Editor’s Note: The following essay tied for first place in the annual Della Hardman Day essay contest, sponsored annually among high school juniors. Students this year were asked to write about what issues the new president should address upon election to office. Natalija Lakis won honorable mention. Essayists will be honored during Della Hardman Day ceremonies on July 30, which begin at 4 p.m. in Ocean Park. All are welcome.

The struggling economy is the most significant issue in America that the elected president should address. The U.S. economy is growing too slowly and there are 95 million people that have left the work force. Wages have been stagnant for about 10 years for the middle class. The next president will need to address the issue to take steps to improve the country’s economic situation.

Huge steps that the next president should take include those necessary to ensure equal pay for equal work. Women are paid 75 per cent of what men are paid for the same jobs. An example of the severity of the gender wage gap is the difference in pay for the American soccer teams. If the women’s team wins a match, they get $13,000. The men’s team gets around $17,000 for a win. If the men’s team loses, they get around $5,000, while if the women’s team loses, they don’t get paid. Women can be doing the same and potentially better work than men are but are still paid less.

The government should also improve job training for veterans. Too many veterans end up homeless and/or unemployed after having served the country for possibly years. Their unemployment greatly affects the U.S. economy by making the overall unemployment rate higher. By making more job training available for veterans to get them back on their feet after serving the country, there will be a larger amount of veterans that will be financially successful, contributing to the financial success of the country while lowering the unemployment rate.

Giving small businesses easier access to loans would improve America’s economy. Small businesses are huge contributors to the U.S. economy, but not enough people are financially able to start their own business, causing them to be financially stuck not doing as well as they could be. Limiting the amount of people able to start small businesses hurts the economy in the end. If people aren’t able to find a way to make more money because the government is making it too hard for them, the less money the country will make as a whole.

Spending more government money to improve U.S. schools and education and increasing the funding for after school programs would improve the economy. More students would be educated, and better educated with more government money going toward education. The improved after school program would help kids stay focused on school and give them extra help academically and give them fun, mentally stimulating, and some athletic activities to do after school. About 10 million students participate in after school programs each year. These after school programs are there to generate positive outcomes in all aspects of a student’s life. The improved outcomes of a growing number of students will contribute to an increasingly better economy. The after school programs give students a better chance of living a successful life and becoming a strong and able contributor to America’s economy.

The next president should increase minimum wage and spend more government money on infrastructure. This would not only improve the economy, but improve society and our way of living. If the minimum wage was increased, people would be able to afford better living conditions. The wealth of an individual person contributes to the overall wealth of the country. The less poor people in America, the better the economy, and the more money the government will have. Spending more government money on infrastructure would lead to an outcome of making more money than is being spent, essentially helping improve the economy.

The struggling economy is the most significant issue in America right now. The next president should take these steps towards creating a better economy for the country.