Every time the stock market hits a new high, we’re told the economy is “doing great.” Cable news cheers. The Department of Justice takes the day off. Politicians take credit. Analysts talk about “confidence.” But here in Idaho—and across the country—families look around and wonder what economy they’re talking about.
Because a rising stock chart doesn’t pay the power bill. It doesn’t keep a rural hospital open. It doesn’t lower the price of insulin, groceries, or rent. It doesn’t fix the fact that too many working people are one emergency away from never catching up.
The truth is simple: we measure our economy on the wrong things.
Meanwhile, the numbers that actually determine whether a community is thriving rarely make the headlines:
- Can a full-time worker afford rent without taking a second job?
- Can a family see a doctor without fear of a surprise bill?
- Are young people able to stay in their hometowns, or are they priced out?
- Are seniors choosing between prescriptions and groceries?
- Are small businesses able to hire because people can afford to live nearby?
If we’re not measuring those realities, we’re not measuring the economy. We’re measuring the wealth of the few at the top—the oligarchy.
I want our leaders to start reporting a different set of “economic indicators”—ones that reflect the financial health of actual citizens.
Here are a few that would tell the truth:
- Medical debt and out-of-pocket costs: Are people getting care, or delaying it?
- Housing affordability: What share of income goes to rent or a mortgage?
- Wage growth vs. cost of living: Are paychecks keeping up with groceries, childcare and utilities?
- Rural access: Are hospitals, clinics, and essential services staying open?
- Economic stability: How many families have enough savings to handle a car repair or a week off work?
These are not abstract metrics. They are the difference between dignity and desperation.
Idahoans are practical. We know that an economy is only as strong as the people living in it. When families can’t afford the basics, when workers are stretched thin, when rural communities lose services, and when young people can’t build a future here, that isn’t prosperity—it’s a warning sign.
We need leaders who stop treating the stock market like a national mood ring and start treating household stability like the goal.
That means policies that lower costs and raise the floor: healthcare as a right, not a privilege; affordable housing that working people can actually access; wages that reflect the value of work; and investments that keep rural Idaho connected and cared for.
If we want a stronger economy, we should stop asking, “How are the markets doing?” and start asking, “How are our people doing?”
Because when Idaho families can breathe again—when they can plan, save, and live without constant financial fear—that’s what a real economic recovery looks like. What’s measured matters, and I for one think Idaho’s working families matter. Do you?
David Roth is Idaho’s national committeeman representative to the Democratic National Committee and a precinct captain serving on the Bonneville County Democratic Central Committee.