In 2013, I, with the help of like-minded friends, began
developing a full Progressive Platform to address the growing concerns about
the future of this nation. I have
tweaked and tailored it periodically over the years and, now that Drumpf and
his Nazis have been removed from the primary levers of power, I’m updating it
again.
Ultimately, this is what I, as a self-styled Progressive
would do to fix the issues facing the USA, were I handed the power necessary to
do so.
I will be working to push our new Administration to embrace
as many of these ideas as possible and I urge all of you to push for these ideas
with me.
PRIORITY ONE is to address the COVID pandemic, using
all resources available.
This includes mass production and distribution of the available
vaccines with all due speed and efficiency as well as direct stimulus to individuals
at the bottom of the economic heap. By
this, I mean anybody who makes $150,000 a year or less. The top 1% needs no breaks or stimulus, as
they have plenty of private resources to weather nearly any storm, short of the
Death Star firing on the planet.
NEXT, I would address the following issues:
SICK CARE
Leverage the COVID response for the creation of a National
Single-Payer Health Care Option to cover Basic Medical Care, Catastrophic
Illness or Injury, Generic Prescriptions, including Generic Birth Control/Women’s
Health Services and Annual Physicals
This is to be a Public Option alongside Private Insurance,
comparable to the Public/Private School System.
Private Insurance would be subject to the same regulations as the Public
Option. Elective Procedures will not be
covered under the Public Option but could be covered by Private Options. Abortions will be covered in cases of rape,
incest, minors and medical emergency, but will not be covered if deemed by the
physician to not be medically necessary.
Lifetime medical care to be covered, with doctors being
given final say over their patients’ care, subject to Medical Review boards of
their peers.
DOMESTIC SOCIAL JUSTICE
Reinstitute the Assault Weapons Ban, with limited exceptions
for Veterans and Law Enforcement, subject to strict regulation.
- Gun ownership to be placed under the same basic universal
regulations as are commonly seen with automobile ownership as regulated by the
States, which includes mandatory training and licensure specific to each type of
weapon, with all licenses to be reviewed for renewal every 5 years.
- Mandatory Liability Insurance against the
foreseeable accidents inherent in their use at prices comparable to simple Liability Insurance on cars.
- The sale of Ammunition to be limited and subject to high
sales tax, proceeds of which go to the States in which the Ammunition is
sold.
- Increased, stricter oversight of manufacturers and
distributors of arms, with harsh automatic penalties on gun manufacturers
(including automatic jail time for their Owners, Boards of Directors and CEOs)
for all crimes committed with an unlicensed weapon. Every black market weapon represents either a
failure on the parts of the manufacturers to secure their product (“fell off of
the back of a truck”) or willful criminality on the parts of the manufacturers
(“dealing under the table”) and should be treated accordingly to finally cut
off black market supplies.
Federal Recognition of Marriage as defined as “a legal union
of adult human beings” with all accordant benefits. Religious institutions may make their own
rules regarding ceremonies, but local civil clerks cannot use their own
personal religion to excuse themselves from carrying out their appointed duties
under the law.
Federally Prohibit the Death Penalty and change sentencing
protocols for Non-Violent Offenders to focus more on Community Service and less
on Incarceration. Violent Offenders,
Grand Theft, Fraud and, in particular, White Collar criminals to face stiffer
penalties. Penal management to be
returned to direct State control, with Private Prison Companies relegated to
minor support with no control over policy.
Reinstate secular curriculum for all Public Schools. Full immersion tri-lingual education in all
public schools, K-12: English, Spanish and one additional elective language. Create an education fund which is used to
reimburse new network of National Universities offering both academic and vocational
degrees
Payment of institutions to be withheld until post-graduation
under a set flat rate for 2, 4, 6, 8-year programs. All institutions to be
subject to regular audits to prevent artificial price-gouging.
Universal Voter Registration, with compulsory voting in all
elections, to be Administered by the local States and Counties.
Institutional Reparations for American citizens of African
and Native descent
Ban all religious trappings from Federal Buildings (including
X-Mas decorations, Ten Commandment statuary, etc), while allowing Federal
Employees time off for religious observance. Religion can not be used as a
cover for bigotry and such arguments are to be considered illegitimate in
Judicial proceedings.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
Legalize, License and Tax Marijuana, placing it under the
jurisdiction of the Bureau of ATF and similarly regulated. Tax revenue to be used to help fund the
Public Health Option. All non-violent
convicts currently incarcerated for Marijuana possession to be immediately
released with time served and given jobs in the new legal industry.
All local police precincts to turn over their military-grade
equipment and weaponry to the local National Guard.
