What needs to be done now

It’s 2024. It is shameful and unacceptable that any child should live in poverty, and that anyone should go hungry, homeless, without medicine, or without a living wage in our nation of such great wealth.

Here’s what needs to be done about it:

Meet the Needs of Working, Unemployed and Farm Families

        • Raise the minimum wage to $30 an hour, with an automatic raise in line with inflation.
        • Pay each and every adult, aged 18 and over, $2,000 each month, tax free.
        • Unemployment insurance for all workers.
        • Moratorium on farm foreclosures.
        • Labor law reform to remove barriers to workers who want to join a union.
        • No privatization of Social Security. Increase benefits.
        • Universal prescription drug coverage administered by Medicare.
        • Universal single payer health care system..
        • Restore social safety net. Welfare reform that includes job training, supports and living wages.
        • Full funding for equal, quality, bilingual public education. No vouchers. Elimination of Charter Schools.
        • End Reagan era instituted taxation of Unemployment, Social Security and welfare benefits.

      Make Corporate Giants Pay

              • Repeal tax cuts to the rich and corporations.
              • Close corporate tax loopholes.
              • Restitution to workers’ pensions.
              • Strong regulation of financial industry.
              • Regulation and public ownership of utilities
              • Prosecute corporate polluters. Public works program to clean our air, water and land
              • Aid to cities and states. Federally funded infrastructure repair and social service programs

                Foreign Policy for Peace and Justice

              • No to war with anyone. End military interventions
              • Repeal Fast Track and NAFTA, stop Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).
              • No secrecy.
              • Save Salt II Agreements, reject Star Wars and Nuclear Posture Review
              • Abolish nuclear weapons
              • End military interventions.
              • Cut military budget and fund human needs.

                Defend Democracy and Civil Rights

              • End racial profiling.
              • Repeal the death penalty.
              • Enforce civil rights laws and affirmative action.
              • Repeal USA Patriot Act.
              • Legalization and protection of immigrant rights.
              • Public financing of elections. Overall election law reform including Instant Runoff Voting.
              • Youth and student bill of rights. Guarantee youth’s right to ea, lea and live.
              • Repeal the Electoral College.
              • Supreme Court reforms:  Term limits, add 4 more justices.

      This is just a sampling of ideas. There is much, much more that could be added. Reality sucks. We have Republican (Libertarian/Randian) control over the Senate, the Presidency and the Supreme Court. Our work is cut out for us.