Ventura County Democratic Party Platform
Ventura County Democratic Party Platform
(Last updated October 6, 2019)
VENTURA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY
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PLATFORM
The California Democratic Party Platform adopted in 2018 is the platform of the Ventura County
Democratic Party, supplemented by the Ventura County Addendum, Economics Addendum, and such
other Addenda as may be developed hereafter.
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VENTURA COUNTY ADDENDUM
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ARTS AND CULTURE
General Preamble Ventura County is home to many of those workers (to wit, arts, culture, movie, media) and some have established allied businesses here. The county is also home to digital media firms, publishers and a major industrial design studio.
To help attract and retain such employers, our colleges and universities are prepared to supply graduates trained to work in design, studio arts, film & video, digital multimedia, music and creative writing.
The State of California, Ventura County and its local governments support the arts through direct investment, public-private partnerships, and assistance to non-profit groups. Throughout the entire county a wide variety of art institutions can be found, ranging from large scale performing arts venues (Thousand Oaks & Oxnard), mid-sized community arts venues (Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center), to small stages in educational sites (California State University Channel Islands; Ventura/Oxnard/Moorpark Community Colleges; Cal Lutheran University, Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley); there are outdoor stages (Ojai & Camarillo) and a restored historic theatre (Moorpark). The County and its cities contribute to at least two choral groups and to many musical events throughout the year. The Ojai music festival is nationally recognized for its quality. Every town in the county has an art and/or history museum, ranging from the Maritime Museum in Port Hueneme, the Chumash Indian Museum, the Carnegie Art Museum and the Gull Wings Children’s Museum in Oxnard, the Ventura Museum of Art and the Agricultural Museum in Santa Paula, Corriganville and Strathern Historical Park and Adobe in Simi Valley, to the railroad museum in Fillmore. In addition to these institutionally established venues, there are several art centers and galleries, including a mixed-use housing project with artists’ studios in Ventura.
Statement of Principles
Support the work of municipal arts commissions and the Ventura County Arts Council to encourage the installation of public art, acquire art for public collections, sponsor cultural events and encourage the artistic education and expression of our citizens.
While some of the communities in Ventura county do a good job of promoting multicultural arts, others do not. We believe that our civic organizations and institutions should encourage all voices in our communities, including indigenous, Latinx/Chicano, Filipino, Asian and East Asian, African-American, Jewish, Middle-Eastern and all others, in the areas of music, dance, theater, visual arts and craftsmanship.
35 words
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VENTURA COUNTY ADDENDUM ____________________
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ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
VENTURA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY
We have a vested interest in preserving and protecting natural resources that are such a positive part of our lives in Ventura County. The Ventura County Democratic Party recognizes the importance of a clean and healthful environment, responsible use of energy, and slowing the impact of climate change.
Extreme weather conditions, wildfires, flooding, tsunami danger, droughts, and other effects of climate change have impacted all of Ventura County. We want to encourage viable options to reduce carbon emissions, including bike pathways, walkways, public transportation, denser housing along transit corridors, waste reduction, and carbon taxes, to ensure a safe, clean environment for future generations.
We also want to advocate for a minimum of 25% renewable energy sources and commercial and residential building developments that include solar panels and energy-efficient appliances.
Healthy land
• Support preservation of wetlands in the Ormond Beach area and full funding of cleanup efforts, and oppose further development in sensitive areas;
• Support Congressional efforts to restore full funding to the Army Corp of Engineers budget for beach restoration at Port Hueneme;
• Support the long-delayed removal of Matilija Dam;
• Support restoration of the Ventura River and all waterways in the county and creation of a Ventura River Parkway. Clean Water
• Ensure that all Ventura County residents have access to clean, safe water that is free of contaminants, pesticides or chemicals from corroded pipes, previous or current environmental disasters, or polluted waterways.
• Ensure support and funding for repairing and replacing crumbling infrastructure of sewage and water systems.
• Identify imminent safe water challenges, like the potential in Simi Valley to expand use of water that includes contaminated runoff from the Santa Susana Field Lab.
• Support clean-water policies and leaders who will put resident safety and confidence above administrative expediency and short-term cost savings. Pollution and Toxins
• Support a moratorium for the use of all fumigant pesticides, known carcinogens and neurotoxins, on strawberries, an important Ventura County crop. We urge the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to pass a resolution opposing such pesticides. We support efforts to phase out all pesticides affecting farmworkers and consumers.
• Support an immediate ban on all such pesticides in all public spaces, especially parks, schools, and other places where children are exposed.
• Support an immediate ban on such pesticides on farms where migrant children are exposed, through working in the fields, living in onsite housing, or otherwise.
