Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
EATON — Congressman Warren Davidson was the featured speaker at a Friday, Sept. 6, State of the Nation event sponsored by the Preble County Chamber of Commerce and the Preble County Development Partnership.
Davidson, who has represented Ohio’s Eighth District since being elected in 2016, was introduced by Chamber Executive Director Karen Moss.
“Congressman Davidson has been a strong representative of Ohio’s Eighth District since 2016, bringing his deep experience as an Army veteran, business leader and advocate for fiscal responsibility to his work in Congress. He’s been a dedicated voice for the values of limited government, economic freedom and personal liberty that we all hold dear,” Moss noted. “Today, we’re fortunate to hear his perspectives on the current state of our nation and his visit vision for the road ahead.”
In his address, Davidson highlighted the challenges of media bias, citing different channels presenting incomplete truths. He also emphasized the importance of a free press and criticized the weaponization of information by federal agencies.
Another topic, housing affordability, was a major concern, with the median house price nearly six times the median income, according to Davidson.
“You know, one of the big things hitting people is housing, and I’m the chairman of the Housing and Insurance Committee, and housing’s very unaffordable. You think about the cost of a house, normally, financial advisors would tell you, ‘don’t spend more than a third of your income on your house.’ You got to live on everything else. You got to save for the future, all this stuff. Don’t spend more than a third.’ Back when the ’08-‘09 financial crisis happened, the median house was about 3.8 times the median income around the country,” Davidson said. “Right now, the nationwide average, it’s almost six times the median income. So it’ll tell you, unless you have two median incomes in the home, how are you going to afford a house? And that’s really the problem, is inflation. You look down at the cost and scarcity of childcare, for example, part of the problem is everything else is so expensive you can’t even afford to sustain a middle class lifestyle without two incomes. And let’s face it, it’s not even middle class. It’s just getting by, in some cases.”
Inflation, driven by monetary policies and government risk, was cited as a significant issue by Davidson. He also criticized federal subsidies for inflating costs and advocated for local solutions.
Additionally, Davidson discussed the need for work requirements in welfare programs and the impact of student debt on inflation.
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