Occupy the Democratic Party

Here are five guidelines for Democratic candidates: Support publicly financed elections (they are much less expensive than the auctions we ostensibly call elections today). Reverse Citizens United, a terrible ruling by the five conservative Supreme Court justices. Back a financial stock transaction tax; it paid for World Wars I and II, and FDR’s infrastructure programs. This bill, offered by Rep. Peter Defazio and Sen. Tom Harkin, targets Wall Street’s speculative trading — a very small percentage would raise billions of dollars that we could use to employ Americans and rebuild our infrastructure.

Make Medicare solvent with bulk purchasing power and save the taxpayer $270 billion yearly. (Billy Tauzin, a Republican congressman, stopped Medicare from using this power and reaped millions as a drug lobbyist). Strengthen Social Security, your government run pension plan that did not take a nose dive in 2008. (Don’t let anyone tell you it is an entitlement! You have paid into it for years!)

I will support Cecil Bothwell even if I can’t vote for him because he stands for all of the above. Hayden Rogers sends emails asking for donations without any clear stances on issues that should be no-brainers for a Democrat.

A note to my conservative friends: small government and less taxes are good sound bites, but they do not guarantee responsible, accountable government. Power will be even more concentrated in the hands of a very few wealthy people and corporations further threatening our increasingly fragile democracy.

— Linda Pannullo
Asheville

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One thought on “Occupy the Democratic Party

  1. UNaffiliated Voter

    Linda, I have come to see that most of the wealthiest elitists in America ARE, in fact,
    democrats. I know it’s an amazing fact but it’s SO true. Lieberal elitist democrats are the foodsource for the criminals that do their evil deeds…look around, look around, look around…

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