• Call for complete and expeditious cleanup of Santa Susana Field Lab site to background levels and Halaco’s Ormond Beach site, and full disclosure of toxins.
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Immigration & Discrimination
In acknowledgement of the many economic, social and cultural contributions that immigrants and native-born residents, including minorities and the LGBTQ community, make in Ventura County, and in acknowledgement that all people have the basic right to feel safe and respected in their own communities,
• Actively advocate for all our residents, so that they feel safe, respected and encouraged to engage in all aspects of civic life, including in business, schools, neighborhoods, faith communities, and civic organizations.
• Actively promote voter outreach efforts within our county, including voter registration and voter education. Support and promote effective legal safeguards and protections for access to voting and voting materials in letter, spirit, and practice.
• Strongly support intervention for abuse, discrimination and crime among or against immigrants and all efforts to remove the fear of arrest and deportation for reporting such abuse.
• Steadfastly and vociferously oppose any efforts to challenge or exempt communities from SB54.
• Law enforcement:
o Insist that local law enforcement treat all human beings with dignity and respect regardless of legal status.
o Insist that local governments and law enforcement take policy positions that reduce discrimination, de-escalate hate, discourage division, and demonstrate respect for all residents and visitors.
o Support law enforcement in efforts they make towards achieving these goals, and support allocation of budgeting for training.
• Recognize the rights of refugees to seek asylum through internationally established standards for human rights.
• Support DACA and other pathways for immigrants to seek legal status and citizenship.
• Call to account officials who endorse, tacitly approve, or turn a blind eye to discrimination. NATIONAL SECURITY Strongly support the maintaining and strengthening of Naval Base Ventura County both militarily and economically; SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES General Preamble Ventura County has been a pioneer in the movement toward sustainable communities since 1967, when the cities of Ventura and Santa Paula adopted the first of seven greenbelt agreements in the county. Ventura County voters reaffirmed their commitment to sustainability by approving the first Save Open- Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) initiative in 1995. Hillside protection ordinances currently protect open space in Simi Valley, Ventura and Thousand Oaks. Public support for infill and compact development has been demonstrated in general plan updates for over a decade. Ventura County remains a national leader in the effective protection against urban sprawl. Statements in Support of Specified Actions by Government Agencies
• Support the efforts of the Ventura County Civic Alliance (VCCA) to promote comprehensive regional planning to accommodate future population growth in a manner that will improve economic, environmental and social conditions our communities; and
• Protect and renew Ventura County’s SOAR ordinances and strengthen existing greenbelt agreements. Oppose annexations that are inconsistent with SOAR’s principles.
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ECONOMICS
ADDENDUM
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HEALTHCARE
Medicare will be extended to all Americans saving $5.1TN over 10 years, explicitly covering pre-
existing conditions. Anyone wishing to keep supplemental private insurance may do so.
Medicare shall use its bargaining power to lower drug prices.
Drug companies shall be prohibited from direct advertising of prescription drugs to the public
SOCIAL SECURITY
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All persons who have paid into Social Security will be entitled to benefits.
Pension benefits will be paid in full without reference to other pensions receivable.
There shall be no income taxes on pension benefits.
The income cap on contributions will be removed. Scrap the cap.
Payroll taxes funding Social Security shall be reduced to the levels in 1980.
To produce greater investment returns, Social Security will be allowed to invest in other
conservative investment grade assets besides Treasuries and would be run like any other
actuarially-sound, independently-audited, professionally-managed pension fund.
The Treasury will repay the $2.7 TN cash raided from Social Security by Republicans and be
prohibited from taking money from it again.
EDUCATION
Industrial training and apprenticeship programs will be supported with tax credits.
ECONOMY
Americans prosper under Democrats. Democrats run the economy better. Even Trump said so:
“The economy does better under the Democrats than the Republicans.” (CNN, March 21, 2004).
JOBS
Democrats will implement policies to grow the middle class. Republicans represent the 1%.
Democrats will stop the Trump con job of trickle-down economics
Corporate profits are now at their highest. Wages are at their lowest. Democrats will enact policies
for all Americans to share in the wealth and make it easier for workers to form labor unions.
Democrats will restore labor positions previously accepted by Republicans:-
President Eisenhower: “The protection of the right of workers to organize into unions and to
bargain collectively is the firm and permanent policy of the Eisenhower Administration.”
TAXES
Democrats will attack America’s problem of runaway National Debt.
Democrats will introduce progressive taxation and maximum compensation rates.
Democrats will pay down the staggering Gross National Debt (105% of Gross Domestic Product)
resulting from irresponsible Republican tax cuts.
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The Billions of dollars currently used for corporate socialism will instead be redirected to pay down
today’s crushing student debt.
