[Peace-discuss] Tentative platform of the Prairie Green chapter of the Illinois Green party - per approval

[C. G. Estabrook]

Some comments, by the numbers:

1.    Corporatism – It’s wrong to say money is not speech, when the only way individuals or groups can address the political community is by paid advertising. We can and should restrict political contributions, but it would be better to insist that electronic media provide free and equivalent time to all candidates, and not try to restrict money used for speech (which violates the First Amendment).

2.    Wars and Militarism – Go as far as Ron Paul and demand the closing of all 1,000 US overseas military bases and the return of all overseas US troops (and mercs); and the conversion of the military budget to a new WPA, to employ those demobilized soldiers, sailors, mercs, and defense contractors (and all other citizens in need of a job) in useful work.

3.    Human Rights – Open borders, as a century ago. Citizenship for non-citizens who have lived in the US for a year or more; path to citizenship for new immigrants.

4.    Worker Rights and Jobs –  A guaranteed annual income at a living wage for all citizens.

5.    Government –  Proportional representation, at least in the House of Representatives. All votes must count.

6.    Elections –  Being a citizen automatically entitles one to vote where s/he lives (even the homeless).

7.    Criminal Justice and Prisons – Decriminalize all drugs, as in Portugal. Control of dangerous drugs (like food additives, tobacco) as a civll not criminal matter.


> On May 20, 2015, at 9:47 PM, Karen Aram <karenaram at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I had forgotten that we have this as our tentative platform, so as long as it complies with the Green Party Illinois, perhaps we might circulate for amendments or change, and then vote on its adoption tomorrow?
> 
>  
> From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net <mailto:davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net>
> To: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net <mailto:davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net>
> Subject: Tentative platform of the Prairie Green chapter of the Illinois Green party - per approval
> Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2015 08:27:03 -0500
> 
> Tentative platform of the Prairie Green chapter of the Illinois Green party
> 1.    Corporatism – Firmly establish that money is not speech, corporations are not people and only people have Constitutional rights. End corporate influence over the political process. End corporate welfare that enriches the few and instead treat government investment as something that all profit from, ensure corporations pay their fair share by ending corporate loopholes and tax subsidies and put in place a global tax so that off-shoring of money does not avoid taxes. Protect people and the environment from damage by corporations and end corporate trade agreements and partnerships that undermine consumer, labor and environmental protections.
> 2.    Wars and Militarism – End wars and occupations, end private for-profit military contractors and end the weapons export industry. War crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against peace must be addressed and those responsible held accountable under international law. Reduce the national security state and demilitarize the police.
> 3.    Human Rights – End exploitation of people in the US and abroad. End discrimination in all forms (race, gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity), guarantee equal civil rights, and the right of people to travel across borders to work and live. Make the Universal Declaration of Human Rights a reality.
> 4.    Worker Rights and Jobs – Guarantee that all working-age people have the right to safe, just, non-discriminatory and dignified working conditions, a sustainable living wage, paid leave and economic protection. Put in place policies that allow worker owned and managed businesses, e.g. worker-owned cooperatives, so workers can build wealth and have greater control over their economic lives.
> 5.    Government – Guarantee that all processes of the three branches of government are be accountable to international law, transparent and follow the rule of law. Respect the civil rights of government employees. Create a work environment in government that empowers service to people, participation, honesty and integrity and that protects whistleblowers. Build policies and infrastructure that allow people to participate in decision making.
> 6.    Elections – Guarantee that all citizens 18 and older have the right to vote without barriers and establish universal voter registration. Guarantee that all candidates have the right to be heard in open debates and to run with low-threshold ballot access laws. Count all votes in a transparent method open to the public. Institute new voting systems so that more than majority views are represented, e.g. proportional representation; and voting systems that avoid voting based on fear of the greater evil, e.g. instant run-off or ranked choice voting. Create a level playing field by funding public elections with public dollars and clean election laws. Require that all donations directly and indirectly to elections should be transparent, i.e. no anonymous funding of elections.
> 7.    Criminal Justice and Prisons – end stop and frisk and other racial profiling police practices that lead to police harassment,  brutality and even killings of civilians; respect constitutional rights against search and seizure, right to counsel and against self-incrimination. End the drug war and adopt a public health, evidence-based drug policy that respects individual rights and does not rely on law enforcement. End private for-profit prisons, end mandatory sentencing, recognize prisoners have the right to humane and just conditions with a focus on rehabilitation and reintegration into society and abolish the death penalty. Police need to protect the right to peaceably assemble to redress grievances and the right to Freedom of Speech without infiltration or other police practices that undermine those rights.
> 8.    Healthcare – Create a national, universal and publicly financed comprehensive health system, i.e. improved Medicare for All, which provides full health coverage throughout life with no out-of-pocket costs. Promote wellness in public policy. Recognize that health is a human right not a commodity.
> 9.    Education – Guarantee that all people have the right to a high quality, publicly-funded and broad education from pre-school through vocational training or university.
> 10.                       Housing – Guarantee that all people have the right to affordable and safe housing. End predatory mortgage and foreclosure practices.
> 11.                       Environment – Adopt policies which effectively create a carbon-free and nuclear free energy economy and that respect the rights of nature. Confront climate change with a rapid and comprehensive transition to an energy efficient, wind, solar and other renewable source-based economy that ends the wasteful use of energy. End the extractive economy and move toward a circular system where there is no waste and everything is re-used. Remake land use planning to support a healthy environment.
> 12.                       Finance and the Economy – Break up the too big to fail banks, develop public banks in every state and major city, encourage community banks and credit unions, create local stock exchanges to allow investment in local communities and create microfinance loans to encourage entrepreneurship and support local businesses and Worker owned and controlled cooperatives. Re-make the Federal Reserve into a transparent, democratic institution that responds to the needs of the economy and not to the needs of big banks. Put limits on the discrepancy between worker and executive pay. End policies which foster a wealth divide and move to a localized and democratic financial system. Guarantee that people’s deposits are protected and that the public does not pay for financial institutions that fail. Reform taxes so that they are progressive and provide goods, monetary gain and services for the people including creating a guaranteed national income.
> 13.                       Media – End the concentration of media by a small number of corporations. Democratize the media by recognizing that the airwaves and the internet are public goods and recognize independent and citizen’s media as legitimate media outlets. Require that media be accurate and accountable to the people and that the internet be accessible to all people, respect people’s privacy and promote the sharing of information.
> 14.                       Food and Water – Create systems that protect the land and water, create local, affordable and sustainable food networks, encourage community supported agriculture and farmer’s markets and diversify local food supplies so that food does not depend on transit over long distances. Encourage organic food production free of chemicals and end genetically modified foods. Guarantee the right to produce and harvest seeds. Stop commodification of water and guarantee access to water as a public good.
> 15.                       Transportation – Provide affordable, clean and convenient public transportation and safe spaces for pedestrian and non-automobile travel. Develop land use planning that creates walkable and bikeable communities, with mass transit so that people do not depend on automobiles. Improve travel by train, rapid transit and commuter rails, so people are not dependent on air travel and automobiles.

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