All local police precincts to be subject to financial penalties
for every single fatality that happens in their jurisdiction, regardless of
justification.
- All officers in a penalized precinct, from the
Commissioner to the youngest rookies to be financially penalized along with
their unit for the actions of any member of their unit, as a recognized means
of discipline.
- For every year that goes by in a precinct
without a single fatality, that precinct is to receive a financial bonus.
Any officer who is found to be abusing their authority to be
stripped of rank and privilege, without appeal or benefits.
Nationalize all prisons and put them under local civilian
review. For-profit prison companies to
be immediately dismissed.
CONGRESSIONAL BEHAVIOR, ELECTIONS & PROCEDURE
Ban all Federal Lobbying and remove all Lobbyists from
Federal Buildings. Lobbying shall be
considered a form of Bribery, with the penalty for such being full seizure of
all Lobbyist’s assets and the removal of the bribed official from Office. SuperPACs to be completely disbanded and
"Citizens United" to be overturned in law.
All Incumbent members of both Congressional Houses to
immediately resign. Hold emergency
national elections to replace them, allowing only Independent/Third-Party
candidates on the ticket.
All funding for Elections for Public Office will be provided
publicly and all private monetary donations to campaigns will be banned. Campaign contributions will be in the form of
personal time commitments only. Full
Voting rights to all unregistered citizens who can provide a Birth Certificate,
Passport or two forms of State/Local ID.
All those already registered to vote will only have to sign on-record
register at the polls.
All Senators, Congressmen, Supreme Court Justices and Executive Branch Department Heads (including President) to accept salaries at Federal Minimum Wage (travel benefits to remain intact). Savings to be used for Deficit Reduction.
BANKS, ECONOMICS
& WELFARE
Reinstate Glass-Steagle and break up the “Too big to fail”
banks into smaller, more competitive entities.
All tax havens will be seized entirely.
Raise Federal Minimum Wage to match the local cost of
living.
Create a Federal Maximum Wage of $10M/year using the tax
code to enforce the latter.
Welfare benefits to be redesigned to focus on job training,
education and temporary relief, with benefit cutoffs to end after a recipient
has successfully maintained a standard of living above the economic poverty
line for 2 full months. All
beneficiaries of Federal Welfare must serve a mandatory 1 year with AmeriCorps
if receiving benefits for longer than 6 months.
Creation of an infrastructure fund to be distributed to
local government agencies directly based on proportion of citizen and
businesses without regard to taxable contribution of the inclusive group in an
effort to recognize businesses and employees need sustainable, safe and
effective roads, bridges, etc. to ply their trade, etc. and balancing small
community vs large community needs. This
fund will be overseen by a board of Federal, State, County and local citizen
representatives on a regular basis.
Program of public works projects for domestic infrastructure
improvements:
Transformation of the American public
transportation grid to 21st Century standards: electromagnetic bullet trains,
etc. as well as transformation of the American energy grid to 21st
Century standards with renewable energy investment, increase carbon taxes
TAXATION
Redesign the tax code on a scale similar to Eisenhower era
framework, with increased revenue divided as follows:
Increased revenue divided into thirds:
- 1/3 for Deficit Reduction
- 1/3 for Domestic Infrastructure Improvements
- 1/3 for Public Health Option and Education
funding
Forbid moving money from one domestic program to another.
Automatically double taxes on Businesses that:
- Outsource American Jobs
- Damage American Ecology.
Tax rewards for business that do the following:
- Bring jobs back to impoverished American areas.
- Are Unionized, with programs to allow for new
members to join the Union.
- Use Green technology and go above-and-beyond EPA
regulations in Environmental Safety
- Give back to local communities and invest in
local economies.
MILITARY POLICY AND BUDGET
50% reduction of military spending, with reductions of the
Standing Army and Foreign Bases accordingly.
Remaining resources on augmenting and streamlining the Navy, Air Force,
CyberDefense, Special Forces and AmeriCorps. Low-ranking Army Personnel still under contract to serve will serve the rest of their time with AmeriCorps and receive a 1-grade promotion in rank.
- 1/2 of the savings to increase funding for
NASA and Tech R&D.
- 1/2 of the savings for Deficit Reduction and
1/3 for Domestic Infrastructure Improvements
Full disclosure to Congress of all Intelligence &
Military Activities, Treaties (both secret and public), Deals, Slush Funds and
Black Ops. Failure to do so will result in summary prison
sentences for all personnel who refuse to disclose. All who willingly disclose this information
can do so anonymously.
Repeal the Patriot Act and NDAA.
