Kate Zabriskie

The Fifth can’t compete on yesterday’s connections. Families, farms, and businesses need modern systems that match the pace of their work and the scale of their ambitions. Broadband and rail are not extras. They decide whether families stay, students succeed, and local farms and small businesses keep up. Reliable internet lets kids do homework at the kitchen table instead of sitting in a fast-food parking lot just to get a signal. It helps farmers use precision equipment, real-time data, and smart tools to stay competitive and keep more profit here. It keeps local stores and small businesses running credit cards, reaching online customers, and standing a fair chance against bigger competitors.

Good healthcare should not depend on your zip code or whether you get every form right. Too many people in the Fifth already drive an hour or more for a check-up or get stuck battling paperwork while they wait for care. Now, new cuts and work requirements make it even easier for some families to lose coverage and harder for small hospitals and clinics to stay open. If we want people to build a life here, to raise families, work, and grow old with dignity, they need care that stays local, stays open, and makes sense.