The middle-class squeeze was one of the major issues in the most recent election, and voters clearly handed down a middle-class mandate to Congress. Exit polling showed economic issues were top concerns for over 80 percent of voters.

Now that the election is over, Communities United to Strengthen America is calling on Congress to heed the mandate and pass a seven-point common sense plan called "The Middle-Class Agenda."

The first point calls for Congress to provide access to quality and affordable health care. With 395,000 uninsured Hoosiers and insurance costs exploding for those with coverage, it is clear health care is an issue that must be addressed.

As I sit here and write this now, I have no idea how the Congressional election will turn out. But regardless of the outcome, the 109th Congress must return to Washington in November for a lame-duck session to finish up the nation's business. Here's hoping they actually get something accomplished that will have a positive impact on middle-class families.

When Congress returns, much of the attention will be centered on spending measures that fund the federal government and must be passed before the end of the year to avoid a government shutdown. So with much of the 2007 Federal Budget yet to be decided, choices that impact us here in Bloomington are still up in the air.

Earlier this year, Communities United asked an independent budget analysis firm to take a look at the proposed budget and determine how it would impact middle-class families in our area if it were approved. The results were not encouraging.

Bloomington is fortunate to have such a competitive contest for who will represent our area in Congress next year between two well-known Hoosiers, Rep. Mike Sodrel and former Rep. Baron Hill.

Of the 435 races for seats in the House of Representatives, only a handful are neck-and-neck like ours. Throughout the campaign we have heard from the candidates, and now it is their turn to hear from us.

Voting is at the heart of democracy. Voting is the ultimate right we have as citizens and has been won through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Voting is the means by which we can make our voices heard by those in power, and it is through voting that you choose who will represent you and your family.

Nearly 6.9 million senior citizens across the country may experience a bitter taste in their mouths before the year is out. It won't be from the medicines they take but from the prescription drug plan that's supposed to help them pay for those medications.

Medicare Part D, a voluntary, federally subsidized, outpatient prescription drug benefit, is the newest addition to Medicare, the nation's largest health insurance program that serves over 13,000 Monroe County residents.

On Dec. 8, 2003, President Bush signed the prescription drug plan into law and claimed this was "a landmark achievement in American health care."

The real beneficiaries of Part D are the drug manufacturers, who get billions of dollars in profits, and the insurance companies, who get billions of dollars in handouts, all at our expense. But this sweet deal for the pharmaceutical and insurance industry is no sweet treat for seniors.

Bloomington residents, like most Americans, are concerned about job security and wages. And in a survey conducted by Communities United, about 50 percent believe that the federal government is responsible for protecting the jobs of working Americans.

Over the past 10 years, about 8,000 jobs within the Bloomington area have been lost, most notably when RCA, General Electric and Otis Elevator packed up and left town. This is a trend that has repeated itself across the nation with millions of U.S. employees seeing their jobs, wages and benefits cut, while companies outsource to Mexico, China and India.

Poor trade agreements negotiated by the United States have shown to be disastrous to middle-class families across the country and here in Bloomington. According to the Economic Policy Institute, since 1989, Indiana has lost more than 43,500 jobs as a result of trade with China. The net figure includes jobs gained and represents 1.5 percent of the state's workforce.

As someone who put herself through college in under four years by both working full-time and going to school full-time, I understand the financial and emotional burden that many college students face.

Even now, I shovel out a hefty student loan payment each month and count my blessings that I was able to even attend college. A college education may no longer be quite so readily available given some recent congressional decisions, however.

With college classes back in session in Bloomington and across the country, it is more apparent than ever that many consider a college education the key to a better way of life — central to attaining the American dream. The economic value of an education for middle-class families is undeniable, as college graduates earn 73 percent more than high school graduates and are less unlikely to be unemployed.

But tuition costs have exploded, and Bloomington families are concerned about their ability to afford college.

Long gone are the days of secure pension plans, which were once a customary part of employee benefits packages.

Long gone are the days of knowing that Social Security is a guaranteed government program that is available for all who work and pay taxes.

Long gone are the days retirees would find jobs to just fill their time and have something meaningful to do.

Today, retiring Americans cannot count on employer-based pensions that guarantee a certain monthly benefit, are insured by the federal government and reward years of loyal service.