The Land Of The Free: An American Political Roleplay (IC)

[Sao Nova Europa]

John Atang
@JohnAtangNY3

---

We are in a situation now where minorities like myself are faced with senior Republicans like @JPJ4USA, @theposterpastor, and @MissouriPeoplesSenator who are happy to put on their twitter accounts horrible, racist, islamaphobic fearmongering. Shame on the GOP.

John Atang
@JohnAtangNY3

---

However, I will never back down to this on behalf of my constituents who I serve. And frankly, twitter should not allow this extreme, far-right fascism to flourish.

[Granluras]

John Atang
@JohnAtangNY3

---

We are in a situation now where minorities like myself are faced with senior Republicans like @JPJ4USA, @theposterpastor, and @MissouriPeoplesSenator who are happy to put on their twitter accounts horrible, racist, islamaphobic fearmongering. Shame on the GOP.

John Atang
@JohnAtangNY3

---

However, I will never back down to this on behalf of my constituents who I serve. And frankly, twitter should not allow this extreme, far-right fascism to flourish.

Duncan Flanagan @theposterpastor Hilariously yet frighteningly true, Senator Goldwater! RETWEETSFAVORITE 124,554386,315

Duncan Flanagan @theposterpastor The Democrats should just come out with an honest party platform. Freedom of speech unless its right of center, freedom of assembly unless its right of center, in fact, you only get rights if you're left of center. Even if what I and my associates have espoused are nowhere close to far-right fascism! I in my own tweet stated that we are espousing views that seek to uphold the rights and welfare of our citizens, and not expend our resources for those who don't deserve it. Apparently I'm Hitler because of that? Mind-numbing, not even comedic. Mr Atang and anyone foolish enough to think like him should feel foolish. The Democrats are NOT a party of pluralism, and they've never been. RETWEETSFAVORITE 88,911276,112

[Puertollano]

"Uhm, a water would be nice, thanks. Just got off the plane," she said. Lilyana put her handbag on the ground and took a seat. "So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

"I want to talk about your future," Richardson says handing her a water "I want to talk about what you have planned for the future and how I can help you get there."

"Oh, good," she said, Lily took a sip and continued talking. "I was thinking about returning to Maine to run for Senate. I'd be primary-ing an incumbent, [not-Susan-Collins] for her seat, so I'd need all the support I can get. But if the state of the Republican Presidential field is not looking so well, I have also thought of running for President to keep the Wolf Pack alive."

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Vohoffsky, seeing an opportunity to attempt to help his party whilst helping himself at the same time, began to write effectively a "Twitter open letter", and having the AFM and AFN twitter accounts retweet it in order to attempt to force it to virality.

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

(1 of 3) I may be a Republican, but I certainly disagree with Flanagan's, Senator Goldwater's and Governor Prendergast's positions on immigration. It is our moral imperative, more than ever before, to take the hungry and sickly masses coming upon our shores. It is the imperative of our nation to take in more refugees, more asylum seekers, lest we let hundreds of thousands suffer. We must not let the new era of xenophobes and racists attempt to subvert our nation's founding principles. I say, to all immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees, the United States shall welcome you with open arms and with a smile on our face! We have been a free haven since the beginning of the 20th century and we will always be. #IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky.
@CaliforniaLibertarian

(2 of 3) We must not fear those coming to our shores to escape death and persecution, rather we must welcome them with open arms! We musn't let millions suffer simply because of fear. We did not build our nation nor protect it through fear, but through hope. Let the borders be opened to all those in countries fleeing war, devastation and persecution! People like Senator Goldwater talk about how immigrants are leeches, but how can you be a leech when you aren't qualified for welfare, social security or medicare? They call the people who do jobs in the shadows leeches and scroungers, but remember one thing: you have more in common with an immigrant than you think. Immigrants have families, have jobs and have lives too. We must never forget the human cost of what we're doing. We must never forget the human cost of sending people back to wastelands to die nor letting them and their sickly, starving children simply waste away. This nation has a moral duty to provide prosperity for all, and we shall do it! #IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

(3 of 3) We MUST overcome fear. We MUST overcome hatred. We MUST overcome xenophobes and racists. They may call me disloyal and a RINO for saying what I have said here today, but they only call me so because I refuse to toe some ideological line, to follow dogma and to follow blind ideology. I follow my country and the American people. That is where my loyalty stands. I call upon all Americans, no matter their colour, no matter whether they were born here or not, to overcome these xenophobes, these racists, who stand in the way of progress, who stand in the way of freedom! We must end the enmity between American and foreigner, between black and white, and build a world where all have equal opportunity to succeed, no matter their blood or where they were born! #IStandWithImmigrants

[Agarntrop]

Barry Anderson
@MissouriPeoplesSenator

---

Proud to be American today as the Senate voted to ensure the death penalty for the worst of the worst of murderers and modernised our sentencing system!

(Edit: Formatting)

[Sao Nova Europa]

Vohoffsky, seeing an opportunity to attempt to help his party whilst helping himself at the same time, began to write effectively a "Twitter open letter", and having the AFM and AFN twitter accounts retweet it in order to attempt to force it to virality.

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

(1 of 3) I may be a Republican, but I certainly disagree with Flanagan's, Senator Goldwater's and Governor Prendergast's positions on immigration. It is our moral imperative, more than ever before, to take the hungry and sickly masses coming upon our shores. It is the imperative of our nation to take in more refugees, more asylum seekers, lest we let hundreds of thousands suffer. We must not let the new era of xenophobes and racists attempt to subvert our nation's founding principles. I say, to all immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees, the United States shall welcome you with open arms and with a smile on our face! We have been a free haven since the beginning of the 20th century and we will always be. #IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky.
@CaliforniaLibertarian

(2 of 3) We must not fear those coming to our shores to escape death and persecution, rather we must welcome them with open arms! We musn't let millions suffer simply because of fear. We did not build our nation nor protect it through fear, but through hope. Let the borders be opened to all those in countries fleeing war, devastation and persecution! People like Senator Goldwater talk about how immigrants are leeches, but how can you be a leech when you aren't qualified for welfare, social security or medicare? They call the people who do jobs in the shadows leeches and scroungers, but remember one thing: you have more in common with an immigrant than you think. Immigrants have families, have jobs and have lives too. We must never forget the human cost of what we're doing. We must never forget the human cost of sending people back to wastelands to die nor letting them and their sickly, starving children simply waste away. This nation has a moral duty to provide prosperity for all, and we shall do it! #IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

(3 of 3) We MUST overcome fear. We MUST overcome hatred. We MUST overcome xenophobes and racists. They may call me disloyal and a RINO for saying what I have said here today, but they only call me so because I refuse to toe some ideological line, to follow dogma and to follow blind ideology. I follow my country and the American people. That is where my loyalty stands. I call upon all Americans, no matter their colour, no matter whether they were born here or not, to overcome these xenophobes, these racists, who stand in the way of progress, who stand in the way of freedom! We must end the enmity between American and foreigner, between black and white, and build a world where all have equal opportunity to succeed, no matter their blood or where they were born! #IStandWithImmigrants

[Fronket]

The Young Turks Interview
March 11th, 2019
With Tim Westra

Zeki Younan: Alright, welcome to the Young Turks, Senator Tim Westra joins us today, very happy to have you. He's a Democratic candidate for president and if you don't know him you probably haven't been watching a lot of TYT. Welcome to the show, brother.

Tim Westra: Yeah, thanks for having me on Zeki. Can't thank you enough for how much you've done for the progressive movement and moving towards a culture of media where everyone's voice counts.

Younan: So, let's get right into it. We hear a lot of labels that people clip onto the progressive ideology. What does it mean to you?

Westra: Yes, this is key. So, when I think of progressivism, I don't think of left wing or right wing. At least, it's not the first thing that springs to mind. The meaning of progressivism, to me, is very simple: it's the value of every individual human life. Right? The right to have healthcare, even if you're poor; the right to have clean air and clean water, even if the chemical companies don't like it; the right to not be sent of to get killed in a forever war, even if the military-industrial complex finds this idea unsavory; the right to a livable earth, even if that means lower profits for the fossil fuel industry. Now, none of this strikes me as particularly radical. Jonah Prendergast calls me "Whackjob Westra" ; it's a complete mischaracterization, as most of his words are. This notion that anything we're talking about is part of a radical agenda is simply because so many of those critics are beholden to the same old corporations who have been dictating the policy discussion in America since the beginning of time. Look at Prendergast; he's not just bought off, he was born in the corporate swamp - coal money runs through his blood. This is not a man who values a livable earth and actions against global warming. This is a man who can't see beyond his own greed.

