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Step Three: The Final 30
Our presidential election series 30 issues in 30 Days is now underway! You've helped us nominate issues (see your comments below), voted on the final 30, and now it's time to help shape the series. Read on to find out how you participate in our 30 Issues Wiki.
Below is the 30 Issues schedule (subject to change, if necessary.) Each segment will aim to compare the records and positions of Obama and McCain and debate who's got it right.
The Wiki
Each Friday throughout the series, we're doing a "30 Issues Wiki." For these six segments, we've created an easily edited page where you can collaborate with others to help produce the segment. On this page you'll be able to suggest angles; do research; write copy and questions; suggest guests; and suggest audio to be included in the on-air segment. In other words, you'll do everything a normal Brian Lehrer Show producer does every day. So check out the schedule below, and click on the links to be taken to the wikis and start collaborating!
Week of September 22nd
1. Will Your Vote Be Counted?
2. Campaign Finance and the Candidates' Special Interests
3. The Post-Bush Constitution (#3 Most Voted Issue)
4. Partisanship and Democracy
5. 30 Issues WIKI: Internet and Broadcast Regulation (Click here to see the WIKI!)
Week of September 29th
6. K-12: Should The No Child Law Be Left Behind?
7. Russia and China
8. Iraq: What's Worth Fighting For?
9. Iran, Israel, and the Middle East
10. 30 Issues WIKI: Immigration (Click here to view the WIKI)
Week of October 6th
11. The Tax Code: Whose Plan Rules?
12. Sense of Entitlement: Social Security and Medicare
13. Globalization Inc.
14. Technology and Infrastructure
15. 30 Issues WIKI: Drill Baby Drill: Oil vs. Alternative Energy (# 1 Most Voted Issue) (Click here to view the WIKI)
Week of October 13th
16. Banking Regulation after Fannie, Freddie and Lehman
17. Poverty: Global and Domestic
18. College Affordability (Live-Audience Event from Hofstra University)
19. Affordable Housing: Public and Private
20. 30 issues WIKI: Health Care: Whose Plan Rules? (#2 Most Voted Issue) (Click here to see the Wiki!)
Week of October 20th
21. Equal Pay For Equal Work
22. American Exceptionalism: US Leadership In The World
23. The Culture Wars: Is There Common Ground?
24. Do We Need A War on Terrorism?
25. 30 issues WIKI: Arts and Culture Funding (Click here to see the Wiki)
Week of October 27th
26. Race: Affirmative Action and Beyond
27. McCain and Obama: Management Styles and Decision Making
28. Commander in Chief
29. Afghanistan and Pakistan
30. 30 Issues WIKI: Urban Policy: Who's the best Prez for NY and NJ? (Click here to help produce!)
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Comments
CREDIT CARDS
Some are predicting credit cards will be the next financial meltdown (http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/11/10921). During this economic downturn, Americans increasingly use credit to meet living costs; they're discovering the punitive practices sanctioned by the current administration (Rep. Carol Malony, D-NY, proposed a Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights to address this.)
Lobbyists spent outrageous amounts on both sides of the aisle to change the statutes. Obama's VP-nominee, Sen. Biden, has been a good friend to one of his state's major companies, MBNA (e.g., see his vote on the bankruptcy bill).
Thank you.
THE SANCTITY OF ALL LIFE
The religeous right believes in the sanctity of life BEFORE birth. What about the sanctity of life AFTER birth? Excellent education for all; wages worth living for; clean, sustainable enviornment; healthy food?
IS NUCLEAR POWER ANOTHER CIGARETTE?
Cigarette companies said cigarettes were safe. They worked hard to convince us of their safety, to deny their harm. What about the evidence of cancer, nuclear companies and government deny?
EVOLUTION AND/OR CREATIONISM IN THE 21stCENTURY
Is it important in the 21st Century to understand and accept the theory of evolution? What of creationism? Does creationism have a place in our government?
Farm Bill and Farm Subsidies: Relates to #61 #63
Farm Bill and Farm Subsidies:
Why do we still pay them to millionaire farmers? Obama voted for the continuation of Farm Bill - WHy? McCain didn't/ I support Obama - but don't like seeing this support for special interests like this. Topics #63 and #66 relate to this. Please cover on your show - include assessment of impact of our tariffs on the agricultural business of smaller countries and the cost of the subsidies to american taxpayers.
TEMPER TANTRUMS VS. REASON IN THE OVAL OFFICE
What kind of person do we want as President? One with temper tantrums or considered reason? Temper tantrums prevent reasoned thought and judgement. Will McCain's tantrums affect his judgement?
let the platforms do the talking
saying overturning R v W would leave the issue to the states ignores the intent of the candidates. Let the platform speak for itself or is this an issue to get single vote religious conservatives to stay Republican.
Workers need the right to form and join unions without being fired. the right to join a union is guaranteed by the NLRA, since the 1930's.
Should Congress be made more responsive by (1) increasing the number of Representatives (it's been 435 since the time when the population was half what it is now), (2) reducing Senate terms to 4 years, and (3) providing for recall elections in federal law?
Who are the "special interests"?
Republicans claim they'll fight against the "special interests". Democrats claim they'll fight against the "special interests". Are these the same for Republicans as for Democrats? Or do Democrats fight against special interests dear to the hearts of Republicans,and Republicans fight against special interests the Dem's love?
Military draft: What do we owe our military personnel?
Both candidates are pledging more demands of our military. Internal military assessments say they are overstretched using stop-lost (backdoor draft) & the use of a national guard that was not trained for the combat required of them in Iraq. PTSD, alcoholism & suicide already evident in returning vets are alarming & are just starting. This situation cannot continue status quo, let alone adding new deployments.
Obama is pledging more troops in Afghanistan and approving crossing into Pakistan when needed. As I write this, McCain says he is not afraid to fight and is imploring "stand up and fight". It has been widely reported that on September 12, 2001 McCain had Iraq, Syria, and Iran on his list. Are we going to get straight talk about the need of a draft to fulfill these promises? When candidate McCain says we are all Georgian's we are challenging Russia. These questions must be put to and answered by the candidates and we need to know how would it affect the military.
thanx for great programing
gt
Worker rights to form and belong to unions
Presently workers who try to form a union are being fired because there is little chance of the employer paying any penalty. We need card check recognition of workers rights to form and join a union
Military draft: What do we owe our military personnel?
Both candidates are pledging more demands of our military. Internal military assessments say they are overstretched using stop-lost (backdoor draft) & the use of a national guard that was not trained for the combat required of them in Iraq. PTSD, alcoholism & suicide already evident in returning vets are alarming & are just starting. This situation cannot continue status quo, let alone adding new deployments.
Obama is pledging more troops in Afghanistan and approving crossing into Pakistan when needed. As I write this, McCain says he is not afraid to fight and is imploring "stand up and fight". It has been widely reported that on September 12, 2001 McCain had Iraq, Syria, and Iran on his list. Are we going to get straight talk about the need of a draft to fulfill these promises? When candidate McCain says we are all Georgian's we are challenging Russia. These questions must be put to and answered by the candidate and we need to know how would it affect the military.
thanx for great programing
gt
The Electoral College: Does it have a place in the Elections of the 21st Century?
History of the elections of 1876, 1888, and 2000 and how the EC can swing the election of the unpopular candidate.
Healthcare and Personal Responsibility -
While affordable healthcare is the right of every American, personal responsibility also plays a part. Sen. Obama in particular has spoken about the themes of personal responsibility during this campaign. The American Cancer Society states 80% of chronic disease is lifestyle related. Given that, what is the role of personal responsiblity in healthcare provided by the government and how does one 'enforce' it in order to keep costs reasonable?
Mavericks and Barracudas
Why are mavericks good? I understand it to be a neutral term.
Palin is nicknamed "barracuda". Barracuda are cowardly fish that viciously attack their prey from the rear.
Comments to topic 21 on abortion
Would a reversal of Roe vs Wade by the supreme court end legal abortion in this country or would the issue just go to the statres to decide? We need to stop all this needless rhetoric if in fact this is really going to come down to state by state decisions.
Commonality!
After all the divisive, two-party polarization, I would like to see again what it is we all have in common. There is a basic Buddhist tenet that says everyone wants to be happy and wants to not suffer. We all have that in common. Simple but profound. That's a good starting point. The pundits could talk about how Democrats and Republicans can reach common ground and how the politicians would achieve that.
My suggestion for "30 issues" is a comprehensive look at the rank criminality of the last 8 years of the Bush administration, and an effort to punish the culprits. The outing of a CIA officer, a gay callboy receiving full press credentials, firing of US attorneys, unqualified people given major contracts for the Iraqi reconstruction...the list is endless. The only person receiving any kind of official sanction is the former chief of staff to the vice-president.
Will there be an effort to bring these people to justice, or will it be decided that that is just too divisive?
The next nefarious crew will just push the envelope even further unless an example is made.
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
I would be interested to hear what the candidates have to say about this daily recited ditty. Iraq and the economy are on the front pages every day, and rightly so, but I would like to know the future President's take on the role of religion in our society and government. In other words, which candidate will make policy decisions WITHOUT consulting the Good Book?
Consumer spending and national economic policy. One week you might read in the papers the housing market is "overheated" but if housing starts begin to lag, the financial markets worry. A story in the WSJ might discuss our low savings rates and how consumers are overextended on credit cards, but a dip in retail sales the following quarter sends the markets into a tailspin. Is it possible to achieve a balance between spending and saving, and which candidate's tax and economic policy is more likely to achieve this? And are Americans prepared to take the remedy?
