Section VI: Additional Comments
I have received the “Official 2019 Democratic Party Survey”. I opted, at first, to confine my remarks to the space available rather than to write and attach something. I have written to you before but, judging by your response and your actions (none), I was and am pretty sure no one will read this. I persist.
Let’s examine some politics
Sabotaging Bernie Sanders’ campaign in 2016 was reprehensible behavior. And now, aghast at his leaping start, it appears the DNC will be actively working to blunt his efforts. Additionally, I am aware that the DNC plans to black-ball anyone who presents a primary challenge to incumbents or DNC candidate choices. This is behavior I would expect from the Trump White House, not from the party of the people, the Democrats.
How can I trust you to be working for the interests of the rank-and-file Democrat?
Section VII: My Contribution
I have added this to every Democratic Surveys for the last decade: “Not another Dime until you start listening.” It is infinitely clear that you still are not listening to the people who gave you your jobs: work-a-day Democrats. Do you think you will lose if you support Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren for President? I have watched the Democratic Party for much longer than a decade: we shuffle around, stare at our feet, apologize for everything, and timidly move ahead.
I get it. You are moderates. You want to get wonderful things done but without infuriating the moneyed interests that are responsible for our situation. Angering Big Money is the only thing that will make wonderful things possible. We no longer have the luxury of taking baby steps. We have run out of time.
Chance favors the Bold
The bold are already changing the conversation. Ideas unthinkable two years ago (Medicare for All, Taxing the Rich) have become mainstream. Now we have AOC, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib. In a few months they have changed the conversation. How? They don’t back down. They give as good as they get. They know how fragile our democracy is. They act!
Looking toward 2020 envision a hundred more Congresspeople like those freshmen women. Conceive of a dozen or more in the Senate. Realize a President with the will, patience, and drive to unite us. Imagine what we will get done for the American people? For the world? Is that not what we should be working for?
Section II: Your Personal Priorities
There are 13 choices each under “What domestic issues are the most important to you?” and “What international issues are most important to you?” I chose three each as directed, but all these critical issues need to be addressed.
The One Issue
Climate Change. The science cannot be denied. The forecast for the future is bleak. Although, scientists have admitted to making one mistake. Climate Change is accelerating faster than their models suggest.
There will be increasingly erratic weather. Rising sea levels will flood all coastal cities. Droughts will be more severe as will torrential rains. More weather-related disasters will cause people to flee, become refugees. Refugee problems globally will increase exponentially.
If climate change can kill coral reefs and drive other species to extinction, what is it doing to the human species? Look around the world at the ground swell of conflict, violence, disputes, and increased racial tensions with a global temperature increase of only 1.4°F. When the temperature climbs another 1°F, we will be at each other’s throats. We would be naïve to think everyone will refrain from tossing nuclear weapons around.
If we do not fix this, all other issues do not matter. We will become extinct.
Where to begin
Promote and pass the Green New Deal without amendments that weaken the bill.
Green the Government, America’s largest employer! Eliminate fossil fuel generated electricity to all government facilities with solar panels, wind power, and fuel cell technology. Insulate. Replace windows with double and triple paned glass. Convert the government fleet for local transportation to electric and the fleet that isn’t local to high MPG hybrids. Make private contractors doing business with the Feds reveal their carbon footprint and actively begin reductions.
Green the Department of Defense. If any branch needs to stop depending on oil, it is the military. They can not run out of gas on the battle field.
Fund the EPA. Add agents to enforce more stringent regulations. Increase fines. No company should be able pay pollution fines again and again instead of resolving the problem.
Pay Port Taxes and Fees for any container ship crossing the ocean to America with zero emissions. Fifteen of the largest container ships pollute more than all the cars on the planet. Offset this with taxes on new automobiles based on provable CAFÉ standards (Zero emissions-no tax. Less than 15 mpg-high tax).
Make transcontinental high-speed rail a reality until we can figure out how to get a 747 off the ground without oil.
The fossil fuel industry needs to go away before it kills us.
Then what?
When we have sufficiently reduced our greenhouse gas emissions, start a Manhattan Project to figure out how to remove them from the atmosphere and oceans.
By these actions, we will address every issue on your list. It will create millions of good paying jobs. We will also rectify the driving force behind Climate Change: Neo-Liberal Economics.
We will need the vision that built the Interstate Highway System in America. We will need the drive and resolve that followed Pearl Harbor allowing us to rise up and change the tide of WWII. It will not be easy. It will be a long hard slog fought every inch of the way by megabucks.
The world is waiting for America, depending on America, to stand up and lead them and ourselves to safety. Superman is dead. Batman has retired. Wonder Woman has returned home. No one is coming to save us.
What are you waiting for?