Might I suggest "The W2 Movement"

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

This would be a coalition of people who feel their government has been co-opted by corporate interests and Wall Street and no longer serves or services the needs of the average American.

I call it "W2" because I feel that name cuts to the heart of the issue. W2 are WAGE EARNERS, people who actually work for a living and have the bulk of their income coming from a W2 statement as opposed to a 1099 which is where interest and dividend income get reported. The mega rich and many of our corporate masters get the bulk of their income from 1099's, reflecting their large holdings and the outsize percentage of their income that comes from bonuses as opposed to salary. This is also why they are so obsessed with the "capital gains tax". That is the tax that really hits them where they live.(Please note that I am well-aware that there is a large number of salespeople in this country who work for commission only and who also get the bulk of their income from 1099s. This is often just a ploy to screw them out of a salary and benefits they should have, but the commission only structure benefits their employer. This group of people ARE included in the issues addressed by the W2 movement.)

Anyway, in my dreams, a W2 movement, which would function outside of the parties would stand for:

1.*Real healthcare reform. Single payer. The ONLY system that would put us on a par with the rest of the world and bring down costs and the percentage of personal/government income devoted to healthcare. The health insurance industry will still exist. They will sell supplemental policies, and policies to cover optional procedures like cosmetic surgeries, etc. They will still make money, they just won't be able to skim off the gigantic percentages they have in the past and pay their execs in the millions and yes BILLIONs. Oh, too bad.

2.*Election reform. Paper ballots with a receipt. No hackable, untraceable black box voting with codes held by private companies.THis assures that the voice of the people will be heard and restore confidence in the system.

3.*Campaign finance reform. This is why the people lost their government in the first place.

4.*Living wages. The minimum tied to inflation as it should have been lo these many years. Plus see below

5.*Corporate wage reform where the executives of publicly held companies are limited to a certain multiple of the median price of a salary in that company. Instead of the looting and plundering of companies that goes on right now - that money will instead end up as decent salaries for ALL the employees, or paid out as dividends/profits to the shareholders AS IT SHOULD BE. Private companies can loot and plunder all they want - that's their prerogative.

6.*A draw down and reassessment of our global military/defense policies. I just know we can do better and still provide for the safety and security of our own country without our empire misadventures or turning the US military into a mercenary army for private development to secure pipelines, oil fields, etc. It's possible that wars will be fought in the future over access to resources, but let's at last be honest about where and why we fight.

7.*Access/assistance to higher or vocational education for all Americans. Let's nation build right here.

8.*A reform of the tax system so that all pay their fair share, including the rich. I understand "what's fair" is subject to debate, but most tax reforms in the past have focused on the wealthy. I also understand that single payer may involve a tax increase on all, but removing personal expense and the threat of bankruptcy for all will be a net gain in income and security.

9.*A way of funding schools that is not based on property taxes. It is an outrage that poor localities barely have books and desks while richer ones have swimming pools.

These planks are primarily fiscal/economic policies, specifically designed to cut across party lines and to channel the frustration of the wage earner of both parties. Election and campaign reform is thrown in for pragmatism and the acknowlegement that no change for anyone at anytime will ever occur in this country unless we address those underlying issues. "W2" is my answer to the Teabaggers from a Progressive viewpoint.


*******************************************************************************************************************************
(a possible 10th plank for the platform is *Media reform. A breakup of media monopolies and a return to the Fairness Doctrine. If not the Fairness Doctrine itself, some other method of defanging hate/propaganda media. We simply cannot allow Radio Rwanda to exist and advocate violence against those who do not share your views. The first suggestion of violence should be reason enough to yank a license.)

[juno jones]

1. K&R! n/t

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. Thanks! After the healthcare news this evening I feel even more that we need something like this. nt

[starroute]

3. Contract labor also get 1099's

And without even the benefits or security of someone who gets a W-2.

To be quite frank, I think your idea sucks. All it does is set people against one another.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

4. You missed the entire point, apparently.

The people who have been screwed for literally decades now are the lower and middle class and even upper middle class wage earners who have seen salaries eroded, pensions non-existant, 401K retirements disappeared, hopes diminished and their children's futures bleaker. That is the VAST MAJORITY of this country who have been overlooked and underserved by their elected representatives who have instead done everything in their power to facilitate a wealth transfer to the richest of the rich and to pander to the Benedict Arnold CEOs (Kerry's great phrase) who have offshored jobs and sold America's future down the river so their golden parachutes would shine just a little bit more brightly.

You just don't get it. That's okay. Many others do.

[starroute]

11. I didn't miss anything

The part that sucks is where you say, "I call it 'W2' because I feel that name cuts to the heart of the issue. W2 are WAGE EARNERS, people who actually work for a living and have the bulk of their income coming from a W2 statement as opposed to a 1099 which is where interest and dividend income get reported."

At a time when many people who get paid on 1099's are far more precarious, more marginal, and generally more fucked-over than people who get W-2's, exalting the "wage earners" over the outside contractors smacks of Sarah Palin "Real America" talk.

If that's not the message you want to convey, find another name for your movement.

[Dragonfli]

5. That reads like the platform of a true American Labor Party

In my opinion you've done such a remarkable job that I agree with every plank.

The only constructive criticism I could personally muster concerns your voting plank:
I would consider changing the idea of a receipt with the ability to verify that the vote you cast is the one that enters the lock box.

Paper ballads of course, but a receipt could be used in an attempt to buy votes.
(A receipt could be used to verify to a buyer of votes that one lived up to ones bargain, it must be voter verifiable! but "take away proof" of vote choice could lead to negative unforeseen consequences).

I would join a party that held to the platform you have proposed!!

We need a labor party as all we have now are corporate parties.
They have proven harmful to the majority of Americans - those that work for a living.
We need a voice in government before we are all working poor barely able to survive while the rich exponentially increase their wealth.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

6. Extremely interesting comments about a take-away receipt.

You're right. They should be seen and verified by the voter and then placed in a lockbox to certify final machine counts.

Thanks for your other comments. We need a movement that represents those besides the Have Mores that made up Bushs' base and unfortunately seem to have far more representation than they deserve even in our new administration.

[Dragonfli]

7. I actually thought it would be much better, I was expecting an actual Democratic agenda, but

was naive. I am just so disappointed in what I thought would be the beginning of a reconstruction of our government.

I had hopes of a new new deal and yet all we get is Reagan/Hoover/Bush morphs.

The republicans are getting worse as well, while our party is behaving as if they are Republican trainees, the R's are becoming full blown fascists.

So much rightward movement after a leftward voting rebellion leaves me dizzy confused and disillusioned.


Thanks for submitting your thoughts, you remind me that I am not alone in my ideals and my hopes for a voice that represents most Americans and not just the corporate citizen.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. "So much rightward movement after a leftward voting rebellion leaves me dizzy confused and

disillusioned."

Yup. THAT is the disconnect. Don't worry, we are far from alone. As a citizenry, we need to lose the complacency and agitate for what is rightfully ours - Representation that is not sold like a commodity to the highest bidder.

:fistbump:

[Dragonfli]

9. .

:fistbump:

[smokey nj]

10. K&R!