They call us the radicals. But the way I see it, immediate action is the only answer to the numerous crises of our time. Climate change cannot be met with neoliberal incrementalism. We tried that approach, it failed. Income inequality cannot be reduced with simply incremental reforms, they have failed. Healthcare cannot be made affordable by giving the market a bigger role, that has failed. The answers that our worker-led movement is offering are the only proportionate answers to the issues that we face.

Younan: So your vision of progressivism...I understand it's about values, immediate action, integrity...but let's talk about ideology for a bit. Levi Murphy is in this race, he's a self-described "democratic socialist." Many were surprised when Massachusetts Senator Abigail Winthrop, prominent progressive, endorsed you over him...she's also a socialist. Would you associate with that label?

Westra: Look, these ideological labels don't matter at the end of the day. They don't matter because they're essentially just academic definitions. They mean different things to different people, they only exist for the GOP to smear us and pull our movement apart. Levi is a good friend of mine and we see eye-to-eye on several issues, our overarching goals are the same and our movement overlaps. But, in many places, we have different ways of reaching our vision. He's decided to focus on socialism as his ideology, I think it's debatable as to whether that approach is the correct one. I've identified something entirely different from what Levi is looking at. And that is the economic impact of inequality.

Wolf and his GOP allies keep droning on and on about the economy. Economic growth, low unemployment, et cetera, et cetera. They can't stop. The question that many of the Democrats are asking is well, if this economic growth is so good for America, then why are so many Americans living paycheck to paycheck? Why are so many Americans struggling to afford health insurance and education? Why can't most Americans access $400 for a rainy day?

That is the right question to be asking, but there's another dimension to this which I'm highlighting. And that is that this growing intergenerational inequality is going to be bad for economic growth and, ultimately, bad for capitalism as it applies to our new economy. If the majority of our country gets poorer while a concentrated few get wealthier, what does this suggest? It suggests that the consumer-driven US economy could falter at some point in the future. If not everyone gets the same access to higher education, it means that we eventually get skill misallocation and a less productive economy, which would slow growth. Barriers to equal opportunity pose a danger to our future growth. And, frankly, they go back on the very foundation of our country, which is equality of opportunity and meritocracy. I want to remove those barriers and allow our fundamentally broken system to function as envisioned by our founders.

Younan: Interesting...so you do identify with the theory of capitalism, but not it's implementation? How is that different from the Cliffordians and the corporate wing of the party?

Westra: Oh, it's very different. First of all, I think the capitalism-socialism dichotomy is extremely outdated. We're facing a new economy where a lot of work will not be permanent, where technology threatens low-skill jobs, an economy where the job market will be very hard to access. Neither socialism nor capitalism, in their purest forms, can adequately deal with those problems and that environment. Adam Smith made a wrong assumption that an "invisible hand" exists. It doesn't. That's arguably a more utopian vision than what some other, more left-wing economists proposed. The market cannot function equitably for society on its own because individuals are fallible. When granted with success humans work for their own greed, he was right about that. That greed is not necessarily beneficial for society on net, as we can see right now. It results in a burning planet, in globalization that leaves many in destitution, and in numerous deaths from drug rationing while Big Pharma gets rich. Adam Smith's assumptions were wrong.

Where was he right? He was right about the fact that, in an ideal free market, corporate consolidation and monopolization would not be acceptable. He was right about making others more prosperous, so that they themselves can invest in good choices and grow their own wealth. That's what I'm talking about with an Earned Income Tax Credit expansion. Workers should be able to invest in skill training, in education, in stocks, heck even in entrepreneurship. Imagine the boost to our economy. Imagine what that would do, how powerful that is.

That is an economy where workers have the power to truly make their life choices. Where they aren't squeezed by expenses that should be public goods, like healthcare and education.

Younan: I do want to move to healthcare, there are some big questions there...you've said in the past that you don't support single-payer, that you quote unquote "don't want to scrap coverage for union folks who battled hard to earn it." Some others in the party beat back against that notion, saying union members will have better coverage and an easier time navigating the healthcare system with Medicare for All. You kind of pivoted from that position recently, when you released a plan to deal with healthcare called "Medicare for America," which is, essentially, a public option, but you did say that it would set up a transition to Medicare for All. Do you think that a public option is enough? What do you say to Levi Murphy, whose highly anticipated healthcare plan released today and is a version of single-payer?

Westra: Here's what I say to Levi: that immediate single-payer in America is neither regarded by policy analysts as an efficient way of reaching high-quality universal healthcare, nor is it a popular proposition among our working class base. Americans like options, they like efficiency, they like quality standards. That is not offered under the current system - there is no choice right now, that's a lie. If you're poor, you go on the Obamacare health exchanges and find the most affordable plan. If that's too expensive, you don't get coverage. It's as simple as that.

In Levi's ideal system, you wouldn't have any choice either. I understand the point that people like their doctor, not where their health insurance is coming from. That's probably true. But under an immediate switch to single-payer, we risk the highly likely possibility that we don't figure out provider reimbursement rates immediately. If we don't do that properly, then it's likely that the quality of healthcare will decline, and we don't want that.

Here's the other problem: over 2 million people are employed by the health insurance industry. A progressive should be the last person advocating for instantly eliminating 2 million jobs without a long-term plan. We don't want to see workers laid off at at the drop of a hat, people who are only trying to support their family. I have a plan to cover such job losses in my Federal Jobs Guarantee plan, but that would also take time to implement. We can make bold decisions, but we have to implement them correctly. Simply doing away with an entire industry in one night won't result in a good healthcare system.

I see a better way in Medicare for America, where we create a public insurance plan that eliminates premiums for folks making up to 200% of the federal poverty line, and where we cap premium rates in the public option at 8% of income. Most low-income families are paying about 35% of their income on premiums, so that's huge. We create a public program and force the private market to compete by lowering costs. This is projected to reach universal healthcare in three years, and preserves the quality of our healthcare. If it fails and the private companies still charge too high, we are still projected to have a vast majority of the public enrolled on the government plan, at which point we switch everyone over, eventually, to single-payer. That's a worst-case scenario and a smart plan. It's not haphazard, like some other proposals.

Trust me, I understand healthcare policy, probably the most in this race. I helped to write the Affordable Care Act, and I wrote the public option amendment. With my presidency, we'll pass that public program.

Younan: Hmmm, alright. Your recent comments about abortion on a Fox News interview attracted controversy and prompted sharp criticism from fellow progressive, California Representative Emily Davenport. Do you believe in a woman's right to choose?

Westra: I believe that humans can reevaluate their positions and can still apply their same moral values when some of those positions change. I was raised in a socially conservative Catholic family, but I notably did not allow faith to dictate all of my decisions; I was an early supporter of gay rights, and voted against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, because I believe that God would not be fundamentally opposed to human beings expressing love for one another. I just wish Representative Davenport could say the same. The very same year that I cast that hard vote against DOMA, Emily was a young candidate running for a position in the House, and she was also running as an opponent of gay marriage. She has now evolved, and sees the matter differently. I just wish she would allow me to evolve in the same way.

Younan: Senator, of course your record on LGBTQIA+ rights is very impressive, but the question was on abortion. You said on Fox News that you would hope to establish government agencies to judge whether a woman could get an abortion after 20 weeks in cases that were not related to the health of the mother. Do you stand by that stance?

Westra: No, I don't. After that incident and rightful outcry, I took the appropriate steps to deal with what I started to think was a blindspot in my views. I met with my female staff, and was educated on reproductive justice and rights. And we decided to write and release a plan, my Plan for Children, Women, and Families, to appropriately apply my values to the debate on reproductive justice. It is a very comprehensive plan; it includes paid family leave, universal pre-k and childcare, fighting against campus assault, and it includes protecting Roe v. Wade. This was a plan written by female staffers, so that my inherent male privilege does not leave my campaign ignorant to the issues faced by women.

