I wrote last
week about a Vision/Plan for the new Congress. Much of it dealt with process, which must be considered
in order to make policies work. Some
came down on the side of changing the Constitution. Another bucket contained thoughts on
issues. But, it came
across upon re-reading as a plan for politicians to pick and choose items that
could be passed or promoted without sacrificing much of anything - but certainly not one's elected office! Something was missing…
That
something was revolution. Revolution,
not in terms of violent overthrow, but in terms of returning to basics; to our
foundations. Revolution, in terms of
turning around and going in a different direction, back to our North Star of
the rule of law, and to the equality of opportunity provided by of our
inalienable rights and basic freedoms.
Revolution: in terms of turning some things upside down from where they
are right now.
Nonetheless, last week’s posting did address elements of Revolution in the sense of returning to basics and taking a new direction at the same time, like:
Nonetheless, last week’s posting did address elements of Revolution in the sense of returning to basics and taking a new direction at the same time, like:
ü A People’s Method for amending our Constitution not only returns us to our North Star
of putting the People first, but also turns upside down the lopsided view that
only the Congress should be the arbiter of that process of amendment.
ü New methods of working out legislation and laws based on problem-solving techniques and new
ways of working together to find solutions – as in Task Forces and one-issue
Teams -- all the while making the Preamble to the Constitution our guiding star
in terms of common ground and common purposes.
ü Each issue mentioned had revolutionary elements within the suggested reforms, such
as:
o
abolishing
the Electoral College
o
instituting
vast election reform, including automatic voter registration
o
placing
members of the opposition Party within the House Leadership
o
banning
paid special interest lobbyists
o
preventing
members of Congress from enjoying any waivers whatsoever – all laws must apply
to them just as they do to the People; eliminating special privileges
o
access
to healthcare for all as a right, not a privilege
o
lowering
the cost of medicines
o
sanctioning,
restricting, or punishing businesses that don’t reduce pollution
o
establishing
Human Rights Committees in every community that could double as police review
committees
o
penalizing
government leaders for using government to abuse children, as at our southern
border
o
the use of new technologies and Automated
Information (AI) to reform and expand the healthcare system, and to make
delivery of care more efficient and affordable
o
offering federal funding for year-round compensatory
education
o
Guns declared potentially lethal products subject to
FDA procedures and regulations (without jeopardizing 2nd Amendment
right to gun ownership)
o
Capture
funds meant for the “Wall” to be used to fund helpful and pragmatic immigrant
training and assistance
o
Utilize
enhanced Automated Information and technology to replace “the Wall” and to
upgrade security and communication all along our borders
Well, maybe,
on second thought, the suggestions in that last blog post are more
revolutionary than first thought.
However, just in case they didn't suffice, here are a few more concepts that might turn
Trump’s destructive tweets, Executive Orders, immoral budgets and limited legislation
upside down and inside out:
1) The People must be first consideration in all bills and policies. Political Party ideology or some entity's money or status must not be allowed to determine legislation or distribution of funds or outcomes. Nor should any profit-making business be the determiner of policy, program or the way law is shaped. And, in light of today's news, let no Alt Right radio host or commentator be the source of policy decisions!
Safety, Defense, Justice, Freedom and the General Welfare for the greatest number of the People must, in the final analysis, determine how we govern and are governed. Let us judge every piece of legislation by those principles and write legislation that reflects democratic principles and outcomes in actual words and phrases. (see Goal #2 in last week’s blog).
a. refuse to pass any legislation or funding bills proposed by the Trump administration that might make legislators appear to be co-conspirators with an alleged law-breaker and possible crook (and maybe a traitor).
b. refuse to support legislation of any kind which fails to consider and attend to the needs or safety of the People as the first principle of legislation; reject any legislation that intends harm or hurt to any group or cohort of our nation
Safety, Defense, Justice, Freedom and the General Welfare for the greatest number of the People must, in the final analysis, determine how we govern and are governed. Let us judge every piece of legislation by those principles and write legislation that reflects democratic principles and outcomes in actual words and phrases. (see Goal #2 in last week’s blog).
a. refuse to pass any legislation or funding bills proposed by the Trump administration that might make legislators appear to be co-conspirators with an alleged law-breaker and possible crook (and maybe a traitor).
b. refuse to support legislation of any kind which fails to consider and attend to the needs or safety of the People as the first principle of legislation; reject any legislation that intends harm or hurt to any group or cohort of our nation
2) Investigate, investigate, investigate – new chairmen of committees, sub-committees and
special committees have a constitutional obligation to oversee the execution of
laws and programs instituted by congressional legislation, and signed by the
President.
Evidence is accumulating (much by his own words and actions) that we may well have a crook, a swindler, a money-launderer;
a person using government to enrich himself, his family and his company; a harasser (and briber) of women; as well as
someone who does not shy from obstruction of justice, abuse of children, and de-construction of all
that supports democratic ideals and principles.
Be sure to pursue either impeachment and/or indictment of this alleged
criminal. He is a national disgrace and a threat
to our national security. He must be shown unequivocally that no person in this
society is above the law, no matter what office they may hold!
