Mr. Bush, I gotcher plan right here

[thatcrazycajun]

Say what you will about the 1994 Gingrichistas' "Contract On With America" (and you can say plenty!), ya gotta give Newt & Co. props for one thing: having a coherent, specific statement of first principles and bold proposals in place can make any political movement that much more effective. (All but two of their 10 proposed laws passed the House only to get killed in the Senate, but hey...details, details.) With that in mind, here is my idea for a new analogue the Democratic leaders of the incoming Congress might consider. Opinions welcome.

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S NEW CONTRACT WITH AMERICA
10 proposed acts of legislation for the new Democratic-controlled 110th Congress:

1. The Balance of Powers Restoration Act
Forbids any President from arrogating unto him/herself or their office powers specifically granted by the Constitution solely to Congress or to the states, and any Congress from collusion in a President's attempt to do so, with severe penalties for violation including impeachment and imprisonment. Forbids a President from signing any bill into law conditionally, i.e., with "signing statements" announcing that s/he will choose which provisions of the law to abide by or ignore. Reaffirms that the Constitution does NOT grant the President line-item veto power and cannot without amendment to that effect being ratified through the usual Constitutionally-mandated process.

2. The Bill of Rights Restoration Act
Repeals those portions of any laws passed since 11 September 2001 which contravene the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights, in particular the USA PATRIOT Act. Reaffirms the rights of anyone accused of a crime, including "terrorism," to a fair and speedy trial in regular criminal courts with due process and full appellate rights, to be informed of the charges against them (habeas corpus), and to unrestricted examination of all evidence against them regardless of any alleged or real national security concerns. Reaffirms the right of citizens and the press to criticize the government and its actions free from fear of government retaliation or prosecution, and to be free from unlawful search, seizure or surveillance without a name-signed court order. Requires transparency and full public access to legislation and regulation making by both parties.

3. The Fiscal Responsibility Act
Repeals all tax cuts enacted for upper-class income earners. Forbids any future tax cuts not targeted to middle- and lower-class earners or at a flat rate for all earners. Revives the Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution forbidding Congress from passing any federal budget exceeding current net revenues in any given fiscal year and urges ratification by the states. Mandates that all federal contracts for goods and services from the private sector be subject to open and transparent bidding and negotiation, including military and Medicare/Medicaid. (No more no-bid contracts for the Halliburtons of the world, or bans on negotiating prescription-drug prices to enrich the GlaxoSmithKlines and Pfizers.) Repeal of all "corporate welfare" tax breaks for big business.

4. The Real Domestic Security Enhancement Act
Enacts and fully funds all recommendations of the 9/11 Commission not already made law. Provides added funding for securing our ports, train/bus stations and utility plants against terrorist attacks, including full inspection of all incoming cargo shipments.

5. The Immigration Sanity Act
Provides for fully funded security measures along our borders (no more partial fences), including state-of-the-art technological monitoring. Provides reasonable path to citizenship or legal residency for all undocumented immigrants currently in the US and not charged with any crimes. Prohibits vigilante groups like the Minutemen from "patrolling" borders and reaffirms that the Border Patrol is the only agency authorized to do so. Prohibits military elements from being used as border guards (posse comitatus). Assures full rights of due process and access to the court system to anyone charged with violating immigration laws.

6. The International Community Act
Establishes a formal dialogue among the US, the United Nations and interested parties in the Middle East region, such as the Arab League, with an eye to determining a process and timetable for honorably extricating our forces from Iraq and preventing further internecine violence there. Reaffirms the rights of all sovereign nations to decide political and governmental transitions themselves, free of unrequested US intervention. Reaffirms US support as a signatory to the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the ABM Treaty. Repeals pro-torture legislation and provides for reparations to those unlawfully detained and tortured.

7. The Environmental Restoration Act
Repeals the falsely-named 'Clear Skies' and 'Healthy Forests' Acts and replaces them with meaningful controls on deforestation and air/water pollution and severe penalties for violation. Provides funding for restoration of wetlands despoiled by development. Restores full funding and staff to the Environmental Protection Agency.

8. The Disaster Response Management Act (AKA the "No More Katrinas" Act)
Provides for speedy, fully funded and well-organized response to natural and manmade disasters within US borders and full integration of state and local governments into planning such response. Reorganizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) along lines proposed by a bipartisan commission study to rectify past mistakes and prevent future ones.

9. The Federal Election Reform Act
Outlaws private contributions larger than $1,000 to any federal-level political campaign (Congressional, Presidential elections) from any individual, for-profit company or group. (And no, George "Money = Speech" Will, I don't care if you think it violates your 1st Amendment rights. And don't give me that specious malarkey about how we spend more on chocolate in a month than on political campaigns in a year; chocolate is a commodity, government is not.) Mandates that such campaigns shall receive the majority of their funding solely from the federal government. Enhances enforcement of election laws and punishments for violations. Requires paper trails and independent audit for all elections using electronic voting machines, regardless of manufacturer.

