A Challenge to Progressives

It is perhaps premature to speak of a new Party, although it is more than tempting, to
say the least, to want to attack the existing parties who have delivered the middle and working classes into a huge abyss.  Paying down the debt by cutting programs that basically benefit the middle class, the working class, and those least able to help themselves, is leading us down a path that has historically under-cut the health and growth of a number of countries.  A resulting oligarchy or plutocracy is not a sustainable form of government -- look at the Middle East for verification.  The oppressed rights of the majority come bubbling to the surface, as they did somewhat in the Tea Party movement in this country, except that the bamboozled of that movement chose the wrong target and actually strengthened the hand of their plutocratic (rich) oppressors rather than
throwing them out!

As Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson try to make clear in their classic work, Winner-Take-all Politics, the main work needed right now is reform of the political and economical system, not the winning of elections.  To do that, progressive reformers will have to take a long-term view, and will have to relentlessly pursue, in the face of a formidable opposition, an agreed-upon set of principles.  Teddy Roosevelt was right when he said, “the supreme political task of our day…is to drive the special interests out of our public life.”  As Hacker and Pierson conclude: “reformers of a century ago shared the conviction held by the Founders that democracy was the rule of the many, not the all-powerful one or the fortunate few.  It will have to be so again.”

It is clearer than ever, right now, that the forces of the few are attempting to undermine the rights, entitlements, programs, policies and structures that bolster the middle and working classes.  One cannot ignore the fact that Republican radicals in states such as Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, and elsewhere -- and in the Congress -- are hard at work giving special breaks and concessions to the rich and powerful while destroying collective bargaining rights, targeting  budget cuts from programs that benefit the poor and middle class, working to undermine public education, targeting the voting rights of young people, attempting to change the definitions of rape, to destroy the right of a woman to choose, and to promote fear by targeting the President’s background, the Muslim community, and immigration of “illegals.”   

At the same time, by failing to address the overwhelming need for jobs, public education reform, alternative energy programs, the housing crisis, the reigning in of Wall Street and big corporations, as well as the need for tax code reform, these forces are eroding our democratic institutions and programs at a much more rapid pace than we have ever experienced.
The system is working against the 98% of us who are under an arbitrary $250,000 of annual income.  If a majority of Progressive organizations fail to work together on this, we can soon be on the outside looking in watching the oligarchy operate to prevent any of us from making any difference in the commonweal.

So, I issue a challenge to groups like: 
MoveOn.org, Public Citizen, AARP, NAACP, ACLU, NOW, Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, Participatory Politics Foundation, Green Party, PIRG, the Working Families Party, Democracy for America, People for the American Way, Progressive Policy Institute, Common Cause, Center for the Study of Responsive Law, America Coming Together, Americans for Democratic Action, Center for Public Integrity, Citizens for Tax Justice, Citizens for Independent Public Broadcasting, Mother Jones, The Progressive, AFL-CIO, SEIU,  ACORN  -- and on and on and on (see www.sourcewatch.org for a much more comprehensive list). 

It is my considered opinion that Progressive forces must work on several levels at the same time with the following priorities:

1)    concentrate their primary efforts on reforming the system: structural, systemic reform must be at the top of everyone’s list!
2)    assign secondary priority to their long-cherished policy and program priorities (like the environment, alternative energy, and even human rights);
3)    give third place to establishing a Progressive Party (or Green Party, or Peoples’ Party, or whatever), and winning elections (although this becomes a higher priority if a win in an election somewhere would actually advance the primary effort).

I have suggested that the first step in this battle of reforming the structure is to seek constitutional amendments (see most recent blog).  While the outcome of this action may not be seen for a decade or two, it is imperative to start the process NOW.  Had Common Cause, at its founding some 30 years ago, sought constitutional amendments for it’s main concerns -- electoral reform and lobbying reform -- we might not have the situation quite like it is today in those two areas.  I do not mean to take anything away from their accomplishments over the years, but I do mean to challenge their strategy: the pursuit of short-term goals without equal emphasis on long-term changes that would fundamentally re-structure our political and economic systems.

Further, I have proposed that a neglected branch of Government -- the People --  must be given priority.   It is time to make provision for this important branch of government to have an equal say in this process, particularly since the average citizen has much more education and political experience and involvement than at any other time in our history.  In fact, many citizens have more ability, life experience, and education than do some of those who claim to be our representatives.
Citizens must be EVERYWHERE their tax dollars are being spent.  Every government-supported or contracted entity must have ordinary citizens involved in their operations in some way: as advisors, as auditors, as members of boards, commissions, committees, etc.    The time has come for this “representative democracy” to expand its representation so that ordinary citizens are advocating for other citizens at every level of  government.