Younan: Your plan does not include the possibility of codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law, just nominating judges to protect the ruling. Would you codify it?

Westra: If a bill came before my desk as president, yes, of course I would sign it. I believe Roe v. Wade was the correct decision and I will protect it from further assault by the GOP, which we are seeing now in the actions of the Prendergast regime in West Virginia.

Younan: So, lots of corporatist, slimy, centrist Democrats are going to hammer you on your progressive agenda, and they're gonna hammer you at every turn. Robert Warrick is also going to be an obstructionist. How are you planning on getting your progressive plans through Congress?

Westra: Yeah, fair question. So Senator Warrick represents Indiana – I'm deeply, deeply concerned about problems that the people of Indiana are facing alone. Look at the opioid crisis. Indiana had one of the most statistically significant increases in opioid overdoses this year. They had almost 75 opioid prescriptions per 100 people. It's insane. So, you know, I want to pass a package that helps the state, which is suffering right now at the whims of a few Pharma companies that are becoming incredibly wealthy off of essentially murdering thousands of people. I released an End to the War on Drugs plan that would, amongst other things, prevent further addiction by regulating opioid prescription with a national mandate of maximum 3 days of prescription before a review for renewal. The plan would also decriminalize possession of buprenorphine, which helps to treat opioid addiction, and ensure that first responders carry naloxone to prevent overdoses.

And we have to make an example of the opioid executives who started this crisis in the first place, and wrecked our communities just for profits. I'd hold them accountable in the courts. Now, obviously, the legislative agenda I mentioned before would be, theoretically, difficult to get through the GOP leadership and Warrick. But that's why my aim, in running this campaign, is to provoke a nationwide movement to hold our leaders accountable and to challenge the intertwined political-corporate establishment in America. I will go down to Indiana, and speak with those mothers and fathers who have lost someone in the crisis. And if Senator Warrick refuses to make change to end this crisis, then I will use the bully pulpit to rally the people of Indiana to use the ballot box to get someone else in office.


Younan: Would this kind of tactic apply to Democratic corporate sleaze-bags in the Senate and House?

Westra: I mean, sure, if they were Republican-lite. Although I generally come from the belief that having a Democrat in a political seat is inherently better than not having a Democrat in that seat. It is arguably true that a sitting Democratic president campaigning against the reelection of a Democratic incumbent, in swing districts at least, is a dangerous game to play.

Younan: So we constantly hear from the corporate media that progressives are unelectable, that their socialism can't win elections, that they're "anti-semitic"...by the way, your progressive competitor, Senator Levi Murphy, has been maligned in the mainstream media as an anti-semite for his positions on Israel...do you agree with that assessment?

Westra: No, absolutely not. Levi is a good friend of mine, I know him, I know that he's a fighter for people of all faiths, races, and creeds...none of his comments come from a place of bigotry.

Younan: What is your stance on the Israeli occupation in Palestine?

Westra: I think it's important to apply a nuanced lens on this issue that comes from a place of humanitarianism and concern for the people of both Israel and Palestine. Israel is an important American ally, and I think we ought to all recognize the small miracle of the existence of a fully functioning democracy in the Middle East. That kind of political system should be promoted, and Israel's right to exist cannot be challenged. But, I do think we must consider the malicious intentions of the Netanyahu government. This is a man who is deeply, deeply ambitious and also quite possibly a racist. I don't believe he cares about the wellbeing of our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza. Neither does Hamas, which has ruled over the Gaza Strip with an iron fist and made the people living there suffer greatly. I think America's role in all of this is to be a mediator, not an antagonizer like the Wolf Administration has been in its foolhardy decision to abandon the two-state solution. We must pursue a peace deal between the two nations and promote a lasting policy of peace in the Middle East.

Younan: Would you condition military aid to Israel to prevent human rights abuses against Palestinians?

Westra: I mean, I certainly wouldn't want to continue to aid any nation state in their pursuit of abusing human rights. I think it's debatable, though, whether that applies to Israel, especially when it is considered that rockets are being fired in their direction from Hamas, which is no doubt a terrorist organization that would love to see Israel wiped off of the face of the earth; and there is evidence that they are using mothers and children as human shields. It's also true that nonviolent protestors who aren't I do, however, think that Saudi Arabia commits human rights abuses in plain sight everyday, and they are clearly a state sponsor of terrorism. So I'd discontinue our arms sales to Saudi Arabia on day one.

Younan: So let's continue on Middle East policy and foreign policy in general...would you withdraw troops from Afghanistan in your first year as president?

Westra: Regime change wars are wasteful and have drained our country of trillions of dollars, undermined our national security, and cost the lives of thousands of our men and women in uniform. I will bring an end to this failed foreign policy and withdraw America from ongoing conflict that achieves nothing and wastes so much. US presence in Afghanistan costs us $4 billion a month. Imagine what we could do with those billions to care for our sick, support our teachers, provide housing and education, and in other ways serve the American people. I’ll end wars that waste our money and make us less safe.

I always think back to a quote by the great Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King once said that he "came to see the pacifist position not as sinless but as the lesser evil in the circumstances." I agree with him. Peace is not a perfect call. There are flaws, there will be consequences. But ultimately choosing diplomacy over war is always the less costly option, and that is the foreign policy I will pursue.

Younan: So, troops out of Afghanistan by the end of year 1?

Westra: My administration will maintain an organized plan for withdrawal from Afghanistan that removes our troop presence without causing a permanent destabilization in the country. I'd say it would take two years at maximum.

Younan: So I want to pivot to domestic policy, especially your plans to deal with education. This is probably the place where I feel you have the best plans, probably in the race. Can you just summarize your position on education reform?

Westra: Yes. So I see education as really the pillar of our economy. As that pillar starts to crumble, as college enrollment starts to, as our primary education test scores start to lower, I see a serious threat to our economy. A reduction in human capital has been proven to be bad for economic growth. So, as president, probably near my top priorities will be immediate reform to strengthen our education system and produce Americans who are able to compete in tomorrow's global economy.

That starts with making higher education more affordable and accessible to all. I'm a supporter of free four-year public college for all, but I also think we have to go beyond that. It's not a one and done. We have to reform the student loan system itself, by tying debt service to income and lowering interest rates. We have to cancel the majority of existing student debt, which is an extreme burden for today's youth population and is keeping them from accessing the job market in the most efficient manner. Higher education is the last step before employment, and that's why everyone should get a shot at having such an education.

But our public school system is equally important. This sets our kids up for success; it determines their career path, their civic engagement, and what kind of society we are going to be. I've released the most robust plan to reform our public schools to make them more equitable. Many school districts in our country has made the drastic mistake of funding themselves primarily via local property taxes. So districts with wealthier people get more funding for their schools, and this starts a cycle of inequitable funding formulae that leaves our lower-income students unprepared and unable to succeed. So to fix this, I would double funding for Title 1 schools, and this would drastically improve curriculums, resources, and outcomes in low-income schools. I would invest an additional $50 billion in our crumbling school infrastructure, an additional $100 billion in "upgrade grants" to allow every public schooling the country to spend on developing a unique, high-quality aspect of their school - like a new science lab, or more after school activities.

And the biggest idea in my plan is to raise teacher wages. Teachers in high-poverty districts are not getting paid enough. These low-wages start a cycle of doom where good teachers do not feel incentivized to work in poor school districts; ironically, these are places where their skills are most needed. There is a clear correlation between high teacher wages and good student performance; Massachusetts public schools, which are widely regarded as the country's best, pay their teachers the third highest salaries in the nation. Other nations with higher teacher salaries, such as Germany, have significantly better academic scorecards then American students.

So I'd create a Teacher Tax Credit, which would give teachers in low-income districts a $10,000 raise - roughly 20% more than what they currently earn. That's equivalent to almost $200 more a week. This would be transformational in attracting better teachers to educate low-income students, and would vastly improve our education system for the kids who need it most.

Younan: Great, you're really strong there...last question, how would you tackle climate change, the crisis of our time? Do you support a Green New Deal?