3) Restore best provisions of the ACA immediately and legislate changes to include an easily affordable public option basic policy that can serve both as incentive for reluctant participants to sign-up and a gateway to a single payer, Medicare-for-all prototype. Whatever happens, at least get single payer legislation started!
4) Regulation and restriction of trade and commerce is a constitutional mandate which
must be used to restore our government to control of business enterprises and
international trade, not the other way around.
Possibilities:
a. restore Dodd-Frank to original intent
b. regulate and restrict how businesses
and internet platforms make use of private information
c. provide incentives, positive and
negative, for companies to support alternative means of power-production;
d. increase penalties for lack of, or
refusal to, lower chemical and gas emissions in conformance with recent U.S.
and U.N. climate reports
e. serve notice on the business sector
that laws, rules and regulations will be fair and just, but will also be restrictive
and severe if business ignores them or breaks them with impunity.
5) Use every means possible (law suits,
censure, restrictions, loss of privileges, fines) to hold congressmen/women responsible for supporting legislation that
harms or disadvantages one group over another
6) Pass legislation to prevent state or local legislatures from
legislating restrictions on voting, government powers or new taxes without
first submitting the matter to public referendum or amending the state
constitution.
7) Rescind
all special and targeted tax rebates, incentives, breaks, or pass-throughs
that benefit one individual, group or business over other taxpayers.
Ensure by legislation that any such 'special' use of tax revenues shall be:
Ensure by legislation that any such 'special' use of tax revenues shall be:
a. appropriated by 60% vote of both
houses of Congress—no more use of tax revenue without congressional oversight!
b. allowed only for widespread positive
outcomes for the People; tax breaks or reductions for one bracket must be matched
with equivalent breaks for each tax bracket
c. disbursed only by federal contract or
grant which must include annual audit and report of use of such funds and an
evaluation of goal plan that is part of the contract
d. apply the same principles and
processes to all money granted to other countries;
e. no one should be able to receive money or in-kind materials from the federal government without a contract, a plan of utilization
including a budget and goal plan that correlates to a budget and that produces positive outcomes
that must be enumerated in an evaluative annual report. Tax Revenue is the People's business, not the playground of the rich and famous!
8) Keep the People Informed of Progress – make weekly reports on TV, radio, and social media. Promote what is being accomplished; worked on, or thought about. ASK for public feedback and don’t forget to provide a feedback mechanism. If publicity and promotion aren't vigorously pursued by new (and older) House Democrats, the Alt Right will continue their dominance and manipulation of the political narrative and resultant negative outcomes.
8) Keep the People Informed of Progress – make weekly reports on TV, radio, and social media. Promote what is being accomplished; worked on, or thought about. ASK for public feedback and don’t forget to provide a feedback mechanism. If publicity and promotion aren't vigorously pursued by new (and older) House Democrats, the Alt Right will continue their dominance and manipulation of the political narrative and resultant negative outcomes.
9) We must look
to 21st century technology and automated information to solve
some of our leftover 19th and 20th century problems and
issues. There is no excuse for ignoring
the imperative upgrading of the technological knowledge,
personnel, and infrastructure of every government office related to that impinging technology.
And, there is no excuse for the apparent inability and ignorance of our
elected leaders to address the future effects of multi-faceted technological
breakthroughs upon our society.
10) Perhaps,
most importantly, we must bring the
People into the middle of government
functioning as watchdogs and checks
on special interests, paid lobbyists, privilege- or status-seekers,
representatives who do not gather information from their constituents, and
people who are simply unethical. I have suggested that such ordinary citizens
be attached to offices of the Inspector General to provide honest and rigorous
checks on the activities of elected officials.
Do those newly-elected
Democrats, now representing the People in the House of Representatives have
enough honesty and integrity to stand up whenever the government strays from
its North Star: its Constitutional principles, its values of liberty and
equality, and the purposes of its existence as expressed in the Preamble to our Constitution?
It is my
hope and my belief that they can succeed in fulfillment of that trust, AS LONG AS THEY DO NOT ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE CAPTURED AND SUBDUED
BY THE MYTHS, TRADITIONS, ACQUIRED HABITS, OUT-MODED PROCEDURES, and FALSE
NARRATIVES of the current Congress.
To stay true to their oaths of
office, THEY MUST:
THINK and ACT BIG and BOLD – in order to challenge the CHAOS of TRUMPISM!
STAY ON COURSE -- follow the fundamentals of our Constitution
PROMOTE ACCOMPLISHMENTS and show how they benefit people with
real people examples.
ADMIT FAILURES or OBSTACLES and then ASK FOR HELP and IDEAS from the People.
PROMOTE and SUPPORT PROGRESSIVE
CITIZEN GROUPS –
encourage others to join these movements
MAINTAIN a REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT as I have defined it above, even if
the institutional acquisitions and traditions place unreasonable obstacles in
the way.
HELP US TOGETHER TO DEFINE a new century with a new direction
that turns Trump World upside down and inside out!
