Greens Challenge Democrats in Congress on Wages, Health Care, Ethics : lvimc

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org

Monday, November 27, 2006

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@greens.org

* Greens challenge Democrats in Congress to support economic security for Americans

* Living wages; national health insurance; repeal of bankruptcy bills that hurt Americans in debt; more citizen oversight over ethics in Congress; renegotiation of 'free trade' pacts

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In the wake of their takeover of Congress on Election Day 2006, Green Party leaders urged Democrats to reverse their party's current pro-corporate direction and to address the financial security of working Americans.

Green candidates ran for office in the 2006 on a platform based on economic justice, support for working people, reduction of the economic gap between America's rich and America's poor, and restrictions on corporate power.

"The current Democratic agenda in Congress offer working Americans a Robber Baron Era that's just a shade kinder and gentler than the Republicans' Robber Baron Era," said Liz Arnone, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States. "Democrats have no right to call themselves the 'party of the people' until they repudiate the influence of the Democratic Leadership Council, leaders like Rahm Emmanuel, and the party's corporate benefactors, and restore economic stability for working people."

o Greens challenged Democrats to push for a guaranteed living wage and the universal basic income, not just a modest hike in the current minimum wage.

"Any American who works 40 hours a week deserves enough to live on, along with benefits -- to be able to pay for housing and the basic necessities for one's self and up to three dependents," said Jim Coplen, also a co-chair of the national Green Party. "The Democrats' proposed 75 cent increase is just a minimal improvement over the Republicans. Working Americans need a living wage, and all Americans deserve the basic income guarantee."

More: http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/economics.html#241660

o Greens challenged Democrats to repeal recent 'bankruptcy bills' that gave banks, credit card companies, debt collectors, and other financial instutions increased power over Americans who face financial difficulties

"In April, 2005, 72 Democrats handed President Bush, the Republicans, and corporate America a victory over middle- and low-income Americans," said Rebecca Rotzler, co-chair of the Green Party and Deputy Mayor of New Paltz, New York. "The bill allowed creditors to demand higher payments before and after bankruptcy, drove up bankruptcy filling fees and minimum payments in repayment plans, and let millionaires escape their debts by hiding their money in exemptions and trusts. It was passed without amendments that would have blocked abuses of bankruptcy laws by corporations like Enron. We demand that Democrats in Congress replace this bill with protections for Americans who owe money."

More: http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_04_21.html

o Green challenged Democrats to support a plan for national health insurance. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) has regularly introduced legislation for such a program, which would cover every American regardless of age, income, residence, or prior medical condition; provide choice of health care provider; and cost working Americans far less than they currently pay for coverage.

Greens noted that, although the Democrats' '100 hours' agenda include reform of the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill and repeal of the clause prohibiting Medicare's ability to negotiate with drug companies, Democrats will not allow Medicare to offer its own prescription drug plan.

"Without an alternative plan, Medicare will have no teeth when it negotiates for lower prices for drugs," said Steve Kramer, co-chair of the Green Party, who noted that many Green candidates for state office in 2006 had placed guaranteed health plans among the top of their campaign themes. "Leading Democrats like Hillary Clinton are among the top recipients of campaign contributions from pharmaceutical manufacturers and corporate health insurers, which explains why Americans won't get either adequate prescription drug coverage or national health insurance as long as Democrats and Republicans hold exclusive power."

More: http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2006_08_24.shtml

http://www.pnhp.org (Physicians for a National Health Program)

o Greens challenged Democrats to restore the right of citizens to investigate and file suit against Congress.

In 1997, the U.S. House voted to prohibit outside groups from directly filing complaints with the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

"Since 1997, watchdog organizations like Congressional Accountability Project, Judicial Watch, and Common Cause have been barred from holding Congress members accountable for ethics violations, and have been frustrated with the refusal of Congress members to investigate possible violations by their peers," said George DeCarlo, Chair of the Green Party of New Jersey. "The result has been Enron economics -- more corporate corruption, more corporate control over Congress, and less economic security for Americans."

More: http://www.gp.org/press/pr_04_01_04.html

o Greens also challenged Democrats to repeal Taft-Hartley restrictions on workplace organizing; to renegotiate international trade agreements (NAFTA, CAFTA, etc.) that have placed power in unelected economic authorities, to the detriment of labor and human rights as well as the environment; and to prohibit federal contracts and subsidies for corporations like Halliburton that avoid paying U.S. taxes through offshore accounts.