Westra: I am a proponent of a worker-centric vision of fighting climate change. My plan is about climate justice, not just taking the appropriate steps to save our earth. On this matter, we really have no time to negotiate and compromise. My plan is big and bold. This is a national emergency, this is a global emergency. It's time to listen to the science, which is telling us that if we fail to act immediately, the consequences for workers will be devastating. Look, I am not fighting a war against the folks on the oil rigs. I am not fighting a war against the folks in the coal mines. I am fighting a war against climate change.

What goes missing from the climate discussion, all too often, is that any plan we discuss needs to be a worker-centric vision. We cannot talk about displacing thousands from their jobs and just leaving them out there. That's what the corporatists do. And the GOP is lying to coal miners and workers in the fossil fuel industry. Prendergast is lying through his teeth when he says he can save their jobs. These jobs will be obsolete soon, whether we fight climate change or not. The question is, can we give them higher paying, union jobs in a new sector that'll not just benefit them, but the whole planet?

It's not even true that Wolf saved coal; there are fewer coal jobs in Kentucky today than when Baharia was president. Let's be real, the Republicans don't give a damn about miners. President Wolf and Republicans in Congress jammed through billions of dollars in windfall tax breaks for fossil fuel companies, as part of their $2 trillion tax cut plan that benefited corporations and the wealthiest Americans — at the expense of the middle class and a sustainable future. American oil and gas companies reported a combined one-time $25 billion benefit from the passage of that tax law, with more in fossil fuel subsidies baked in each year. As climate carnage ravages the planet, they'll run away with the cash. Prendergast is running away with the cash - his son still runs his coal business.

Meanwhile, everyone else will suffer, especially fossil fuel workers. Wolf says he "digs coal"—but, increasingly, it will be the people who actually dig coal from the ground who end up hurting as a result of how his administration has chosen to go full-steam-ahead on wrecking the planet. Our global coal reserves will probably run out by 2080. Our global known oil deposits could run out in just over 53 years. And if we increase gas production to fill the energy gap left by oil, our known gas reserves only give us 52 years left.

So I see it as imperative that we act with the intention of protecting livelihoods by protecting the planet. We'll pass a Federal Jobs Guarantee, and put the unemployed to work in good-paying jobs that will convert our nation into a New Green America. We will aim to reach complete dependence on renewable energy for electricity and transportation by 2035. We will reach carbon neutrality in other sectors by 2035 by investing in green manufacturing, sustainable agriculture, and clean-energy public housing.

And this can be done by investing $3 trillion in federal dollars and $6 trillion in private investment to combat the climate crisis. It will serve as an economic stimulus, and will create a better future for our kids. That's what this campaign is all about.

Younan: Alright, that is a strong vision, Senator. Tim Westra, thank you so much for joining us today. Appreciate it.

Westra: Yeah, thank's for having me Zeki. If this message appeals to you, go to timwestra.com and read all of my plans, which are detailed paths towards political revolution in our country. And, if you're feeling energized and ready to go, sign up to volunteer or donate or both!

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Vohoffsky, seeing an opportunity to attempt to help his party whilst helping himself at the same time, began to write effectively a "Twitter open letter", and having the AFM and AFN twitter accounts retweet it in order to attempt to force it to virality.

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

(1 of 3) I may be a Republican, but I certainly disagree with Flanagan's, Senator Goldwater's and Governor Prendergast's positions on immigration. It is our moral imperative, more than ever before, to take the hungry and sickly masses coming upon our shores. It is the imperative of our nation to take in more refugees, more asylum seekers, lest we let hundreds of thousands suffer. We must not let the new era of xenophobes and racists attempt to subvert our nation's founding principles. I say, to all immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees, the United States shall welcome you with open arms and with a smile on our face! We have been a free haven since the beginning of the 20th century and we will always be. #IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky.
@CaliforniaLibertarian

(2 of 3) We must not fear those coming to our shores to escape death and persecution, rather we must welcome them with open arms! We musn't let millions suffer simply because of fear. We did not build our nation nor protect it through fear, but through hope. Let the borders be opened to all those in countries fleeing war, devastation and persecution! People like Senator Goldwater talk about how immigrants are leeches, but how can you be a leech when you aren't qualified for welfare, social security or medicare? They call the people who do jobs in the shadows leeches and scroungers, but remember one thing: you have more in common with an immigrant than you think. Immigrants have families, have jobs and have lives too. We must never forget the human cost of what we're doing. We must never forget the human cost of sending people back to wastelands to die nor letting them and their sickly, starving children simply waste away. This nation has a moral duty to provide prosperity for all, and we shall do it! #IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

(3 of 3) We MUST overcome fear. We MUST overcome hatred. We MUST overcome xenophobes and racists. They may call me disloyal and a RINO for saying what I have said here today, but they only call me so because I refuse to toe some ideological line, to follow dogma and to follow blind ideology. I follow my country and the American people. That is where my loyalty stands. I call upon all Americans, no matter their colour, no matter whether they were born here or not, to overcome these xenophobes, these racists, who stand in the way of progress, who stand in the way of freedom! We must end the enmity between American and foreigner, between black and white, and build a world where all have equal opportunity to succeed, no matter their blood or where they were born! #IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

No, you're right. You didn't attack me. Instead, you attacked my heritage and the heritage of tens of millions of Americans. As I said, I support my country, even if it means angering certain people within my party. Remember, Senator, there are also immigrants and naturalised citizens that support the Republican Party. And, intentionally or not, you have attacked them. Republicans need to be united, but so does the country. I will not let you turn fellow people, fellow humans, into scapegoats and into demons. They are people with rights, Senator, and you need to understand that. #IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

Why do you think they're coming in, Senator? Do you think that people just cross the border for a laugh or a joke? No! They come through the border because they are suffering, because they want a better life. And you're right - we shouldn't support illegal immigration. We should increase more opportunities for legal migration in order to reduce the amount of illegal migration. And one thing that you do not realise, Senator - is that you have to cross the border illegally in order to apply for asylum status. #IStandWithImmigrants

[Sao Nova Europa]

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

No, you're right. You didn't attack me. Instead, you attacked my heritage and the heritage of tens of millions of Americans. As I said, I support my country, even if it means angering certain people within my party. Remember, Senator, there are also immigrants and naturalised citizens that support the Republican Party. And, intentionally or not, you have attacked them. Republicans need to be united, but so does the country. I will not let you turn fellow people, fellow humans, into scapegoats and into demons. They are people with rights, Senator, and you need to understand that. #IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

Why do you think they're coming in, Senator? Do you think that people just cross the border for a laugh or a joke? No! They come through the border because they are suffering, because they want a better life. And you're right - we shouldn't support illegal immigration. We should increase more opportunities for legal migration in order to reduce the amount of illegal migration. And one thing that you do not realise, Senator - is that you have to cross the border illegally in order to apply for asylum status. #IStandWithImmigrants

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Op-Ed in WIRED, 6th of March 2019, "Technology: The Future of America and What Must Be Done"

Shining cities. Rising skyscrapers. Continental railroads. These are what make America great. The American work ethic and innovative mind has gotten us from a mere colony of the world's largest empire to the sole superpower much faster than any other nation in modern history. The tyrannic empires of the time, from the German and british Empires to the Soviet Union and now China have attempted to subvert American greatness and lost at every turn. They burned down the White House, they sunk our ships, threatened us with nuclear armageddon...No matter what they did, America always prevailed. And now, a new challenge stands before us. Not military. Not cultural. But rather, technological and economic.

The rising tide of Chinese technological companies, from Huawei's 5G to Alibaba acting as a Chinese Amazon, has begun to threaten American economic power across the world. This must be stopped now, lest we lose our power and our greatness forevermore. I call upon all members of our government, on all sides of the spectrum, to push significant tax relief packages for tech industries, along with increased private-public cooperation and a massive expansion of STEM programs in schools and beyond, to increase the amount of scientists, programmers and engineers that will enter industry in the future.

These measures are not merely a mild suggestion, but rather necessary if this country wants to keep innovating and keep ahead of its competitors. With this combined package, America shall be ahead of every other nation once more, bringing cutting-edge innovation to every field. Robotics, AI, every single field. This won't just be good for our technological prowess, but for our economy too.