There are several strategies (in no particular order) that ought to be considered by a Coalition of all Progressive organizations in changing our system and in moving toward a new Party structure:

1)    Work to establish a Consumer Protection Department within the cabinet.  Advocacy for the middle class and the poor must be a Coalition priority, because the continuing warfare against the middle class means the destruction of our government and of our society.
2)    Establish a Coalition “watchdog” group  to reveal the inner workings of  lobbyists and other interest groups (Chamber of Commerce, for example) who favor the rich; expose the results of  congressional “drift” (inaction) that favors the rich when no opposition is forthcoming;  mount subtle attacks on the rich and powerful by revealing ownerships, extravagances, eccentricities, debauchery, etc.;
mount attacks on rich corporations as well to reveal: price-gouging, environmental destruction; power-plays, exorbitant profits and how they affect consumers; lack of charitable giving; effects on ordinary people, etc.
3)    there must be a serious attempt to either establish a Progressive medium with its own Progressive commentators and reporters to rival FOX News; or there must be a concerted effort to push sympathetic media outlets toward investigating and reporting on current lobbying efforts to distort the system, on unfair funding of elections, and on the co-opting of our political entities by the oligarchs to their own ends; 
4)    Progressive “think tanks” (such as: Progressive Policy Institute; Center for the Study of Responsive Law; The Liberal Institute) must join together in efforts to offer their best ideas for strategies, policies, programs needed to “take back our government” from the oligarchy that is now in control;
5)    Every time Congress makes concessions or gives incentives to the rich, Progressives should propose specific cuts in Congress’s own budget; emphasize their waste of taxpayer funds; go after executive & judiciary secondarily;
6)    To fight fire with fire, a lobbying firm dedicated to Progressive principles should be hired to lobby for our cause
7)    Co-opt the rich (individuals and corporations) wherever possible but not if principles would be compromised; emphasize money for party-building;  get pro-liberal PACs on board
8)    Make inroads by getting select people appointed to insider government positions; find sympathetic career workers in government; use both to re-write rules and regulations to favor Progressive principles;
9)    Weaken both major parties by turning their cherished positions into detriments: Republicans’ tax cuts for the rich; Democrats’ failure to reform healthcare to a one-payer system, for example.
10)    Concentrate on winning one primary campaign for national office (upset one Blue-dog Democrat)
11)    Target one big issue:  government structure overhaul in order to cut waste and duplication of services (must be couched in this way to appeal to a broad consensus of voters).
12)    Target specific groups to gain advocates and voters: independents, the poor; minority populations; working class; middle class suburbanites; women; young people in grade schools, high schools and colleges, parents of 3-year-olds, etc.

And, a few more ideas, in no particular order:
13)    pay-as-you-go rules enforced
14)    address payroll taxes
15)    hearings held; litigation against finance abusers on Wall St., etc.
16)    give the SEC subpoena power
17)    get rid of “carried interest” provision in tax law

This Coalition; this Progressive Movement, must have a clear and consistent message: favor the middle & working classes; support and involve the poor; challenge the rich; consolidate and restructure government (thereby reducing the deficit);  fair but strict regulation of business; protect middle class incentives (like college grants & loans) and  entitlements; consumer protection; increase citizen participation and representation in government; favor collective bargaining rights.

The time to get started is now.  There are apparently hundreds of liberal and progressive organizations out there, all working on their own agendas and ignoring the fact that a Coalition or a new Party is the most effective way to attack the powers that have taken over our democratic institutions.  Who will step forward to lead this long-term effort?  How many will be willing to work on a focused agenda that may mean subsuming their own pet projects?  We cannot delay; we cannot equivocate; we cannot afford to drift along with the rising tide of oligarchy.  The time is now.  In the words of a great Progressive of another era, Teddy Roosevelt, we find the message for our time as well:

“We are standing for the great fundamental rights upon which all successful free government must be based.  We are standing for elementary decency in politics.  We are fighting for honesty against naked robbery.  It is not a partisan issue; it is more than a political issue; it is a great moral issue.  If we condone political theft, if we do not resent the kinds of wrong and injustice that injuriously affect the whole nation, not merely our democratic form of government but our civilization itself cannot endure.”
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More Thoughts on a New Party Platform

I have suggested some very basic components for a new Party platform.  Before we discuss strategies for actually making this Movement into a reality, I want to add a few ideas that might also be included in this Progressive Party platform, although these – along with what I have already proposed – are not definitive.  They are given as initiators of discussion, not as principles set in stone.

We must return to the idea of sunset dates on all programs, contracts, loans etc. that are strictly enforced (unlike the temporary tax breaks for the rich which were not allowed to expire in 2010) except perhaps in times of emergency.  There are literally hundreds of programs, commissions, offices, jobs, contracts, etc. that were set-up to be temporary that have, instead, gone on and on, draining money that could be spent elsewhere to greater effect.  Take agricultural subsidies, insurance, loan programs, and government fertilizer production, or some DoD weapons research and production, as  examples!