There appears to be total agreement on both sides of the political aisle that America must prevail (and is capable of doing so) militarily in its war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Analysts such as Andrew Bacevich (BLS guest on 08/20/08) take the view that we cannot win that war and more importantly do not need to to maintain our securuty. Is this the sleeper issue of the 2009 campaign?
Childcare. One of the uppermost issues in the minds of working mothers. The lack of affordable childcare options is an almost impossible obstacle for poor and lower middle class families (and middle class ones too), and often an additional income must be sacrificed because there is no one to watch the children. This is an especially difficult predicament for single-parent households. An equally important issue that goes hand in hand is the availability of public early childhood education for all children. I'd like to know if either candidate has a comprehensive plan to address these issues and I hope it's not through tax credits.
I would like to nominate an issue.
It is a question that I had the opportunity to ask John Kerry during his run for the democratic nomination .. but to which i didn't get a satisfactory answer.
The issues/Question is:
What policies should the united states adopt under the next administration which would lead us to a set of appropriate and effective responses, short of going to war, to the kind oppression and crimes against humanity that we saw in pre-Iraq war Iraq, and we see today in Darfor, Burma and Zimbawa- and what variation of these responses would be appropriate in situations such as Tibet, Chechnya and other "internal" disputes in countries that we are not in a position to threaten with military action.
For 30 issues:
Topic: Would overturning Roe vs Wade end legal abortion in this country or just send the question to each state to decide? Let's get practical and limit the needless debate.
Marge Byers
Who should take ultimate responsibility for raising our children? Who has an interest in how the next generation of Americans is raised?
Under what, if any, circumstances should the US President set preconditions on meeting with the leaders of other nations?
What is the government's job?
Wars
Obama wants to get out of Iraq but go into Afghanistan. McCain wants to Surge indefinitely. Neither of these approaches can be sustained with the current volunteer army. How will each candidate address this?
Supreme Court
How will the two candidates choos SC justices? How will McCain square his personal ideology with his pandering to the right as well as his differences with what the Republican party just adopted as its platform, when making nominations.
As a constitutional scholar, what will Obama do?
Ending homelessness for individuals and families in the tri-state region. This is the most important challenge for our generation and is a subject that is not adequately discussed.
Fitness for office: has McCain's mental health been questioned? This is not a facetious question. The former POW was in a North Vietnamese prison for 6 years. Shouldn't we seriously question the long-term effects of that trauma? We hear more and more about PTSD, but does anyone connect McCain's reputed temper and anger to it? If so, such volatility should deeply concern us.
What is at stake in the Supreme Court? The next president will have far-reaching power in his choices for Supreme Court nominees. What changes are likely under McCain, under Obama?
Is it likely that the Republicans will again work on loading swing states with "liberal" referendum items to lure conservative voters to the polls? Once there, they will oppose gay marriage (for example)-- and vote Republican! This was an effective strategy in the 2004 election.
Immigration: At what point do we stop and ask "is unlimited immigration doing us any good?" in light of population and natural resource pressures, illegal alien and immigrant crime, issues of assimilation and the multi-billion dollar annual pricetag for our open door policy?
How should we measure the value of service? Who does more to protect American values, a teacher or a soldier? Who develops better leadership skills, a mayor or a community organizer?
What's Our Responsibility to the World's Poor?
Every day more than 20,000 people die from causes that are preventable. This should be the top story in the news every day, but we rarely hear about it. Why?
Government secrecy
Since we ("the people") hire the government, shouldn't we know what it does in our name? What should be kept secret from us, why, and for how long? Who should decide the level of secrecy of any particular item?
Title: Human Rights
At what point does a baby have human rights?
The long, continuing journey of America since Sept.11 has emboldened the nation’s control freaks, who have used the threat of “terrorism” to see bogeymen everywhere and thus call for expanding police powers, dismissing torture and constitutional rights, rounding up illegal immigrants and labeling anyone in social assistance program a reject who lives on off the government.
We are becoming a “meaner” nation, in the process forgetting the “meaning” of the country: “that we are one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
As a campaign issue, how can the USA return to the aims of the Founders while living in an internationally uneasy time?
Pro-Choice Christians
When did faith become so concrete?
Is all this faith talk a way to cloak intolerance, bigotry, sexism and racism? Will progessive Christians make a difference in this campaign cycle?
For many years, as an older woman, and with unfortunate first hand experience on the difficulty of obtaining a safe abortion, I am very concerned about the fate of RvW. I fear that once again the religious right will impose their philosophy on the rest of us, and am particularly concerned about the make-up of the Supreme Court.
The national debt
How big is it? How did it get that big? Who do we owe it to? How will we get the money to pay it off? WILL we pay it off? If not. will the owners of the debt foreclose onn us?
Sexism: the new attack dog.
The attacks on the media over sexism remind me of the attacks on one's patriotism in questioning the evidence to go to war in Iraq, or questioning the methods of prosecuting the War on Terror. Remember Senator Kerry being ridiculed for suggesting a more sensitive approach to the War on Terror? How forthcoming should a campaign be on details of its candidate's background? What if the press does not properly 'vet' the candidate? How can/should the voter actively seek out information on a candidate from one source, or many? Whose responsibility is it to make the voters comfortable with their choice?
How important IS experience?
Let's have a discussion of the relative historical importance of various qualifications: Do candidates with prior executive experience actually make better presidents? What about military experience? Heck, what about government experience? Are there, in fact, any dependable predictors of successful presidencies? (Ask Michael Beshloss?)
Executive Power and the DOJ-
Good posts on the topic of Bush/Cheney's expansion of executive power already, but I'd add the issue of the increased ideological division in the Department of Justice. It's the task of the DOJ to regulate and restrain executive power, but ideological and political ties amount to party affiliation within the justice system even at the highest levels.
Both parties are talking about helping families with special needs children.
As a single mother of a boy with autism I would like to know what exactly they are planning to do for us.
Tax:
At the moment in addition to being the only provider for my son I am also taxed higher because I am single.
John McCain is planning to put some money back into my pocket though increasing the deductions for the dependants.
Obama does not have any specific plan on helping me.
Healthcare:
I do have a health insurance through my work.
Problem is not that you can not get insured, it is that most of the biomedical treatments for autism are not covered by any insurance. The out of pocket expenses are astronomical. Most parents have to borrow the money and get into the depth to give their children a chance.
There is also an issue with the services for adults with autism.
The fact that they are entitled to the services does not guarantee that they will get them or when.
Thank you,
Ninel Kotlyar
What can be done to limit the further expansion of executive power and can those that have been usurped during the Bush/Cheny years be revoked?
What's A President?
What does a President do. What kind of decisions will he be asked to make. Do you have to have a lot of money to be president? ...and any other questions that might be regarded as 'assumed knowledge'...
Less of who will make the right president; more of what the presidency will make of the right candidate (including the citizens of America).
(please offer insight on this simple, yet meaningful topic as the elections move closer) *revise*
Topic: Media Coverage of the Campaign - Is the Press Getting Its Voice Back After Giving Bush a Pass?
Sarah Palin was a member of the media as a sportscaster. She now paints the media in an extremely negative light, but what does she think the media should really do? How do Obama and McCain see the function of the press?
Cheney and Friends Doing Business With Iran while failing to support political sanctions.
"Despite allowing more than a tenfold increase in trade with Iran, McCain and the Republicans continue to attack Senator Barack Obama for supposedly being insufficiently tough on Iran." --AARON KEYAK
Topic: Health care: Sarah Palin claims parents of special needs children would have a friend in Washington if the Republican ticket were elected. What kind of friend - true-blue or fair-weather? What are the health care policies of both tickets?
What's A President?
What does a President do. What kind of decisions will he be asked to make. Do you have to have a lot of money to be president? ...and any other questions that might be discarded as 'assumed knowledge'...
Less of who will make the right president; more of what the presidency will make of the right candidate (including citizens).
(please offer coverage on this simple, yet meaningful topic as the elections move closer)
Human Trafficking Used to Build US Embassy in Baghdad under US Contracts
and other underreported stories from Iraq.
http://www.smalllinks.com/5O0
Iraq War Profiteering: Who benefits most from the Iraq war and continued occupation?
Cheney's stock options in Halliburton rose from $241498 in 2004 to over $8 million in 2005. Cheney recently filed disclosure reports that show he is valued at $94 million. But there are others:
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/41083/
The NY Society for Ethical Culture recently asked passers-by our building on Central Park West at 64th St what questions they had for the presidential candidates. Here are some of those question:
On your inauguration, will you close the torture camps of the US forces and stop the abduction of People to these camps?
Andra Miller
How are you going to address the issues with the Federal Reserve? Why is our money issued by a privately owned bank and not our own government? Would you fight to change this?
Frumiesha Brown
How would you solve the economic crisis?
Anonymous
Criminal Justice – will you back and encourage efforts to make prison sentences match the crime – and to better train those incarcerated for productive lives on release?
Janice Buzby
Issues about seniors and low income persons and housing.
Charles Borges
To Both Candidates:
1. What do you plan to do regarding the onslaught on civil liberties during the Bush years by signing statements, eavesdropping on American citizens without court orders, rendition, torture, etc.? Will you consider continuing these policies or rescinding them?
2. How will you work with Congress to get your policies passed?
Helen Mecs
Obama,
Where do you stand on responsible sexual behavior by men, to not impregnate women, and if there is a child to take responsibility for the care and upbringing of the child?