10. The Corporate Executive Accountability Act
Requires full restitution by corporate executives found guilty of fraud to all investors, employees and other defrauded parties. Reaffirms the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to require transparency in corporate governance and adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) by publicly-traded companies.

The Democratic leaders of each House should pledge to enact all of the above legislation within the first 100 days of convening the new Congress, and invite the voters of both parties and all political philosophies hold them accountable for failure to do so or for any adverse effects of such laws' being enacted. What do y'all think?

Comments

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

Nothing on pensions? (the last does not count, and how do you collect from a corpse?)

Nothing on health care? (The Medicade/Medicare is a gimme and is only a baby step)

Nothing on education?

Nothing to bring economic development and opportunit to economicly depressed areas?

Nothing to address the lack of econmic access that disproportionately impacts minority communities? (e.g., Digital inclusion)

Not nearly bread and butter enough. Too much white liberal guy looking for payback. Not enough "just make the Goddam system work so that we can get on with our lives with some sense that we do not hover on the brink of disaster that will engulf us and our families."

You need something along the lines of Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms."

I have a lengthier piece I want to write on the new economic populism But for a catchy program slogan:
Security & Opportunity:

1) Security from sickness -- we will bring down the cost of healthcare and universal insurance. The savings of a lifetime will not be wiped away in one catastrophic illness.

2) Security for the future -- Companies can no longer discharge pension obligations in bankruptcy. Pensioners will be given the status of secured creditors and maintaining pension obligations will be considered a key goal under Chapter 11.

3) Security for small businesses -- increased antitrust, reregulation of natural monopolies, relief from the crushing burden of funding health insurance.

4) Security for our children -- education nvestment.

5) Security that your government is accountable to you -- lobbying reform.

6) Opportunity for ALL Americans -- targeted economic stimulus to bring broadband and other tools that empower communities to rural America and underserved minority communities.

7) Opportunities for NEW Americans -- immigration reform with a path to citizenship.

8) Opportunity for future generations of Americans -- preserving the environment.

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

I don't think "white liberal guy looking for payback" is a fair chararcterization of my list. With the possible exception of #1, I'm not looking for payback nearly as much as putting back in place the safeguards against abuse of the public trust and resources that the GOP spent the past decade shredding. And you can only do so much in a 10-point list.

Besides, come on, Hal! Saving the environment isn't "bread and butter" enough for you? Or lowering the cost of Rx drugs? Or saving people's homes and businesses from wreckage by cargo-bomb-smuggling terrorists and future Katrina-level disasters? Or their pensions and stocks from looting by crooked CEOs? And your list includes government accountability -- same as mine. But I'm open to negotiation.

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

Addendum: I should also point out that my list was only intended as a recommendation for action in the first hundred days. All of the things you mention are absolutely important, and the Dems should tackle them -- after undoing the damage the GOPers did to the social safety net and the regulatory apparatus.

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

To whom are you appealing?

The thing about the Contract With America was that it was a catchy way to communicate stark ideological differences in a way that caught on with the electorat -- although how much that was true and how much it was just "time for a change" dynamic working.

If you look at our lists, most of what I have is repackaging, with the exception that I am puting economic development for depressed areas on the agenda ASAP. Ohio, IN, and KY flips were a lot about the economy of those regions remaining in the dumps.

[wouldyoueva.livejournal.com]

I'm not so crazy about a balanced budget amendment. There are technical reasons for running a slight deficit (big honking deficits are still bad).

How about replacing it with removing the words "over 65" from the Medicare regulations? Anyone who wants Medicare can get it. There would be a sliding scale for payment to fund it. With a 14% overhead, it would still be cheaper than what we have now.

Until Monday I was getting $330 unemployment, and my health insurance was $600/month. Of course I let it lapse for the week in between the beginning of the month and my hire date, but I was scared that whole 6 days. I would have been OK with having Medicare as a backup.

And while we're on the subject: drop the taxes on unemployment. It makes more sense to tax capital gains than the income of someone who's lost his/her job.

And we need to bring up the minimum wage.

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

Good ideas all. I'm absolutely for rolling back the cap-gains tax cut to the pre-Reagan Administration tax level. And making Medicare/Medicaid universal may be the only way we can ever hope to see universal single-payer health care in this country. Having been unemployed for way too much time myself, I can also live without the compensation tax. And our sub-living-wage minimum is a scandal to the jaybirds.