How about this as a (non spending) reform platform
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  How about this as a (non spending) reform platform
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Author Topic: How about this as a (non spending) reform platform  (Read 364 times)
Benjamin Frank
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« on: August 26, 2022, 05:23:13 AM »
« edited: August 26, 2022, 05:32:30 AM by Benjamin Frank »

Wrote this initially in another thread to show that even in an era without a lot of new money to spend, there is a great deal of progressive legislation that can be passed by a Democratic Congress (with 52 or more votes in the U.S Senate) that doesn't require much money, that would address many of the most pressing problems facing the United States.

On the 'Democratic deficit'
1.Pass the two pieces of legislation already in Congress to address the issues of Republican attempted voter suppression and gerrymandering.

2.Try to find a work around to 'Citizen's United' to address campaign finance and lobbying.

On addressing the right wing reactionary Supreme Court
3.Legislation to explicitly state that atmospheric CO2 is a pollutant that needs to be regulated by the EPA.

4.Enshrine the 'administrative state' in federal law, to the degree that can overcome any Supreme Court Constitutional rulings by, among other things, explicitly stating that Congress allows the administrative state to regulate 'major questions' not specifically authorized by Congress (to address this new right wing court law legislated from the bench.)

5.Legislating Roe V Wade into federal law, as well as legislation on other 'privacy' issues

6.Whatever changes are needed to be made to the Supreme Court, that can be made with the popular support of Democratic voters (and independents)

On income/wealth inequality
7.Implement an inheritence tax and tax capital gains at the 'normal rate.'

8.Reform federal law on white collar crimes to remove the burden for prosecutors to have to prove intent (or criminal intent.) I suppose the Supreme Court might strike this down as being unconstitutional as 'intent' is at the heart of guilt ('mens rea'), but it might be possible to work around that through addressing white collar crime based on 'gross negligence.'

9.Reform both the corporate and personal bankruptcy laws. These combined are probably the most extreme example of the differences between how the wealthy get treated and how the poor get treated in the U.S (although some people do say that the personal bankruptcy laws aren't actually all that bad.)

Even if corporate bankruptcy law had a good intent, I don't think there is any question it has been exploited through the likes of authors of books like 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' who explain how to use corporate bankruptcy as a business model to achieve wealth at the expense of others.

10.Comprehensive immigration reform

11.Legislate the executive orders on 'right to repair', non compete clauses and licensing.

On criminal justice reform and rising crime
12.Legalize marijuana at the federal level. This would eliminate one of the sources that lead to the misuse (or suboptimal use) of police resources in poor communities.

13.Gun reform to finally close the 'gun show loophole.' I'm not sure that there is any benefit at this point attempting to ban semi automatics/assault rifles, but the new mental health gun control legislation isn't going to work if the gun show loophole isn't closed.

14.Police reform to the degree that is a federal issue.
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Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
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« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2022, 11:54:45 PM »

The reason why the administrative state has expanded as a force and the supreme court has become such an issue, is because the left has for decades outsourced to the courts and to the administration agencies, what it is too afraid to do legislatively, for fear of either angering the donors, or angering the voters, or angering both.

I think campaign finance and lobbying reform would need to first priorities in any given context, because everything else is going to be subjected to their influence and it is a big part of the reason why you have the problems in this country that you do.

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Benjamin Frank
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« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2022, 05:13:44 AM »

The reason why the administrative state has expanded as a force and the supreme court has become such an issue, is because the left has for decades outsourced to the courts and to the administration agencies, what it is too afraid to do legislatively, for fear of either angering the donors, or angering the voters, or angering both.

I think campaign finance and lobbying reform would need to first priorities in any given context, because everything else is going to be subjected to their influence and it is a big part of the reason why you have the problems in this country that you do.


I agree Democrats have outsourced to the courts, I don't agree that Democrats have outsourced to administrative government agencies for fear of angering anybody. I think Congress recognizes it doesn't have the expertise to address many of the issues and Republicans have obstructed the U.S Senate for the better part of 30 years now anyway.
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Benjamin Frank
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« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2022, 03:27:49 PM »

To add a couple points in case anybody thinks my initial platform wasn't working class enough. I left these off because I'm not sure what the Federal government can do.

15.Strengthening labor union organizing. I think repealing outright Taft-Hartley is probably impossible and the Biden Administration is already being sued by, I believe Amazon, for supposedly putting the thumb on the scale at the National Labor Relations Board. Can the Federal government outlaw the so-called 'right to work' at the state level?

16.Making it easier for people to set up worker owned enterprises/co-operatives. Economist Richard Wolff has some ideas on these things but I don't really agree with them. Still, his ideas might make for a good starting point.
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