Anonymous
Why should religion and public education be kept separate? Stephen Herbst
People with Disabilities:
How can we create Affirmative Action for PWD and change policies that encourage PWD not to work?
The FDA Must Be Restructured to Actually Protect Public Health
-Prescription drug sales have soared nearly 500 percent since 1990.
-The FDA compiled reports from 1998 to 2005 and finds that dangerous side effects and deaths from prescription and over-the-counter medications almost tripled to nearly 90,000 incidents.
-The very structure of the FDA prevents it from protecting the public from deadly pharmaceuticals.
http://www.smalllinks.com/5NZ
http://www.thoreau-fda.com/
How will you curtial "corporate socialism":
Government bail-outs of failing/failed companies
Government subsidies for wealthy Americans and corporations
Use of eminent domain for private interests
As a Cuban American, I am not allowed to visits my relatives in Cuba because they are not immediate family. The Bush administration does not consider my aunts,uncles and cousins as family and I have not been alllowed to visit Cuba since 2004 when they changed the rules. I would like to see all Americans be able to visit Cuba and this should be a major topic for discussion in this coming election.
Topic: Educational Core Curriculum
We all complain about our national educational problem but which candidate is addressing it better? New thinking about core curriculais a must. History needs to be reintroduced with an emphasis on the Decaration of Independence and the Constitution as all American rhetoric, values and laws (i.e. our way of life stems from it. Environment and respect for the Earth needs to central as is math and science.
One way to frame and focus the sex education issue: Resolved: The federal government has a legitimate role in promoting the reduction of teen pregnancy.
Perhaps some believe it should have no role. If this is true, that viewpoint should be exposed and discussed. If there is general agreement that teen pregnancy reduction is a legitimate policy objective for federal government, we can discuss what are the most effective approaches.
Protection of Individual Privacy:
Curtailing government surveillance of individuals and erosion of privacy rights
Government oversight to limit the ability of corporations to collect, aggregate, and sell private information
I'd like to suggest a thorough discussion of US defense policy, touching on such topics as: what is the primary focus of the military? Should peacekeeping operations be equivalent to traditional military ops? How do we be prepared for both "small wars" and "world wars"? Is the current worldwide distribution of US forces optimal or necessary? Does the current structure of the military meet current and evolving needs? Do there need to be closer relationships between the military and civilian diplomatic / intelligence bodies? How should the military be staffed: draft, volunteer or outsourced?
Cuba: Right to travel of all Americans
Obama promises unrestricted Cuban American travel to Cuba. McCain supports Bush's 2004 limit of one family visit every three years. Neither speaks for the 2/3 of Americans who favor normal relations and freedom to travel or even for restoration of the non-tourist people to people and educational travel that Bush also blocked in 2004.
Marriage Equality: Can party leaders get with the program?
Isn't it time for the leaders of all political parties to legalize marriage, nationwide.
Religion and Politics: A very dangerous combination
Throughout history, we have learned that running a country based on the religious belief of a certain group leads to intolerance and genocide. Other than vote pandering, why is religion still so prevalent in our current election? Why are they so certain about the righteousness of their belief? What makes them hink that the USA will not end up in the same path of violence and intolerance that every other country with a religion-based government has?
Retaining Older Workers
To ease strain on Social Security and Medicare, how do we encourage employers to retain and hire older workers? Florida reduces health insurance premiums.
Georgia:
Bush has never treated Russia with respect and now we’re seeing the effect. US news coverage has glossed over Georgian provocations for the invasion – and who knows how much behind-the-scenes encouragement has come from Bush? Imagine the roles reversed on our border? Just remember Cuba to see how seriously we’d take that local threat.
We are heading quickly back into a cold war with Russia. The consequences of that are enormous – and will once again drain the treasury like it did the last time. There are just a few more months for Bush, but these things can advance at a very quick rate. The next administration may inherit a bigger problem than Iraq and al Qaida.
The basis for positions on reproductive rights
Palin (matching the Republican platform) says no choice with no exceptions, seemingly based on the idea that childhood begins at conception. McCain says exceptions for rape, incest, and mother's life. Does that mean childhood begins at conception except in those cases? Will miscarriages have to be investigated for evidence of negligent manslaughter if a woman drank, smoked, or took an amusement-park ride during pregnancy?
Villification and Racism
Even before 9/11, but much more after, many especially on the right wing and conservative sides are spreading fear, racism, and villification of Islam, Muslims, Arabs, Southeast Asians, and Immigrants. The majority of the mainstream media is also on the same track. What is the way out of this?
Individual's carbon footprints: 7 houses?
Urban issues: mass transit, education, housing, jobs, etc.
US Prisons: prison population, economy of, sentencing, etc.
Will we subscribe to Wellington Declaration against the use, development, stockpiling and trade of Cluster Munitions? 120 other countries have. We are one of 28 still manufacturing.
Will we finally sign the Ottawa Treaty against the use, development, stockpiling and trade of landmines? 155 other countries have. We are one of 12 still manufacturing.
Which party actually favors"big government"?
Most Republicans say they oppose "big government". How has government grown (and what does that mean?) under Democratic as compared to Republican administrations?
Will we become a member of the International criminal Court? 104 other counties currently allow the world to hold their leaders and military accountable for their crimes.
"Democracy's Ghosts"
It's the name of a documentary produced by the ACLU and describes the phenomenon of the 5.3 million Americans who will not have a voice in choosing our next president because of state laws that prevent people with felony convictions from voting.
What do the candidates have to say about the over 500,000 people who return to their communities each year from prison, and how will disfranchisement laws affect the upcoming election.
Farm Subsidies vs National Health
"...current agricultural and public health policy is not coordinated—we heavily subsidize the growth of foods (e.g., corn, soy) that in their processed forms (e.g., high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated corn and soybean oils, grain-fed cattle) are known contributors to obesity and associated chronic diseases, including cancer."
(from The 2006-2007 Annual Report of the President’s Cancer Panel at NCI.)
Can you examine the state of informed participation in the democratic process?
Around this time last year, how many citizens knew about the primary process or what a super-delegate was? And it seems that the level of civic awareness or knowledge about pertinent sociopolitical/ economic/ health/ tech issues is still low, despite the increased attention garnered by the current political contest. In fact, Pew polled public knowledge levels last year and found it unchanged and even somewhat decreased despite technological advances...
Of course, only an informed and activated constituency will produce any kind of significant change, particularly given how nuanced issues are today.
Election fraud is rampant throughout the United States, and it played a big role in the 2000 and 2004. It will also play a part in the game of 2008. What are you doing to handle election fraud in your town?
These are some websites to check out (I got this off AfterDowningStreet.org:
bushstole04.com
National Voting RIghts Institute (NVRI)
blackboxvoting.org - by Bev Harris
wheresthepaper.org - by Theresa Hommel
Thanks.
Agriculture: Should we continue our commodies based subsidies? Should we reward local agriculture and make it's products more accessable to everyone? What role should nutrition play?
"What about the future of American wars?": Where do the candidates stand on the War Powers Act and the constitutional Declaration of War?
"Presidential power or Presidential power separation": Will the prospective presidents maintain the power of the previous presidency (signing statements, executive orders, executive privelege, restriction of information), or will they parse Presidential power differently?
Raising disabled children from birth through adulthood:
I'd like to hear a discussion of how families handle life with a child who has constant need. I'd like to hear a woman's point of view regarding staying home or working as well as from a man's point of view.
How will all this impact politics and policy?
Space Exploration for Fun, Profit, and Defense
Further understanding of weather, SETI, searching for resources, finding a future home for man, tourism, satellite communication, protecting Earth from collisions, making future war. All touch space utilization and space exploration. American love of and funding for space projects has gone back and forth. What's the future under each party?
My topic would be "travel to Cuba." Where do these condidates stand regarding the unconstitutional restriction/prohibition of travel to Cuba by American citizens?
What can we do to contain Iran's nuclear ambition?
Title: Temporary Workers and Health Care
With more and more companies hiring and using temporary workers at a record pace to offset their budgets, how and who would cover these workers health care expenses?
welfare to red states
why do red states take so much money from blue states and then claim they don't like welfare or government handouts?
How can two equally true statements be compared and discussed:
1) John McCain's entire life was spent in public service
2)John McCain's entire life has been spent on the publlc payroll,
Compare liberal (e.g., Democratic party) values with conservative (e.g. Republican party) values? What values are common to both? Can survey data identify which values most Americans hold?
On the balanced but ill-informed media
I agree that most media now are in it for sensational, personal stories and for balanced reporting, even if one side has no data or has distorted the data. Are we doomed to have a media just like this or can we have a media that is trained to learn about complex issues, do research (!) and find the truth? For many years I have hoped that the presidential debates would have detailed questions about environmental issues and the energy crisis. In 2000 we had a stark choice to make for President just on these issues, but hardly anyone knew the depth of their differences and the importance for the country. If we had an intelligent media, schooled in history, science, and how to research, and whose prime mission is to expose the truth and not perpetuate the lies that some people create to further their own goals, the American people would be more likely to have better governance. What we have now is corrupt journalism for the most part.
Political issues are not nearly as importnat as political emotions. Republicans are selling political emotions. They are are selling the structure and confidence and pride, and the sense of personal power, that come from religion, and patriotism, and guns, and race. Their chief marketing tool is clever phrases that can be repeated over and over again like a mantra.