The increased benefits of tax cuts are clear, as shown by Presidents Wolf and [not-Bush II], and will hopefully spur on increased economic growth. Technological development isn't just some futurist dream, but rather something concrete that will bring forward reduced costs for business, higher incomes for workers and better products for consumers. That is what technology is: the key to the American Dream. When we fund technology, we're investing into the future, into prosperity and into the American Dream. That is why we need it so much.

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

No, you're right. You didn't attack me. Instead, you attacked my heritage and the heritage of tens of millions of Americans. As I said, I support my country, even if it means angering certain people within my party. Remember, Senator, there are also immigrants and naturalised citizens that support the Republican Party. And, intentionally or not, you have attacked them. Republicans need to be united, but so does the country. I will not let you turn fellow people, fellow humans, into scapegoats and into demons. They are people with rights, Senator, and you need to understand that. #IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

Why do you think they're coming in, Senator? Do you think that people just cross the border for a laugh or a joke? No! They come through the border because they are suffering, because they want a better life. And you're right - we shouldn't support illegal immigration. We should increase more opportunities for legal migration in order to reduce the amount of illegal migration. And one thing that you do not realise, Senator - is that you have to cross the border illegally in order to apply for asylum status. #IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

You're not even vaguely trying to address why people illegally migrate, however. You're not even answering at this point, just outright grandstanding. Stop this empty rhetoric and actually bother addressing this instead of calling your opponents names, huh?

Also, speaking of Ronald Reagan...

"I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally," - Ronald Reagan, 1984

Try that quote on, Senator.

#IStandWithImmigrants

[Sao Nova Europa]

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

You're not even vaguely trying to address why people illegally migrate, however. You're not even answering at this point, just outright grandstanding. Stop this empty rhetoric and actually bother addressing this instead of calling your opponents names, huh?

Also, speaking of Ronald Reagan...

"I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally," - Ronald Reagan, 1984

Try that quote on, Senator.

#IStandWithImmigrants

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

You're not even vaguely trying to address why people illegally migrate, however. You're not even answering at this point, just outright grandstanding. Stop this empty rhetoric and actually bother addressing this instead of calling your opponents names, huh?

Also, speaking of Ronald Reagan...

"I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally," - Ronald Reagan, 1984

Try that quote on, Senator.

#IStandWithImmigrants

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

You're the one that asked me about Ronald Reagan, and whether or not he was a racist. I give a quote to you about the fact he was pro-immigration, and you turn on him just like that? What a hypocrite.

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

Fear comes into play once more. This peddling of fear, this demonisation of human beings must stop once and for all. Don't you think that, instead of whining about the 10-20 Mexican gangsters - probably even less - that slipped through, we should deal with the thousands upon thousands of gang footsoldiers and members across the country? Scale is important, Senator, and you would do well to remember that.

[Sao Nova Europa]

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

You're the one that asked me about Ronald Reagan, and whether or not he was a racist. I give a quote to you about the fact he was pro-immigration, and you turn on him just like that? What a hypocrite.

Theodore Vohoffsky
@CaliforniaLibertarian

Fear comes into play once more. This peddling of fear, this demonisation of human beings must stop once and for all. Don't you think that, instead of whining about the 10-20 Mexican gangsters - probably even less - that slipped through, we should deal with the thousands upon thousands of gang footsoldiers and members across the country? Scale is important, Senator, and you would do well to remember that.

[Puertollano]

Speech to Working Families Party, New York
March 15th

Levi arrived at the Working Families Party head-quarters based in New York to give a speech and a question and answer session. It was important to the Senator to get it right, an endorsement from the grassroots WFP would be very consequential to getting more people on the ground and increase support among African American and Latino voters. Although he does not normally write speeches up, Levi did scribble down a few dot points so he didn't go on for too long and keep the speech on track.

"Thank you for having me, Working Families Party, in particular, I would like to thank the National Director of the WFP Giselle Campbell for inviting me to speak today. I thought I would preface my speech with a little bit about myself. I'm a father, a democratic socialist and I've been the Senator for Minnesota since 2014. I'm also running for President in 2020. I started out as a surveyor for my local council, but moved to St Paul where I became a bus driver and a life-long unionist. I was, and will always be, a proud member of the Transportation Union. It's not the usual political origins story, but I was a bus driver for 16 years, and was also working as the President of my local ATU branch. Like many people I share the room with today, my political activism started after the neoliberals and neoconservatives attempted to screw the working man over, and I'm learning that is the case across our nation. The Republican administration in Minnesota at the time was looking into privatizing the bus networks and we were outraged. All of us were expecting our salaries to be slashed by a new privately-operated bus network and for them to send the union busters in. Together, we were able to defeat the privatization attempts during a strike in 2004. Thankfully, in our case, when we go on strike, we still drive the buses doing what we love. We just don't collect fares from anyone. I'll tell you now; that was very popular and the Republican's attempts to shut us down were not.

So, here I am, now a Senator. I owe a lot of my experience from my days as the head of the AFL-CIO in Minnesota and in the Transportation Union. That's why declining union membership in this country is deeply concerning to me, because we all know what will happen to the decent, hard-working families of this nation. Wages are stagnant but inflation keeps rising, how does Washington D.C. think we can continue to live like this? Sure, profits for the huge multinationals are looking good right now and the stock-market is doing GREAT, but that's nothing for the people of America who are the backbone of our workforce. I want to, and I've been saying this for the entire length of my union and political career, throw a spanner into the crony capitalist order we have going on right now. The richest 1% owns more than the bottom 99%, we undoubtedly live in a broken system that needs to be fixed, and urgently. That's partly why Wolf won, he ran on a ticket to bring jobs back, oppose the wars and the pro-corporate trade deals. Many working people in the swing states believed his sales pitch - we need to win them back in 2020, and I think I am in a good position to do so. As a Senator in a Mid-Western state, I know what appeals to them, I know that I will tell them that the Republican party is only working for the richest few, not for the many. That has never been more evident than in the Wolf tax cuts and tax breaks, only made permanent for the richest echelons in society.

On policy, I believe in a broad slate of progressive policies, all of which I will detail minutely as the campaign trail draws on. I support the introduction of a Second Bill of Rights, a bill of rights to set down in stone the economic right's of all Americans. A Second Bill of Rights was firstly introduced by Franklin D. Roosevelt, that enshrines healthcare, a good wage, housing, freedom from monopolistic corporations, education, social security and employment as rights for everyone. This is now more important than ever, as large companies like Disney and Amazon grow, so does the need for citizens of our country need to be protected from them. I believe it's time to finish the legacy of FDR and passing a Second Bill of Rights. As much as I am an optimist, we cannot get there simply with a new Bill of Rights, however. I support all of the policy plans to get us there, to secure all of it as rights of American citizens. That includes Medicare for All, healthcare is a right, not a privilege. I'm the only candidate on the Democratic field to support a single-payer, Medicare for All system. To the establishment-wing of the party, never is a good time for Medicare for All, but if there was anytime for Medicare for All, that time would be now. I'm sure everyone here in this room knows someone who would greatly benefit if their medical costs were covered for them - and even if you didn't, we do know that 45,000 Americans die every year because they cannot afford their medical treatment. This is not the America I want to live in. I want to live in an America where universal healthcare is a right, where it is a norm and everyone can receive the medical care they need and deserve.

Further, I am running on a platform of racial justice. Police shootings of unarmed Black Americans is getting out of hand and there is a lot we could do to fix this issue immediately. That's why I've been saying we institute racial sensitivity training for Police Departments across the country, ending stop-and-frisk that uses racial profiling to harass Black and Brown Americans. We can start moving to community policing and provide more funding into job training to equip young people with the skills they need to get out of the cycle of poverty. We should also be changing the standards so that police can only use lethal force when they believe there is imminent danger to the officer's life or others. We need to make sure that there are body cameras on all police officers and all times and there should be deterrents to those who do not use them. All of that is a start, but there is still more we can do. Legalizing recreation marijuana is one of them, many African Americans are detained and thrown in prison just for smoking a bit of pot, it's absolutely mental. Instead, people should be able to smoke marijuana and we should immediately release all of those imprisoned for doing so. That would greatly reduce out over-encumbered detention system, because the United States of America has the largest penal population in the world. Think of that; China and Russia have smaller prison populations than we do. There's other measures that we can take too that people forget will help racial minorities, we could raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Nobody deserves to be working poor, if you work full-time, you deserve a living wage. There's no question to that. Do you know what that can do to communities all around this nation?

