Round-The-Clock Gilda Reed Fundraiser Part Five: Meet the FDR of Louisiana!
Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 08:08:43 PM PDT
(This is the fifth diary in a 24-hour fundraiser for Gilda Reed, Democratic Candidate for Katrina-Burdened LA-01.)
The parallels between the United States just before the Great Depression and our current socio-economic conditions are frightening: high consumer and business debt, ill-regulated markets that permitted malfeasance by banks and investor, growing wealth inequality, and natural disasters all paved the way for a devastating collapse in our nation’s economy.
Strong Democratic leadership brought us out of the Great Depression. Politicians like Franklin Delano Roosevelt took on the fat cats and corporations and ushered in an era marked by progressive government programs and greater industry regulation.
And in an era where high consumer, business and national debt, unregulated markets, corporate and financial market malfeasance, uneven wealth distribution and national disasters like Katrina have devastated an entire region’s economy and threaten to break budget, that strong Democratic leadership is in desperate need once again.
Enter Gilda Reed.
After years of watching the Republican Party dismantle our Constitution, devastate our economy, raid our tax coffers and pillage our planet, this election sees a Democratic Party ready and willing to usher in a new "New Deal". And candidates like Louisiana's 1st Congressional District candidate Gilda Reed, or as the Ponchatoula Times called her in their endorsement- the FDR of Louisiana, are leading the way.
Like so many other Kossack candidates, Gilda is putting herself on the frontline in our fight to bring progressive ideals to Washington. In a district that has elected Republicans like David Vitter and Bob Livingston for the last 30 years, she is the perfect example of what can happen when we employ the 50 State Strategy. And with Republican and Independent voters fed up with the incompetence and corruption that they’ve experienced post-Katrina and desperate for real leadership, Gilda’s message is resonating. But Gilda can't get her message out with our help, so if you support progressive politicians and grassroots campaigns, please visit her website to sign up to volunteer or donate.
For those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting Gilda here on Dkos or don’t know what she stands for, here is her stand on some of our most basic Democratic principles:
On Universal Healthcare:
We need universal health care--affordable health care--for every American man, woman and child. Within 5 years, the ranks of the medically uninsured are expected to swell from 46 million to 56 million Americans. Private insurance is out of reach at $13,000 a year for a family of 4. Even our senior citizens on Medicare do not have prescriptions provided and are often faced with the daily dilemma of whether to eat or to take their medicine since they cannot afford both. This state of affairs is deplorable and must be remedied! I envision Medicare for all uninsured with benefits that include prescriptions. Health care for all is a must. We as a moral people must do whatever it takes to make it happen.
On Education:
Relevant, effective class management skills need to be established in all teachers so that discipline is relied upon less. Discipline must be based on sound educational and psychological principles. (ie-- Negative reinforcement works better than punishment, and, punishment must be immediate to be effective.) There needs to be an intermediary system to handle struggling, misbehaving students who are not responding well. Rather than zero tolerance or suspensions and expulsions, chronically disobedient students are temporarily removed from class sooner. Rather than being awarded unsupervised free time on the streets, they are given structure and academics, as well as whatever they personally need to counteract the root problem (i.e., conflict resolution, behavior modification, anger management, drug counseling, coping with stress, depression and anxiety, specialized tutoring, study skills training). Too expensive? One year in prison costs states 3 times more per person than what is spent on educating 1 child for 1 year (Children’s Defense Fund). A structured intermediary system to handle troubled children until they are able to learn with behaving peers, will divert some of our "disposable" youth from a sure path to prison or the morgue. No child is dispensable
On Good governance and a sound economy:
Fiscal responsibility demands that the U.S. pays as it goes. We are deeply mired in debt and we need to pull out by not charging any more. This does not mean cutting programs for the defenseless among us. It means managing our funds in a more equitable way and denying the tax breaks to those most able to afford more. I disagree with a federal flat tax. People who earn more should be required to pay more according to a progressive rate system.
For a Louisiana district used to crooked politicians, failed government and crushed hopes, Gilda Reed's candidacy is a breath of fresh air. For a region that is in desperate need of real leadership to rebuild post-Katrina, the Ponchatoula Times said it best:
Dr. Gilda Reed Ph.D. is a courageous newcomer to electoral politics who is not afraid to stand up to the fat cats and corporate pirates who have brought our country and our economy to its knees.
And for a country that calls for change, it's time to support Gilda Reed for Congress. So regardless of where you live or how much time you are spending on the presidential primaries, please visit Gilda's website to sign up to volunteer or donate. And for those who prefer checks, Gilda's campaign address is
Gilda Reed for Congress
P.O. Box 73186
Metairie, LA 70033-3186
h/t joyful
We need to rebuild New Orleans. We need to take back Washington DC. And with the Democratic primary in the Louisiana special election to fill Bobby Jindal's seat coming up on March 8th,
We Need Reed!
Rebuilding Louisiana: Gilda Reed 24-Hour Online Fundraiser
Help us support Kossack Candidate Gilda Reed for Congress in Louisiana's 1st District! She's running in a special election to fill the seat vacated by Bobby Jindal. We'll be posting diaries about Gilda for the next 24 hours to raise support and bring attention to her candidacy. Please join us and learn more about this great Democratic candidate!
Donate to Gilda securely via ActBlue.
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