I've always been curious about what is most important to Kossacks. We all have differing views on what is important. Some of us believe the economic inequality is the top issue, some believe it is climate change. While I am sure all progressives agree something must be done on all the important issues facing this nation, priorities must be set.
The President, of course, gets first dibs at setting priorities. In his address to Congress, the President stated his top three priorities are healthcare, energy and education.
What are YOUR top three?
For me, the most important issue is antitrust. In my opinion, the key problem with the distribution of wealth and power in this country is the high concentration of knowledge and wealth in the hands of a very short list of very large corporations. I believe every other problem we have in this country becomes easier to solve if this concentration were broken up and more competition allowed to flourish. I'm a believer in free enterprise, albeit with strictly enforced regulation. To me, there is no better wealth distributor than a brisk, vigorously competitive market.
The second thing that is important to me is the minimum wage. Needless to say, the minimum wage sets the floor for who gets what. I don't buy the argument that the minimum wage kills jobs. The minimum wage is GOOD for capitalism because it makes work more attractive than crime. That is, as long as its a wage an uneducated or unskilled person can live on. And, it raises wages for those with education and skills and goes hand-in-hand with increases in productivity.
Finally, urban policy is very important to me as a person born and raised in projects. Many of the ills that plague our cities, from infrastructure breakdown, school failure, family breakdown, crime, and availability of work and housing, are tied to the lack of a coherent national policy prioritizing city centers. Other nations take their cities seriously. We don't.
I'd be interesting in learning more about what is important to you.
Updated:
Thank you all for your responses, all of which were interesting. I read every one. One thing does surprise me though: Nobody seemed to mention The Arts. I don't know about you, but the state of our arts these past 8 years has been nothing short of abysmal in my opinion. It is so important for the cultivation of the soul, it is a shame we don't invest more of our national wealth in the cultivation of the arts.
Thanks again.