Democratic Presidential nominee visits Wilson Middle School

Beto O'Rourke delivering his speech and hoping to get the votes needed for the Democratic nomination before the 2020 Presidential election.

Photo by Chrisha Doss

Alysa Arthur - Reporter

Democratic Presidential nominee Beto O’Rourke (whose legal name is Robert Francis O’Rourke) traveled to Wilson Middle School to campaign for his chance at the 2020 ticket. His town hall covered a lot of different topics, which included education, equal rights, healthcare, and the future as a whole.

“We want to make sure that all students that graduate here, and in all of America, are college ready. And not just ready, but able to do that without the price being a barrier.”

His plan to do that invovles free higher education.

“I want to make sure that community college is free to every American.” He went on that public four-year universities, which are publicly financed and public facing, should not present a financial obstacle for students entry.

He also wants increasing teacher and staff pay at all levels.

A lot of teachers have to work a couple of jobs because they aren’t paid enough to only teach. He wants all teachers to only have to work one job to make ends meet.

To his crowd, the candidate reiterated that women are still making less than men, and he wants to change this, too.

While strong on rhetoric, Beto also sprinkled in the plans for making these things happen.

“If we’re gonna be able to move on healthcare, economy, on immigration, and climate, it’s not just me. It’s not just being one party, not just being one person in the White House but, all of us together.”

Immigration reform is needed in a safe way.

“Let’s rewrite our immigration laws to reflect the value that they bring,” he said. He said we can do this by fixing the visa system so those that want to join families, or work jobs, or go to school, and contribute to this greatness of a society can.

Health care is very expensive, the Representative from El Paso, TX said.

“There are people with insurance that can not afford their medications. There are nurses administering insulin who can not afford it for themselves.”

He included that all should be able to see doctors and nurses, not only for physical health, but also for mental health.

During the question/answer portion of his stop, a question about climate change came from the crowd.

“If left unchecked, generations after us are in for a hell we can’t even imagine,” he said. The U.S. must transition to renewable energy, he continued. Farmers should be given incentives to plant cover crops to reduce carbon dioxide levels.

The next event O’Rourke will be speaking at that Iowans can see is during a CNN town hall on May 21st.