By Michele Hardy
Four years ago, Kamala Harris came as a vice presidential candidate to speak in Reno. The venue was Bartley Ranch. There was an overflow crowd. I didn’t have a ticket, but I went anyway to hear her even if I couldn’t be inside the event. On this important day, I waited, seated under a tree.
After a while, I saw a jeans- and blazer-clad Kamala coming from the dirt parking lot in sneakers and some Secret Service people walking down the dusty path leading to the amphitheater. Kamala was about 50 yards away. Standing along a fence was a mother with three small children who didn’t have tickets like me. Kamala left the path and came over to the fence to talk to the children. I could see she was animated as she interacted with them.
I could only imagine how proud that mother was that a vice presidential candidate walked over to meet her children while 800 voters were waiting for her. Observing this encounter, I learned more about Kamala than any speech could tell me.
Kamala cares about children. Strengthening childcare and educational systems are essential targets for Kamala Harris and former high school teacher Tim Walz. Both are advocates for the expanded child credits, which reduced child poverty rates in Nevada by 39 percent in 2021 for six months before Republicans let them lapse.
When Minnesota had a tax surplus, Governor Walz passed free breakfast and lunches for kids, saying, “Kids learn better with full bellies.” These measures improved learning, which led to a stronger workforce.
Child care from birth to kindergarten is another critical issue for Kamala. According to the New York Times, eight of the 11 childcare businesses are owned by private equity firms. They have lobbied against a federal childcare benefit because it cuts into their large profits. We can be assured that the Harris-Walz ticket will work with Congress to fight these price-gouging firms.
In addition, Kamala and Tim want to see affordable housing, which greatly benefits children. Working with Congress, they want to give qualified home buyers a subsidy to buy their first house. This way, children can grow up in a safe environment and go to elementary school with the same friends over a number of years.
As a psychologist, I have had the joy of observing Reno parents’ interacting with their children. When I compliment a five-year-old about her sparkly dress or a three-year-old who proudly hollers, “I got new shoes,” Reno parents teach their children to say, “Thank you.” This goes across diverse cultures.
Another example of good parenting occurred at a rally when a man asked his 10-year-old son to let me go ahead in the grocery line. When I acknowledged his kindness, he responded, “I only have a few years left to teach him.” Reno parents care about their children’s values.
Reno’s families will benefit from child tax credits, childcare from birth to kindergarten and home subsidies. Vice President Harris and Minnesota Governor Walz are the team to make it happen. Just as Kamala went off the beaten path to greet the mother and her children, we must get on the voting path.
Here is an action plan: Register to vote. If you are registered, check that your registration is active. Your sample ballot will be mailed to your home address by October 2. If you don’t receive it, call the Registrar of Voters office at 775-328-3670 or go online to https://registertovote.nv.gov, and find out what happened. The quality of your children’s lives depends on your vote.
Michele Hardy is a retired psychologist who has lived in Reno with her husband for six years.
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