When the new Democratic majority convenes in January we will have the responsibility to lead and tackle the tough problems facing our nation and we couldn't have done it without the support of online activists like you. Before the new Congress convenes, Democrats are developing an agenda for a stronger America, and we want your input.
My All America PAC has developed a short survey to give you the opportunity to weigh in on the issues you care most about to ensure your voice is heard.
Please click here to take our survey.
They survey only takes a few minutes and by telling us what you think, you will help define the priorities of the 110th Congress.
Democrats are working strategies right now to tackle our country's most pressing issues and we need your input on:
·Energy Independence: crucial for a more secure America.
·Iraq War: where do we go from here?
·Health Care: every American deserves access to affordable care, how do we provide it?
·Education: our children must be given the opportunity to thrive - in school, and beyond.
·Fair Trade: American workers deserve policies that won't sell them out.
These are just a few of the challenges we face.
What future do YOU envision for America? Tell us by clicking here.
After you take the survey, feel free to use this thread to share your ideas for the future of America.
Thank you for your time, and for your thoughts.
-Evan
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 48
See you are BACK with yet more propaganda, pretending that you care when you do not...your survey is crafted in such a fashion as to limit the voice of the people, but considering the FACT that you could not be bothered with giving us honest answers your last visit here, this is not surprising.
What we want....
1. We want our Border secured, and want companies punished for hiring illegal aliens. We do not want AMNESTY, nor a earned pathway to citizenship for those criminals who broke our laws in being here.
2. We want ALL TRAVEL paid for, or discounted by others eliminated for both the house and the senate.
3. We want ALL of the 9/11 Commissions Recommendations implements...this includes having ONLY ONE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE to oversee the intelligence community.
4. We want the North American Union Bush is pushing KILLED.
5. I'd like you to BE HONEST in explaining your $10 MILLION DOLLAR WAR CHEST, and how you use it to buy more power, and SILENCE.
As for issues:
- health care
- energy independence
We need to ensure that medical decisions are made by medical professionals, not insurance companies. We need to ensure that everyone has access to health care and long term care. We need to ensure that the medical "system" gets cleaned up; currently health care costs are driven up by the cost of administration; it needs to be modernized and streamlined.
We need energy independence to free ourselves of the need to negotiate with medieval dictators in the MidEast. We need to develop wind, solar and geo-thermal simply because those are the sources of energy that do not deplete any resources on the planet and are not within the control of anyone.
First, our military participation in the Iraq War has inarguably got to come to an end. The debate will be over exactly how to accomplish this and it's a debate that is well overdue.
I'd also like to see the minimum wage issue dealt with because of the domino effect this will have on our economy, health care crisis and more.
By the way, the survey does offer a blank, open-ended space for participants to comment on priorities or issues not mentioned in this article or in the survey.
we need to re-prioritize our policies more in line with our principles.
i am concerned about the cost of higher education. for instance, low-income students have access to a university education but often they leave with a burdensome debt. this is particularly true if they pursue graduate studies. we export education. probably half of the graduate students are from foreign countries. those graduate students are supported by their families or governments. many of these students compete for unpaid internships (permitted when their employment for pay is restricted) making it more difficult for the student to get a paying internship while they attend school. and there is no government aid for graduate studies, so the debt piles up quicker than it does when pursuing a bachelor's degree. worse, some careers do not pay well, such as education, and it generally requires an additional two years past the requirements for a bachelor's degree.
as far as k-12 education, the federal government seems to pass laws that impact this system but doesn't seem to fund them. this way the federal government can claim success for addressing a "problem" but leave the states to fund it. additionally the "one size fits all" idea might not be the best way to educate our children. i think we need to review what we expect out of an education as a society. we may have to go back to the tracking idea, where students could choose their classes and requirements based on their career orientation. this idea may make their education more relevant to a student's future goals, may improve the dropout rate. i would also like to see more partnership between business and the educational community - this would also serve to help students decide what they want to do based on real world outcomes.
re: fair trade. do we give most of our "foreign aid" to us companies that have established enterprises overseas? this is not foreign aid. this is giving away taxpayer dollars to corporations and this same investment funds outsourcing. i don't see that we can complain much about fair trade until we look at how the companies benefit from outsourcing jobs. in other words, we cause some of the problem ourselves.
