How do you feel about the following subjects?

[JanMichael]

1. Universal/Single Payer Healthcare.

2. Living Wages.

3. Social Security.

4. The Progressive Income Tax.

5. The Inheritance Tax.

6. Collective Bargaining. Or better yet Democracised Corporations...


?

[buddhamama]

1. yes, to all of the above

[Gringo]

2. Pro - All of them

Anyone against them is not a dem, IMO.

[Capn Sunshine]

3. You've been reading Deans website haven't you. Good. n/t

[JanMichael]

6. I'm not committed.

Perhaps I should be committed but that requires two signatures from relatives.

[DemBones DemBones]

15. Dean's not supporting universal health care -- he says it would

never pass.

Kucinich says that it WILL pass if we choose to elect a new, progressive Congress that will work with President Kucinich. We can do what Americans did in 1932 when they threw out the GOP Congress and elected a new one to work with FDR. FDR, of course, was elected president in 1932 to replace Hoover, and, with a new Congree, FDR had the power to start new programs that rebuilt the country after the Great Depression.

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're probably right."

Let's think we CAN and make it happen. To think we can't guarantees failure.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mairead]

5. Pro, of course. What sensible person wouldn't be?

[Clete]

7. I came to DU because I wanted to join discussions on all the

above, but it has been only one crisis after the other, making those subjects almost out of another era and besides the point. All anyone can think of anymore is getting rid of Bush, getting rid of Arnold, trying to salvage Iraq. If we don't, wanting to live in an enlightened society seems almost naive.

Sorry, but it's the way I feel.

[JanMichael]

9. I'd like to believe that we can walk & chew gum at the same time!

Or "Multi-Task"...That's sounds nicer:-)

[searchingforlight]

8. They are on my wish list.

eom

[CarlBallard]

10. Pro all

But what would be Democracised Corporations? Is that improving laws regarding co-ops? Is it strengthing unions? I just don't know but I like co-ops and unions, so I'm probably for that.

[JanMichael]

14. Like the Mondragon Collectives.

http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/dward/classes/powpart/benellomondragon.html

"Mondragon is worth studying because it works, and the argument can be made that utopian theory must always confront the practical since the burden of proof is on the theorist. The problem with capitalism and, more generally, with coercive industrial systems of whatever persuasion, is not that they don't work; they do deliver the goods, but in the process grind up human beings. The only answer to this state of affairs is to prove that a better system also works; theory alone simply will not do. And, if we wish to claim that something better than Mondragon needs to be built, then it is incumbent on us to do it."

[CarlBallard]

16. Thanks for the link

Mondragon was part of what I was thinking of in terms of co-ops. Also Ocean Spray, and the place I used to get my groceries. Certianly Mondragon has problems, as it didn't eliminate the grind of working in a large industral factory. I mean I've never done it but I doubt there's a fun way to make machine tools, for example.

Still it is a better work place because of it's ownership structures. It's my understanding that durring hard times they make efforts to keep people onboard. They have great retraining programs, and aparently some research.

From your article:

6. Above all, Mondragon represents a systems approach to cooperative development. In addition to the base-level industrial cooperatives there are a set of so called second degree cooperatives which variously engage in research, financing, technical training and education, technical assistance, and social services. In addition there are housing and consumer cooperatives which collectively are able to create a cooperative culture in which the basic activities of life take place. Members can operate within a context of interdependent and cooperating institutions which follow the same principles; this makes for enhanced efficiency.

[JanMichael]

17. Is factory work any worse than most "service" work?

At least there's a tangible result to one's efforts.

Fact is that I believe the US is going to be doomed if we don't start making more "Stuff".

You can only trade so many non-existant corporations, and sell so much shit, until it becomes nothing more than a glorified Ponzi Scheme,

[DemBones DemBones]

11. Support all of them being instituted, continued, or re-instituted, as

the case may be.

We MUST save Social Security and make sure it's fully funded. If we don't, many people will be harmed. People have lost money from their retirement funds, corporations are increasingly less likely to actually pay out pensions (it's cheaper if they fire you a few years before you can retire) so Social Security is truly a safety net we can't allow to be unraveled.