All corporate tax breaks and subsidies for large corporations (per I.R.S.) will be abolished until an
economic case for them can be made.
Democrats will set Corporation Tax at 25%.
The Deduction for interest expense in the Corporation Tax shall be abolished.
Democrats will reintroduce the Alternative Minimum Tax to force high earners to pay up.
Democrats will introduce a new Capital Transfer Tax of 20% on asset transfers above $2.5M per
donor to replace the ineffective Estate Tax.
Democrats will introduce a new Income Transfer Tax of 20% on money earned in America and
transferred abroad to tax havens.
Create incentives for the retention and expansion of American manufacturing and service jobs.
End incentives, and impose penalties, for offshoring such jobs.
Stock buybacks do not create jobs and will be taxed at 20%. With the exception of the principal
residence, all capital gains over $250,000 will be taxed as ordinary income.
Democrats will introduce a 5% Federal tax on luxury items.
Funding for the I.R.S. will be doubled to crack down on fraud.
Bogus “non-profits” serving no humanitarian purpose will be taxed at the entity rates.
Churches will be subject to a tax of 20% on funds supporting lavish lifestyles, executive jets and
mansions.
INDUSTRIAL POLICY
Monopolies and mega-corporations will be broken up as done by the anti-trust Republican
President Theodore Roosevelt’s programs.
Companies paying starvation wages with employees resorting to food stamps will be taxed to
recover this cost plus a 20% surcharge.
CEO compensation exceeding 100 times median company pay will be subject to a surtax of 20%.
Shorter working hours, paid sick leave, paid vacation and paid maternity leave will be introduced.
Mandatory overtime pay after 35 hours per week will be introduced.
Wage theft shall be a felony punishable by imprisonment.
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Preventing union organizing, and union-busting activities, shall be punishable with imprisonment.
Workers in the “gig economy” shall be legally employees and paid at least minimum wage plus
expenses.
All requirements for forced arbitration in employment and consumer contracts shall be null and
void.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Projects making the private sector more efficient will be given priority, with emphasis on mass
transit and commercial transportation.
The repair or replacement of crumbling infrastructure will be given priority.
Prisoners who have fought fires for 24 months will be given full remission and allowed to become
firefighters for State agencies.
California shall have a Public Bank similar to North Dakota’s.
California shall have an adequately-funded Public Insurance Company for wildfires
FINALE
Democrats will return America to the Good Old Days in 1956 when its middle class was the richest
in the world. Today it is behind South Korea’s and scarcely better than Greece’s. We want YOU to
get more MONEY. Democrats run the economy better. Even Trump said so.
PLATFORM COMMITTEE:-
RAYMOND FREEMAN
RICK GARDNER
DAWN GRAY
SUE GUNTHER
FRED HAYNES
J.C. SIMMONS
APPROVED: TUES 28 MAY 2019
EXPLANATORY NOTES TO
ECONOMICS ADDENDUM
HEALTHCARE
Medicare will be extended all Americans saving $5.1TN over 10 years, explicitly covering pre-
existing conditions. Anyone wishing to keep supplemental private insurance may do so.
• CDP platform does not explicitly mention “single payer” or “Medicare for all”
• Private healthcare providers & insurers will still be allowed as in UK, Canada & Nordic countries
• The UK’s National Health Service is the world’s largest single-payer system. However, 12-14%
of all healthcare costs are covered privately. Private insurance has been allowed since 1948 as a
matter of personal freedom. Canada has single-payer, covering about 70% of health costs, with
private insurance covering 30%; the Nordics and Germany are broadly similar in concept.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Canada
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/ralph-nader-canadas-health-care-puts-americas-to-shame/
(yes, it’s Nader, but get past your initial disgust; in this case he’s right on the money)
• In the US, the exact public/private split (12-30%, above) would be decided by individual choice
based on public & private offerings available, personal budgets, personal politics, etc.
• Single-payer is very popular with voters, even Republicans (who would like “personal freedom”
and fight the single-payer concept less (it will certainly be opposed, even by Dems)
• Competition from single-payer insurance would drive healthcare costs down as happened in UK
• See “Medicare for All Is Even Better Than You Thought” referring to the December 2018 study
by the Political Economy Research Institute:
https://jacobinmag.com/2018/12/medicare-for-all-study-peri-sanders
• Note the summary: “single-payer health care will save the US $5.1 trillion over a decade while
drastically cutting working-class Americans’ health spending. It’s the most robust,
comprehensive study yet produced on Medicare for All, which has long been in need of easily
citable research.”