Title: Election Fraud
Many people are convinced that electronic voting machines are hackable and have been hacked in previous elections. Can we pass a law making it the law to have a paper trail in all elections for national office?
education and science.
how can we compete against the European Union, Japan and others in the 21st century when there is such resistance to investing in education and science. today's students are falling further and further behind the students of the other industrialized nations, China India and Brazil are on the rise. Can we afford to waste so much brain power?
Keep religion out of politics. Tues. night at Pres. Bush's speech, he stood in front of a panel that seemed to have a wooden cross embedded in the design, slightly blocked by his body.
Scapegoating illegal immigrants. We have a local politician (Greg Ball) whose vicious attacks are obvious attempts to rabble-rouse uninformed public. No real suggestions to solve this problem.
I would like to nominate an issue in the vain of above topic "On trains, planes and automobiles".
-Our Physical Environment
-Can we build smarter cities and towns? Would either candidate prioritize the issue of land conservation and promote walkable cities composed of buildings that use less energy?
-Data from the US Energy Information Administration illustrates that buildings are responsible for almost half (48%) of all energy consumption and GHG emissions annually; globally the percentage is even greater. Seventy-six percent (76%) of all power plant-generated electricity is used just to operate buildings.
Treatment of Scientific inquiry by the government
This covers topics from evolution / creationism taught in the schools to freedom of scientific investigators to collect environmental data (the City's Intro 650 would abridge that), and USEPA's science staff making unprecedented complaints about being muzzled and their science being distorted for policy purposes. Of course, the granddaddy of this is the government lying surrounding the 9/11 twin environmental disasters (the 100 days of gigantic fires burning uncontrolled and creating toxics in the proximity of hundreds of thousands, and the collapses, creating toxic and carcinogenic dusts that permeated open and closed windows and which was never cleaned up properly.) The deaths and illnesses caused by this were predicted in testimony November 2001 by me and others, but the governments (Mayor and PResident) have tried hard to avoid the consequences. And EPA still has not even started to change procedures on cleanup in such circumstances, nor started rulemaking for ambient air quality standards for dioxin, PCBs, PAH, most metals, etc. so they were able to say that all standards were met. People need to know.
THE ENVIRONMENT: What steps will you take to make the Hudson River clean and safe enough for me to go swimming?
I hope the urgent need to control global warming won't cause us to neglect cleaning up our lakes, rivers and wild places. And I hope our next President will stop the foot-dragging by corporations to clean up the toxic messes they've made.
How can the public get an unbiased, objective understanding of the policy issues from the (primarily TV) NEWS media? Why is the news media so easily hijacked by distracting buzz topics that have no substantive impact on policy or our country's future? Why do they chase the spin? What ever happened to investigative journalism - sticking to important topics and getting the facts? When a person is interviewed (on TV) and they misrepesent facts, they are not questioned; Why? (or if they do question (Campbell Brown of CNN), they are attacked for doing so.
Do the candidates understand what a scientific theory is and do the candidates accept the theory of evolution?
Topic: Eminent Domain Abuse
To which national party do we go to address this issue? According to polls up to 90% of Americans disagree with the Kelo decision but protections are not in place in New York, on the federal level or many other places. Abuse usually involves big corporations trampling on individual rights in pursuit of profit, the kind of thing for which we often instinctively blame republicans but democrats seems to have largely ceded this emotional issue to libertarian and republican candidates and, ironically, it is the conservative republican judicial appointees who have been willing to uphold individual constitutional rights- The same justices who might overturn Roe v. Wade. It is a federal as well as a state issue because federal funding could require no abuse. Ratner is spending hundreds of millions to lobbying against this.
On Alternative Energy
Dyers comment scratches the surface of what needs to get into the American mind: as with transportation and waste, there is a hierarchy of methods of producing energy that rank from best to worst impacts on the environment. 1. Conservation 2. Renewable (solar, wind, geothermal, hydrogen (from water), tidal, waves, ocean thermal differences, etc. 3. Natural gas, 4. petroleum, drilled environmentally, 5. petroleum, 6. coal, 7. nuclear. Most people know little about the environmental impacts of any of these! AS far as they are concerned, one is as good as another. If we don't wisen up, we'll get the ones at the bottom. (BTW, uranium is also a limited resource.)
The debt and deficit.
How to reconcile a record breaking defict, tax cuts, spending increases, and the future payments. Platitudes from the candidates are nice, but action is better.
Mental Illness: The Forgotten Health Care Crisis
For the average American, the prohibitively high costs for mental health care prevent access. Our criminal justice system is full of offenders who have untreated mental illness--the treatment of which could mean prevention of future transgressions. How can we as a nation adress this crucial and basic need for universal mental health care?
Title: The Uniting American Families Act
The Family Research Council says “we would rather export homosexuals that import them”. That is what is happening. LGBT Americans do not have the right to sponsor their partner for immigration benefits and as a result are forced to leave the US or end their relationship. Obama support the bill to fix this, McCain pretty much opposes it. Regardless of where you stand on LGBT rights, is it fair to force Americans to leave their country?
The End of Organized Labor, or a New Beginning
Unionization in the private sector has declined to the point that another 4 to 8 years of an administration that is hostile to Labor could effectively mean the end of unions in America. Would destroying unions be good for the economy? Would increasing private sector union density reduce poverty? Reduce inequality? What should the government do to strengthen or weaken the right to organize and join unions.
On Greening the Tax Structure
I forgot one big aspect of how ungreen the current tax structure is. We pay people to have more children. While this might have been a good idea when the country had few people, our natural resources - food, water, energy, materials, are starting to run out. We should do what we can to preserve them before it is too late.
1) Military industrial complex
Ever since Eisenhower layed out his prophetic commentary on TMIC, we have seen this country's economy become more and more dependent on the business of war, to the point that we now have a VP who was a former lobbyist for a Defense contracting company. I'd like to hear how and if the candidates are interested in responding to Eisenhower's warning.
Cuba: Right to travel of all Americans
Obama promises unrestricted Cuban American travel to Cuba. McCain supports Bush's 2004 limit of one family visit every three years. Neither speaks for the 2/3 of Americans who favor normal relations and freedom to travel or even for restoration of the non-tourist people to people and educational travel that Bush also blocked in 2004.
Is it too late to impeach Bush, Cheney & Co.?
On Trains, Planes and Automobiles
Adding to Steve Mark's idea, the lid should be blown about how much the government subsidizes each of these, including, of course, highway subsidies and airline assistance. Also we need to compare these same statistics with Europe and Japan. How do they manage to have such good train systems?
Workplace Discrimination: the invisible GLBTI issue.
While same-sex marriage is clearly important, it gets a great deal more press than workplace discrimination. It is appalling that in the 21st century there is no federal law in place to protect people from being fired for not being heterosexual.
Green the Tax Structure
One side takes the status quo, another discusses alternatives to taxing income that tax individual and corporate behaviors that are bad for the planet and for people - tax consumption of excess packaging, disposables (where reusables exist), toxic products, cars, foods that aren't organically produced, nonrenewable resources, as well as sins like smoking, drinking, reckless behaviors like noise production.
CHECKING CORPORATE INFLUENCE IN AMERICA
corporations and other fictional entities exert significant influence on American social/political policy in many spheres (food; healthcare, etc). Unlike many other countries, fictional entities have been endowed with "civil rights" as natural beings. Many would attribute this situation as problematic. Do the candidates have a position on these issues, and if so, what is it?
1) Completion of the Border Wall.
2) Deportation of/Zero Tolerance for Presence of Illegal Aliens.
3) Abolition of Birthright Citizenship for Children of Illegal Aliens.
4) Abolition of Mandatory Free Education and Health Care for Illegal Aliens.
5) Punishment of Employers of Illegal Aliens.
Topic: Trains, Planes and Automobiles
How will the candidate reexamine the transportation infrastructure? Do we need more highways or a reconstrcuted rail system for both people and freight? How do we bring efficiency back to air transportation without sacrificing security? How much should the federal government contribute to public transportation on local levels? Do we mandate manufacturing requirements for mileage, non-fossil fuels, etc.
Water Policy in the West
Economic and Environmental impact on water policy proposals in the West.
see blog for more
#1) Create A Living Wage
With ability for a single parent to support their child on 40 hours per week.
#2) Single payer Healthcare
#3) Mandatory 3-4 year draft
(or alternate service)
undo Cheney/Rumsfeld "private" contractor army.
#4) Federally paid Day Care starting at six months Will help for retraining for next generation and "head-start" educational opportunities.
#5) Implement Tax Reform on the ULTRA Rich
undo remove the Alternative minimum tax.
It then becomes the Alternate MILLIONAIRE tax
1% MINIMUM payment due on INCOME.. Not deductions.
#6)Lobbying (Political Reform)
Lobbying has broken our country. We need to fix it.
#7) Education
Education and job training go hand in hand.
Job training is also taken up by the alternative mandatory service policy # 3 above.
#8) Infrastructure (road /bridge/Systems repairs)
A massive program, paid by federal government, and staffed by job trainees, and alternative service folks.
#9) Lack of Training/futures
The "leisure" or under-employed inner city former drug dealers will learn a new trade in construction.
#10) Truth and Reconciliation Commission
In order to come clean (issue 6) on political problems (alberto Gonzalez, torture=treason, etc) Come clean, get pardoned, else get prison!
#11) A new "Manhattan" project, focusing on Energy INDEPENDENCE
starting with immediate credits for solar, financing, as well as the MASSIVE investment we made to get the atomic bombs.
