It is a fact of electoral politics: if Democrats want to win in 2020, they must find ways to speak to rural America. Unfortunately, the efforts of many of our presidential candidates have been hit or miss.

On the positive side, the Democratic hopefuls are as a group strong on fighting inequality. In a nation where prosperity falls off the further one travels from an urban center — and in a state where nearly one in four rural residents lives in poverty — we need smart solutions to counter the economic forces holding small towns back. Expanded health care access, better education and improved broadband availability are among the ideas that make sense.

But the plans we support must be realistic — and this includes the funding mechanisms for them. How candidates intend to pay for ambitions like Medicare for All matters as much as the details of their programs. And it’s here where too many fall short: by recommending a new financial transaction tax, for example, they put South Carolina families in the crosshairs for higher costs....

The tax would affect rural Americans in other ways, too. The money you save to prepare for a child’s education would be a target for the tax, which would also take money from pension and retirement accounts. In fact, studies suggest that even a modest financial transaction tax could cost the typical retiree $20,000 — an amount few South Carolinians can afford to lose....

State Rep. Russell Ott is a Democrat who represent House District 93, which includes parts of Lexington County.