War, Peace, and Constitutional Liberties

Issue #1: War and Peace

The overwhelming majority of Americans are opposed to the war and occupation in Iraq; concerned that its eventual two trillion-dollar price tag robs money from pressing domestic needs; and alarmed at the idea of waging future wars for oil. In addition millions of voters are appalled that the annual $700 billion U.S. military budget represents 50% of the total federal discretionary spending and is equal to the combined military spending of every nation in the world.

Continue to Climate Issues

Climate Crisis

Issue #2: Global Warming

Millions of Americans are alarmed by the prospect of our current climate crisis turning in to a full-blown climate catastrophe, and support the idea of a massive Green New Deal to conserve energy, make the transition to clean renewable energy, create millions of "green collar" jobs, and drastically reduce climate-destabilizing greenhouse pollution from our current, and rising, 387 parts per million (ppm) to a level back below the dangerous tipping point of 350 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric CO2.

Continue to Health Issues

Health Care, Public Health, & Drug Policy

Issue #3: Public Health & Universal Health Care

Preventive health care, natural medicine, and proper nutrition have been linked to a broad range of health and social benefits, including disease reduction, increased academic performance, and lower health care costs. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the U.S. population lacks access to health care, complimentary medicine, and healthy foods. A major solution to this unacceptable situation is to shift to a single-payer, publicly financed, prevention-based, universal health care system. The $350 billion in savings that would occur by eliminating the profit motive and moving to a single-payer system would allow us to insure and promote the health and wellness of our entire population.

In addition, scientific evidence is mounting that Americans' daily exposure to 100,000 different synthetic chemicals (less than 10% of which have ever been safety tested) in our food, water, medicines, body care products, cosmetics, toys, home environments, etc. are undermining our health and creating an epidemic of debilitating and deadly diseases including cancer, heart disease, asthma, allergies, and chemical sensitivities.

The federal government currently censors the dissemination of important scientific research information. For example, food producers and dietary supplement makers are banned from citing scientific research on the health benefits of natural and organic foods, herbs, and vitamins.

Currently, six states have passed "health freedom" legislation (California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island), providing guidelines and making it legal for alternative/integrative medicine practitioners to practice their profession without fear of prosecution.

Issue #4: Drug Policy Reform

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are in jail for the "crime" of possessing a natural herb, with significant beneficial medicinal properties, marijuana. Many countries have legalized or decriminalized adult marijuana use and possession. More and more Americans believe that drug policy should emphasize treatment over criminalization, not a drug war that erodes Constitutional freedoms, privacy, and law enforcement resources.

Continue to Economics and Trade

Economic Justice

Issue #5: Tax Reform

Large corporations and wealthy millionaires and billionaires in the United States pay little or no taxes, compared to the more egalitarian democracies of Europe, where universal healthcare, subsidized childcare, and free college tuition are the norm.

Issue #6: Trade, Labor, and Minimum Wage Reform

So-called "Free Trade" agreements like NAFTA, GATT, and CAFTA benefit large transnational corporations, but are increasingly unpopular, because they undermine the wages and living conditions of family farmers and workers throughout the world and contribute to environmental degradation and massive immigration by impoverished farmers and workers. Unfair labor laws that discourage workers from collectively bargaining for better wages and working conditions have compounded the damage of these so-called Free Trade agreements.

Issue #7: Status of Corporations

Corporations are not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. They are chartered (licensed) by state governments because it is assumed public benefit can come from offering the privileges of incorporation to private investors. We therefore believe corporations should be subordinate to our democratic processes and that they possess privileges, not inherent rights.

In 1886, however, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a constitutionally unsupported ruling that led to corporations enjoying many protections of our Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment, without the limitations or responsibilities of real persons (i.e. "corporate personhood"). This doctrine has allowed corporations and their directors to corrupt democratic processes, escape accountability for crimes, and prevented citizens from ensuring these creations of the state do not harm citizens.

Continue to Democracy

Strengthening Democracy

Issue #8: Electoral Reform

Only fifty-one percent of eligible voters participated in the last presidential election. Increasing cynicism and concerns over fraudulent elections are infecting our citizenry and undermining the viability of our democracy. In almost all races, the candidate who raises the most money from special interests wins the election. Candidates and elected public officials are forced to spend an inordinate amount of time chasing after campaign dollars, rather than dealing with constituent concerns.
In addition, winner-take-all elections unfairly marginalize independent parties and candidates, and reduce the scope of the debate in election campaigns.

Issue #9: Media Reform & Internet Access

In order to participate fully in our communities' shared social, cultural, and political life, we need a diverse range of media voices and information.
"Net neutrality" requires Internet service providers to give all users of this public commons equal access. AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and other large companies want to turn the information super-highway into a private toll road. The loss of net neutrality would mean that telecom and cable companies could slow down or even cut off access to websites and email in order to increase their profits, or eliminate content that was objectionable to them.

Issue #10: Reproductive Freedom and Civil Rights

True democracy gives all people a place at the table. Equal rights, equal opportunity, and affirmative action to correct past and present injustices must be guiding principles of a democratic society, especially in view of historic and ongoing discrimination based on sex, race, national origin, language, immigration status, sexuality, gender, disability, age, religion and political belief. Reproductive freedom is an essential aspect of equality, individual liberty and personal privacy.