Winning, not whining II

 

My updated version of what Democrats need to do to regain power:

Democrats, to make the American Dream affordable again and to bring prosperity back, will:

1.       Provide access to:

a.       quality, affordable health care

b.       free adult vocational education, including:

                                                                              i.       classes on job-related computer skills, from spreadsheets to coding

                                                                           ii.        classes at community colleges 

                                                                         iii.        hands-on job-training in the fields of plumbing, electrical, mechanical, HVAC, etc.

2.       Give substantial incentives to corporations of any size to provide free onsite childcare

3.       Reject corporate welfare, subsidies and tax credits for huge conglomerates and corporate monopolies that have driven out small businesses

4.       Incentivize corporations to share their profits with their workers

5.       Remove limits on contributions to Social Security accounts so high earners and their employers pay their fair share

6.       Continue to push back against those who block rational, legal immigration reform

7.       Put American citizens’ needs ahead of anyone entering our country illegally

8.       Limit the power of investment houses to buy up houses and hold them from the market in order to force an increase in the price of housing

9.       Pass laws requiring term limits for all federal and state level politicians

10   Institute age-limits for Supreme Court justices

11   Nominate justices who will overturn Citizens United reducing the role of money from billionaires and corporations in politics

12   Give military priority to fighting wars that impact on our own national security, while making sure all spending on our national defense is spent efficiently

13   Reduce unnecessary overseas military installations and use the money to strengthen our factory towns

14   Make sure our veterans have access to free mental healthcare for life

15   Commit to a full audit of the nation’s drinking water systems and make repairs a top priority, giving everyone access to clean water

16   Take a stand against hate speech toward people who have different political opinions from ours, no matter how much we disagree. Our fellow American citizens are not the enemy within.

17   Do everything we can to keep the government out of your life…unless you actually need or want its help. If the private sector can do it more efficiently for less cost, the government shouldn’t be doing it at all.

18   Give special attention to supporting small businesses, which create more jobs than all the Fortune 500 companies combined. This includes removing burdensome regulations and unnecessary government-imposed mandates.

19   Eliminate gerrymandering by removing politicians from the redistricting process

 

And 20th, never forget to remind people how wonderful they are. The best of what makes America great isn’t based on how we vote. It’s what we do every day regardless of our party affiliation: getting our kids off to school, shopping, making dinner, going to religious services, volunteering at the food bank, cutting the grass for a sick friend or neighbor regardless of what their voter registration card says, caring for our elderly parents, and yes, maybe even running for public office.  

As James Brown said, “People feel you before they hear you.” I have plenty of people in my life whom I love and respect, who are thoughtful, loving, supportive people…who vote straight Republican, yes, even including for Donald Trump. We need to validate, and try to understand, their feelings and beliefs, just as we’d ask that they do the same for us.