Saturday, April 15, 2006
A Fresh Start with Democrats: A Plan to Take Back the House in '06
To restore any kind of respectibility or integrity to this country's government, the Democrats need to take the House back in this year's Congressional elections (read subpeana power!). They need to keep the pressure on the Republicans and keep their corruption and incompetence in people's minds, but in addition they need to devise a coherent agenda that people can connect with. So I propose a 5 point plan that I think would help contribute to a much needed change in Washington this fall.
First a note on terminology: FDR had the "New Deal," Truman had the "Fair Deal," LBJ had the "Great Society," Reagan had "Morning Again in America," and the '94 Republicans had their "Contract With America." Whatever plan they come up with, it should have some kind of gimmicky title. Americans seem to love a good gimmicky title. I'm thinking of the patent medicines that were all the rage in the late nineteenth century. My suggestion is "A Fresh Start," but my wife thought that was a bad idea. Whatever they choose I hope it has a good ring to it.
Anyway, here's the plan:
1. Fight to Win the War on Terrorist Groups
-stabilize Iraq as best as possible by training indigenous police force and army and then leave and redeploy forces elsewhere
-build international coalitions to combat this global problem
-inspect cargo at ports
-only use reasonable measures to ensure safety that don't compromise our essential civil rights
-pressure Arab allies to not support extremist medrassas that preach hatred of the U.S. and Israel
-foster connections with moderate Arab and/or Muslim groups--why not create a thinktank that brings together intellectuals from many different points of view to help initiate cross-cultural dialogue and exchanges
2. Aim Toward Balanced Budget
-roll back tax cuts on ultra-wealthy
-close corporate tax loops and end corporate welfare that merely encourages companies to outsource jobs outside the country
-vigorously prosecute war profiteers, such as Halliburton, and stop directing funds to privatize war
-pay as we go: don't enact sweeping legislation (such as "No Child Left Behind") without knowing how to adequately fund it or merely shifts costs onto states
-figure out how to help middle class without gauging essential programs, such as student aid
3. Enact Energy Policies that Contribute to a Sustainable and Renewable Environmental Future
-start "Apollo"-style program to lessen dependence on foreign oil (bio-fuels, Montana Gov. Schweizer's clean coal proposal, solar, wind, etc.) and that will jump start a whole new field of innovation and jobs
-no tax giveaways to large oil companies already flush with cash from huge profits
-invest in infrastructure of alternative fuel sources
-lower carbon emissions that conribute to greenhouse effect (allow science to help guide public policy, rather than having the policy dictate what science is allowed to find as its results)
4. Work Toward Universal Coverage in Health Care
-we can have better care for less cost by directing money that already goes into system into other alternative organizational models
-make it less complicated (unlike the Medicare Prescription plan)
5. Reform Electoral System and Political Corruption
-make sure every single eligible vote counts, period (!)
-don't have politically motivated public officials running elections
-limit lobbyist influence on legislators
-explore public funding of elections (see Arizona as an example) so politicians' main focus isn't fund raising
-experiment on local level with innovations such as instant-runoff voting or porportional representation
Don't these ideas just make sense? Notice I don't get into contentious social issues such as religion's role in public life, gay marriage, abortion, teaching children sex education, gun control, drugs, affirmative action, etc. These issues are all important and people are bound to have strong perspectives on them (I know I have definite feelings on most of them), but it seems to me there are sooo many other serious problems facing the country right now that these need to go on the back burner and we can come together to deal with the really important stuff now. We cannot allow the Bush administration's corruption and incompetence to hold this country hostage to corporate and extremist religious special interests.
First a note on terminology: FDR had the "New Deal," Truman had the "Fair Deal," LBJ had the "Great Society," Reagan had "Morning Again in America," and the '94 Republicans had their "Contract With America." Whatever plan they come up with, it should have some kind of gimmicky title. Americans seem to love a good gimmicky title. I'm thinking of the patent medicines that were all the rage in the late nineteenth century. My suggestion is "A Fresh Start," but my wife thought that was a bad idea. Whatever they choose I hope it has a good ring to it.
Anyway, here's the plan:
1. Fight to Win the War on Terrorist Groups
-stabilize Iraq as best as possible by training indigenous police force and army and then leave and redeploy forces elsewhere
-build international coalitions to combat this global problem
-inspect cargo at ports
-only use reasonable measures to ensure safety that don't compromise our essential civil rights
-pressure Arab allies to not support extremist medrassas that preach hatred of the U.S. and Israel
-foster connections with moderate Arab and/or Muslim groups--why not create a thinktank that brings together intellectuals from many different points of view to help initiate cross-cultural dialogue and exchanges
2. Aim Toward Balanced Budget
-roll back tax cuts on ultra-wealthy
-close corporate tax loops and end corporate welfare that merely encourages companies to outsource jobs outside the country
-vigorously prosecute war profiteers, such as Halliburton, and stop directing funds to privatize war
-pay as we go: don't enact sweeping legislation (such as "No Child Left Behind") without knowing how to adequately fund it or merely shifts costs onto states
-figure out how to help middle class without gauging essential programs, such as student aid
3. Enact Energy Policies that Contribute to a Sustainable and Renewable Environmental Future
-start "Apollo"-style program to lessen dependence on foreign oil (bio-fuels, Montana Gov. Schweizer's clean coal proposal, solar, wind, etc.) and that will jump start a whole new field of innovation and jobs
-no tax giveaways to large oil companies already flush with cash from huge profits
-invest in infrastructure of alternative fuel sources
-lower carbon emissions that conribute to greenhouse effect (allow science to help guide public policy, rather than having the policy dictate what science is allowed to find as its results)
4. Work Toward Universal Coverage in Health Care
-we can have better care for less cost by directing money that already goes into system into other alternative organizational models
-make it less complicated (unlike the Medicare Prescription plan)
5. Reform Electoral System and Political Corruption
-make sure every single eligible vote counts, period (!)
-don't have politically motivated public officials running elections
-limit lobbyist influence on legislators
-explore public funding of elections (see Arizona as an example) so politicians' main focus isn't fund raising
-experiment on local level with innovations such as instant-runoff voting or porportional representation
Don't these ideas just make sense? Notice I don't get into contentious social issues such as religion's role in public life, gay marriage, abortion, teaching children sex education, gun control, drugs, affirmative action, etc. These issues are all important and people are bound to have strong perspectives on them (I know I have definite feelings on most of them), but it seems to me there are sooo many other serious problems facing the country right now that these need to go on the back burner and we can come together to deal with the really important stuff now. We cannot allow the Bush administration's corruption and incompetence to hold this country hostage to corporate and extremist religious special interests.
