Wonky things that will make the economy better for us all

[nadinbrzezinski]

First off, let me say that I was not shocked by some of the negativity in the ok folks this is what you need to do thread to improve your personal life in this current economy. After all, some folks don't want to hear the tought medicine and that really you need to save and be thrifty and you can always find some spending that can be cut.

Now here are the policy positions that I KNOW some of our politicos should advocate, but they don't... or the ones that do have little chance of winning a national office.

1.- SIngle payer health care: Yes, otherwise known as taking the profit out of healthcare, my apologies to Dennis for using his phrase. Now, unlike most politicos I can tell you that this will mean taxes and a trust to fund this. It can be done and I, for one, is willing to pay slightly higher taxes in order to cover every American and legal resident in the country. It can be done, it should be done and for god sakes, lets keep the morality out of it, that seldom wins in politics. Reality is having national single payer health care will make the country more competitive, improve health care and increase productivity. We know for a fact that car manufacturers have moved factories north because they don't have to add that cost to a car... and they are just the tip of the iceberg.

2.- Gross privatization of the goverment must end. In other words (for freepers reading this) Socialism for Corporations must end. It is now very clear that some services are more efficiently provided by the Gov'ment, when the Gov'ment works. Also we need to regulate industries again, so we clean water ways and air. this will also increase productivity as sick days will go down.

3.- We must rebuild our highways and other public services. This means slightly higher taxers but also employment, and something like the WPA has to be brought to be, this will help rebuild the networks that we need for commerce to flow.

4.- We need PROGRESSIVE taxes.

5.- Forget minimum wage, I will take the stance of Teddy Roosevelt, what we need is a LIVING WAGE... these days that probably is hovering around thirty dollars... will go down to about twenty four if we enact national health care for all.

6.- Education has to be fully funded and "free" all the way to a four year college degree. Now why did I put the "free" in quotation marks? Yes that takes money, so again taxes, or rather service fees, will have to pay for that. And troops have to get a GI Bill like the WW II generation got.

7.- Affordable housing must be a national priority.

8.- Labor has to have a full right to negotiate, this means right to work has to go. Unions have to expand and make sure they are strengthened.

9.- Our national policy has to turn from "free trade" to making it expensive to export jobs, and companies based abroad cannot get federal contracts, period...

10.- It is to our national security interest to re-industrialize the country.

11.- It is to our national security interest to develop alternatives to Carbon based energy and to follow Kyoto like accords

12.- It is to our NATIONAL INTEREST to follow Geneva and other accords.

Now this plank will improve our collective life, but this does not mean people can continue living a lifestyle where spending comes first, Saving for YOUR future is also part of it. That medicine applies, whether you are living in a progressive country, or under the radicals such as George Bush.

And I know I forgot one... The Sherman Act has to be enforced breaking down monopolies... yes Fox I am talking bout you, as well as GE and Disney.

[SteppingRazor]

1. Agree with everything.

And I think almost all of this can be funded by ending our U.S. Armed Forces-as-world's-policeman foreign policy, ending Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest few, and ending the cap on payroll taxes.

[elehhhhna]

2. 10,11 & 12 are big.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. All of them are big and tied in ways that lead to Keynseian economics

and away from Friedman laizze faire economics

[nashville_brook]

3. locally: incentivize energy efficient building and retrofitting -- solar, geotherm, etc.

[truedelphi]

16. Wind would be good also.

I live in an area that is as mild as a baby bunny in the mornuing and noon times and then has raging 45 mph hour ewind streams every afternoon by 4 Pm.

Why we can't channel that energy, I don't know.

And I don't mean huge wind farms, which are proving to be a danger to the wild life. But small windmill affairs that could be installed on top of everyone's garage, with red plastic steamers or balloons to keep the birdies safe.

But uh, that would allow for people to produce their own energy!

[LynzM]

4. Nice post.

I agree with what you're getting at, and am curious about the thread you mentioned - do you have a link? Thanks!

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Here you go

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2548486&mesg_id=2548486

[sailor65]

7. You're mostly right

But the unions also have to go. If you're going to let the government regulate aspects of trade and business anyway, like the "Living Wage" argument, then the unions are unnecessary. And since unions are every bit as corrupt as the "Big Business" they claim to fight, they need to go, yesterday.