All government programs must be required to meet goals and targets: must be RESULTS-ORIENTED.  All tax-payer money must be tied to accomplishments: every governmental entity, and those quasi-public agencies that receive governmental funds, must be made to set an annual goal plan tying action steps and outcomes to the use of funds.  Goal plan accomplishments should serve as a vehicle for audit, budgeting, and cut-backs, in other words, for accountability.

Education is primary:  even defense must take second place to education.  A new national Purpose for Education must be defined and then local school districts must decide how to meet that Purpose.  Otherwise, we cannot expect improvement in our educational standards. 
    The means of funding education must change.  There must, for example,  be an assessment against the properties of corporate entities (by making them equivalent to individual citizens as to political speech rights, the Supreme Court has also made them responsible as citizen equivalents for what happens outside of elections; ergo, they are equally responsible for supporting education).

Innovation and entrepreneurship must be encouraged, such as: 
    --The use of  national guard and DoD to solve internal problems and to meet needs of society thereby protecting the country;
    --Bartering amongst citizens to trade services especially among the poor is worth some consideration
    --All citizens must do some form of national service; all must give back to support the poor and the vulnerable of our society; including the poor themselves, and even prisoners

--We must encourage more R&D in all sectors.  Gov. investment in innovation and entrepreneurial pursuits is crucial.

Tax reform -- every tax loophole that favors the rich must be excised;  reasonable rates and fair incentives for all levels of income are preferable.  

Consumer protection has to be a major priority, along with confrontation of Wall St., Big Business, banking practices, etc.

Military intervention must not be the primary response to foreign relations-gone-bad, to threats, to provocations.  We have fallen into a black hole, from which there is little hope of escape, by supporting a strategy of preemptory aggression against countries who harbor terrorists.  It has resulted in a fiasco: militarily, diplomatically, and economically.  We must reject that concept and return to the concepts of war as a last resort; of Peace Corps missions in other countries; of foreign aid that builds people power, not plutocrat or dictatorship power; of foreign aid that is tied to agreed-upon measurable outcomes and not to manipulation.

Briefly, we must also list:
--Alternative energy sources must be our quest;  
--Incarceration reform is a necessity: we can no longer simply punish.  Every incarcerated person must be involved in education and community service in some way; perhaps, as part of their sentences.
--We must work with universities and technical and professional schools, and business & labor leaders to determine what we must do to train and prepare  the work force for the future. Re-training is an on-going need; schools have to do more “adult education”!  Labor Unions must change primary focus: from wages and benefits to training, re-training, acquiring of skills, world competition.   

This is not a definitive “platform”, nor an exhaustive list of priorities.  It is merely a starting point for consideration of what a new Party might do.  Without a real challenge to the current political parties, our hope for reform and re-vitalization of our government is a feeble hope. 

Time to enlist in the on-going struggle for democracy.

A New Party?

A NEW PARTY?

The two current political parties -- Republican and Democrat -- have allowed themselves to become part of a system that seduces them into supporting special privilege, access, and power to people who can afford to “pay to play”.  Neither party is able to break this cycle.  In fact, the use of foreign funds for election campaigns, of lobbyist funds for junkets and parties, of PAC funds to win close electoral races, of inside information that enables some to prosper, and of a revolving door that sets some up with cushy jobs after their terms are over -- all of these maneuverings have negatively affected our system of government.  It stinks, and everyone knows it, but they are unable - or unwilling - to do anything about it.  The Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United, allowing corporate entities to overwhelm our elections process with third party ads, has essentially put a stamp of approval on this destruction of our democracy. 

Unless something drastic is done, we will never see a change in this mess.  Something drastic must be the advent of either a new political party, or a coordinated Movement, that will harness some of the upset and anger of the Tea Party movement and merge it with the outrage of the Union Protests in Wisconsin.  Can it be done?  Who knows, but it’s worth a try.

What might be the platform of such a party?  I offer the following elements as a starting point:

1)    Amendments to the Constitution:  in order to change the basic structure of our system
--Term Limits for Congress and the Courts
--Balanced Budget,  line-item veto, and 2/3s vote for raising taxes
--Disallow all corporate entities from contributing to campaigns; only small contributions and fed. Funds allowed; maximums imposed on every race and on individual contribution amounts
--No more earmarks
--Disallow funds as emoluments or gifts from lobbyists to legislators 
--5-year restriction on former government employee lobbying or consultation
--Disallow congressional rules that require other than majority vote on legislation or procedures
--Congress may not exempt itself from laws it legislates
--Ordinary citizens shall be involved in auditing and oversight of all governmental entities
--Add petition by the people as a way to have Congress call a constitutional convention. 
--Involve ordinary citizens in non-political commissions to re-structure districts based on population.

