( – promoted by Sue Prent)
As I look ahead to this coming year, a number of thoughts come to mind.
First and foremost, against an enormous amount of corporate media noise and distraction, it is imperative that we not lose sight of what is most important and the vision that we stand for. We have got to stay focused on those issues that impact the lives of tens of millions of Americans who struggle every day to keep their heads above water economically, and who worry deeply about the kind of future their kids will have.
Yes. We make no apologies in stating that the great moral, economic and political issue of our time is the growing level of income and wealth inequality in our nation. It is a disgrace to everything this country is supposed to stand for when the top one-tenth of 1 percent owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent, and when one family (the Waltons) owns more wealth than the bottom 40 percent. No. The economy is not sustainable when the middle class continues to disappear and when 95 percent of all new income generated since the Wall Street crash goes to the top 1 percent. In order to create a vibrant economy, working families need disposable income. That is often not the case today.
Yes. We will continue the fight to have the United States join the rest of the industrialized world in understanding that health care is a human right of all people, not a privilege. We will end the current dysfunctional system in which 40 million Americans remain uninsured, and tens of millions more are underinsured. No. Private insurance companies and drug companies should not be making huge profits which result in the United States spending almost twice as much per capita on health care as any other nation with outcomes that are often not as good.
Yes. We believe that democracy means one person, one vote. It does not mean that the Koch Brothers and other billionaires should be able to buy elections through their ability to spend unlimited sums of money in campaigns. No. We will not accept Citizens United as the law of the land. We will overturn it through a constitutional amendment and move toward public funding of elections.
Yes. We will fight for a budget that ends corporate tax loopholes and demands that the wealthy and special interests begin paying their fair share of taxes. It is absurd that we are losing more than $100 billion a year in tax revenue as corporations and the wealthy stash their profits in the Cayman Islands and other tax havens It is a disgrace that hedge fund managers pay a lower effective tax rate than teachers or truck drivers. No. At a time when the middle class is disappearing and when millions of families have seen significant declines in their incomes, we will not support more austerity against the elderly, the children and working families. We will not accept cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, nutrition or affordable housing.
Yes. We believe that we must rebuild our crumbling infrastructure (roads, bridges, water systems, wastewater plants, rail, airports, older schools, etc.). At a time when real unemployment is 11.4 percent and youth unemployment is almost 18 percent, a $1 trillion investment in infrastructure would create 13 million decent paying jobs. No. We do not believe that we must maintain a bloated military budget which spends almost as much as the rest of the world combined and may lead us to perpetual warfare in the Middle East.
Yes. We believe that quality education should be available to all Americans regardless of their income. We believe that we should be hiring more teachers and pre-school educators, not firing them. No. We do not believe that it makes any sense that hundreds of thousands of bright young people are unable to afford a higher education while millions leave college and graduate school with heavy debts that will burden them for decades. In a highly competitive global economy, we must not fall further and further behind other countries in the education we provide our people.
Yes. We believe that the scientific community is right. Climate change is real, is caused by human activity and is already creating devastating problems in the United States and throughout the world. We believe that the United States can and must lead the world in transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy. No. We do not believe that it makes sense to build the Keystone pipeline or other projects which make us more dependent on oil and other fossil fuels.
Let me conclude by relaying to you a simple but important political truth. The Republican right-wing agenda — tax breaks for the rich and large corporations, unfettered free trade, cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, nutrition and virtually every other program that sustains working families and low-income people — is an agenda supported by Fox TV. It is an agenda supported by The Wall Street Journal. It is an agenda supported by Rush Limbaugh and the 95 percent of radio talk show hosts who just happen to be right-wing. It is an agenda supported by the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable and much of corporate America.
It is not an agenda supported by the American people.
By and large, poll after poll shows that the American people support a progressive agenda that addresses income and wealth inequality, that creates the millions of jobs we desperately need, that raises the minimum wage, that ends pay discrimination against women, and that makes sure all Americans can get the quality education they need.
