MY PLATFORM
EDUCATION
Tuition-Free Higher Education for All — and a Student Loan Bail-Out
Student loan debt in the U.S. has reached nearly $1.4 trillion — which is killing the social mobility inherent in higher education. I support tution-free public colleges and universities for American families who make less than $100,000 a year. Successful businesses require highly specialized workers to compete. It only benefits the nation to invest in its greatest asset: the workforce. The banks directly responsible for the 2008 financial collapse — that cost millions of Americans their homes, retirements savings, and careers — received bailouts to the tune of $29 trillion. These banks were actively participating in fraud and working against the American people for profit. They deserved to be prosecuted, but instead, got bonuses. Does that sound fair to you? I intend to do the unthinkable: introduce legislation that is the first of its kind: a Student Loan Bailout.
HEALTH CARE
Single-Payer Universal Coverage at a 25% Savings
Twenty-five percent of every healthcare dollar goes for administrative and profit for insurance companies. I support Medicare-for-all — known as single-payer — now — and will continue to support it without deviation. The current state of healthcare is predatory and cruel. Profit-driven insurance pharmaceutical companies maximize their profits by price gouging suffering individuals and families into bankruptcy. Americans go broke paying for-life saving procedures and medications that cost a fraction of the U.S. price in other Western democracies. Taxpayers should not be forced to choose between vital healthcare services and housing, utilities, transportation, or food. The notion of penalizing individuals with “pre-existing conditions” that they were born with, by no choice of their own — for profit — is reprehensible. My opponent, Tom Graves, was among the first to propose defunding the Affordable Care Act and has since shown zero interest in solving the healthcare issues of the people he represents. He has proudly championed the Trump administration’s tax cut — which threw 13 million Americans off their health insurance —and promoted the measure as “reform.”
MENTAL HEALTH
The state of America’s Mental Health Care is a Disgrace
With the current administration’s vow to kill the Affordable Care Act — America has zero comprehensive approach to mental health care. As a result, the criminal justice system has become the dumping ground of our family and love ones with mental health issues. This is ghastly, inhumane, and unworthy of our great country. I will endeavor to include comprehensive mental health care within our universal coverage.
NET NEUTRALITY
Free and Open Access to the Internet
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) — under the present administration — has removed the 25-year ruling that the internet is a utility — and as such — must provide equal access (net neutrality) to all subscribers. Instead, they want to allow your ISP (Internet Service Provider) — think Comcast, AT&T, Verizon — to carve up the internet and sell it off website-by-website. There is NOTHING good about this. I will fight to restore net neutrality by stand-along legislation.
MONEY IN POLITICS
Unlimited Money in Elections Has Turned Our Democracy into an Oligarchy with Endless Political Bribery
In 2010 — with the Citizens United decision — the Supreme Court decided to flip our democracy — from one-person-one-vote to one-dollar-one-vote — allowing virtually unlimited corporate money into our elections. Consequently, our legislators work exclusively on behalf of corporations and their wealthy donors — not their constituents. That’s why I have signed a legally binding contract with Georgia’s 14th district. This contract, drafted by the Citizen’s Coalition for Democratization, requires me, if elected, to introduce legislation that overturns Citizens United, ends partisan gerrymandering, reforms campaign finance laws, and ties congressional salaries to the national median income. Unless this the starting point, no one can be an honest candidate and representative of the people of whom they are asking for votes. Simply put, I’m here to work for we, the people – NOT WALL STREET.
TAX REFORM
Corporations and Individuals with High Assets Should Pay Their Fair Share — Plain and Simple
My main goal is to work towards closing tax loopholes to ensure that corporations are taxed fairly just like the rest of us. I'll also fight to pass the Taxpayer Protection Act, that prevents large corporations like Wal-Mart from reaching into our pockets to pay their employees' salaries and benefits. That's supposed to be their responsibility, not ours. The notion that many full time Wal-Mart employees have to go on food stamps to feed their families is absurd.
Veterans
Let's Help Those Who Have Risked Their Lives for Our Freedom
Speaking to your doctor over a webcam to avoid driving 300 miles for inadequate VA healthcare services doesn't cut it. If you have a military I.D. you should be able to walk into any hospital in any state and received treatment from any doctor you choose. I intend to introduce legislation that does exactly that. Furthermore, if a veteran has become homeless after serving in the United States military, it is our moral duty to take a piece of that $700 billion military budget and put a roof over their head? This country has failed its veterans. It's time to stop ignoring it and take action.
MINIMUM WAGE
Everyone Should Be Working for a Wage They Can Live by
Americans are overworked and underpaid. CEO bonuses, corporate earnings, and workplace productivity have all skyrocketed since the 70s — while wages have remained uncoupled from productivity. With a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour and the ever-increasing cost of housing, education, healthcare, and transportation — workers simply cannot make ends meet with one job alone. Intentional worker insecurity may maximize profits for millionaires and billionaires, but a robust middle class strengthens the economy for everyone. That’s why I support a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour. Additionally, I will work to strengthen unions, guarantee workers a 40-hour work week, close the gender pay gap, and ensure paid maternity leave.
PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT PRISONS
An Industry Incentivized by Increasing the Prison Population is Inherently Corrupt
More Americans — pro rata — are incarcerated more than any other country in the world. For-profit prisons create corrupt and Anti-American incentives to build-and-fill more prisons. These wealthy and highly profitable companies line the pockets of politicians to sustain the medieval prison-industrial complex — which must be broken-up and outlawed.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Protecting Nature for Future Generations
When an oil giant like Exxon Mobil can admit that greenhouse gasses from fossil fuels have significantly contributed to climate change, the debate is settled. Unfortunately, corrective action cannot be taken when U.S. Representatives and Senators profit from denying it. Addressing the effects of climate change is an enormous undertaking and while we may not be able to reverse the damage, we can stop its progression by investing in solar, wind, and geothermal energy. We must adapt. We must overhaul our business and residential infrastructure to withstand the extreme weather events that result from climate change. These proposed solutions require thousands of new, good-paying, meaningful jobs. Solving climate change can be damn good for business.