ISSUES for Arlington City Council District #7

ISSUES

Healthcare

Texas needs a public-monopoly universal healthcare system. Through the process of expanding Medicare and phasing out private insurance and hospital management, the guarantee of care in sickness and health made to all other industrialized nations of the world can become a reality for Texans.

Education

Education is essential to the liberation of society and a fundamental charicteristic of being human. The war on educators must be stopped and the privatization and resegregation of K-12 schools must be reversed. Education, from pre-school to graduate school should be a right and should be funded by the state.

Clean Energy

Climate change threatens the very future of our civilization. Texas is an oil-rich land, but this non-renewable resource can be put to better use than polluting our air and water. Energy should be a public utility and take advantage of our clean and renewable resources, like wind, solar, and geothermal. Ban hydraulic fracturing.

Immigration

I believe that border security and integration of undocumented families into society are not mutually exclusive aims. The militarization of the border serves only to benefit military contractors; no walls and no military on the border. The USA must leave NAFTA and all other unfair trade treaties. Amnesty for all undocumented workers.

Workers' Rights

A $15 per hour minimum wage must be established as well as guaranteeing vacation time, sick leave, and maternity leave. The right to union representation in the workplace must be guaranteed to all workers. Violators of worker's rights must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Retirement

The attempts to privatize Social Security into a private-investers' ponzie-scheme and attacks on pensions must end. With a strong, secure, and universal Social Security system and pensions, all citizens should be guaranteed a comfortable retirement at the age of 60, with this age being lowered over time.

Business Reform

The upgrade to socialism will entail the consolidation of enterprises under public ownership. All business organization laws must be revised to recognize existing companies as free associations of equal partners with a fair division of labor. The state should subsidize employee buyouts of their businesses.

Prison Reform

The prison industrial complex must be addressed by banning private contract prisons and removinga all profiteering from the system. The practice of bail must be based on percentage of assets and not on set prices. Rehabilitation must be the main focus of correctional centers.

Abolish the death penalty.

Federal Government

Withdraw all US military personnel from all bases across the world. Bring all contract suppliers under federal ownership. End all financial support for the State of Israel. Incorporate the Federal Reserve into the US Treasury. Abolish the stock market casino and bring all publicly traded companies under public ownership.