In the year 2015 our job is to gain control over the national debate, stay focused on the issues of real importance to the American people, stand up for our principles, educate and organize. If we do that, I have absolute confidence that we can turn this country around and become the kind of vital, prosperous and fair-minded democracy that so many want.
or any other “vision” is worthless if it does not result in the betterment of those sharing the vision & voting for those executing the vision as well as it can be.
Pls stop blaming the right. We swing voting independents leaning left, right & center move elections & elected both Bush (I voted Gore even though I didn’t really like the guy) and Obama. Seems like Paul was in there also as a vote.
When one regime f’ks up they’re fired. It’s just the way it is, and then the ever-swinging pendulem swings the other way. I personally do not care if the other side is supposedly “worse” if the present regime is ignoring the ppl & causing misery & mayhem with our lives. Such is the case imho in both VT & the US.
The left has failed us miserabely, just as their predecessors the right. Schumer had it right when he made clear they were not on the same page as most Americans.
Sorry Bernie the left and platform has lost my fam & vote personally & the respect of what I believe is the majority of Americans due to this failure. Proportion of which is epic on state & national level.
As we once again send our youth into the new Vietnam — Obama’s in on this too — the neverending violence of the Middle East – which has been going at it since Genesis is no different than the old one. I have more respect for Putin than most world leaders.
Tired of the lies & liars w/all their nonstop rhetoric — they will not get my vote unless they actually do something besides push their agendas & schemes.
I want to see someone unite left & right & stop acting like Fox News is the real problem by waging a nonstop pissing contest. They’re not that powerful & most of us are not dumb enough to be fooled by their opinionated bs. And most of us are not idealogues, just want all fellow Americans to have opportunity, succeed & be treated well.
Pravda-like MSNBC, CNN & other state-run liberal news are a huge yawn & becoming nothing more than a boringly globalist echochamber daily.
…We believe something should be done to prosecute police who murder black people. How ’bout some JUSTICE issues, Bernie? I, for one, think police will soon be murdering activists at demonstrations if a system is not put in place to prosecute police for unlawful use of deadly force. A Grand Jury composed of citizens in the community where police violence occurs is NOT the way to do it. The jurors know that the cops know who they are. Raise this issue, Bernie, and I’ll switch over from Wendy Davis. Otherwise, YES, it’s time for a Hot Blonde in the White House. And thank you, stardust.
where credit has been earned & deserved — thanks senator!
Done by jvwalt, GMD Frontpager & VT blogger whose blog The Vermont Political Observer is the repository for his many revelations of political subterfuge, reports of nonstop antics of all-things-political, overviews presented with a keen awareness of the backstory & related info which provides a greatly expanded view of what is taking place behind the scenes. It is a must read for anyone who wants the real story. While I sometimes disagree, more often than not he hits the nail on the head with his literary hammer very well as well as performing regular surgical extractions of the truth.
Loaded with generous doses of snark to the dismay of his political targets jvwalt details the political ups & downs, resultant antics & of course the drama of which is in steady supply delivered with great humor. I LMAO to tears routinely when reading the takeaways of what is taking place behind the scenes as well as what we can clearly see.
This is a common thread amongst GMDers — a collective wild humor, bold takeawyays & adherence to their values.
I was unsurprised by Senator Sanders stance but am grateful for the level of attention which he has given to exposing something which has actually been taking place for many years as well as jvwalt bringin it.
http://thevpo.org/2014/12/31/b…
Who else would bring this salient fact to the bright daylight it also deserves although it has been causing misery & mayhem for millions while greatly enriching the banksters who sit on ass “speculating” — not actually doing anything useful or beneficial for anyone but those who benefit from their crystal ball gazing & destructive wizardry.
Which is why I have been stongly opposed (saying the least) to the likes of Mr Bruce Lisman, founder of Campaign For Vermont – a VT political policy “thinktank” of sorts having his hands on the levers of power as he was directly involved as well as at the scene of the crime of the financial meltdown & resulting cratering of our economy from this heist of epic proportions following a near lifelong career as a Wall Street insider. I would like to see his posse stay behind the scenes if they are to exist at all.