re: health care, i think we need to come up with some ideas. the health premiums for the insured keep rising and the people who don't have health insurance go without until they need major medical. roughly half of the bankruptcies cite medical situations as the cause, and this happens whether the family has health insurance or not. my late husband had a stroke and the bill for the last four months of his life easily totalled a million dollars. at the time that he passed away, i was having to plan for long-term care for him. i saw how easily money goes out for these situations. and medical bills can be just the tip of the iceberg, as far as families are concerned. suddenly a wage-earner is no longer bringing in income, there are additional expenses in travel, housing and meals. in addition, the stricken person is sometimes shifted around from place to place. you have no idea what happens until you have a situation like this in your family.
is the disinterested third-party payer system best, leaving out the uninsured and those who's health situations mean that they can only qualify for much higher premiums? those third-party insurance companies are not exactly disinterested. they make a profit. and guess who's pocket that profit comes out of? what happens when they deny procedures. what happens when they assign you to a medical provider that you don't like? i know that many wouldn't like a federal health program but one of the rationales that i've heard is that canadian doctors leave the health care system because they can make more $ elsewhere. however, that is true because the united states is just over the border and will take highly qualified immigrants. what if we went to a federally administered health care system? do you think doctors would go to another country? i don't. would there be premiums or a higher tax rate? i think we need to look at these ideas, drawing from expertise in the industry, government and consumers. in the past, few government panels take care of the consumer's interest. usually solutions are presented as the answer and the consumer's just have to adjust.
i don't have an answer for health care but i think we should try to come up with ideas about health care.
i think i wrote a book. thanks for asking us our opinion.
If the press shows up to read this article, suggest you go get a gander at the first grassroots VOLLEY against this pretender.
http://washingtonscandal.blogspot.com/
Energy Independence? How about not stopping the drilling in Anwar and off our various coastlines. True independence is going to take a lot longer than drilling will so there must be a two pronged approach.
Iraq War? How about working with the President to end our involvement safely and avoiding the political rhetoric we can't seem to silence.
Health Care? A National Health Care Program will be a disaster. Look at the mess Washington has made of Medicare. The claim by the insurance companies (and the government) that costs are going up is a crock. Reimbursement rates have been steadily decreasing leaving doctors to require multiple visits to maximize the money they can make - for example - a gynecologist now often requires 2-3 visits to accomplish what used to be a single annual visit. Why? Because medicare and the insurance companies combine billings for all procedure codes during one visit. If the doctor wants to get paid for what he does, he makes his patients come back. The costs are not up for any reason other than insurance company greed and malfeasance. Same goes for prescriptions. They won't pay for drug A which solves multiple problems at a combined lower cost so the patient needs to take multiple drugs at a combined higher cost. Who exactly is benefiting here?
Education? Abolish teacher tenure and institute competency tests for teachers. If teachers could teach, Johnny could probably read.
Fair Trade? Keep your mitts off of it. If a company can't make a profit using American workers because of high wages and benefits costs plus taxes and FICA/MCR contributions, they have to look elsewhere to solve the problem. Fix those issues and you won't have so many jobs going overseas or items being imported.
Democrats grant Amnesty, or even a earned citizenship, they can kiss the MAJORITY and the WHITE HOUSE goodbye.
Fair trade...TARIFFS on any country that blocks our exports while dumping their cheap products into our market. Time for America's politicians to realize that a Global Economy is NOT working for America's lower and middle class.
Ethics reform...start with ELIMINATING FREE TRAVEL, a perk often used to give special interest access to politicians under the guise of delivering a speech...conventiently to those who want access to said politician.
I'll give you Tariffs if you make the senate help business owners who want to outsource because of taxes and healthcare costs.
Let's also get rid of earmarks and while we are at it eliminate riders on all legislation unless it pertains to the topic of the bill - one bill = one subject. That way we can truly know what our elected officials are voting for and against AND we will eliminate either party holding anyone hostage because they can't be seen to vote against a bill.
Do you think he will even read these comments since we are ignoring the link to the database bolstering survey?
I will be happy to tell you that as regards my top priorities, you seem to be the first Democratic candidate I've seen who hasn't mentioned election reform or restoring our civil liberties. These two issues are crucially important to me. We need voter-verifiable, transparent, accurate elections now. We also need to make sure our constitutional rights are firmly protected before any talk of steps to improve our security. Remember what Benjamin Franklin said: he who puts security before liberty deserves neither and will lose both (or words to that effect).
As for health care, we need real universal health care and I'm not talking some program like they have in Massachusetts that just forces people to buy health care and is a boon to the insurance companies more than a solution for the health care crisis. Real universal health care that puts people first.
Energy independence or at least something close; if that means drilling in Anwar, so be it.