The inheritance tax AKA estate tax allowed people to inherit quite a bit of money without paying any tax. Many people thought and probably still think that you had to pay estate taxes on small estates but the cut-off amount was fairly high. It did mean that millionaires couldn't pass every penny on to their kids but didn't mean the kids got nothing, either.

[KG]

12. i have very deep feelings about those issues

because i feel thing very...deeply.

but i'm sure some of the conservatives on DU would have problems with one or more of those subject. waiting on them to show up soon and reveal themselves. :)

[swinney]

13. DEMOCRATS PLANS

JOE CONASON BOOK "BIG LIES" OUTLINES MANY D PROJECTS THROUGH HISTORY.

GREAT THINGS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF D POLICIES WHICH PROMOTED MIDDLE CLASS, TOOK CARE OF UNDERCLASS AND PUSHED TOP TO INVEST.

IT IS HARD FINDING R POLICES WHICH PROMOTED A GREATER NATION.

R POLICIES WERE USUALLY RETARDANTS.

R POLICIES WERE USUALLY TO--ENRICH THE RICH.

I CANNOT PUSH JOE CONASON BOOK "bIG lIES" TOO HARD. EVERY DEMOCRAT MUST RUSH OUT TO BUY IT.

DO NOT LEAVE A BOOK STORE WITHOUT IT.

[Misinformed01]

18. Kick

n't

[ninkasi]

19. Strongly in favor

of them all. We need a workable society, not one that has become dysfunctional because every aspect of life is tilted toward a small fraction of super rich, greedy individuals.

The resulting burden on the rest of us becomes unbearable, and society stops working.

[Misinformed01]

20. Good point. Beyond the philosophical, there are practical reasons too.

Nobody in their right mind should want to see huge numbers of people disaffected.

It rarely turns out nice in the end.

[LWolf]

21. Checking in.

1. Universal/Single Payer Healthcare.

Yes, please. Now, before any of my family members become any more seriously impacted by health issues that have been neglected because they don't have insurance or their HMO won't approve treatment.

2. Living Wages.

Again...please, let's do it now. What does it say when a human being can spend the day sweating to provide us with a service, but not earn enough to pay the rent? It says we don't value people or their skills/efforts much.

3. Social Security.

I've paid into it all of these years, I sure expect it to be there for me when I need it. That and my 401K; at this point, there isn't going to be any savings.

4. The Progressive Income Tax.

I prefer a progressive income tax on principal, but haven't looked closely enough at the difference an alternative might make. Other than a flat tax, I'm not sure what other alternatives there might be.

5. The Inheritance Tax.

No on principal; it's double dipping. And, if it is property being taxed rather than cash, such as a family farm, there may not be enough liquid assets to keep the family farm and still pay the tax. Whatever assets I may have, I earned. I worked, and I spent my after tax dollars on things I'd like my family to have. It's a family thing. Our assets belong to all of us, not just to certain individuals.

6. Collective Bargaining. Or better yet Democracised Corporations...

Yes on collective bargaining. I don't know what democracised corporations would look like; I've never heard that term. Try this one out as a model; I worked for a school that really was run this way for several years. Of course, that's the public sector, but still:

Teachers and community members from a wide area were invited to attend brainstorming/planning meetings at my district office for a year; during that time we designed a school to pilot how we thought schools should be run. We wrote a grant to fund the start up, and found a location (extra, unused, old, beat-up trailers at another school site). The district office held an enrollment in spring for the following fall. A committee of those parents interviewed and chose the principal from a list of candidates provided by the district, through regular district procedure. The new principal joined this committee, and they interviewed teachers. As a group. The teachers were required to do a portfolio presentation that actively showed their experience and ideas that would support the vision of this particular school. When the teachers were hired, some joined the committee, which used the same hiring procedure for all of the support staff.

So we had a staff. Procedurally, the principal was a facilitator. Committees of parents and teachers made all the decisions. His job was to make them happen. We continued to use the hiring committees. We also met to decide what grade levels we'd teach, etc. We managed ourselves. Parents, teachers, and kids were empowered and better off for it. (Of course, it eventually went away, because the powers that be found that they didn't like to have any power outside their jurisdiction. A wearing away, bit by bit, until today the school operates just like every other school; from the top down).

Is this something like democracised corporations?