• Full study:
https://www.peri.umass.edu/publication/item/1127-economic-analysis-of-medicare-for-all
• Note: the healthcare “system” in the US produces poor results yet accounts for 18% of Gross
Domestic Product (i.e., annual economic output) as opposed to the rich countries’ average of
11.5% with better results. The waste in the American system is appalling.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/184968/us-health-expenditure-as-percent-of-gdp-since-1960/
Medicare shall use its bargaining power to lower drug prices.
• Mentioned by CDP; this states it more directly
Drug companies shall be prohibited from direct advertising of prescription drugs to the public
• New item
• This advertising is annoying, misleading and wasteful
2/11
SOCIAL SECURITY
All persons who have paid into Social Security will be entitled to benefits.
• New item; note that SS is America’s most popular social program
• But only those with 40 accumulated credits may collect SS
• Policy goes back to 1935 in the days of ledger cards, before computers came in
• Other pension funds give pay-outs to all contributors based on contributions made, howsoever
small (e.g., California State Teachers Retirement System [CalSTRS] and all U.K. pensions,
public and private)
SS benefits will be paid in full without reference to other pensions receivable.
• New item
• SS benefits are reduced if recipients have other public pensions
• This is the “windfall provision” brought in by Reagan in 1983 to cut SS benefits
• Women’s issue: Penalizes people changing jobs, especially teachers, therefore especially women
• Why should they not receive two pensions if they have paid for two pensions?
There shall be no income taxes on SS benefits.
• New item
• Taxation of SS benefits goes back to Reagan in 1983 to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy
The income cap on SS contributions will be removed. Scrap the cap.
• New item
• SS contributions level off at $128,400
• Billionaires pay the same rate as everyone else
• SS would be solvent in the long term if this cap were removed
Payroll taxes funding SS shall be reduced to the levels in 1980.
• New item
• This is fairer and less regressive (i.e., falling relatively more heavily on lower-earning taxpayers)
• See article “Stuck In The Past” in ‘The Economist’ magazine, August 11, 2018.
• Summary: Countries must overhaul their tax systems to make them fit for the 21st century
• Quote: “Income taxes should be low or negative for low earners. That means getting rid of
regressive payroll taxes.”
• And see discussion on taxation later
To produce greater investment returns, the SS fund will be allowed to invest in other conservative
investment grade assets besides Treasuries. It will be run as an actuarially-sound, professionally-
managed, independently audited conservative pension fund subject to the same legislation as
private pensions including the Fiduciary Rule.
• New item
• Women’s issue: actuarially, women outlive men (see Life Tables used by actuaries)
• Seniors issue: many seniors vote Republican but do not realize that the GOP wants to destroy SS
• The policy that SS may invest only in bonds has not been changed since 1935, in the Depression
• Treasury bonds pay low yields and are repaid only at face value
• There is no shortage of other safe investments, and investment managers, as there was in 1935
• Private pension funds invest in a diversified, conservative, investment-grade assets, in addition to
government bonds, including investment-quality stocks and prime Class A commercial real estate
(which produces cash flow and which appreciates in value).
3/11
• The UK pension fund has done this ever since 1909 with outstanding results
• The California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), established in 1913, also has
diversified investments including commercial real estate. Here is its investment policy:
www.calstrs.com/investment-policies
• But SS, alone, is restricted by an absurdly conservative investment policy
• Note the comparison of $1 invested in bonds and stocks over 50 years
• In bonds, this grew at 6.58%, yielding $24
• But in stocks, this grew at 9.91%, yielding $112 (per Russell Investments; see Chart 1, below)
• Note the power of compound interest (“eighth wonder of the world” – Baron Rothschild, banker)
• So, SS would invest in diversified, conservative, investment grade assets
• SS would therefore copy Warren Buffett’s policy of diversified investing among conservative
investment grade assets. Buffett became the richest man in the world starting from nothing. The
key concept is “diversified.”
• SS must avoid novel investments such as junk bonds and derivatives as Warren Buffett and the
Canadians did; the key concept is “conservative.”
• SS must avoid speculation like CalPERS, which was not subject to the rules set out here, being a
public pension fund; the key concepts are “investment grade” and “conservative.”