National security: Homeland security and increased funding for intelligence. (apparently it needs it)
Fiscal responsibility....both sides of the aisle now seem to be spending like drunken sailors on shore leave...it is time to stop.
Nothing is stopping a business from leaving...I am just tired of them getting subsidized with corporate welfare paid for with our taxes....if they want to leave America, FINE, but anything produced off shore should be treated and tariffed the same as other imports, not as GOODS MADE IN AMERICA.
Ford and Chevy are in the shape they are in, because all the parts in our supposed American made cars were manufactured elsewhere and shipped in, most of the jobs shipped overseas...in short, no incentive for Americans to continue buying American when the companies did not hire American.
As for Bayh reading our comments...who cares? My blog attacks on his run for President garnered almost 1000 hits tonight, and I have just started.
I wonder if the rest of the country will be more supportive than Gather has been.
now i am not all that excited about newt, but i will feature newt's stuff on the political and international news site. i like free speech and news and these candidates are certainly news. i have no idea what porgie intends to post on the election 2008 group. but if any candidate posts an article that is newsworthy, wants to communicate with us, i will feature it. i don't have to agree with the candidate.
"we need to re-prioritize our policies more in line with our principles."
What an astute statement. I am a firm believer in values (or principles if you prefer) based decision making. Our values are the things that should never be compromised. We should cling fiercely to our values, especially at a time when the urge is strong to make policy that is expedient, but not in line with our values.
If you approach ever challenge and opportunity from first examening which of our values best applies to the situation, we will always end up with policies not only that you can live with, but more importantly, policies that we can be proud of.
Props for Senator Bayh and AAPAC for doing this.
It's also going to spawn some healthy discussion about the future of America and these very issues of concern here, and I think that's great.
It's a shame some people have made assumptions about the Senator's motives and even worse, that others have this bizarre obsession with the Senator which causes them to troll in the comments of all of his contributions (these people, I'll add, represent a small minority of those here on Gather and especially in the real world).
Anyway, personally, I think energy independence should be a top priority. By the way, I have to give more props to the Senator for the Vehicle and Fuel Choices for American Security Act, which he wrote. Using primarily alternative fuels and an oil savings plan it'll reduce the amount of oil we currently consume from The Middle East by 100% in 10 years. That's huge!
On immigration, I support what some of called a "pathway to citizenship." I don't agree that its "amnesty," but people can use whatever buzzword they want when talking about it because beyond the buzzwords you need to look at the simple truth: It would be impossible to deport every illegal immigrant currently in this country, not to mention economic suicide, so the best thing we can do to get a hold on the situation is to allow these people the ability to *earn* open acceptance into our society as citizens.
On a side note about the economic impact, I encourage everyone to do some research on the town of Stillmore, GA. One needs to look no further than what happened in this town to understand what would happen to the entire country if there were mass deportations (as if such a thing is even possible, which it's not).
There was a big immigration raid there and it virtually has turned the down into a ghost town. The local poultry plant has been scrambling to replace over half its workforce, so far unsuccessfully, and the local store has lost almost 90% of its business according to its owner.
If we had deportations like this on a national scale countless towns would end up like Stillmore and don't even get me started on what would happen to border towns and cities (and entire states, especially California for that matter) close to the border like El Paso and San Diego in which illegal immigrants contribute such a large part to our economy.
In a speech of Senator Bayh's I read in which he talks about national security he calls for a "tough and smart" approach. I think we need the same kind of approach when it comes to immigration in this country. Yes, we need to be tough. Yes, we need to crack down on illegal immigration. Yes, we need improved border security. But, we've got to be smart about it too and any plan which includes mass (and impossible) deportations which would cause economic disaster for our country is, well, just not smart.
A so-called "pathway to citizenship" is the smart approach we need to make sure that our nation's immigration policy is both tough *and smart*.
I don't know that there is widespread aggreement on all of your points.
Perhaps some of us do want an earned pathway to citizenship for those that have flocked to America because of the opportunities available only here. Most of our families at one point came from other places, and while the issue is contentious and deserves appropriate debate, there does not seem to be a clear consensus about your opinion. Immigration is one place where the new Democratic majority and the president will probably get something accomplished. The party that offends one of the fastest growing populations in this country does so at its own peril.
Second, this Congress has promised ethics reform. We do not know what shape it will take quite yet, but it is certain that they will at least consider travel allowance reform. On this issue too I do not believe there is a clear understanding of the costs and benefits of allowing such travel. I tend to agree with you -- limiting, restricting or disallowing such travel would be a good idea. With that said, I can see how such travel allows members to develop friendships and comity outside of Washington. Those friendships (in rapid decline because of rampant polarization) are an important part of governing successfully. Further, many times those trips are fact-finding missions. They allow our Senators and Reps to get out of Washington and see how our policies affect people in other parts of the world. That's hardly a bad thing. Perhaps, as taxpayers we need to cover more of that travel burden, rather than interest groups and corporations.