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
1700 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 404
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193

http://socialistworker.org/2006-2/609/609_03_Expect.shtml

"The Democrats won?t pose a real alternative to the Republicans--unless they face pressure from below."

Here's something else to challenge the Democrats on--gettiin' the fuck out of Iraq ..!

http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/11/30/ap3217540.html

Associated Press
Iraq Panel Set to Urge Troop Pullback
By LOLITA C. BALDOR 11.30.06, 2:37 PM ET

A bipartisan commission on U.S. policy in Iraq will urge a pullback of some U.S. troops in Iraq ... The Iraq Study Group's report, to be released next Wednesday, will press for a greater shift in responsibility for the country's security from American to Iraqi forces. It will also "acknowledge that the presence of (U.S.) troops is part of the problem" in Iraq, said the official, who requested anonymity because the panel's recommendations have not been made public.

REPEAT: It will also "acknowledge that the presence of (U.S.) troops is part of the problem" in Iraq ...

Finally! We got 'em on the ropes! Don't let up! RUB IT IN! Finish 'em off! Saturday, March the 17th, 2007 (the anniversary) should be the biggest peace march the state of Nevada has ever seen--shut The Strip the fuck down! You people are anti-war protesters, aren't you? ACT LIKE IT! END THIS, ONCE AND FOR ALL!

http://www.nvdems.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-47.html

Nevadamjz
09-05-2005, 10:25 AM

Prior to his being fired, Saab Lofton christened himself as the spokesperson for everyone of color, and used his column to promote his agenda. This is what voters were reading and seeing all across the Valley as the voice of Black Las Vegas. Thankfully, he's gone and the people who are actually in the trenches may begin to get some attention ... How the entire Democratic Party responds in the coming weeks and months will be critical in how the nation views us as a party.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1203-15.htm

We've got to repudiate, you know, the most strident and insulting anti-American voices out there sometimes on our party's left... We can't have our party identified by Michael Moore and Hollywood as our cultural values.
? Al From, CEO, Democratic Leadership Council

You know, let's let Hollywood and the Cannes Film Festival fawn all over Michael Moore. We ought to make it pretty clear that he sure doesn't speak for us when it comes to standing up for our country.
? Will Marshall, President of the Progressive Policy Institute, the think-tank of the DLC

... as y'all can see, the Democratic Party canNOT be trusted--not for a millisecond ...

http://socialistworker.org/2006-2/609/609_03_Expect.shtml

"The Democrats won?t pose a real alternative to the Republicans--unless they face pressure from below."

http://coanews.org/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=1269

"Democratic leadership, in its infinite wisdom, has apparently decided it's most important not to offend that minority of voters who still cling to the basic righteousness of the Bush crusade. Maybe some of them can still be convinced to vote for a Democrat in 2008 if the Dems show they are willing to 'let bygones be bygones.'"

http://eatthestate.org/11-06/CoddlingCriminals.htm

Coddling Criminals
by Lansing Scott

Think that Democrats taking both houses of Congress means getting accountability for Bush and his underlings guilty of impeachable offenses and war crimes? Think again.

Clearly, Conyers was told that he'd have to toe the party line if he hoped to chair Judiciary; principle would have to give way to a centrist Democratic strategic calculation of offending no one. One problem with the Dems' "non-offensive offensive" is that a recent Newsweek national poll showed 53 percent of Americans thought impeachment should be on the agenda (either as a "top" or "lower" priority). But wait, maybe the clever centrist Dems have decided not to be fooled by such numbers. Maybe there is a method to their madness. Maybe it's okay to offend the majority of people who believe in holding public officials accountable for breaking laws. After all, who else are they gonna vote for, the Green Party? Democratic leadership, in its infinite wisdom, has apparently decided it's most important not to offend that minority of voters who still cling to the basic righteousness of the Bush crusade. Maybe some of them can still be convinced to vote for a Democrat in 2008 if the Dems show they are willing to "let bygones be bygones."

WTF?! ... Why not just issue every administration official a "Get Out of Jail Free" card?

Once again, the Democratic Party has shown how to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. As a result, we all lose. Unless, of course, the majority of Americans can convince the new Democratic Congress to do its job and hold government officials accountable for breaking laws. How? The usual: Organize to build public pressure ... If a groundswell is created at local levels, Congress will eventually have to pay attention. Let's get busy. The Democratic Party leadership has announced that it won't do the right thing without us.