Let's not forget about climate justice, either. There is no question about whether climate change is real, or whether climate change is man-made or not. It is, and we need to deal with it urgently. If we want a future for our children, we need to start with a Green New Deal, to transform the economy and transform the environment. In a Green New Deal, we can employ millions of Americans to start the work on retrofitting buildings to be renewable, creating solar farms, hydro, geothermal, windturbines, the opportunities are limitless. If we don't act now, as America is one of the largest polluters, we will have to come to turns with the Climate Refugee Crisis. We're expecting the Maldives to go under, along with the Pacific Islands. Not to mention coastal land from sea to shining sea, we will have our own refugees seeking higher ground. We need to do this for our children, and our children's children. Unfortunately, many people in Congress and Senate now are in it for themselves and I believe it can root it down to one issue: the money. The fossil fuel industry, gas companies and the big polluters more millions, if not billions, into the coffers of both Republican and Democratic politicians. I take no corporate money - proudly so. To get a Green New Deal passed, we need to ban corporate donations, ban corporate lobbyists and clean out Washington D.C. Clean politics means a clean, renewable future for the many, not just for the few.

Thank you everyone for listening. I believe it is a Q&A session now, so I am open to questions anyone would like to ask."

[New Cobastheia]

"Increased funding for the Indian Health Service and grants Tribes can use to help fund their own health departments would be nice to see. Increased funding for the VA's healthcare system probably wouldn't hurt the campaign either if it's not already in there."

"I'm assuming it's a Medicare for All plan? You mind if I take a look?"

"Yeah, the team has just quickly added in what you recommended. Take a look. Let me know if I should change anything, or add anything, or remove anything." He turned his compute monitor over to Kath, so she could read it on his computer.

For the many, not the few



Medicare for All

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” - Martin Luther King

The United States of America spends more on healthcare as comparative to the GDP than any other country in the OECD. The logical conclusion would be that the United States would have better healthcare outcomes for our citizens, but that could not be further from the truth. In fact, the healthcare outcomes is in many cases lower than the outcomes from developing countries. Of all developed countries, the U.S. consistently performs worst in the categories of life expectancy, infant mortality and diabetes.

How is this possible?

The system is the problem. The corporate model of healthcare in America is rotten to its' core. Per person, the U.S. spends $848 just on administration costs - because of the bureaucratic jungle that is the private insurance industry. Further, monopolies of hospitals and of medicines has artificially jacked up the prices against the working people of this nation. When it comes down to it, the government is forced to deal with mafia-like middlemen in the insurance industry. Levi proposes a new system that transforms healthcare for the better in the U.S. and brings our country back in line with other develop countries who adopt universal healthcare.

How we're going to do it

There's no time to waste, there's no time for 'transition plans' or 'tentative solutions', the time is now or never. We're going to create a national insurance plan the covers everyone, from birth till death, that covers all medical costs. This coverage plan, called Medicare for All, expands the Medicare program, which is already very popular among those who must rely on it. Not only will Medicare for All cover the basic needs of American citizens, the Medicare for All plan will cover dental, mental health, maternity care, vision and substance abuse rehabilitation.

What we're going to do

• Pass a Medicare for All Bill in the first 6 months
  It's not crazy to propose Americans deserve healthcare as a right. That's why we will not wait on passing Medicare for All, as people in this country rely on the help immediately. We will pass a Medicare for All bill within the first six months, or sooner. This can be achieved by actively rallying in the states of reluctant Congressman or Senators to support Medicare for All, or passing as much as it through executive powers (if need be).
• Increase the funding for Indian Health Service
  The Native people of our land deserve more respect and deserve far better healthcare outcomes. To do so, we must increase funding for the Indian Health Service and grant more autonomy to Tribes to fund their own health departments. It's no longer the time of telling what the indigenous people need, but rather them allocating the health resources where they see it needed the most.
• Improve the Veteran's Health Administration with more funding
  Cuts to the VA by Republican administrations will just not do. The veteran's of our country laid down their lives for the sake of America and we must never abandon them, on the battlefield or at home. That's why we need to restore and increase the funding to the Veteran's Health Administration and reduce the waiting times for veterans. We must do this by employing more worker's in the Veteran Affairs Department to be able to cope with the high demand from our servicemen and women.
• Cap medical expenses
  Medicine in our country is too expensive. We will put price controls on all of the major medicines to prevent corporate monopolies from increasing costs for the benefit of CEO profit. This is very urgent, particularly for those who are in need of insulin and other medicines before Medicare for All is passed. The price controls will be based off the median price of that medicines in the UK, Australia, Canada and Germany.
• Expand mental health services
  It's time that mental health is taken seriously. We would increase funding for mental health services and anti-suicide services to prevent the scourge that is inflicting millions of Americans as we speak. With more people in our communities helping our friends, neighbors and family, it will mean people will be able to seek help when they need it.
• Permit people to purchase their medicine from overseas
  Currently, people who are suffering from medical conditions are not able to travel to Canada or overseas to purchase their prescription drugs at cheaper prices. This is absolutely wrong and there should be nothing to prevent desperate families in this nation from acquiring the right drugs for their children, family and so on. We will allow patients and pharmacists to purchase pharmaceutical drugs from outside of the US.

"I like it, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head to add but I'll let you know if I do."

Kathleen took another sip of her tea, wondering what, if anything, would be the next topic brought up be Levi.

[Puertollano]

"Yeah, the team has just quickly added in what you recommended. Take a look. Let me know if I should change anything, or add anything, or remove anything." He turned his compute monitor over to Kath, so she could read it on his computer.

For the many, not the few



Medicare for All

The United States of America spends more on healthcare as comparative to the GDP than any other country in the OECD. The logical conclusion would be that the United States would have better healthcare outcomes for our citizens, but that could not be further from the truth. In fact, the healthcare outcomes is in many cases lower than the outcomes from developing countries. Of all developed countries, the U.S. consistently performs worst in the categories of life expectancy, infant mortality and diabetes.

How is this possible?

The system is the problem. The corporate model of healthcare in America is rotten to its' core. Per person, the U.S. spends $848 just on administration costs - because of the bureaucratic jungle that is the private insurance industry. Further, monopolies of hospitals and of medicines has artificially jacked up the prices against the working people of this nation. When it comes down to it, the government is forced to deal with mafia-like middlemen in the insurance industry. Levi proposes a new system that transforms healthcare for the better in the U.S. and brings our country back in line with other develop countries who adopt universal healthcare.

How we're going to do it

There's no time to waste, there's no time for 'transition plans' or 'tentative solutions', the time is now or never. We're going to create a national insurance plan the covers everyone, from birth till death, that covers all medical costs. This coverage plan, called Medicare for All, expands the Medicare program, which is already very popular among those who must rely on it. Not only will Medicare for All cover the basic needs of American citizens, the Medicare for All plan will cover dental, mental health, maternity care, vision and substance abuse rehabilitation.

What we're going to do

• Pass a Medicare for All Bill in the first 6 months
  It's not crazy to propose Americans deserve healthcare as a right. That's why we will not wait on passing Medicare for All, as people in this country rely on the help immediately. We will pass a Medicare for All bill within the first six months, or sooner. This can be achieved by actively rallying in the states of reluctant Congressman or Senators to support Medicare for All, or passing as much as it through executive powers (if need be).
• Increase the funding for Indian Health Service
  The Native people of our land deserve more respect and deserve far better healthcare outcomes. To do so, we must increase funding for the Indian Health Service and grant more autonomy to Tribes to fund their own health departments. It's no longer the time of telling what the indigenous people need, but rather them allocating the health resources where they see it needed the most.
• Improve the Veteran's Health Administration with more funding
  Cuts to the VA by Republican administrations will just not do. The veteran's of our country laid down their lives for the sake of America and we must never abandon them, on the battlefield or at home. That's why we need to restore and increase the funding to the Veteran's Health Administration and reduce the waiting times for veterans. We must do this by employing more worker's in the Veteran Affairs Department to be able to cope with the high demand from our servicemen and women.
• Cap medical expenses
  Medicine in our country is too expensive. We will put price controls on all of the major medicines to prevent corporate monopolies from increasing costs for the benefit of CEO profit. This is very urgent, particularly for those who are in need of insulin and other medicines before Medicare for All is passed. The price controls will be based off the median price of that medicines in the UK, Australia, Canada and Germany.
• Expand mental health services
  It's time that mental health is taken seriously. We would increase funding for mental health services and anti-suicide services to prevent the scourge that is inflicting millions of Americans as we speak. With more people in our communities helping our friends, neighbors and family, it will mean people will be able to seek help when they need it.
• Permit people to purchase their medicine from overseas
  Currently, people who are suffering from medical conditions are not able to travel to Canada or overseas to purchase their prescription drugs at cheaper prices. This is absolutely wrong and there should be nothing to prevent desperate families in this nation from acquiring the right drugs for their children, family and so on. We will allow patients and pharmacists to purchase pharmaceutical drugs from outside of the US.