Third, the new Speaker has promised to pass these reforms in the first 100 hours. Intelligence does need reform, but we should not underestimate how difficult it is for these different intelligence agencies to share information.
Lastly, it costs a lot of money to run for president, or to even be considered a strong contender.
Big on words short on substance. She is already backtracking on those promises so it will be interesting to see what she actually tries to do. It will also be interesting to see if she can line up her little mindless drones to get them to all vote with her. Or get the senate to do the same. Or get the Pres to sign it. And where will the money come from? They are already going to bankrupt the states with the real Identity Act.
Bayh's "devious" motivations, do not resonate with me. I would love to see
Evan Bayh as our next President of the United States. I hope his survey helps
him find and connect with more people who will help him out in becoming President.
(Something a few here clearly object to.)
But, as an already active volunteer Democrat activist in northern Nevada, I can't
wait to start working for Evan Bayh (with the hope he will have a good showing
in our now crucial caucus). I hope he raises not only a very large amount of money,
but draws many people in to working on his upcoming campaign. If this survey is
part of that process, well, GREAT! Presidential campaigns aren't sustained on
air and sunshine; it takes hard workers and lots of bucks.
Survey taking (related to issues) is part of the initial phase of canvassing operations. (As we do it here in Washoe County, at least.)
Kill all plans Bush has for a North American Union. Maybe impeaching him wouldn't be a bad idea since he hasn't put it before the American people and Congress.
Stop business from sending jobs overseas and hiring illegals.
Support Israel and stop pushing them into giving away more land. The Arabs don't want peace they want to destroy Israel the only democracy in the middle east.
Get something done for the American people in the next two years or you and your fellow democrats will be out looking for jobs.
My own agenda...if targeting politicians I neither like or trust is an agenda, guilty as charged. I targeted my own Congresswoman Sue Kelly in the 19th District here in New York, and she went down to defeat...can I take credit for that...NO. But, when you look at the fact that she lost by less than 4,000 votes, sure that the better than 30,000 hits my targeted You Tube videos and attack posts on my blogs played a serious part in her defeat. The days of politicians thinking they can appease us with a few stump speeches, and vague promises without any real answers is OVER. Special interest has it's money, but, a small handful of dedicated bloggers and You Tubers can team together and bring down a big player...Bayh skirted around our questions here, is the consumate OLD TIME politician who caters to special interest, more of a Republican than he is a Democrat, and I am not interest in having a Republican lite President weating a blue vest in the White House in 2008.
Further, any one want to make some bets? I'll bet you that Bayh's presense here is not EVEN BAYH!...it's a grand ruse, and nothing more....what we are getting is one of his staffers speaking on his behalf, a half truth wrapped in lies. If just one blogger in each of the KEY EARLY STATES starts an early attack blog on Bayh, puts up two or three negative You Tube videos, he can be culled from the herd without once red cent being spent...if I have anything to do with it, I'll find that small group of people in those early states, and together we will do what we must to have a voice in the process, see the grassroots given a seat at the table.
to meeting your small group of like minded folks here in the Reno area! (Which, of
course, is in one of the "early" states.) Good luck, also, in finding some funny/negative videos of Evan Bayh to post on You Tube.
Goodluck getting anyone to take it seriously. Most people who stumble on your blog will likely think it's a joke, hell, I'm still not convinced it's not.
Garland...you are welcome to your opinion...I'd say my daily visit totals would tend to dispell your statement here that you visited the site and it's all rhetoric. One does not get recurring traffic flows if there is nothing of merit to be found on the site. Instead, I would hazard a guess that you disagree with my politics, and my dislike of Bayh, and so wish to discredit my site...believe they call that POLITICS.
But their greatest challenge will be recognizing the impending doom of global warming and taking strong, decisive action to combat it.
I dont think scientists have the answer or solution to global warming. They project everything on theories and it always comes with "More studies are needed...." and of course they depend on taxpayers funding so yeah take a page out of the religious book. Believe, give 10% or you will go to hell.(will be doomed from global warming) Wise up environmentalists.
Affordable healthcare for everyone. Not free, but affordable. There is no reason to believe that any country that can pay literally billion a year in executive perks cannot come up with a workable system that everyone can afford and that everyone pays into.