Bernie is one of our truly fearless leaders who exposes the skullduggery of the shitbags pulling the levers behind the scenes causing the waxes & wanes of our financial markets which then translate into the crises which cause the widespread misery we all routinely suffer from.
I have followed & watched his rise to power from the beginning (remember the T shirts with the magic marker ties, tweedle dum & tweedle Dee?) always a message & method to the madness not mere stunts.
While the Libery Union Party which he helped found presents many of the same ideas they have been unable to translate them into anything meaningful as Bernie has done in his nearly meteoric rise to power from humble beginnings in Burlington to where he is today. It takes more than philosophizing & continually repeating the same truthful but stale rhetoric which becomes predictable & tiresome when it exists only in & of itself but not applied to any meaningful action. Which was the point I was attempting to make in my critique of the disastrous results, or lack of meaningful legislation from our present regimes on the state & national level but meant no disrespect to Bernie & hopefully was not recieved that way.
But when I see the ideals which serve to better us all put into action it results in the loud voice which speaks the truth of the desire for the betterment of the 99% as opposed to the tiny few who hold the vast amount of wealth often through surreptitious means & though they may contibute it is not to the extent that they should. Soo, a presidential run, I gotta say, does pique my interest & presents a light in the darkness of the debacle many of us have been damaged by.
When I remarked re this to ‘other’ & said I liked the idea but chances were nonexistant to slim he remarked “Well, he’s never lost an election”. I was a but stunned. If true, this could present a ray of hope as he has always been for VT and has won the votes of VTers from across the political spectrum & worked to benefit us all primarily the faceless voices of the poor & the vanishing middle class which pays all the bills. I cannot see why he would not continue his proven record of accomplishment & strong support for his base as well as every other American.
Bernie packs a big punch delivering a powerful message on behalf of “We The (little) People”, have always greatly enjoyed Bernie as a speaker (and listener), hope is always lifted listening to Bernie’s populist message.
I could support a candidacy as Bernie is able to maneuver the reigns of power to operate in a politically charged leadership environment. Hey he knows what he’s doing & what he stands for! Most of congress is beholden to corporate overlords & primarily serve to enrich themselves — definately not “We The People”. This is a hard row to hoe but Bernie time & time again has shown his resilience & ability to carry on and help move the tide in the direction of the people with sheer and bold tenacity while holding the messgage of his & many of our own ideals.
I believe Bernie has the ability to function in a diverse congressional environment, unlike our current POTUS who I believe passive-aggessively rules like a dictator as he does not posssess the skill set to maneuver in this diverse political ecosystem on the national level or on the world stage. The behavior has been notably consistant, he is now riding shotgun, going for broke as his legacy, if he has one, has very likely suffered irreparabe damage & he knows it.
Bernie has sponsored, supported and moved legislation. I also believe he posses the leadership which includes benefits & compromises for both party platforms as opposed to the vast overreaches continued each time a party gets into power. Time and time again the only party, platform & values that exists are the one who holds the reigns — the rest do not matter or exist in their political calculus.
This is a foolhardy, polarizing way to govern which invariably results in gridlock, infighting & we all suffer the consequences of their childish antics, nothing gets done, if it does it’s not done well or right because a vast majority of us including independents are nonexistant in the equation. This bipartisan non-ideological moderate majority then throws the bums out, there is the obligatory trainwreck w/the outgoing party in tatters and many of us wonder if they can ever pick themselves up. They do only to repeat the same grave errors.
I also believe & trust Bernie to stay true to any promises, core ideals of his platform while holding the line on the threats to our viability as a nation such as the topic of the aforementioned story. The ever-straying banking industry along with all the rest which basically self-regulate. They ALL need to be reigned in & I believe Bernie is actually someone who has proven he can get tough things done, says what he means, means what he says & never forgets those who put him where he is today by supporting him as he has supported us.
I want someone who will unite our nation as much as possible & I do not care which party they are from as long as they have a proven record of bipartisanship.
As Obie used to say “we govern together”. Whew!