Energy
In order to have a sound discussion of energy you need to understand some basic scientific facts. There is no such thing as "making American Energy" as some congresspeople have said on NPR. Check out the first law of thermodynamics. We must inprove the scientific literacy of the electorate before sound decisions can be made. And, yes, that goes for Congress, too.
Income Inequality
The disparity between the wealth of the richest Americans and that of the average American seems to be increasing and this increase seems to have been exacerbated by the current administration's policies. How big a problem is this and what should the government be doing about it?
1) Felony Voting Disfranchiesement
Felony disfranchisement is a policy that bars citizens from the ballot box upon conviction of a felony. In the United States, over 5.3 million Americans cannot vote due to a felony conviction. Felony disfranchisement laws vary from state to state, but 48 states bar incarcerated individuals from casting a ballot, with only Maine and Vermont allowing all inmates to vote. Eight states permanently ban certain individuals with felony convictions from voting and two states bar all persons with felony convictions from voting.
The vast majority of disfranchised individuals are no longer incarcerated, but are living in their communities on probation or parole; 2.1 million of the disfranchised population have fully completed their sentence. These disfranchised individuals are tax-paying citizens, involved with the issues in their community, but unable to vote to affect them.
The impact of felony disfranchisement falls disproportionately upon communities of color. Close to 1.5 million black men are disfranchised due to felony convictions.
In a democracy voting is a right, not a privilege. But for over 5 million Americans, that is not the case.
Election Reform!
Important for any democracy is how it handles its elections. Some believe America should make Election Day a national holiday, others think the polls should be open for an entire weekend or via the web. Also relevant to the discussion is:
--proper identification required to vote
--functionality and safety of voting machines (and their results)
--partiality of election judges and secretaries of state
What can the next President do for Cities? How much can and should the Federal Government be involved in solving urban problems? Particularly discuss the 10-point plan recently introduced by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. (www.usmayors.org)
How do we contain Iran's nuclear ambitions?
Question:Will you assist in the creation of and sign a bill to federally fund Stem Cell Research?
-In the face of extraordinary advances in the prevention, diagnosis & treatment of human diseases that continue to deprive people of health, independence & well-being. The US can set our effort as a global example and be a scientic leader in this new frontier.
I agree with Nila. I believe that the single most important discussion should be about protecting the voting system from theft. In swing-state Colorado, the Secretary of State conducted the biggest purge of voters in history, dumping a fifth of all registrations. In swing-state Florida, the state is refusing to accept about 85,000 new registrations from voter drives .
In New Mexico, found their registrations disappeared this year, courtesy of a voting contractor.
In Ohio and Nevada, new federal law is knocking out tens of thousands of voters who lost their homes to foreclosure.
ASK CANDIDATES TO ENFORCE:
• SHERMAN ANTITRUST ACT, 1890 to prevent having corporations too large to let them go under when poorly managed. They are saved at the expense of tax payers.
• Eliminate legislation that provides for government bailout of corporations (at tax payer’s expense), but not benefiting from profit (example: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; the Price Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act that protects catastrophic nuclear power events at tax payer’s expense).
+++++++++++++++
DEBATE IF CORPORATIONS ARE “PERSONS”:
• If the Supreme Court has in fact ruled in favor of corporation personhood (there is evidence to the contrary)
• How the concept has been utilized to favor corporations, overlooking the responsibilities “persons” have, such as: persons die, corporations do not; persons cannot own other persons (that is slavery), corporations can buy other “person-corporations”, etc.
SEX EDUCATION:
The fact that Bristol Palin became pregnant is less a reflection of her mother's morals than a reflection on Bristol's inability to use or lack of access to or lack of knowledge of condoms and why they are important in protecting one from sexual transmittable diseases like AIDS.
I doubt that she or her boyfriend had AIDS tests before their sexual activity.
It is our duty in this day and age to use condoms, whether we are of age or not. Republican or Democrat, pro-life or pro-choice. All children should be taught about it. All adults should be reminded about it.
Democrats should support sexual education and the distribution (and instruction for use) of condoms in high schools.
Funding for the Arts and Arts Education
Public spending on the arts helps position our nation to be competitive globally. Arts Education also increases students' cognitive development, discipline, confidence and hones communication and problem-solving skills. Supporting funding for the Arts should be a priority to our leadership.
Immigration Detention - a little known disgrace
Among many important immigration reform issues, few people know that over 30,000 immigrants are incarcerated in the US, neither accused or convicted of a crime -- they are accused of CIVIL violations of immigration laws. Long detentions, poor medical care, no right to a lawyer, etc. Many are asylum seekers, fleeing persecution to seek safety, detained upon arrival, often deported. There are better alternatives for our democracy.
Voting Rights
Prior to "Will your vote be counted?", we must ask "Will you get to vote?" Do you know your rights? Many citizens don't, and should. This is especially true for minority communities, people who have been convicted of crimes, and other vulnerable groups. When/how to register, the right to a paper ballot if you are not in the book or a machine breaks down, and MANY other issues.
what is patriotism?
Our exponentially-growing prison system - according to the NYTimes this past spring, 1 in 100 Americans are behind bars. The impact on our schools, our economy, and our communities is staggering, yet politicians are fearful to even touch the issue, lest they be seen as "soft on crime." Do either of the candidates offer any real political solutions to ease the process of reentry for folks leaving the system, or to combat the systemic problems that cause people to become ensnared in the first place?
The overturning of Roe v. Wade's impact on the cost of healthcare.
Does forcing women to bring pregnancies to term without universal healthcare constitute a violation of human rights?
With McCain's pledge of selecting judges with anti-choice credentials it would seem ridiculous to assume that Roe v. Wade would not be overturned. Costs of prenatal care/maternity/premature births & social costs for teen births alone in 1996 were over 7 billion dollars (according to a study by the Robin Hood Foundation; these cost would only balloon.
The issue of universal healthcare is a nonstarter with conservatives. Can their claim of moral authority and family values be squared with banning abortion?
If life begins at the point of conception does that mean that birth control that prevents a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb is also outlawed as abortion or tubal pregnancy?
The Republican platform and the state of the supreme court are questions all of us, especially McCain voters, need to resolve before the election.
"The Egg as Metaphor"
We are running our of oil. Our production/consumption economic life is threatening to exceed the capacity of our planet to sustain itself.
Is this not the experience of a chick still within the egg, once the supply of nutrients in the egg white is near exhaustion?
Is there an analogy to be found to breaking out of the egg shell into life as a bird?
What would it be like for humanity and the rest of life to be aware of itself as a single organism?
ASK CANDIDATES TO PROPOSE:
• Elimination of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that has allowed a the media to be owned and controled by a few corporations. Citizens are now deprived of sufficient fair and diverse media.
• Reinstating the The Glass-Steagall Act that kept banks and securities firms apart. Repealing this act has led to the subprime mortgages debacle.
HOW TO HAVE FAIR ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER 2008 by eliminating:
• Voter supression tactics
• Electronic machines with no paper proof
• Insufficient and deficient voting machine in poor areas
+++++++++++++++
STOPING THE EROSION OF THE CONSTITUION:
• Respecting SEPARATION OF POWERS
• Developing mechanisms to have Attorney General’s that will respect and apply laws
The Experience Switcheroo... When It Comes To Technology
Barack Obama walks around with a Blackberry.
John McCain says he's computer illiterate.
How will this stark technological difference inform each candidate's administration?
What is McCain's relationship w the Neocon faction? It is public knowledge that in January 1998, John McCain signed the now infamous open letter to President Bill Clinton cooked up by the neo-conservative "Project for a New American Century" (PNAC). The letter urged the president to take unilateral military action against Iraq. McCain and his neo-con brethren were literally cheerleading for the United States to attack and overthrow the government of Iraq long before the 2000 election.
Is Birth Control Abortion?
To a pro-live candidate who believes that a human being, with rights, is created at the moment of conception. Would you support the criminalization of birth control pills that possible prevents a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus? If not why?
If government is organized, can we not use RICO laws to prosecute government mismanagement?
If we are living in a kleptocracy, shouldn't we be able to get back some of the petro-profits, fine the poor management, shame the embezzlers?
Civil Liberties-
What is the point of protecting America, if we gut the constitution in the process?
Why is it OK for the US to torture and how does it make us safer? (Please do not use any ticking bomb scenerio from "24" as a defense.)
Why does the gov't need the ability to eavesdrop on American citizens and why did Congress allow Telcomms immunity before they heard wht crimes they committed?
Birth Control and Sex Education
Want to improve literacy? The environment? Quality of life in Third World countries? I want the candidates' views on this: Figure out how to remove the barriers preventing all children in the US and worldwide from being taught, in age-appropriate ways, that sex is a natural, inevitable human function to be handled responsibly, always. Begin in preschool and discuss the subject honestly in every grade. Help children understand that choices they make as teens will truly impact their lives forever. Concomitantly, help them find value in themselves, so they'll want to go on to college and work without the burdens of teenage parenthood. What will it finally take for us, as a nation, to realize that teaching morals and religious values are wonderful things, but that sex education and readily available birth control are what we need to help life on earth survive? If there's no human life left in 500 or 1000 or 2000 years, what good will all the moralizing have done? With international population control, so many problems could, over time, be positively impacted to some degree: depletion of natural resources; providing better pre-K-to-12 education (because there would be fewer kids to educate, and fewer from unmarried-teenage-mother households); AIDS and other STDs; other diseases caused by unsanitary, overcrowded living conditions...the list could go on.