Get the borders secured, stop the hiring of illegals, build the damned fence, and absolutely no amnesty for any reason under any name.
This is an opportune time for the Democrats to take back the middle class.
This is a period in time that appears to be the most critical to the success of human nature and this planets survival. Greed and self service has become the direction of many - that will only destroy and break down over a period of time - past history has proven that in several civilizations.
Agree with David: this is make or break for the Dems. Given the absolutely abyssmal record accumulated by a GOP-controlled (and tightly controlled, mind) Congress in which the GOP Caucus was told what to do by Cheney and his minions, a Congress that refused to perform its constitutional duty to excercise oversight, a Congress that squandered taxpayer money to buy votes (with our enthusiastic cooperation), a Congress that just rolled over and played dead on Iraq and the undermining of civil liberties...it shouldn't be too difficult for the Dems to do better. Let's hope the moderate majority will be given a voice now: we've been dominated by dangerous right-wing extremists for far too long, and we're in deep trouble as a nation as a result. We can only hope this change will be for the better, so let's cross our collective fingers everyone.
Onto the real discusion of the issues.
On energy indepedence we need to have a more alternatives for both power plants and transportation. This needs to be an extermly important issue for the following reasons: We wont be reliate on Saudi Arabia and they will no longer be holding any cards, for military reasons to ensure national defense, and create more jobs at home.
Education. let the local government decide, but as for funding give equaly according to the cost of living in each area.
Realy the only thing I want you (congress) to do is your job. Which is to pass laws, advise the president, and fund the projects you pass. If you could please don't be corrupt any left over campain money is to be given to the state government. Don't give yourself a pay rasie trust me on this one you don't deserve the pay you are getting now. Don't talk unless your acctually going to answer a question or address an issue and shut up for the rest of the time. Keep your morals and acctually do what you say you are going to do. work with the other half and don't give excuses or lay blame, just fix the problem you are adults not kids so grow up. Fully fund the projects you pass when you pass them. And finally don't be a save ass or kiss ass (i.e. don't worry about saving your politcal career or kiss up to anyone in the government or in your district).
Basically act like an intelegent adult and you will be fine sounds simple, however I have yet to see a cogressman do so in my lifetime.
Maureen
I am impressed that someone has come down from the mountain to ask us what we want. Very refreshing. Please listen carefuly to the answers.
·Energy Independence: crucial for a more secure America.
Can USA own it's energy addiction? Reduce demand, increase efficiency.
·Iraq War: where do we go from here?
Remember the Berlin air lift?
·Health Care: every American deserves access to affordable care, how do we provide it?
Social care is kindness. Kindness is love. Let's love each other. Health care and education are reflections of love.
·Education: our children must be given the opportunity to thrive - in school, and beyond.
See above.
·Fair Trade: American workers deserve policies that won't sell them out.
This goes both ways. Bring back the Middle Class. Fair trade for all.
Thank you for asking,
Bill
Iraq: The problem is how to reconcile Americans' increasing desire to get our people out of there with the hard reality that if we don't at least try to leave a viable government with functioning institutions in Iraq all our sacrifices will have been for naught and the entire region will be in chaos. We broke it; now we've got to figure out a political and diplomatic solution; there is no purely military solution.
Health Care: Powerful interest groups have a major interest in the way the system works, so changing it significantly, as the Clintons discovered, will be hard to impossible. I doubt if the political will is there. We need to do something, though, and the goal should be to ensure that there is basic health care for those who can't afford to buy it on their own (it is hideously expensive). What is needed to do this is some form of consensus on just what constitutes "basic" care -- tennis elbow doesn't count -- and a commitment by government to provide basic insurance for little cost, much like the system enjoyed by government employees.
Education: One size fits all solutions don't work. If you are going to go that route (No Child Left Behind, e.g.) you'd better fund it and listen to feedback from local jurisdictions, because there are unintended dire consequences to this program. The solutions are going to be local, not federal.
Oil dependence: Promote ethanol from biomass -- eliminate the sugar subsidy and use cane, which is far more efficient than corn -- tax SUVs and recreational vehicles heavily, increase the gasoline tax, give tax breaks for mixed use development on the European model and start thinking seriously about this for a change. Insist on the development and use of technology to eliminate the environmental damage caused by coal so we can take advantage of this plentiful resource. Use alternative sources of energy where it is economically feasible. Etc etc. There are no end of measures that will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and help slow down climate change. Again, political will is needed.
To do anything sensible, fix the major systemic problems that afflict our political culture.
Good luck.