2)    The primary focus of this new Party must be on the branch of Government most neglected by our system: the People of The United States in whose name the Constitution was established in the first place, and about whose rights the first Ten Amendments clearly speak.  Amendment X particularly speaks of the people as having powers not already delegated to other governmental entities. Amendment XIV extends the people’s power in that no State may abridge the privileges or immunity of citizens; may not deprive any person of life, liberty or property and demands due process and equal protection be available to all citizens.  Amendments XV, XIX, XXIV and XXVI protect the right of citizens to vote.

    Although the constitution refers to the people in the context of governmental branches, it does not set forth a specific check that they have as an entity on the other branches.  For that reason, constitutional amendments are necessary to allow citizens to serve inside all areas of government.  Once that is done, legislation can be used to define and expand the role of citizen advocates/representatives.

    This new party must not allow the government of the people, by the people, for the people to perish.  Therefore, this Party must advocate for the right of citizens to be on the inside of governing.  They must be EVERYWHERE their tax dollars are being spent.  Every government-supported or contracted entity must have ordinary citizens involved in their operations in some way: as advisors, as auditors, as members of boards, commissions, committees, etc.    The time has come for this “representative democracy” to expand its representation so that ordinary citizens are advocating for other citizens at every level of  government.
    Thus, the name of this new Party ought to be something like:  “The Peoples’ Party” or “Citizens’ Party.”

3)    This new party must concentrate its efforts on attacking the current locus of power and corruption that is capturing our lawmakers, dismantling governmental protections for ordinary people, and taking over the management of our government entities through their use of corrupt monetary power.   The right wing radicals have unfortunately thrown a veil over this center of power, and blamed government rather than the barons of Wall Street, Multi-national corporations, and financial entities, for the scary economy that we find at present.  They are wrong-headed and their bamboozling of the people is contemptible. 

    Let’s be clear:   since about 1980, there has been a Plan afoot to make the rich richer; to take over political power so that this could happen.  It started quietly in 1980, when the administration of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush “began a massive decades-long transfer of national wealth to the rich.” (Roger Hodge, The Mendacity of Hope ).  It is incredible that right-wing Republicans have tried to convince us that government has engineered a massive transfer of wealth to middle and poorer classes through programs that address human needs, like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Health Care Reform. As with too much of the rhetoric of the far right, this is hogwash.  The flow of wealth is entirely toward the rich.

    Consider points made by Bill Moyers in an article titled: “The Rule of the Rich”:
    A)--between 2001 and 2008, about 40,000 US manufacturing plants have closed, and six million factory jobs have disappeared over the past 12 years, representing more than one in three manufacturing jobs.  The free market at work?  No, wage repression at work!
    B)--since 1980, while the economy continued to grow for most of that time, the average income for 90% of all Americans increased by just $303 in 28 years.  A small percentage at the top level -- maybe 2% -- benefited handsomely, and continue to do so in hard economic times.
    C)--that fraction at the top earns more than the bottom 120 million Americans; by 2007, the wealthiest 10% were taking in 50% of the national income;
    D)--while sales fall, and lay-offs continue, profits in big corporations are rising, and there is a profit accumulation that is obscene in many cases.  As the chief economist at Bank of America told the NY Times: “There’s no question that there is an income shift going on in the economy.  Companies are squeezing their labor costs to build profits.”
    E)--an article in a recent Wall Street Journal described how the super-rich earn their fortunes: with overseas labor, selling to overseas consumers, and managing financial transactions that have little to do with the rest of America.
    F)--the rich have formed their own financial culture increasingly separated from the fate of the rest of us.  Little wonder “that so many of them are hostile to paying more taxes to support the (ever-crumbling) infrastructure and the social programs that help the majority of American people.”
    G)--all of this is the outcome of thirty years of policy decisions about tax law, industry and trade, and military spending; policy decisions  paid for by the 1-2% who used their vastly increased wealth to assure that government -- under Republicans and Democrats alike -- did their bidding.
    H)--the ratification of this plan came in Jan. 2010 when the Supreme Court in Citizens United ruled that corporations are equivalent to “persons” who have the right to speak out during elections by using their wealth to purchase political ads.  Our government and our elections have been bought off by a Plutocracy, which is the rule of the rich; political power controlled by the wealthy: the privileged few who make sure that the rich get richer and that the government helps them in that Plan and Mission (could also be described as an Oligarchy).

    This newly proposed party of the People (or Coalition of Progressives) must never be taken in by the Plutocrats.  Power and privilege never give up anything without a struggle, and a People’s Party must be willing to enjoin that struggle.  More thoughts next time…