What will climate change mean for New York in the next 25 years?
Building on contributions about climate change and New Orleans from other commentors here ....
Climate change scientists agree that an immediate effect of climate change will be more frequent, more devastating hurricanes in unusual waters. Does this threat extend to New York, and if so, are we prepared to face it?
"Abolish the Federal Reserve"
Since the Fed was established in 1913, the value of the dollar has decreased by 95%. No wonder people are having financial troubles!
The Fed is not a part of the government, but rather is a private entity, owned by banking interests, that meets in secret to manage the financial future of the nation.
Why should this be tolerated?
Federal Referendum Process: Twenty-seven states have initiative or referendum mechanisms to allow direct voting on various measures. Would a Federal referendum process be good? How would it work?
The Electoral College: a practice that has out-lived its usefulness?
Why not proportional representation (e.g. Maine)?
Why not simple popular vote with a "50%-plus-1" rule that calls for a run-off between the top two vote-getters in the event no one gets a 50%-plus-1 win?
High Quality Education For Poor Children
I believe that we need to focus our energies on funding and finding initiatives that would increase the equality of education in poorer schools and districts.
Mountain Top Removal
The dirty secret of "clean coal" is the ecological destruction in the southern Appalachian mountains. In West Virginia and Kentucky, tops of mountains are blown away to expose the coal underneath, and then tons of debris shoved into creeks and rivers in the narrow valleys or "hollows' below.
Apparent in aerial photographs, the devastation is affects not only the wildlife and its habitat--these mountain areas are home to a huge diversity of plants birds and other animals--but also to the people who live there, many of them for generations, affecting their health and livelihood.
This subject needs wider airing, and the Brian Lehrer show is the one to do it!!
High Quality Education For Poor Children
I believe that we need to focus our energies on funding and finding initiatives that would increase the equality of education in poorer schools and districts. A
Domestic Oil Production
The GOP platform looks like a top theme will be: "Drill here;drill now; pay less."
What are the facts about the untapped fields already leased?
Was Palin chosen for ANWAR?
Do we have the domestic refinery capacity to handle more crude?
How long will it be before increased capacity will affect the price of oil-produced energy? Who will pay (and how) for the infrastructure and construction related to increasing drilling and refining?
Why can't American cars get better gas milage?
Separation of Church and State -
All candidates always ignore a hot button issue like this. Why are our taxes paying for private meetings of the Pope? i.e. mass at Yankee Stadium. I understand he is a "head of state" but for private venues he should pay for his own security (as do others).
Why is "In God We Trust" in our courtrooms, on our money. Why is this county one nation, under god?
Why is prayer STILL in many schools?
I would be very interested in hearing the candidates views on this and other related issues, not perfunctory but real.
Thank you.
Restore Rule of law, the Constitution, defense of government by the people for the people, not by some people for their friends.
Investigate and prosecute those who have systematically worked to dismantle our basic framework of equity which is the foundation of all US American values, family values, personal integrity, social responsibility and freedom.
Without the rule of law, there are no family or any other kinds of values.
Energy.
Energy is the most important issue of our time. It has profound implications on the environment, economy, and national security.
In my humble opinion, we need an Apollo or Manhattan style project to solve this critical issue. If we can organize to beat the Soviets and nuke the Japanese, we can certainly organize to save ourselves.
Oops, apologies--I didn't realize the comments were being re-numbered with each post. I want to clarify my previous post by saying I support some of the nominations put forth by Paul Schlick, Gerald Fnord, Alex from Brooklyn, and O from Forest Hills.
My 3rd nomination:
Defining crime by who's on the bottom? Is it fair to say that the exchange of some substances are legal (i.e. caffeine, alcohol, nicotine) and others illegal (i.e. marijuana) because of who controls the market of these substances? How much of this is because of race--reflected in our prison population? What role does the federal government have in protecting civil rights through its policy toward drugs?
"Remembering/Rebuilding New Orleans"
Three years after hurricane Katrina, much of New Orleans outside of the French Quarter is still desolate. What is the role of government is helping citizens rebuild after disaster? Should more resources be devoted to protecting vulnerable communities, or are natural disaster victims responsible for rebuilding their own lives?
The experiment of "Public Education": How has NCLB opened up public education systems for privatization? How are charter schools, vouchers, Teach for America, the emphasis on high-stakes standardized testing, and mayoral-control of schools part of this trend? What is the significance of public schools being publicly funded and publicly governed?
This suggestion supports the nomination of #123, #128, #140, #142, and #144.
Steps forward, steps backward: What directions has federal policy moved in regarding reproductive health (including abortion protection and funding for comprehensive sex education) over the past 5 decades? Where direction are we moving in?
(This seconds the nomination of #161 and probably others)
What should the federal government's role be in affordable housing?
The Housing and Recovery Act of 2008 modestly increased the amounts available of two major forms of federal housing subsidy, low income tax credits and private activity bonds. At the same time, public housing authorities throughout NYS are trying to cope with substantial reductions in their federal subsidies. And Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae use affordable housing have used "affordable housing" as a justification for their existence.
How well do existing federal housing programs meet the need for affordable housing, both nationally and locally? Which existing programs should be expanded and which should be rethought?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93975730
For those intrested in the health care plans of Obama & McCain, one can check this link
to a recent Fresh Air program.
I was stunned at Nancy Pelosi's decision to take impeachment of Bush and Cheney "off the table" and Barack Obama's decision to go along with this decision has pretty much lost him my vote. If this elelction turns out to be close (and it's currently in a dead heat) how much will the Democrats' perceived impotence or indifference to holding the previous administration responsible for its crimes cost them at the polls? They have always suffered, fairly or unfairly, from an impression of ineffectuality. Do they need to offer some active form of prosecution of the crimminality of the previous administration to help galvanize people and get their support?
This issue is about church and state relations. RLUIPA gives religious uses a virtual immunity from local land use regulations, often to the detriment of neighboring residents. Where do the candidates stand on this law, in particular, and the church-state relationship, in general?
Topic: Youth
This election is about youth.
The Baby Boomers and Seniors have had their chance. They have done so much damage, they don't deserve another chance.
It's time to move on. It's time for a new perspective.
Is the Bush Administration the Best Argument for Gun Ownership? During the last eight years we have witnessed the abrogation of constitutional protections against tyranny and clear evidence of criminal wrong-doings by government officials without consequence. How do we protect ourselves when government is no longer "of the people and by the people"?
Campaigning is Corruption.
Should political campaigns be financed from public money or private? Voters say they no longer have a voice. The politicians say they spend all their time raising money. The Supreme Court says that corporate giving is free and therefore protected speech.
same sex marriage, recognizing marriages of same sex couples from other jurisdictions like Spain, Canada, recognizing them in the USA & legalizing marriage in the USA
Darfur
What to do about the daily human tragedy?!
Executiveship: How would the candidates weigh competing offers of advice from experts on pressing issues (whether Iraq or the economy) other than by who agrees with their preexisting views?
Is the American 'way of life' negotiable? George Bush senior remarked at the time of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 — "the American way of life is not negotiable".
The fact is that the US with less than five per cent of the global population, "uses almost 30 per cent of the planet's resources. Its emission record is the world's worst, spewing 20 tons of greenhouse gas per person per annum." Do Americans really feel that we are entitled to our standard of living at the expense of the rest of the world? ... where do the candidates stand on this matter?
An issue I would like to see explored during this presidential campaign is America's exploding prison population; the draconian drug laws that destroys communities; and the privatization of governments correctional / rehabilitation duties that feeds and complicates the problem.
2.3 million imprison should be an alarm in and of itself. If our society is producing so many criminals either something fundamentally needs to change within the society or our laws on the whole need to be re-evaluated.
Reforming access to health care: How do we contain costs?
75% of health care dollars are actually spent on health care - only 11-14% on administrative costs. It's easy to make the insurance companies the bad guys, and they may be, but research shows that we waste a lot of money on unnecessary, redundant and ineffective treatments. How will the candidates address this problem?
Issue: Corporate run media lock out of other candidates.
Ralph Nader is running again and is polling at or above 5%. He will be on the ballot in more states than the last election. His platform is extremely relevant as he addresses many of today's issues head-on. It is of great concern that the corporate run media has completely locked out his campaign. This type of exclusionary censorship is a terrible sign of the current state of our deteriorating democracy. Dare I question that our beloved WNYC is falling prey to these exclusionary practices? Ralph is as viable a candidate as ever and should at least get some coverage. If anything, to contribute to the content and intelligence of the election’s debate.
I'm not sure this is an issue but without a resolution, we're not going anywhere but down as a country. I want to know how the new president will bridge the gap between the Executive and the Legislative and how he will encourage, cajole and pressure members of his own party to break the log jam in Washington with the opposing party. I don't want platitudes but concrete roadmaps as to how the new president will do this.
An old issue that no one seems to know how to address - the future of Medicare. How will we pay for it? Will it have to be means-tested? The generational friction that will result especially if young people can't afford their own health care.
Presidential Manager or Micro-manger? What are the management styles of Senators McCain and Obama? Will the President assert himself into the nitty grity of running the Executive agencies or have a laissez faire approach?
How did the Senators organize their Senate staffs and deal with their staffers? Maybe former/current Obama/McCain staffers can shed light on their bosses operations.
Why are we the only major industrial country to let prescription drugs be advertised to the general public? Why can't we buy these drugs, with a proper prescription, from a Canadian Pharmacy?
