09-02-2023, 04:42 PM
Until we fix the elections, everything else is moot. As long as politicians work for the donor class instead of, as they like to say, ordinary Americans, we're stuck.
Dark money has to be removed from politics.
Make every donation come from a human being, not a corporation.
Make every donation public.
Limit PAC spending to topics not candidates
Donations to a politician not used in a single election cycle must be returned to the donors. No more stockpiling millions which will even the ground a bit for opponents.
Set National standards for minimum state election laws...ie hours, absentee qualifications, early voting, ID, etc
Remove ALL politicians from redistricting. Gerrymandering, from both sides, is out of control
Mandated term limits for all elected positions.
once our legislators are cleaned up, we will have a real chance to fix some things.
The Dept of Defense wastes/loses more money than all other departments combined. Clean that up and put the money into healthcare and housing...2 things that when one lacks them, prevent people from entering the workforce.
wages have to go up to meet today's cost of living
fix the tax code, and eliminate all the loopholes, that allow rich people to avoid taxes. We really have to fix corporate tax codes to incentivize investment in their employees and products not simply profits
incentivize companies to narrow the pay gap between executives and workers.
allow stock options to executives only if workers receive them as well
stock buybacks that end up as stock options in executives' pockets have to be stopped somehow.
break up monopolies and conglomerates that have killed small business
Hedge Funds have been a destructive force in American business...their goal is to buy a company, drain every ounce of cash out of it, and dump its carcass on the American unemployment line. There has to be a way to regulate them
We have to improve public transportation systems throughout the country. If jobs are in a suburb and a worker has no way to get there and can't afford to live in that suburb, that's a problem.
somehow we have to overcome the NIMBY crowd and allow for entry-level housing to be built again. Until zoning laws are fixed, there is no reason for anyone to build affordable housing. Communities don't want them
In some cases, programs to help the poor, have to be blown up instead of band-aids on top of band-aids. Technology is behind times, coordination is behind times, regulations are piecemeal, applying for assistance is complicated, receiving assistance is complicated, and assistance is still geared towards needs from the past not what is needed today. Assistance is cut off too quickly, not allowing families to actually get on their feet first. One or two paychecks won't allow someone to accumulate money for a downpayment, security deposit, or to obtain transportation.
Addressing the root causes of poverty is a marathon and not a sprint. Constantly changing rules, regulations, and details as we do, fixes nothing. Lack of regional jobs, such as that affecting Appalachia isn't an easy fix. Inequities in education spending especially affect poorer areas leaving us with massive education gaps between rich and poor. Healthcare deserts leave many poor without any healthcare even if they could pay for it which most can't. A child who doesn't learn to read because he needs glasses but can't get them is set up for failure from the beginning
Dark money has to be removed from politics.
Make every donation come from a human being, not a corporation.
Make every donation public.
Limit PAC spending to topics not candidates
Donations to a politician not used in a single election cycle must be returned to the donors. No more stockpiling millions which will even the ground a bit for opponents.
Set National standards for minimum state election laws...ie hours, absentee qualifications, early voting, ID, etc
Remove ALL politicians from redistricting. Gerrymandering, from both sides, is out of control
Mandated term limits for all elected positions.
once our legislators are cleaned up, we will have a real chance to fix some things.
The Dept of Defense wastes/loses more money than all other departments combined. Clean that up and put the money into healthcare and housing...2 things that when one lacks them, prevent people from entering the workforce.
wages have to go up to meet today's cost of living
fix the tax code, and eliminate all the loopholes, that allow rich people to avoid taxes. We really have to fix corporate tax codes to incentivize investment in their employees and products not simply profits
incentivize companies to narrow the pay gap between executives and workers.
allow stock options to executives only if workers receive them as well
stock buybacks that end up as stock options in executives' pockets have to be stopped somehow.
break up monopolies and conglomerates that have killed small business
Hedge Funds have been a destructive force in American business...their goal is to buy a company, drain every ounce of cash out of it, and dump its carcass on the American unemployment line. There has to be a way to regulate them
We have to improve public transportation systems throughout the country. If jobs are in a suburb and a worker has no way to get there and can't afford to live in that suburb, that's a problem.
somehow we have to overcome the NIMBY crowd and allow for entry-level housing to be built again. Until zoning laws are fixed, there is no reason for anyone to build affordable housing. Communities don't want them
In some cases, programs to help the poor, have to be blown up instead of band-aids on top of band-aids. Technology is behind times, coordination is behind times, regulations are piecemeal, applying for assistance is complicated, receiving assistance is complicated, and assistance is still geared towards needs from the past not what is needed today. Assistance is cut off too quickly, not allowing families to actually get on their feet first. One or two paychecks won't allow someone to accumulate money for a downpayment, security deposit, or to obtain transportation.
Addressing the root causes of poverty is a marathon and not a sprint. Constantly changing rules, regulations, and details as we do, fixes nothing. Lack of regional jobs, such as that affecting Appalachia isn't an easy fix. Inequities in education spending especially affect poorer areas leaving us with massive education gaps between rich and poor. Healthcare deserts leave many poor without any healthcare even if they could pay for it which most can't. A child who doesn't learn to read because he needs glasses but can't get them is set up for failure from the beginning
Fueled by the pursuit of greatness.