• SS must avoid the political corruption and over-promising of investment returns that plagued
CalPERS, so a large independent board of professionally-qualified trustees, with independent
audits, is essential
https://theintercept.com/2018/10/20/public-pensions-crisis-wall-street-fees/
• SS must hire expert investment managers and actuaries and give annual reports just like any other
actuarially-sound, professionally-run, independently-audited conservative pension fund, e.g.,
CalSTRS; the key concepts are “professionally managed” and “independently audited”
• SS must follow the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Prudent Man and
Fiduciary rules (unlike CalPERS, which was exempt and thus wide-open to corruption)
https://theintercept.com/2018/10/20/public-pensions-crisis-wall-street-fees/
• Brokers selling investments to SS must be subject to the Fiduciary Rule, placing their client’s best
interests first, subject to severe civil and criminal penalties, including prison
• SS must set aside prudent reserves (“rainy day fund”) to cover fluctuations in cash flows during
recessions, again just like any other actuarially sound, professionally-managed, independently-
audited, conservative pension fund
• As to results, CalSTRS pays higher pensions than SS and here is a comparison:
https://californiapolicycenter.org/comparing-calstrs-to-social-security/
• Quote: “In general, the study calculated the average annual CalSTRS pension to exceed the
average annual Social Security benefit by between 1.5 and 1.9 times for those retiring at age 62,
and by between 2.4 and 2.8 times for those retiring at age 65.”
• Message: Vote Democrat, keep SS safe, and get pensions 2.4 times greater than now
See Chart 1:
https://russellinvestments.com/us/resources/individuals/investment-basics/stocks
(as to stock market returns and compound interest, but note fluctuating investment returns)
4/11
The Treasury will repay the $2.7TN cash raided from SS by Republicans and be prohibited from
taking money from Social Security again.
• New item; Money was snaffled to pay for tax cuts and wars
• Republicans do not want to pay it back
• Their goal is to destroy SS for ideological reasons
• So, get the cash back by taxing high earners and corporations at higher rates
• And give SS its hard cash back to be invested in diversified assets to increase investment returns
• To induce older persons to vote Democrat, not Republican
EDUCATION
Industrial training and apprenticeship programs will be supported with tax credits.
• New item; Follows German model; Germany has a strong manufacturing sector
ECONOMY
Americans prosper under Democrats. Democrats run the economy better. Even Trump said so:
“The economy does better under the Democrats than the Republicans.” (CNN, March 21, 2004).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHx039KEfoY
• If Trump could understand this, so can Dems. Get the message out!
JOBS
Democrats will implement policies to grow the middle class. Republicans represent only the 1%.
• Clear, simple vision; addition to CDP
• From 1945 to say 1980 the American middle classes were the richest in the world
• Reaganomics killed their prosperity (see numbers below)
• Climate change kills jobs, but the Green Economy is the future
Democrats will stop the Trump con job of trickle-down economics.
• Republicans do not even try to prove that Reaganomics works in practice
• George Bush Senior as presidential candidate called it “Voodoo Economics”
• Yet Republican voters believe that tax cuts are a good idea due to weak messaging from Dems
• The cold hard numbers do not lie as to Median Net Worth Per Adult courtesy of Credit Suisse
(2018 Global Wealth Report, table 6.1, p.150). This is a Swiss bank – not exactly a bunch of card-
carrying socialists.
https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us/en/reports-research/global-wealth-report.html
5/11
JOE BLOW’S NET WORTH $
Australia 191,453 3.1x
Switzerland 183,339 3.0x
Belgium 163,429 2.7x
Holland 114,935 1.9x
France 106,827 1.7x
Canada 106,342 1.7x
U.K. 97,169 1.6x
Norway 80,054 + 190K sovereign wealth fund per person = $270K total 4.4x
Korea 65,463 1.1x
U.S.A. 61,667
Greece 40,789
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD,
DEMOCRATS:-
——————————————————————–
AMERICANS ARE
SCARCELY BETTER OFF
THAN THE GREEKS
———————————————————————-
Corporate profits are now at their highest. Wages are at their lowest. Democrats will enact policies
for all Americans to share in the wealth and make it easier for workers to form labor unions.
Restates CDP Platform
• Even the International Monetary Fund has criticized America’s poverty:-
• https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2015/international-monetary-fund-blasts-trickle-down-economics/33791
• The IMF is not exactly a bunch of hard-core Marxists
• Even Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs has criticized America’s staggering inequality!
• Goldman Sachs is not exactly a bunch of bomb-throwing revolutionaries
• Wages have remained stagnant for 40 years despite soaring productivity
• Productivity growth, 1970 -2016:was 142%
• But wage growth 1970 -2016 was 15% (Economic Policy Institute, using official data)
See Chart 2:-
6/11
https://www.epi.org/publication/understanding-the-historic-divergence-between-productivity-and-a-
typical-workers-pay-why-it-matters-and-why-its-real/
also at: https://www.epi.org/productivity-pay-gap/
(as to divergence between worker productivity and wages –
ALL DEMOCRATS MUST KNOW THIS!)