"I like it, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head to add but I'll let you know if I do."

Kathleen took another sip of her tea, wondering what, if anything, would be the next topic brought up be Levi.

"Well, I think that is about all. Thanks for coming around, and hopefully by the next time I see you we'll have a Working Families Party endorsement under our belt."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Governor Jonah Prendergast Jr.
@JPJ4USA

---

@CaliforniaLibertarian 's characterization of my remarks on immigration as being anti-refugee are mendacious and wrong. I refer him to the comments I made on @theposterpastor 's FromThePulpit. We concurred that America's role as the world's pre-eminent refuge for those fleeing destruction wasn't something to change, and that we do have a moral duty to help refugees.

Governor Jonah Prendergast Jr.
@JPJ4USA

---

Ordinary Americans want a reduction in the amount of economic migration to more manageable levels that do not impact public services. This is not an unreasonable demand, and characterizing the many thousands of Americans who feel this way, the many millions of Americans who voted for Arnold Wolf in part because of his promises to control economic migration, negatively stands not merely as an insult to his Republican colleagues, but also to the Republican electorate.

Governor Jonah Prendergast Jr.
@JPJ4USA

---

Congressman Vohoffsky is adopting a position of privilege, elitism and entitlement if he cannot bring himself to view this issue from the stance of the everyman, but that is hardly surprising for his form.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

FROM: [Governor Jonah Prendergast]
TO: [Senator James Goldwater]

James,

Don't throw any more fuel on the Vohoffsky fire, friend. Let him burn himself out, you've established your credentials on immigration and don't need to push the matter any more. Could you focus some more on economics? It'd benefit your standing when it comes to your aspirations to Cabinet.

Jonah

FROM: [Governor Jonah Prendergast]
TO: [Representative Thomas Volker]

Tom,

Vohoffsky's going crazy over immigration and lashing out at the base. He's entirely at odds with the party position and the President's promises to the American people. It's bad juju, and combine that with his bigging up of his 'AFM', it's like he wants to gouge out his own fiefdom in the G.O.P. Could make him a rival to you, I'd be concerned.

Also, how would you feel about Sen. Goldwater for Treasury or Commerce?

Jonah

[Sao Nova Europa]

FROM: [Governor Jonah Prendergast]
TO: [Senator James Goldwater]

James,

Don't throw any more fuel on the Vohoffsky fire, friend. Let him burn himself out, you've established your credentials on immigration and don't need to push the matter any more. Could you focus some more on economics? It'd benefit your standing when it comes to your aspirations to Cabinet.

Jonah

FROM: Senator James Goldwater
TO: Governor Jonah Prendergast

I will not reply anymore to Vohoffsky. I am sure that the GOP base can see who is on the right and who is wrong. I will instead focus on campaigning for less taxes, less spending and less regulations.

James

[Sarenium]

Jillian opened the door with a bright smile, "James! Welcome, come in, come in. Liam is working a late night tonight, he might be in later on," she gave him a brief hug before taking the two bottles of wine, "you shouldn't have! Perhaps we'll put one of these to use tonight!"

She wore jeans and a blue shirt. Her apron was still on as she led him through the foyer, into the sitting area, "take a seat, I'll turn down the heat very quickly and be right back."

She left both bottles of wine on the table, hurried into the kitchen, turning down the heat under her curry as she returned with two glasses of wine and the platter full of cheese. "Which would you prefer we open tonight?" she gestured to the red and white, "there is also a bottle of brandy or some beers we could go for instead."

“I have no preference, not a big drinker honestly just trying to be courteous... my wife likes the red though” he added sitting and relaxing “whatever you’re making smells great.”

She smiled, "thank you, my eldest gifted me a cookbook for Christmas, you tell me whether that was a subtle jab at my cooking or not. In my family, red was always for celebrations, perhaps we'll save that for a future celebration where our spouses can be with us. White wine was used to mark the beginning of a journey. Either that, or my parents were too heavy of a drinking couple," she poured two glasses of white wine, sat down and looked at James, "how are things in Michigan?"

[New Cobastheia]

"I like it, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head to add but I'll let you know if I do."

Kathleen took another sip of her tea, wondering what, if anything, would be the next topic brought up be Levi.

"Well, I think that is about all. Thanks for coming around, and hopefully by the next time I see you we'll have a Working Families Party endorsement under our belt."

"Hopefully, and if not we better make sure we can get an endorsement from Baganski if he decides not to run. I just have one last question before I head out, how come you didn't attack Westra after the Fox News interview?"

[Puertollano]

"Well, I think that is about all. Thanks for coming around, and hopefully by the next time I see you we'll have a Working Families Party endorsement under our belt."

"Hopefully, and if not we better make sure we can get an endorsement from Baganski if he decides not to run. I just have one last question before I head out, how come you didn't attack Westra after the Fox News interview?"

"I don't want to take the gloves off on him yet. He is an old friend, and for now, I will maintain my veneer of civility. As of now, he's not directly cutting into my support, but until that time arrives, I will stay away from publicly attacking him. For now, keep up your good criticism. The current, most blaring issue was his initial proclamation of being in favor of Medicare for All. Now we know he's clearly not, he's in favor of a public option that the majority of Americans need to buy into. That's an establishment Dem position, not a supposedly firebrand progressive position. It would be nice to make that distinction between Westra and I, if you would like to ever raise it on twitter or in the media."

[Dentali]

CNN Interview
02/25/2019
Senator Dayton



Allen: Good Evening, on the latest installment of our Meet the Candidates segment we speak with Senator Jillian Dayton. Senator Dayton was elected to the Virginia State Senate 2002, elected to Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District in 2006, became Governor of Virginia in 2014, and was elected to the Senate in 2018. She is currently running for President, Senator thank you for joining us today.

Dayton: Thanks for having me.

Allen: Senator their is a big Democratic field right now, what sets you apart from the others?

Dayton: I bring both executive and legislative experience with me. I was the Governor of the great state of Virginia, and as you said, before then I was a Congresswoman. However I'd consider my vision to be that which really sets me apart from my colleagues.

Allen: And what do you see in that vision?

Dayton: A future where the richest country in the world doesn't have almost 40 million Americans living in poverty. A future in which hard working Americans see their slice of the American pie improved. If you're working full time for a profitable major company, and the CEO of your company gets to pocket million-dollar bonuses, but you can't afford a new pair of shoes for your kids that isn't fair, that's what my Presidency would seek to restore to our nation, fairness.

Allen: so then the question is how do you accomplish that vision?

Dayton: Where do I begin? If you're a major company and you have employees who work fulltime and are on food stamps or any other poverty alleviation program, the Federal Government will bill you directly for it. We're going to introduce a fee schedule for treatments, a pharmaceutical benefits scheme that restricts the price of all prescription drugs down to $5, $10 or $15. I would also require that all future trade deals adhere not to a free trade principles, but to a fair trade principle. We're going to improve funding for all public schools, we're going to make a college education affordable. As Governor I introduced the Commonwealth Supported Places system, I would take that national. VUSE, which incorporated the CSPs, made college affordable to everyone. Interest free loans and repayments only kicked in once your income delivered you into the echelons of the middle class. There is much for us to tackle if we're going to put Fairness First, Health and Education is where it begins, its how we deliver jobs and education instead of jails and incarceration, to those who've been left behind the most. Of course it won't be easy, every President has had a list of goals, and they've never gotten everything they wanted done, but it starts here, with the vision.