The medicare prescription drug bill showed how our our government is in the pocket of the drug industry. I believe our medical bills would be reduced 10 percent or more by just changing these two laws.
What is a living wage. The current minimum wage ($6.55) produces a annual salary of less than $14,000/year. Can any family live on that income? What is the effect of Federal means tested assistance (Medicaid, Food Stamps, Earned Income Tax Credit) on the actual income of the poor? What is the impact of H2B (seasonal- up to 10 months/year, renewable and without benefits) visas on the wages of the poor and near poor ?
A New G.I. Bill
The GI Bill was the basis for much of the progress that America made in the 50's with access to education and training like never before.
Diversity in America
How will each candidate reverse the permeation of intolerance throughout America, whether it is the difference of people's religious beliefs, race, social class, sexual orientation, etc?
-How will the candidates encourage the embracing of diversity in America?
-Why is race still an issue after so many years since the civil rights movement? We are so mainstream on black vs white but what about Asians, Muslims, Indian Americans and other minorities in America? Why doesn't the media or candidates shed any light on their issues? The short answer is that they don't vote but I think that is why it's even more important for NPR to shed some light on what the media shy away from.
-The separation of Church and State is a good thing but it will not address the intolerance of religous differences. Many wars have been fought because of religion since the beginning of civilization. How do we move beyond this cycle and learn to live with each other in peace and harmony? Is there economic discrimination between Athiest, Agnostics, Darwinists, Christians, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoist, etc? If there is, then how does equal opportunity really hold true in America?
-How will each candidate address the issue of xenopobia to shape policy on immigration?
1. Health insurance: Why is the United States the only wealthy, industrialized nation that doesn’t have a universal health care system? Could the US use parts of other
countries’ systems?
1a. Afghanistan: What are the military means to deal with the Taliban. Could a “Marshall Plan” for this region be used to deal with the root causes of terror?
List of 28 other issues in alphabetical order:
deficit, education, Electoral College,
energy/environment, federal stem-cell policy,
FEMA/disaster preparedness, Gerrymandering reform, homelessness, immigration, improving counting of votes, Internet royalty rates
intervention policy, Iraq, jobs/economy,
lobby reform, market regulation, Medicare,
national infrastructure, net neutrality,
nuclear proliferation, policy on use of torture, port security/inspections, privacy rights/electronic surveillance bill, reducing recidivism, strengthening the military, taxes,
trade policy, Veterans' benefits.
Who really supports renewable energy? Who likes wind best? Solar? Ethanol? Is nuclear renewable? Which candidate can break the Congressional deadlock? And will America benefit, or just T. Boone Pickens?
Curing the Oceans' Dead Zones
Pollution from fertizler runoff and petroleum spills are killing coastal areas. What should be done to stop the destruction of these ecological and economically important areas?
Environment. Environment. Environment!
Not only global warming. "Clean" coal just means cleaner-*burning* coal. Coal *mining* is dirty & dangerous, both underground (Crandall Canyon) & mountaintop-removal "mining," which destroys forests, rivers, habitat, & wildlife & wrecks people's lives.
(Ampersands are punctuation marks, not words, right?)
Rationalize federal funding of the nuclear, coal, and renewable energy industries.
Are renewable energy sources viable national alternatives to nuclear and coal? How would Obama and McCain transform federal energy subsidies to coal, nuclear and renewable energy in order to help the economy and combat global warming?
How would the cost-benefit analysis change for solar, wind and geothermal energy if they received as much government subsidization as nuclear and coal energy receive at present?
What is the Price Anderson Act (accident insurance for nuclear power plants paid for by U.S. government) costing tax payers every year, and how much would that cost increase if there was a second Three Mile Island?
Whatever happened to the working class? Are they obcured by the focus on "middle class" (or grudgingly the "working poor)? Of whom exactly is the "middle class" comprised?
How come I see no comments after #143. even though I submitted and refreshed several times?!!!
At the Democratic National Convention you asked Carolyn Maloney and Obama's Deputy Campaign Mgr. to give a short statement about the Democratic platform as the Republicans have as Sen.Schumer suggests in his new book.
Neither of them could do it. Maybe you caught them off guard. How about putting this out to your audience to submit.
TAX reform: TAX THE TOP!
Eliminate the Current AMT (Alternative
Minimum Tax).
Create a NEW, InDEXED alternative Millionaire tax!! (AMT)
Example: Starting at five million dollars you will owe a MINIMUM of 5% of your gross income (or $250,000) in taxes.
Same for corporations.
The Technical Adjustment TaX Alternative Corporate Tax (TAX-ACT)
will create a MINIMUM corporate tax, dependent on corporate INCOME, sales (etc).
a straight ONE percent of sales. PERIOD.
If you had 1 million dollars in sales, your MINIMUM tax due is one thousand dollars.
or : if you were Walmart and you had 100Billion dollars in sales, you'd pay: 100Million in taxes.
See this week's blog post at sos-newdeal.blogspot.com/2008/08/topic-of-week-this-week-tax-reform-tax.html
for more details.
Social Security Repairs
It is reported that Social Security will not be able to support the Baby Boomers as they retire. How would you repair the system?
I like JP Dawson's comment on gerrymandering. It certainly very important and should be in your top 30. A solution to this problem would be a meta-solution in the sens that it could reduce, and perhaps cure, many of the problems afflicting the "people's house."
I have often wondered about a system where a state's population is randomly divided into regions equal to the number of representatives. Just go down an alphabetic list of voters and assign them one-by-one to different Congrssional districts. As voters leave the district new ones would be assigned in the same fashion.
The Founding Father believed very strongly in the separation of Church and State as fundamental to a healthy democracy.Do the candidates support this vision and how would they show this?
The Imperial Presidency
GWB has increased the power and secrecy of the executive office exponentially. Few presidents take office and then diminish the power they have. Is either candidate willing to reduce or moderate this extreme power?
A corollary question: The legislative branch seems to be hampered by the need to run for office to get elected so they can run again. They seem to be rendered powerless except to raise money for their own reelection.
Executive Power:
Which candidate would be more likely to relinquish executive power?
We've heard so much about Bush's expansion of it, which of them would be likely to make changes that would restore a balance of power among the branches of government? (see also comment #76)
Also, a shout out to comments #91--Infrastructure--I'm plain embarrassed at how far the US seems to be falling behind the world
And #109--Vouchers
The candidates executive ability: A comparison of Obama's and McCain's executive style: temperment; habits of mind; ability to delegate; communicate (ie stay on message and harness the internet); manage staff and finances; as a window to their presidential performance. An examination of their past performance (senate, campaign, family relationships, etc.)with management specialists would be useful to gain a sense of how they would govern.
What must be done to address the plight of inner city youth?
Guns, violence, gangs unemployment, substandard housing, lack of access to health care etc. plague America's cities.
What to do????
Capital Punishment: A Window into a Country's Soul.
A country's stand on capital punishment reveals its character. Is it appropriate to kill people who kill other people to show it is wrong to kill people?
Stir the melting Pot!
Motivating Americans to value, appreciate and not stereotype people from other cultures is critcially important. What public policy strategies should be developed nationally to achieve this?
What is the role of government (state & federal) in providing meaningful services for the disabled?
In the recent past, the seriously developmentally disabled and seriously mentally ill were institutionalized. Now, the new "institutions" are ill-equipped, frightened families, homeless facilities and prisons. The general public is not aware of the severity of this social problem. Not since John Kennedy's Community Mental Health center initiative have we seen federal government seriously addressing this issue. Does America care?
Its time to rethink the War on Drugs. 30 years of the the Drug War have resulted in more harm than good. A good start would be Congress recognizing that marijuana does have medicinal value. Also, the hemp plant has environmental value!
I have heard nothing from the presidential candidates on this.
LABOR and EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION (SINK or SWIM)
The workforce in this country has endured stagnant wages for years, while the folks in the corner offices scoff at annual salaries below many millions, and two-thirds of US corporations last year paid no taxes at all. What regulation/deregulation would each side propose address these issues?
Is Corrupt Outsourcing Worse than Corrupt Government?
Proposition: In an effort to avoid/dismantle the "social democracy" that was started by the New Deal, the Goldwater/Reagan/conservative legacy has given us more corruption than government ever produced. How do we restore accountability?
Constitution-shmonstitution redux?
How will we restore checks and balances in the post-Bush era? Have "we, the people" become complacent?
Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century
With wars waged and threatened on the pretext of stopping nuclear proliferation, and with dozens of thousands of nuclear armed missiles still on hair-trigger, high-alert, pointed at New York City, Moscow and other major cities, the time has come to reassess the role that nuclear weapons play in our security.
Former cold warriors like Robert McNamara, Henry Kissinger and Ted Sorensen now believe that the best way to counter the threat posed by nuclear weapons is through their global elimination- and starting with eliminating ours.
With tensions rising between the US and Russia, in the Middle East and elsewhere, it is increasingly imperative to address the 20th century legacy of nuclear annihilation, and to consider what role, if any, nuclear weapons have in the global security of the 21st century.
My main question is about climate change, the most central issue facing our country and the world. How will the candidates promote the political, cultural, technological and business changes necessary to address climate change?
Also: How will the candidates address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the US specifically?
What will they do about the fact that 1 in 100 US adults are incarcerated?
I'd also like to second a few issues already raised: #84 (reducing poverty), #18 and #112 (public transportation), #17 (electoral college), #70 (school integration).
