low by sza (feat. kyrsten sinema's approval rating)

Krusty Krab is unfair! Mr. Krabs is in there! Standing at the concession! Plotting his oppression!

Or, in this case, it’s the University of California system and they’re not paying their graduate workers a living wage. It’s not like California is a very expensive place to live or anything! Gas is only $4.50 a gallon! 10 UC campuses have gone on strike to demand that the University increase wages, provide greater subsidies for childcare, and promote workplace safety. In light of that small global pandemic thing going on, workplace safety to protect from viral infections might be important.

Whether it’s the Krusty Krab or the University of California, voters support workers on strike to negotiate contract changes. A new poll by Data for Progress finds 57% of voters support the University of California graduate workers strike. This includes 75% of Democrats, 53% of Independents, and 43% of Republicans.

A coalition of diabaled students workers are also demanding that expanded health and safety provisions, such as offering free testing, be included in any agreement. 68% of voters support coronavirus safety provisions included in contracts, including 86% of Democrats, 65% of Independents, and 53% of Republicans.

Graduate workers can’t do their jobs if they can’t afford housing near the University or basic necessities. They’re not asking to live in Kylie Jenner’s $36.5 million dollar mansion (but also, we assume they’re not opposed to that. It’s so big, would she really notice if a bunch of graduate students crashed in the home movie theater?). Just affording a decent house with like 3-7 roommates and in-unit laundry (a luxury!!) would be solid.

Read the full blog and polling here.

Here are some other highlights from DFP this week:

To raise or not to raise the debt ceiling? That is quite literally always the question.

‘Tis the season for the national debt ceiling debate! It’s the most wonderful time of the year as representatives from all across the country gather on the congressional floor to decide if we should raise the debt ceiling or cut crucial, life saving social programs, like Medicare.

If the United States defaults on its debt at the end of year, we will face economic devastation, which honestly doesn’t sound very in the holiday spirit. The obvious move here is to raise the debt ceiling, but in a shocking turn of events that absolutely no one saw coming, Republicans have made it difficult to reach a bipartisan agreement. Rather than simply increase the debt ceiling and let the government continue to function as normal, they said they will only do so if Democrats agree to (another shocker) spending cuts.

“Happy Holidays, everybody! Your Social Security check will be two times smaller but good news, my yacht got bigger. - xoxo, the Republicans”

A new poll by Data for Progress finds 49% of voters agree that Congress should increase the debt ceiling so important social programs are protected. This includes 66% of Democrats, 43% of Independents, and 38% of Republicans.

In fact, voters think Republicans are being a bit hypocritical by using the debt ceiling to negotiate spending cuts. Opponents say that when Republicans are in power, they’re more than happy to be the little hero of their story and raise the debt ceiling to protect Social Security and Medicare. But when Democrats are in power? Nah, they’re going to make it more difficult. For the bit. 46% of voters say that it would be hypocritical of Republicans to refuse to raise the debt ceiling in this situation, including 77% of Democrats, 48% of Independents, and 16% of Republicans.

So, we hope Santa, Hanukkah Harry, and the whole gang are watching because the Republicans are being unnecessarily difficult and using the debt ceiling as a political tool to advance their own policy goals. That’s gotta be naughty list material.

Read the full blog and polling here.

Virginia is for lovers and criminal justice reform.

There’s been a bit of shake up in Virginia since Glenn Youngkin was elected governor. Beyond the fact that Youngkin looks like he should be playing the disgruntled father in a 1990s sitcom, his administration is trying to walk back on criminal justice reforms made in the previous Democratic administrations. Glenn, Glenn, Glenn. When you reform something you want to keep making progress. Why are we taking steps backwards, bud?

A new poll by Data for Progress finds Virginia voters reject the Republican administration’s criminal justice agenda. As they should! Because it doesn’t look great! 60% of voters disagree that aggressive policing and long prison sentences effectively discourage opioid use and 54% of voters disagree that the law should not second guess a police officers’ motivations for conducting traffic stops.

Rather, Virginia voters would like to see criminal justice reform that addresses mental health and examines the length of prison sentences. 73% of voters want to adopt a public health approach to substance abuse disorder and 70% of voters want to create new systems to review extreme jail sentences. This sounds much better than the Republican proposal, which also includes harsher penalties for a woman seeking an abortion. Republicans really commit to the bit and remain in character, gotta hand it to them there.

The Republican administration in Virginia is clearly taking the wrong approach to criminal justice reform and ignoring the opinions of their own voters. If they keep going down this path, things may look a little bleaker for the Republicans during the next election. So keep it up, guys! Blue looks so good on Virginia. Red is not its color.

Read the full blog and polling here.