• See ‘Saving Capitalism’ movie by Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor (should be shown to
all Dem Clubs)
• “Shareholder Value” is the “dumbest idea” ever per Jack Welch, ex-CEO of General Electric
www.cnn.com/2014/01/24/business/davos-shareholder-value-is-dumbest-idea/index.html
• A typical worker earning $50K/year is underpaid by $25K/year (Economic Policy Institute):-
https://www.epi.org/publication/wage-inequality-continued-its-35-year-rise-in-2015/
• Rhetorical Question: Ask voters if they would like a 50% pay raise
• Vote Democrat and get more money – there’s a theme here
Democrats will restore labor positions previously accepted by Republicans:-
President Eisenhower: “The protection of the right of workers to organize into unions and to
bargain collectively is the firm and permanent policy of the Eisenhower Administration.”
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/1956-republican-platform/
• The GOP once supported a fair deal for workers
• But today’s Republicans are ruthless exploiters of America’s workers
• Today’s GOP is just a system of conveyor belts taking your money upwards to America’s royalty
• And your kids’ money, because Republican tax cuts increase National Debt, saddling future
generations with their greed
• Many voters do not realize that Republicans today are the party supporting the interests of Capital
• Democrats need to get out the word that they are the party of Labor
• Unions make everyone’s wages higher, not just their members’, per Economic Policy Institute:-
https://www.epi.org/publication/how-todays-unions-help-working-people-giving-workers-the-power-to-improve-their-jobs-and-unrig-the-economy/
TAXES
Democrats will attack America’s problem of runaway National Debt.
• Restates CDP Platform
• Notice how Republicans grew America’s debt as per vivid illustration from Center on Budget and
Policy Priorities:-
See Chart 3:
• Above is a 10-year projection made in 2009; position today is even worse
Democrats will introduce progressive taxation and maximum compensation rates.
• Addition to CDP Platform
7/11
• Statement of fact:
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/15/bernie-s/income-tax-rates-were-90-percent-under-eisenhower-/
• See article “Stuck In The Past” in ‘The Economist’ magazine, August 11, 2018:-
• “Income taxes should be low or negative for low earners. That means getting rid of regressive
payroll taxes.” (regressive: falling relatively more heavily on lower-earning people)
• American payroll taxes are among the highest in the world. Republicans lowered taxes on the
wealthy and stuck them on ordinary workers instead as payroll taxes
• As to the growth in regressive payroll taxes:
SEE CHART 4:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/chart-shows-corp-taxes-grossly-unfair_n_3321737.html
• Payroll taxes also fund Social Security, so by raising the cap of $108K, the rate overall can be
lowered by making the wealthy pay more
• Political message for the masses: Democrats want you to pay lower tax
• How hard is that to sell?
Democrats will pay down the staggering Gross National Debt (105% of Gross Domestic Product)
resulting from irresponsible Republican tax cuts.
• Restates CDP Platform
• Statement of fact, per Federal Reserve:-
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDEGDQ188S
• Republicans attacked Democrats over National Debt until they got the keys to the Treasury and
gave the loot to their cronies at your expense (and your kids’ and grandkids’)
• The Republican tax legislation passed in 12/17 will add $1.5TN (plus interest) to National Debt to
benefit the wealthy:-
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/08/20/donald-trump-trillion-dollar-plus-deficits-
fiscal-ruin-column/986236002/
https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-and-the-2018-midterms-examining-the-potential-electoral-impact/
The Billions of dollars currently used for corporate socialism will instead be redirected to pay down
today’s crushing student debt.
• Restates CDP platform more aggressively
• America is the only major country to burden its young people with huge debts.
• Even Slovenia gives them free further education.
All corporate tax breaks and subsidies for large corporations (per I.R.S.) will be abolished until an
economic case for them can be made.
• Restates CDP Platform more aggressively
• Amazon’s stock market valuation is now One Trillion Dollars and could obviously pay taxes
8/11
• Over One Hundred Billion Dollars a year is showered on corporations every year by way of
corporate welfare
• This does not include tax breaks, a whole area to itself
https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/high-on-the-hog-the-top-8-corporate-welfare-recipients.html/
https://www.valuewalk.com/2017/08/corporate-welfare-costs/
Democrats will set Corporation Tax at 25%.
• Addition to CDP Platform
• If corporations, which “are people, my friend” (Mitt Romney) they should pay taxes like people.
They used to pay around 30% of federal revenues. Now they pay around 5%.
• The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is a think tank for the world’s
industrialized economies. It surveys corporation taxes globally. The average is 22%:-
http://taxexecutive.org/oecd-corporate-tax-rates/
The Deduction for interest expense in the Corporation Tax shall be abolished.
• New item
• No economic case can be made for this deduction
• See article “Stuck In The Past” in ‘The Economist’ magazine, August 11, 2018:-
• “Deductions for debt interest, which incentivize risky leverage for no good reason, should be
scrapped.”
