DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM CONCEPT
1. Unify a Larger Base– While Hillary Clinton’s messages were aimed at different segments (women, minorities, LGBT, Millennials, elderly, poor, immigrants, Muslims, anti-gun, etc.), they tended to divide the base. By contrast, Bernie Sanders was on the right track by pitting the 99% against the 1% and focusing on the corrupting influence of wealthy special interest lobbying that distorts political influence and public policy. Bernie’sdemeanor, however, was too aggressive, angry and punitive for many voters.
The best chance for Dems to win is if the entire party, and its platform, takes Bernie’s lead and defines itself as the party of the 99% (a very LARGE camp), but with a softer and more welcoming tone. We need a vision for our nation’s future that clearly defines what we stand for, and not just what we’re against.
2. Progressive Tax Reform– I support more granularity, with additional tax brackets and higher rates at the top (e.g. 50% for income above $1M, 65% for income above $10M, and 80% for income above $100M). But the purpose should NOT be to punish the wealthy. (That was Bernie’s mistake.) We need people to realize that wealthy companies and individuals have historically been the greatest beneficiaries of three important trends (below), and that’s why it’s fair, sufficient and efficient for them to contribute more to funding government. The trends:
a) No Wealth is Created Alone– Capitalism is a powerful motivating driver of innovation and risk-taking, but no great wealth is created without help from our many tax-funded public-sector programs and institutions. That includes public education, roads, air & seaports, public safety & military, water works & electric grid, the courts, and even our political system.
b) Widening Wealth Gap– Adding to the effects of globalization and technology trends, Ronald Reagan cut the top tax rates dramatically and promoted trickle-down economics.Since then almost all economic growth went to the top 5% and 1%. This concentrated even more wealth and political power at the very top – now the 0.1% and 0.01%. But still, the highest tax rate of 39.6% starts with income of just $418,400, and income created from capital investments is taxed at just 15%.
c) Capital v. Labor – Thanks to the exponentially accelerating rate of tech innovation, more and more of our nation’s income has come from capital investments than from the fruits of labor, contributing to the declining bargaining power of labor unions. Automation and artificial intelligence are poised to replace many more jobs over the next decade or two, so we need public policies that help us cope with that trend. We should tax income from capital easily as much as from labor – i.e. tax the robots.
3. Campaign Finance– Idealistic politicians complain about the amount of time they must spend fundraising to get reelected, just so they can affect the policy positions they advocate for. Citizens United made fund-raising worse and tilted the playing field more toward wealthy special interests. Repealing Citizens United and Reforming the Voting Process are populist positions and good first steps toward broader campaign finance reform and term limits. The objective should be leveling the playing field and removing the corrupting influence of big money in politics.
4. Healthcare as an Investment– Beyond seeing healthcare as a human right, Dems should promote it to industry as an investment: in a more productive (and profitable) workforce to help drive GDP. Large self-insured corporations already invest in wellness programs. They’ve seen the economic benefits. Isn’t it time our nation does the same for everyone else? The partisan healthcare debate has been too much about who pays or gets care and not enough about reducing overall costs with efficient care delivery and prevention programs. I think that’s because we look at healthcare as an expense to be contained rather than an investment to be nurtured.
5. Science and The Environment– The term “Fake News” is new with the Trump administration, and this seems to be part of a concentrated effort to control the narrative. With or without help from the Trump campaign, the Russians exploited our self-selecting social media and 24x7 news networks (that spend more time on commentary than presenting facts) to influence the election outcome, undermine citizen confidence in government, question the truth, and disrupt our democratic process. One effect is the distrust of science that would normally help guide policy. Oil and Gas industries were complicit in this.
Respectfully submitted,
Founding Editor, Modern Health Talk
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