Allen: Thats a lot of programs, how would you pay for it?

Dayton: I would introduce an income tax rate of 42.5% on all dollars earned over 1 million and all dollars earned over 5 million would be taxed at 49.5%. I want to point out that some of these programs would eventually pay for themselves to some degree, deferred payments for college education falls under this list and we'd actually save on payments for welfare programs when major companies are held accountable for sub-par wages. On corporate taxes, I would have three layers of taxation, reserving a 21% tax rate for small businesses, a 30% rate for medium businesses and a 35% rate for major businesses. This would allow small businesses in smaller states to retain their profits at higher degrees than mammoth corporations the size of Amazon or McDonald's. We'd seek to introduce a small 5% value added tax. I'm mindful of the extent to which a number of Americans feel the tax burden to be too high, for this reason, we would raise the single income 0% tax threshold to $15,000 and the family 0% threshold to $25,000. I can guarantee you that I want to reduce the federal deficit, but austerity and tax cuts won't do it. We've had top marginal rates as high as 70% in the past fifty years, my economic agenda won't punish or block personal ambition.

Allen: The top marginal tax rate was that high but with the number of exceptions and loopholes no one really paid that tax rate. Since the Wolf Tax Cuts our Government is taxing in more revenue than it was before the tax cuts... What do you say to those who believe that raising taxes at this point would damage the growth our country is seeing right now?

Dayton: These tax cuts trap the budget into austerity when times get tough, that isn't good bookkeeping, its dangerous planning for the future.

Allen: How is it trapping our budget in austerity? Even before the cuts we were running a deficit... and we are taking in more revenue now than before the cuts.

Dayton: Economists are agreed that the Wolf Cuts will widen inequality and lead to higher deficits. We would've taken in higher revenue in this economy without these cuts.

Allen: According to a recent CNN poll conducted in December, 67% of Americans view the American economy as "very or somewhat good", which is the highest number since February 2001 when 80% of people said so and it is trending up. The poll also said 68% of Americans believe the economy will be in good shape a year from now, which is the most optimistic outlook since 2003. Do you believe they are right? Why or why not?

Dayton: Our economy looks great on paper, our GDP Per Capita hasn't yet hit the levels of pre-2008, our economy isn't bad right now, I don't see why we can't make it work for more of us. There are still too many Americans living in poverty, and while our recovery from the Recession of '08 has led to a decent period of growth, the greatest gains in that growth have been seen in the accounts of the top 1%. We need to stop judging the quality of our economy by how good those most fortunate our society have it, and start looking at it through the lens of how many in our society struggle to make ends meet. That's fairer, that's what I, as President would do.

Allen: Lets move on to another topic... Healthcare is likely going to be the biggest issue of this election. Do you support Medicare for all? Why or why not?

Dayton: I believe in Healthcare that gives us choice. The current system doesn't let me see any doctor in my area, only the doctors on the same insurance as me. This isn't freedom or choice, its the robbery of that choice. I would introduce a multi-tiered public healthcare system, in short yes, Medicare-For-All would happen if I was President, but if you wanted to you could private health insurance to use on electives. I would introduce a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that would subsidize all prescription drugs to $5 or $10 depending on their price and also require non-branded drugs be offered in all pharmacies.

Allen: What do you say to those that wish to avoid the massive issues Britain, Canada and other countries with universal healthcare have with wait times, quality of care, and cancellation of surgeries?

Dayton: Those countries have better health systems than us. The United States ranks 37th for life expectancy, we lag behind for infant mortality rates, cancer survival rates and yet we spend approximately double other OECD Nations. All the while we have an opioid addiction crisis, prescription drugs bankrupting families and people rationing insulin. My plan comes in two steps, the first is the pharmaceutical negotiation I would enable Medicare to engage in, we're going to deliver cheap, sustainable prescription drugs. We'll do it through plain packaging and nationwide bargaining. Second, we're going to offer Medicare-to-all-who-want-it as we transition to a full single-payer health insurance system. In Britain, Canada, Australia and other nations with universal single-payer healthcare, you receive the care you need when you need it. Lives are lost in the United States because people can't afford their insulin, or opt for unsafe births to duck an exorbitant cost. There aren't massive issues with wait times in these countries that you've mentioned, that's a myth, its unfactual, its statistically just not true. Wait times are actually the same or shorter than in the United States. We have wait times here ourselves, insurance companies, not doctors and patients are deciding when you get the care you need. That isn't fair, medicare for all who want it is a step in the right direction and brings us closer to fairness in our health system.

Allen: At the end of last year, Canada had over a million procedures waitlisted, in England alone over 84 thousand operations were canceled last year for non-clinical reasons, almost 4 thousand were considered urgent. In the United States only 6% of patients wait 2 months or more to see a specialist. In the UK, that number is 19% and in Canada its 39%.

Dayton: In the United States patients don't have insurance, and die from lack of access to care. If you need critical care in Canada or the United Kingdom you receive it. These issues are presented in most nations with an ageing population, inadequate funding provided for senior care leading to hospital beds being used for long term treatment in place of acute care. It can take ages to see your insurance company's designated doctor in our country now, seeing a General Practitioner in most countries with Universal Healthcare is a that afternoon type of visit, in the United States, your insurance company may only direct you to a single doctor. My plan expands competition among General Practitioners, and other practitioners in general, ending the company-exclusive monopoly that exists.

Allen: Do you have any concerns that single payer healthcare could stifle innovation in the medical field?

Dayton: There isn't any reason for innovation to fall by expanding medicare to all who want it.

Allen: Lets discuss foreign policy. Do you agree with the President's trade war with China? Why or why not?

Dayton: Without tariffs that upend global trade, nobody wins a trade war, not least of all American Consumers. I would open a multifaceted multilateral negotiation with China that encompasses trade and China's IP theft of American companies.

Allen: What about their human rights abuses and the aggression in the South China Sea?

Dayton: These are all matters that the United States can discuss in all negotiations with China, my administration would be willing to have that conversation, we'll bring our allies on board. The only path to real success is a multilateral solution.

Allen: How do you get nations like China and India on board with lowering carbon emissions?

Dayton: We lead by example. We can't expect China or India to wind down coal when we pull out of multilateral agreements such as the Paris Agreement.

Allen: China signed the Paris agreement but didn’t meet the goals. The United States pulled out but did meet the goals. So why does it matter?

Dayton: The goals we set in the Paris Agreement are self-set, self-assessed goals. China's goals and efforts would remain weak and unmet for as long as there is no incentive for them to meet those goals. The United States' withdrawal is an abstention of responsibility, we are the world's largest economy, and biggest polluter, by withdrawing our peers and neighbours recognize no need to address Climate Change.

Allen: You said no incentive for China to meet the goals, as President what incentive would you set?

Dayton: Be embarrassed and out in the cold, or join the United States and lead by example. Past Presidents have all leveraged public opinion and been able to bring China on side, that alongside trade deals that incorporate environmental targets will bring China into a position of action on climate change.

Allen: How far are you willing to go to get China or India on board? I mean public opinion and condemnation haven't been able to get them to release Tibet or stop aggression in the South China Sea... if we can't 'embarrass' them into compliance, whats the option? Whats on the table?

Dayton: With both we can leverage trade and a thaw in relations for trade deals that are all encompassing.

Allen: We have time for one more question. You were a Governor and now you are a Senator but many will be learning about you for the first time in the coming months... what one major accomplishment are you most proud of during your time in public office?

Dayton: We did so much it'd be difficult to pick just one, but you know, I'm particularly proud of the Education Plan we brought in. It made the price of college no longer an obstacle for Virginians who wanted to stay in Virginia. It particularly benefited our communities where college admission had never happened across generations, and we had all these kids who would be the first in their family to get a college degree.

Allen: Senator thank you for your time

Dayton: Thanks for having me on, Allen!

[Azekopolaltion]

Tim Westra
@WestraNJ
timwestra.com

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Glad that Senator Dayton is making a #CorporateFreeloaderFee a central goal for her campaign. Proud to have introduced a Congressional bill several months ago to bill big companies that have workers on food stamps, although I don’t believe Senator Dayton cosponsored it.