If you think about it, as far as protecting workers, setting wages, benefits, etc., letting unions continue to exist is basically endoring privatization of functions the government should perform, which is contradictory to your #2.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. We will disagree here

throughout the history of modern labor only when we have a strong union movement do we have a strong middle class

The relationship is clear in the 20th century

[sailor65]

9. We don't disagree that much actually

I agree about the EARLY value of unions.

From my perspective, here in Michigan Automotive, the Unions are killing us at the same rate as the Executives they claim to be battling.

I probably should have been more specific in my response, in that I'm coming from the perspective of Automotive unions.

But I don't think that the leadership of ANY of the unions still holds the same values as those in history. I don't think the unions are the same entities they were in the bulk of the 20th century anymore.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Here is how I see unions

like any other organization they can be corrupt... human nature mostly.

When you get a good gravy train... the worst traits come out... of any human

But in times like this unions are a defense.

Now that is a general statement

There are some very good unions (Service workers international) and some that need a revolt or two from bellow... and the auto unions need a revolt or two.

But as a general statement, we need a stronger union movement. One reason why you see the problems with the unions right now is because they are trying to cut a deal to stay around, not getting it that they need to expand and truly fight for labor. I believe that will come... as things get worst and the United Services International continues to grow... the model for the future right now.

[sailor65]

12. Well said...

So I've gotten in the habit of judging the unions by the auto (And related trade) unions, which very much need a kick in the a$$.

I think you're right about your general statement about "Cutting a deal to stay around." What's that line from "The American President?" "I was so busy trying to keep my job I forgot to do my job."

I hope you're right about the turnaround in their natures for the future. A return to core values would restore my faith in them (Kinda like the government?). :toast:

[flashl]

11. I agree with you ...

Here is a great article:

Lighting Labor's Fire

The collapse of union membership in America, from its peak at 38 percent in the mid-fifties to 9 percent of the private work force today, is the one big reason for our roaring inequality. It's why the poor and middle class are still being cheated of pensions, healthcare and a fair share of the GDP. Yet we have no chance--for now--of reforming the labor laws that make organizing so difficult. There is little hope, for example, of giving the now toothless Wagner Act some bite, in the form of penalties for illegal unionbusting. Not in this Congress. Or the next. Or probably the next. What, then, is left for the American left? To give up on so many of the issues we care about?

The underlying reason for organized labor's decline is that our labor laws do not let people join unions, freely and fairly, without being fired.

...

What we need is a new approach to rebuilding the unions--and to labor law reform. There is a hint in Nelson Lichtenstein's recent book, State of the Union, as to what it might be. Lichtenstein argues that in many ways, organized labor missed out on the "rights revolution" of the 1960s and '70s, which won individual workers new protections based on gender and race.

...

To bring a real labor movement back, we may need a more individualist, even libertarian approach, one that finally brings the "rights revolution" to American workers, regardless of gender or race.

Full Text

[truedelphi]

13. Recently I posted an OP about a car that could

Do amazing things and used compressed air for its energy source.

I got a lot more flack than you would expect.

I went on researching cars that are alternatives to the fossil fuels that we have to use in our big old American vehicles.

I was amazed at the number of vehicles that showed up in my Google search. All were offered in Europe. All had been in production for over three years, and some have been around for seven or eight.

Meanwhile we sit around watching movies about the Auto Industry's destruction of the fleet of electric cars that were already being leased to Americans.

We have got to get ourselves out of the grip of the American car industry, oil corporation insider deal (There is definitely collusion going on in that scenario.)

There has got to be a way for us to do what they are doing in Europe.

[The Straight Story]

14. I remember that post

Pretty cool info!

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Well that is what we get for the corruption of the system

and trust me, it is corrupt

[Prophet 451]

17. You realise you just pissed off virtually everyone?

Well, everyone with money anyway and you know what they say about the Golden Rule. If any politico ever moved towards doign all this (which I fully agree is needed), I figure him/her to have a life expectancy of perhaps half an hour.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Well these things have been done in the past

and they will be done... even if they don't like it.

[annabanana]

19. It is a TALL order, nadin,

But I think if even one or two on this excellent list were to be enacted, it would go a long way in convincing people that the rest would also be a damn good idea...

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Remember if you asked the average american about the New Deal in

1930 they would have looked at you with a strange and quizzical look

Senator Sanders reminded me that at times things move very fast in the right direction when we least expect it...

Ah Hartmman and podcasts, I love my I-POD

[blondeatlast]

20. Can I vote for you in the Arizona primary? I may just write you in. Brava! nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. California resident and naturalized citizen

so unless they manage to do that favor to Arnie

:-)