Building an Economy that Works for All Americans
A consumer economy depends upon money in the hands of ordinary people, and wages have not kept up with inflation or productivity gains, so I support raising them; and since automation continues to threaten jobs, I propose looking at new economic models that boost our standard of living.
I support a single-payer, Medicare-for-all system, as a way to lower prescription and medical care costs, and to ensure universal coverage.
The United States is the only country not to guarantee some form of paid leave for workers, which holds back productivity and harms families – this has to change.
As automation claims ever more of the economy, we need to work towards a basic income for all Americans so that all can share the benefits of productivity gains.
We need to get back to a tax system which rewards hard work and investment, and which helps the middle and working class. It’s time to follow the evidence!
Too many people in the United States struggle to pay the rent or mortgage, and far too many remain homeless, especially in California. Why can’t the Congress help?
We need to address the existence of systemic and structural racism in American life, and make amends for its consequences through specific reforms and investment.
It is time for the US to take seriously its history of broken treaties with Native Americans, and to protect and expand upon their sovereign rights and development.
To end the scourge of “illegal immigration“, I propose comprehensive reform, with a path to citizenship for those already here and the total admitted each year set to the needs of industry rather than a too-low arbitrary figure.
So that the taxpayer can stop bailing out Wall Street, a 21st-century Glass-Steagal act is needed, and banks “too big to fail” should be broken up.
US infrastructure continues to fall behind the developed world, costing us time, productivity, and lives. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives us a D+. We deserve better.
Congress can maintain balanced budgets and pay down the federal debt if taxes on the wealthy are restored to where they were after the Kennedy/Johnson tax cuts.
To break the power of big money and ensure clean elections, I propose public financing of campaigns, banning cash lobbying, and overturning Citizens United.
To combat the spread of bias and fake news, I propose restoration of the Fairness Doctrine, and creation of strict firewalls between corporate owners and editorial boards.
Caring for Americans and Preparing for the Future
In order to increase workforce participation and lower the cost of living, I propose a more robust childcare credit for the middle class and a subsidy for the working class.
To ensure a quality education for all, I oppose standardized tests and charter-school vouchers, and support better teacher pay and school lunches as a right.
National school meal programs follow a single standard in the contiguous states, leaving many children living in poverty ineligible, despite evidence linking nutrition to success. Why?
To prepare for the jobs of the future, public colleges, universities, and vocational schools should be made tuition-free using a small tax on Wall Street speculation.
The US imprisons far too many people, for far too many reasons, and has higher crime rates in part as a consequence of this wrongheaded approach to criminal justice.
The war on drugs has been a costly failure, leading to massive incarceration with no reduction in use, so I favor legalization of cannabis, decriminalization of other drugs, amnesty for non-violent offenders, and addiction treatment programs.
I support the essence of the Green New Deal, with its calls to invest in renewable energy and transform our infrastructure to minimize the damage from unfolding shifts in the climate.
Gun violence is a significant problem in the US, and must be addressed; I am proposing expanded background checks with no loopholes, and national training and certification requirements.
While I dislike the practice of abortion, I believe the right is necessary on moral, legal, and social grounds.
We are failing far too many of our fellow citizens, and we need to ensure wider access to opportunities and ensure a life with basic dignity for all
Supporting the troops does not mean cheering on endless war – it means providing top-notch services, letting qualified citizens serve, and getting our fighting men and women out of danger.
I am a principled non-interventionist, hoping to limit US involvement in foreign wars and reduce the influence of the military-industrial complex.