Democrats will reintroduce the Alternative Minimum Tax to force high earners to pay up.
• Addition to CDP
• The AMT was abolished by Trump’s 2017 tax “reform.” It was a dragnet forcing expert tax
dodgers to pay at least something.
Democrats will introduce a new Capital Transfer Tax of 20% on asset transfers above $2.5M per
donor to replace the ineffective Estate Tax.
• Addition to CDP
• The Estate Tax is a joke. This new tax will break up dynastic wealth (e.g., Koch Brothers, Wal-
Mart heirs) by taxing inter vivos transfers as well as those on death. It is designed to pay down
National Debt by taxing those who gained the most from the benefits of living in America.
• Yes, this is the dreaded “Death Tax.” So? America’s oligarchs such as Bezos at Amazon work
people to death, almost, so why shouldn’t their heirs cough something up? This tax is obviously a
tax on the survivors, not the deceased. Rename it the “spoilt brat tax” or similar.
• See article “Stuck In The Past” in ‘The Economist’ magazine, August 11, 2018:-
• Quotes: “Windfall gains should be an obvious source of revenue.”
• “All countries should tax both real property and inheritance more.”
• “A conservative first step would be to roll back recent cuts to inheritance tax.”
Democrats will introduce a new Income Transfer Tax of 20% on money earned in America and
transferred abroad to tax havens.
• Addition to CDP Platform
• Over Two Trillion dollars are sitting offshore not taxed
• Those who take the benefits of doing business in America must equitably share the burden of
running America. No moochers!
• Goal of American companies is to manufacture in China, sell in America, and park profits tax-
free in the Cayman Islands: Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), book, ‘Take This Job and Ship It’
9/11
• State Sen. Fred Risser (D-Wis.): “Give money to low-income people and it stays in the local
economy. Give money to the rich and it goes to the Cayman Islands.”
Create incentives for the retention and expansion of American manufacturing and service jobs.
End incentives, and impose penalties, for offshoring such jobs.
• Restates CDP Platform
• It is an outrage that those who destroy American jobs and send them abroad should be rewarded
for this by the tax code
• Republican tax “reform” of December 2017 made this worse, of course
Stock buybacks do not create jobs and will be taxed at 20%. With the exception of the principal
residence, all capital gains over $250,000 will be taxed as ordinary income, except for taxpayers’
principal residences. All capital gains over $250,000 will be taxed as ordinary income.
• Addition to CDP Platform
• The Trump tax cuts were not passed on to working families as claimed. They were kept by
corporations and passed on to shareholders. This money needs to be taxed to pay down National
Debt
• Republicans are the ones running up the debt, once again
Democrats will introduce a 5% Federal tax on luxury items.
• New item
Funding for the I.R.S. will be doubled to crack down on fraud.
• Addition to CDP Platform
• Republicans gutted the IRS budget (surprise, surprise)
Bogus “non-profits” serving no humanitarian purpose will be taxed at the entity rates.
• Addition to CDP
• Many “non-profits” are fronts for Republican “think tanks”
• And used for money laundering by oligarchs (e.g. Koch Brothers; Russians too)
• See the excellent book ‘Dark Money’ by Jane Mayer
Churches will be subject to a tax of 20% on funds supporting lavish lifestyles, executive jets and
mansions.
• Addition to CDP
• Many churches are charitable but many others are rip-offs supporting the opulent lifestyles of
their so-called “pastors”
• Billions of tax dollars are lost annually to these hypocrites
• Let them to “render unto Caesar” (Mark 12:17) like everyone else
INDUSTRIAL POLICY
Monopolies and mega-corporations will be broken up as done by the anti-trust Republican
President Theodore Roosevelt’s programs.
• New item
• Monopolies and quasi-monopolies are increasingly driving up costs to consumers and delivering
appallingly bad service by global standards
10/11
Companies paying starvation wages with employees resorting to food stamps will be taxed to
recover this cost plus a 20% surcharge.
• New item
• Addresses an obvious outrage
• America’s CEOs are grossly overpaid by international standards
CEO compensation exceeding 100 times median company pay will be subject to a surtax of 20%.
• New item; Addresses an obvious outrage
Shorter working hours, paid sick leave, paid vacation and paid maternity leave will be introduced.
• New item; Brings America into line with other industrialized countries
Mandatory overtime pay after 35 hours per week will be introduced.
• New item; CDP platform states 40 hours
• Note: other industrialized countries require overtime pay, usually at premium rates
• If America is the richest country in the world ….. Show Us The Money
Wage theft shall be a felony punishable by imprisonment.
