WHY IT MATTERS:
We feel like our votes don’t count because they don’t count for much. Our government was the first modern democracy and as such it has many flaws. Instead of being angry with each other we need to start to make positive changes in our democracy. To make meaningful changes, we must first fully appreciate the root causes of the problems we face.
We become fatalists. We feel we are powerless to make changes. We become angry and blame each other as oppressors. We equate privilege with individual ill intent and call each other oppressors. We are afraid of being labelled oppressors ourselves, so we take steps to align ourselves with the oppressed while at the same time taking advantage of our economic and educational privileges.
Our system of voting is also inherently unjust. When we vote in an election, it is essentially a winner take all system. If our candidate loses we have no one who represents us. This means that if we have any hope of having any voice at all in government, we must align ourselves with one of two majority parties. This is generally known as choosing the lesser of two evils. This system of governance leaves us with very few choices and a sizable minority of us throughout the country with no representation at all. This needs to change.
Our government gives preferential treatment to those with wealth through a system of legalized bribery through unrestricted and unregulated campaign donations that are given with the expectation of a return on investment through government contracts, tax breaks, legislative favoritism, generally helping millionaires into billionaires while giving lip service to the average voter.
Our courts give preferential treatment to the wealthy. If you have money, you can buy a team of lawyers and buy a better outcome and if you are poor, you have an overworked and underpaid public defender who lacks the resources to go to trial and must plea out your case, leading to more frequent convictions and longer prison terms for the poor. Our laws are written to favor the wealthy campaign donors, and our supreme court judges are nominated by the same lawmakers who are beholden to the wealthy campaign donors. Our supreme justices then reinforce this unjust system by voting to support unlimited campaign donations from wealthy donors.
Our system of healthcare is heavily biased in favor of the wealthy. If we are wealthy we get excellent healthcare. If we are poor we get poor healthcare. Most health care is funded through our work. If we become ill, we may lose our healthcare and our wealth. The biggest cause of bankruptcy in the US is healthcare bills. In the US, we pay three times as much as similar countries for our health care and yet we get mediocre results. That is because insurance companies and drug companies are big campaign donors and get special treatment by public officials ensuring private profit and the expense of our health and welfare. People talk about Medicare for all but what they don’t realize is that Medicare is a healthcare monopoly largely run by private insurance contractors. Note that the concept that healthcare should be a right is a misnomer. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of movement, freedom to assemble, these are all rights. Healthcare, food, housing, education are all public goods that require resources, and while they are very worthwhile, they are not free. Anything that requires the free labor of others is an immorality called slavery. As a civil society, I believe that we should make sure that everyone has the opportunity to get their basic needs met. I also believe that working people should always have at least as many benefits as those who require public assistance. It is wrong to have the janitor in a hospital finding emergency services too expensive while a person disabled by addiction can - and some actually have - call an ambulance for free just to get a sandwich in the ER and then leave against medical advice afterwards.
We become fatalists. We feel we are powerless to make changes. We become angry and blame each other as oppressors. We equate privilege with individual ill intent and call each other oppressors. We are afraid of being labelled oppressors ourselves, so we take steps to align ourselves with the oppressed while at the same time taking advantage of our economic and educational privileges.
Our system of voting is also inherently unjust. When we vote in an election, it is essentially a winner take all system. If our candidate loses we have no one who represents us. This means that if we have any hope of having any voice at all in government, we must align ourselves with one of two majority parties. This is generally known as choosing the lesser of two evils. This system of governance leaves us with very few choices and a sizable minority of us throughout the country with no representation at all. This needs to change.
Our government gives preferential treatment to those with wealth through a system of legalized bribery through unrestricted and unregulated campaign donations that are given with the expectation of a return on investment through government contracts, tax breaks, legislative favoritism, generally helping millionaires into billionaires while giving lip service to the average voter.
Our courts give preferential treatment to the wealthy. If you have money, you can buy a team of lawyers and buy a better outcome and if you are poor, you have an overworked and underpaid public defender who lacks the resources to go to trial and must plea out your case, leading to more frequent convictions and longer prison terms for the poor. Our laws are written to favor the wealthy campaign donors, and our supreme court judges are nominated by the same lawmakers who are beholden to the wealthy campaign donors. Our supreme justices then reinforce this unjust system by voting to support unlimited campaign donations from wealthy donors.
Our system of healthcare is heavily biased in favor of the wealthy. If we are wealthy we get excellent healthcare. If we are poor we get poor healthcare. Most health care is funded through our work. If we become ill, we may lose our healthcare and our wealth. The biggest cause of bankruptcy in the US is healthcare bills. In the US, we pay three times as much as similar countries for our health care and yet we get mediocre results. That is because insurance companies and drug companies are big campaign donors and get special treatment by public officials ensuring private profit and the expense of our health and welfare. People talk about Medicare for all but what they don’t realize is that Medicare is a healthcare monopoly largely run by private insurance contractors. Note that the concept that healthcare should be a right is a misnomer. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of movement, freedom to assemble, these are all rights. Healthcare, food, housing, education are all public goods that require resources, and while they are very worthwhile, they are not free. Anything that requires the free labor of others is an immorality called slavery. As a civil society, I believe that we should make sure that everyone has the opportunity to get their basic needs met. I also believe that working people should always have at least as many benefits as those who require public assistance. It is wrong to have the janitor in a hospital finding emergency services too expensive while a person disabled by addiction can - and some actually have - call an ambulance for free just to get a sandwich in the ER and then leave against medical advice afterwards.
Offer shelter to anyone who needs it
I agree with the 9th Circuit Court that it is cruel and unusual punishment to make it a crime of vagrancy for those who don’t have other options.
When we stop giving wealthy donors fat city construction contracts, we will likely have significantly more resources for meaningful city projects like this.
When we stop giving wealthy donors fat city construction contracts, we will likely have significantly more resources for meaningful city projects like this.
Improve Public Transportation within our city.
Light rail is best for commuters going large distances, from city to city and are analogous to our interstate highways. Despite its name, light rail is heavy compared to other forms of public transit and is therefore more costly and difficult to build. Monorail and its lighter cousin Maglev can run down city streets on a single central pillar and because of their lighter construction they can also cross bridges more easily without major reconstruction. Their main drawback is they are elevated and block views. However, running along city thoroughfares like Aurora and Rainier, where the permitted building heights are already at 55 feet will have limited impact.
Reconsider the Monorail for public transit along major city thoroughfares. Also, the associated stops can double as pedestrian bridges that can tie divided neighborhoods like Fremont and Wallingford back together. Also, they can be built with parallel unobstructed bike and pedestrian lanes. This can make our city streets less congested with busses and cars and ultimately safer and more pedestrian friendly.
Reconsider the Monorail for public transit along major city thoroughfares. Also, the associated stops can double as pedestrian bridges that can tie divided neighborhoods like Fremont and Wallingford back together. Also, they can be built with parallel unobstructed bike and pedestrian lanes. This can make our city streets less congested with busses and cars and ultimately safer and more pedestrian friendly.
Expand public primary and secondary education opportunities.
For those who our current educational system has failed, particularly those who are more than a year behind their grade level. Offer them opportunities to learn at their own pace. For those who are high school age or older, allow for opportunities to live and work on campus.
