Help is coming slow.
They say: “Social Security has solvency issues and needs changes.”
Simple truth: You’re 50, paid into social security in every paycheck for years, counting on about $2,000 a month when you retire. Funds could run low by the mid-2030s—benefits might drop 20% or so. That’s choosing between food and medicine.
They say: “We need climate policies and carbon pricing for renewables.”
Simple truth: Home insurance costs keep going up—big jumps in recent years from floods, fires, storms. Your house, your biggest asset, gets pricier to cover, or companies won’t even insure some spots.
They say: “We need comprehensive immigration reform.”
Simple truth: In jobs like building or restaurants, pay stays flat because some work cheap under the table. Good workers get less; bosses can’t find enough help. It squeezes everyone’s wallet in different ways.
I talk to people all the time: the nurse scraping by on braces payments for her kid, the driver charging food on a credit card, the repair guy facing higher rent and thinking of moving far from his children’s school. Different jobs, same hard truth: “I work hard, follow the rules, but I’m slipping backward.”
Ordinary citizens don’t want magic fixes. Life is tough—they get that. They just want respect: plain words, straight answers.
My handyman said it well: “Just tell me what you’ll do so I don’t have to borrow for my truck.”
Challenge to leaders: Next time you say “framework” or “reform” or “sustainability,” stop. Can you explain it to your neighbor in 30 seconds? If no, rethink it.
To readers: When someone in power talks, ask yourself: Did they answer plainly, or hide in big words? If hidden, push back. Call, email, share online, vote different.
This gap builds distrust. It’s why people stop listening, stop believing, stop hoping.
But we can fix it. Leaders just need to talk like real people—clear and honest.
Is that too much to ask?
Kam Shenai
Co-Founder AAPI Coming Together (ACT Florida)
- MS from UC Berkeley, MBA from RIT - VP Marketing Xerox; CCO Sutherland Global Services - Founder NERA Associates, Consulting firm - Served on BOD of HOA - Vice Chair Myrtle Creek District Board - Dean’s Society UCF Medical School - A “patient advocate” CF Kidney Centers - Served on Executive Board, Xerox diversity