The Democrats had a two-evening debate last week. I didn't watch it (work conflicts), but I did read reports from and about it. Frankly, I didn't learn much.
What I want,and what I believe most Americans want from the Democratic Party, is a clear platform of goals for the next administration, and a clear pathway to achieving those goals.
Here's some ideas for your consideration.
Stop wasting time bashing President Trump. It fires up his base, and makes it appear that you have nothing to offer, except to bash him. You need to be better than that, and I think you are.
Our economy, both on Wall Street and main street, is suffering from bad decisions on trade and tariffs; let's go back to the trade table and re-think our economic priorities. Develop programs that reward small businesses and incentivize American manufacturing.
America put a man on the moon in a decade, and we have, in our colleges and Universities, great and wonderful talents and abilities. Create a program putting those talents and abilities to work on providing America with sources of clean, safe, affordable energy to power our country forward.
Stop punishing people who want to escape wars and famine in their home countries, and welcome them to our shores. Clean up the immigration "problem" by putting into action policies that assist immigrants in become productive American citizens. Punish those companies and individuals that exploit undocumented workers.
Education, or the lack of it, creates poverty; and the United States is suffering from a lack of trained, educated tradespeople; and has a surplus of unemployed, or under-employed citizens. Bring back, in volume, trade schools that teach welding, plumbing, carpentry, electrical, and other skills. Make them affordable, and show how a tradesman, well skilled, can again become a part of the middle class. These are jobs that cannot be exported to India, China, or elsewhere.
Our public schools are lacking qualified teachers. How about a program that eliminates student debt for teachers that stay in the profession for four years, at the K-12 levels; and continues on by providing a tax break each year they remain teachers?
Eliminate the revolving door on our prisons, in part by closing the for-profit prison system. It has put a burden on law enforcement by demanding a certain percentage of the for-profit cells will be filled, and this in turn contributes to an unjust proportion of non-whites being incarcerated for the crime of being poor.
Renew our standing in the world by working with our allies and reducing the threat of global terrorism, while holding sacred and inviolable our beliefs in human rights, dignity, and the rule of law.
Well, there's a few ideas for you to think about as you campaign this year.
Thank you for reading, and, as always, your comments are welcome.
R.M. "Bob" Hartman
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