Kamala Harris needs to get her sh!t together on Healthcare, otherwise it will badly damage her.

[emmaverybo]

53. The other mistake they make is to tie themselves to plans that realistically can not be, all or

even most, achieved. Nor are they all necessary.

What I don’t hear is how they will address the social programs that are currently broken, underfunded, or endangered. Not much about fixing problems in the inner cities, in rural America, how they will protect and improve social security, Medicaid, Medicare, expand the food stamp program and welfare assistance, bring back job training programs cut from unemployment benefits, federal youth job training programs, the federal student debt forgiveness program, vastly improve public schools, adequately fund child protection services, subsidize areas in need of more funding for EMS, firefighting resources, policing, fund after school programs, protect school lunch programs...nothing about fixing existing programs.

And do we not need far more investment in crime prevention? What about in the front end of the justice system, probation? How do they propose to implement all these new programs and also build up the infrastructure, keep community colleges afloat—add more to the curriculum and meet the demand for classes and programs in state and cc systems? Free college is not a solution and not everyone needs free. Not everyone needs child care. Some folks can more than afford the cost.
Help people access education based on need.

As well, these plans that try to copy social democracies ignore what is happening in Europe since the recession, and the dissatisfaction with high taxes there that sees a backlash in the rise of the right wing. And just how do we take care of millions of deserving immigrants we must document and extend benefits to, and asylum seekers, and possibly refugees, while we
Spend trillions on the GND? Help those in need first.

So at a time when existing social safety nets are in trouble throughout the US, many candidates want to add new and bold programs mainly because those ideas are sexy. But not sensible in many cases. For instance, We don’t need to cancel 95 to 100 percent of student loan debt to make a difference. Several sensible steps can be taken to alleviate debt according to income. Take a half to one percent interest off going forward. Honor forgiveness programs. Stop the garnishee of social security. Freeze interest rates during periods of hardship.

And why give 200 billion dollars to the opioid crisis? For more twelve step rehabs? Experts agree that the most effective treatment we can offer now is suboxone coupled with therapy. Medicaid and Medicare covers that. We need to make sure those people not covered by either will be able to afford treatment and that Medicaid and Medicare stays solvent. In any case, alcohol is still our number #1 drug problem and we need much more funding for evidence-based treatment and research in the field of alcohol addiction.

What about medical and science research?

Some of the new and bold ideas are plain unaffordable without sacrificing dollars from existing programs, some go much further than needed to cover wealthy people, and many are mere promises that sound exciting but will never make it through even under a Dem house and senate.

The worst part of this fashionable emphasis on a plan in every pot is that we are not hearing why
candidates should be the next leader of the free world, how they will govern, what qualifies them
to be in charge of a super power, how they will deal with the nuclear threat, or how undo all the crazy stuff Trump has done and bring back a functioning government.

They spend political capital explaining particular pet plans, extremely costly ones. We are talking trillions on untested programs. Meanwhile, not a word about the deficit and the fact that we are a debtor nation now, practically owned by other countries. We have been known as the party of fiscal
responsibility. I am not seeing much fiscal big-picture thinking in some of the big, bold, and new.

Other than Biden so far, I hear little concern for foreign policy and relations. Even where climate change is concerned, we do not live in a vacuum.

Labeling criticisms Right-wing talking points does not absolve candidates who propose extensive and costly plans of the need to answer concerns about them.

I have never voted Republican in my life, and I am very concerned.