• New item; CDP is not explicit here
• Addresses an obvious outrage
• Puts teeth into policy. The present miniscule penalties clearly do not stop wage theft.
Preventing union organizing, and union-busting activities, shall be punishable with imprisonment.
• New item
• Policy needs to have teeth in the face of well-funded opposition
Workers in the “gig economy” shall be legally employees and paid at least minimum wage plus
expenses.
• New item
• Prevents exploitation of an atomized workforce
All requirements for forced arbitration in employment and consumer contracts shall be null and
void.
• Restates CDP platform
• Arbitration is a private system of kangaroo courts heavily biased towards corporations
• This is why corporations demand arbitration, obviously
• Forced arbitration prevents class action suits against greedy monopolistic corporations
• And it affects women more than men in sexual harassment cases
• More than half of workers whose legal rights are violated by their employer are not able to pursue
a claim in court per Economics Policy Institute:-
https://www.epi.org/blog/the-supreme-court-is-poised-to-make-forced-arbitration-nearly-inescapable/
INFRASTRUCTURE
11/11
Projects making the private sector more efficient will be given priority, with emphasis on mass
transit and commercial transportation.
• Restates CDP general ideas
The repair or replacement of crumbling infrastructure will be given priority.
• An obvious no-brainer; restates CDP
Prisoners who have fought fires for 24 months will be given full remission and allowed to become
firefighters for State agencies.
• New item
• Firefighting prisoners are refused jobs after release on the “grounds” they have a criminal record
• Yet the reason many became criminals in the first place was often joblessness
• And California urgently needs more experienced firefighters
California shall have a Public Bank similar to North Dakota’s.
• CDP mentions expanding the little-known California Infrastructure Bank; this is more direct
• Heavily Republican North Dakota has had a Public Bank since 1919
• ND Public Bank has assets of $7.3BN, i.e., pretty big
• It is owned and run by the State of North Dakota, which uses it as its own bank
• All state funds are deposited in this bank, not B of A, Wells Fargo, or similar pirates
• It is an umbrella for its member banks, which have branches open to the public like credit unions
California shall have an adequately-funded Public Insurance Company for wildfires.
• New item, for homeowners denied insurance coverage by private insurers
FINALE
Democrats will return America to the Good Old Days in 1956 when its middle class was the richest
in the world. Today it is behind South Korea’s and scarcely better than Greece’s. We want YOU to
get more MONEY. Democrats run the economy better. Even Trump said so.
• Good marketing language
• See numbers from Credit Suisse, above, as to median personal wealth
• US median wealth per person is ridiculously low by international standards
• This is due to Reaganomics, “free trade,” deregulation, 2008 Crash
PLATFORM COMMITTEE:-
RAYMOND FREEMAN
RICK GARDNER
DAWN GRAY
SUE GUNTHER
FRED HAYNES
J.C. SIMMONS
12/11
APPROVED: TUES 28 MAY 2019
With four clarifications on Sat 28 Sept 2019
ECONOMICS VISION
Democrats run the economy better:
“The economy does better under the Democrats than the Republicans.”
Donald Trump, CNN, 3/21/04
MONEY & JOBS
We want everyone to benefit from America’s economic growth as they did until 1975, not merely
the top 1 percent
We want to reverse the Republican attacks on the middle class, now placing it behind S. Korea and
scarcely better than Greece (2018 Global Wealth Survey, Credit Suisse Bank; median)
We want President Eisenhower’s idea of making America’s workers the world’s richest: “The right
of workers to organize into unions and to bargain collectively is our firm and permanent policy.”
We want projects creating jobs and making the private sector more efficient, such as mass transit
and fixing America’s miserable infrastructure
HEALTHCARE
We want Medicare for all, paying 100% of medical and dental costs, covering pre-existing
conditions, and saving $5 TN over 10 years
We want Medicare to use its bargaining power to lower America’s outrageous drug prices
We want to keep private insurance for those who may still want it, similar to Canada and the UK
SOCIAL SECURITY
We want Social Security to have diversified investments, almost tripling its payouts to seniors
We want payouts for everyone who paid into Social Security, similar to other pension plans
We want to abolish the taxation of Social Security payouts, reversing Reagan-era policy to pay for
tax cuts for the wealthiest
TAXES
We want a fairer and more progressive taxation system
We want to abolish tax breaks giving incentives for offshoring jobs
We want to abolish tax breaks and subsidies for profitable corporations
We want to pay down America’s staggering National Debt, costing us billions of dollars in useless
interest payments, caused by Republican tax cuts for the wealthiest (‘trickle-down economics’)
RH Freeman, Platform Committee
APPROVED: Tues 28 May 2019