As an accountant, I believe in fiscal responsibility. I’m a registered Republican and I have worked hard my whole life. When things took a tough turn for me, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) helped lower my costs, let me stay connected with my doctors, and helped me get a job. The ACP is an investment into the American people. But Congress isn’t taking action to keep the ACP and 460,000 Virginians like me will get cut off come April.
I believe that people should work if they are able and that living the American dream requires a lot of hard work. I got my education and my accounting degree, which is a smart career choice. As an accountant, I know exactly how to manage money. I had never needed government assistance before. And then in 2015, I got sick.
When you get sick like I did and your working years get cut unexpectedly, money is your immediate concern. I qualified for disability, but I work a part-time job because the money for disability is simply not enough to live on. Despite my health challenges, I found work doing security at events — political rallies, concerts, you name it.
Even though I am doing everything I can, I am scraping by to cover the basics such as housing, health care, transportation and food. I don’t go out to movies, I don’t travel. I cut out buying any red meat and I can’t afford to go see a baseball game. We are all watching the American dream slip away in real time.
That’s why the ACP is so important. The ACP saves you $30 dollars a month on your internet bill. As an accountant, I know that doesn’t mean I’m just saving $30; we need to look at the return on investment to calculate the real cost the ACP is saving all of us.
With affordable internet, I can do online doctor’s appointments, which is saving me money on transportation. I use the ACP to find work and get my schedule, keeping me employed with an income. The ACP means I stay connected to friends and family, which has a direct correlation to people’s health too. When my aunt who has Alzheimer’s went missing, we used the internet to immediately notify our family and get her home safe.
In case any of our elected officials aren’t accountants, take it from me: The ACP saves the government money and is a benefit to the taxpayers. By spending a little to help people get the internet, it means they’ll be able to help themselves which is saving money in the long run. Our elected officials should be thinking about the ACP not as a cost, but as an investment. The return on their investment is an America that’s healthier, working, educated and connected.
I don’t know who I’ll vote for in 2024 right now. I am not a fan of President Joe Biden, but I thank him for helping create the ACP. I want our elected officials to help us and keep our needs at the center of their work. I want to vote for the people — not the party — that helps Americans and brings the American dream back in reach. I’ll be watching carefully to see who fights to keep the ACP and understands its value. Providing affordable internet is a return on investment for the American people.
Victor Acevedo of Richmond is an accountant and a beneficiary of the Affordable Connectivity Program for two years. He is a member of WorkMoney, a nonprofit organization that helps people lower costs and raise incomes across the country.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
