What do you want from government?

[merrily]

Last edited Tue Sep 16, 2014, 05:49 AM - Edit history (2)

I want these things.


Drinkable water

Breathable air

Good health care that everyone who needs health care can access, including appropriate, humane care and facilities for segments of the population with special needs, like mental and emotional illness

Our Constitutional rights, no word games, just our rights

Clean elections

People in office, including in federal agencies, who actually represent voters and the general public, not lobbyists and big business

Peace

Jobs with safe working conditions and fairness to employees for everyone who wants a job

Protection from retaliation if we want to unionize

Affordable, safe housing and efforts to end homelessness

Affordable, good education

Safe cities and towns, safe from criminals and safe from rogue law enforcement

Did I mention jobs?

A fair, progressive system of taxation

An honest, reliable banking system

Maybe a couple of frills, like some safe, well maintained national parks and something like the BBC

Oh, and jobs.

What do you want from government?

[arcane1]

1. To defend the citizens' interests against that of industry.

[merrily]

4. I see now I should have numbered the items on my list, but

doesn't this one from my list kind of cover that:

People in office, including in federal agencies, who actually represent voters and the general public, not lobbyists and big business

("office" refers to public office, whether elected or appointed)

[arcane1]

5. Indeed, it's pretty much the common theme, now that I think about it.

All else follows!

[merrily]

14. Great observation. I hadn't thought of it that way myself--and I wrote it!

Thanks!

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. Sounds like a decent list overall. For my own socialistic wish list, I'd add/refine to

equality and social justice - equal pay, marriage equality, no firing or kicking someone out or refusing service because of gender/transgender, sexual preferences. No parking dumping grounds next to poor areas while leaving rich ones clean and free of toxins. Revamping and elimination of racial disparities in the justice system.

a living minimum wage that also adjusts with the actual cost of living, not some 'inflation index' that doesn't include key components of modern life.

no corporate interference in public matters - no private prisons, no public funding of private schools, no use of 'mercenaries' by the government.

state run banking

nationalized utilities.

government run for-profit enterprises that compete with private sector ones that have to maintain profitability and pay back their start-up costs, so that profits might be used to fund other government needs instead of taxes.

not only single payer health care, but nationalized healthcare.

Pre-Reagan tax brackets up to a marginal rate of 90% above some certain point. Transaction fees on stock trades. Equality of taxation on income and non-work monetary gains. Much higher estate taxes on inheritances above 5 million or so.

[merrily]

6. I think some of the items on your list

are covered by, on my list, Constitutional rights, clean air and water (which you are not going to get by dumping) and things like fairness to workers and a fair, progressive tax system

I didn't break it down as much you did because I am purposely trying to keep it simple and brief. My premise is that we keep being urged to contact this one and that one in government and "tell him/her you want XYX." However, discerning what we want is not that hard. they already know. They just are not giving it to us.

no privatization of public things--could that be covered by people in public offices including agencies, representing the general public and not lobbyists or big business?

Would you mind giving me a sentence or two about what you think state banks would give us or do for us that, say, credit unions do not?

Nationalized health care--I am going to edit my list to include something like that, but call it good health care that everyone who needs health care can access. Can you live with that?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

7. I know they were, which is why I added 'refine' as well as 'add' to my title.

As to state banks, it's mainly economy of scale, as well as keeping them under a mantle where the public can demand more accountability of workers because they're actually governmental employees.

I didn't understand that you were actually looking for input as to how to expand your list, I just thought you were asking the rest of us what our lists would be

[merrily]

8. I am not being flip but do you feel the public really has accountabiity from

public entities? I don't know if I do. As long as our only voting choices are (a) nuts (b) not nuts and (c) forget about winning, I don't see accountability.

I do want to be inclusive. For example, leaving out health care was a massive lapse on my part.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

9. Well, that is predicated upon a functional government, which I admit we don't really have right now.

But I certainly hope we get back to at some point. But without a functional government, we don't really have accountability for anyone, public or private.

[merrily]

11. I don't think we do have accountability for anyone. If anything,

I think we have more accountability from the private sector because we can withhold our dollars. However, since government threw anti-trust laws and merger restrictions down the hopper, private companies got so huge and rich that you would have to have a hell of a massive boycott before you could make a dent. All I've even gotten trying to hold government accountable is frustrated.

[LiberalEsto]

3. Protection against robbers and thieves

particularly the corporate variety

Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, all those nice things.

[merrily]

10. So Constitutional rights, safe cities and towns and people in

public offices who truly represent the people and not lobbyists and big business? If you think in broad brush strokes, would those phrases cover what you posted?

[LiberalEsto]

12. Pretty much

and concerning safe cities and towns, I include protection of the poor, homeless, etc. from those who prey on them, including greedy landlords, predatory financial institutions and corrupt cops and politicians.

[merrily]

13. In my list "safe cities and towns" is followed by something like "safe from

criminals and safe from rogue law enforcement." And, yes, of course, that includes safe for everyone.

Corrupt politicians I think is covered by politicians who truly represent the general public, not lobbyists and big business. You can't truly represent the general public and be corrupt at the same time. But, maybe I should something about people in public office not gratifying their greed and power trips.

Greedy landlords I think is covered by, on my list, affordable, decent housing.(Hopefully, that would even mean an end to homelessness, though I understand that some people might be too fragile even if housing were more affordable. I have health care on my list but maybe I should add something about appropriate care and facilities for segments of the population with special needs, like mental and emotional illness.

THANKS!