HEALTH CARE! Big problem of the underinsured and the loss of national competitiveness because of the draining cost of health care.
What is the biggest challenge in maintaining American technological (which could translate into economic) competitiveness?
What is the federal government's role in developing a national arts policy that ensures that the next generation of American artists are able to continue to make art?
I would love to know what our future leaders plan to do about affordable broadband access in this country.
The Politics of Fear
Political candidates and media outlets have long know that fostering irrational fears is one of the easiest ways of dividing otherwise unified voters and getting them to vote again their interests. What are the key issues where fear is used as a tactic and are the fears justified? If the fears are justified should this affect our vote, if unjustified why do these tactics work and how?
Including and not limited to:
Future attacks on US soil by Al Qaeda, US economic downturn, Barack’s Muslim background, The end of America’s golden age, African American vs. Hispanic American interests, Running out of Oil…
Transparency in the Federal Government
Both candidates decry lobbyist influence over governmental decisionmaking. We will likely not see a Cheney-style closed-door energy task force consisting of undisclosed industry interests, but what should we expect from the next administration? What should we demand?
"That's Rich?" The candidates propose to tax families earning over $250,000 per year. Many of those taxpayers, particularly in the NYC area, insist that they are merely middle-class. How much must you earn in America to be "rich," and which taxpayers whould be paying higher taxes?
#83:
About 50% of all fertilizations never make it to the implantation stage. Of the fertilized eggs that do implant and a pregnancy is begun, about 15-18% of them are miscarried, die in utero or are stillborn.
Fiscal Responsibility and the Need to Balance the Federal Budget
Taxes and Making the System Fair for all Citizens, not Just the top 3%.
Ensuring Medical and Reproductive Care that is Legal, Sensitive and Responsive to the Needs of Women and Their Families
Honoring our International Agreements in all areas of diplmacy.
Maintaining the Endangered Species Act
Promoting Environmental Responsibility by Enacting Tax Breaks for the Average Citizen
Sporting and Strengthening Title VI.
What is the real price of budget deficits? I am with questioner number 44. Every good thing that progressives would like the government to do gets hamstrung by the continual deficits run up by profligate politicians. I think that we need to balance our budgets so that we can do more, save Social Security & Medicare and extend medical coverage to the rest of our population.
Nuclear weapons in the 21st century
Former cold warriors like Henry Kissinger and Robert McNamara are just a few of the establishment thinkers who now believe that nuclear weapons pose more of a problem than any problem they purport to solve. They are making us more insecure and they are hampering our ability to cooperate on other pressing challenges that similarly require global cooperation, based on the rule of law.
But not everybody agrees with this analysis. Moreover, nuclear weapons remain "on the table" for many decision-makers, from Obama and McCain to Medvedev and Sarkozy, to say nothing of Ahmadinejad's and Kim Jung Il's intentions.
How are we to consider nuclear weapons in the 21st century security paradigm?
"Separation of Church and State" How will candidates maintain this separation - as protected by First Amendment - and put their country and its people before their own personal beliefs and ideology?
Economics at the Pump: In the short term it's obvious that lower gas prices would improve our economic forecast. If we need to deal with our energy consumption problem, higher gas prices may be just what we need to generate growth in alternative energy industries.
How will Senators Obama and McCain deal with this dilemma? Quick fixes, or higher gas prices as a catalyst for lasting change and energy independence? Is arguing for the latter political suicide?
Do we need media reform? If so how to do it without impinging on the first amendment and in an era with such huge technological innovation?
The State of America's fiscal affairs. Can we afford Obama's spending proposals or afford Mcain's plan to keep the Tax cuts on the top earners?
Why does the United States still need an Electoral College?
I know the Electoral College isn't often considered an "election" issue. It is viewed as a fait accompli. But it is at the very heart of our Presidential elections and is the single largest reason the New York area is disenfranchised from Presidential politics.
Imagine a world without it -- candidates would address New York's voters, even the Republican voters, and would visit New York and engage our issues. Instead, the current system forces them to show up here simply to raise money, then head back to the midwest and talk about Corn.
Ben
Where are we in dealing with Afganistan, Central Asia and Pakistan? Amhed Rashid has a book out Decesnt into Chaos.
Increasing the number of members of congress. We have had the same number of congressmen (435) since 1911. The population has grown considerably since.
Public Transportation: Using high speed rail vs. cars and planes. And adding public transportation to the top 25 metropolitan areas to cut fuel consumption.
Topic: Military Spending
By some estimates, the US represents 46 percent of global military spending, and over 1/3 of our tax dollars go towards the military. Is this level of spending ok for us and the world?
NCLB: Testing
I would like to second the NCLB testing topic suggested by Alex in Brooklyn. "What can they measure and what can't they measure? Are there alternatives?" How did we arrive at the particular standards that are set?
AL Queda and The War on Terror - what is more effective (and cost effective), using the military or FBI/Interpol?
How does the US handle the former Soviet Union? Not just Putin's Russia but the "stans" and former satellites like Georgia, Ukraine and the Baltics?
what remains of our civil liberties?
how can we protect our privacy in a globalized, technological, post 9/11 age?
Can the abuses of our personal freedoms set in motion by the Bush Administration be overturned?
Are the candidates interested in that?
What about the Patriot Act?
Open/Closed Presidential Debates
1. Don't we the people deserve presidential debates that are not run by the parties themselves? Is the current debate process representative of the democratic ideals we as a nation champion?
2. Darfur: why aren't we doing more? At what point does a tragedy become bad enough for us to intercede?
3. S. 3335: Jobs, Energy, Families, and Disaster Relief Act of 2008: If energy issues are so important to McCain and Obama, why didn't either vote on this on 7/30?
4. I think #93 about gerrymandering is a great issue as well. Take a look at the 7th District in Tennessee, it's preposterous.
Wars on X:
Is it time to re-think and re-name our War on Drugs and War on Terror? Neither seem to be working and both seem to be costing us a lot of money and lives. Perhaps it's time to re-define these as other kinds of problems and deal with them as such.
Europeans classify terrorism as criminal activity and deal with it as such. Can we learn from this approach?
Drilling to lower cost of gasoline:
Please educate us about how domestically produced oil is priced. We already produce a bit more than 30% of our own oil. When did you last pull into a filling station and see the sign, "Domestic oil - $2.00/gallon?"
All oil is sold at the world price no matter where it's produced. It may be good to drill to increase the world pool of oil, but it won't lower our gasoline price. Unless we nationalize the oil companies and control the sale price, more production isn't going to lower the price we pay.
High Gasoline Cost:
Europe and Britan have dealt with the equivalent of $8 to $12 per gallon gasoline for decades - and their economies have done just fine! It doesn't seem oil will again be cheap. What can we learn from Europeans about how to learn to live - and thrive - with expensive oil?
Health Insurance Discontent:
A recent Commonwealth Fund survey found 82% of Americans think the current health insurance system should be "fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt." (This was reported on last week's BBC Changing World show.) Neither Clinton nor Obama nor McCain address this feeling. They all want to modify and shore up the current for-profit private insurance system. This is at odds with what Commonwealth says 82% of Americans want. Why are the candidates so timid about fundamental change - especially the candidate of "change?"
Timid Press:
The European press - and especially the British press - is so much more challenging than ours. Would the people be more informed if the press pressed our politicians and candidates harder when they waffle on the facts the reporters know aren't right?
Health insurance. Why cannot our health insurance program serve the people as do the programs in most first world countries? Ie.: Japan, Germany, England, etc.
My insurance policy has excluded feet from coverage, and just when I desparately need medical intervention for my feet. How can this be condoned by our State and Federal governments?
"Implicit, discriminatory Bookburning in America"
A story of two books: One book by a virtually unknown author swiftboats a liberal presidential candidate with lies and slander, is given wide publicity in the media and greased to a #1 best seller. The other book, by one of the most esteemed authors in the U.S. (Anthony Bugliosi)is an objective, reasoned presentation of evidence of the treachery of a conservative President, yet is blackballed by virtually all publishers, and the author denied interviews by virtually all major media despite his stature, reputation and honesty.
"Are the debates hijacking intelligent discourse in America?"
This is my nomination. The public should be outraged at debate formats that allow 60-90 seconds for an answer to questions that require an intelligent response, just as they should be outraged over 'gotcha' questions, rumors and personal issues that dwarf the major problems facing the U.S. in the coming decade.
We still kill 3-4,000 human beings each business day in abortion, and we're short people. One candidate is pro-choice, one candidate is pro-life. A program discussing this issue would be appropriate.
The Federal Budget Crisis: Can the country avoid financial ruin? If so, how?
Drilling for oil
We hear much talk of opening up drilling for more oil, but what does this mean? If Congress passes a bill to allow new drilling, do they simply hand out the rights to the big oil companies? Do they have to pay for the rights? Is it put up for auction? How much do they pay for these rights?
I, along with most people, do not know the answer to this. How are our resources, the American people as a whole, handed out?
Maybe a drilling bill should be passed, but as part of the deal the oil companies must give half the profits to the government - as it is our oil, and we should benefit from it.
The real problem with increasing Nuclear power that is not discussed.
McCain is big on saying "Nuclear Now", and points out that the French know how to do it, so we can too. It is true that the French are doing a good job and it is possible to do safe Nuclear plants now.
But what is never discussed is that under a Republican administration one of their main goals is to cut any regulation and oversight of big business - so what we will wind up with is big business building new plants but cutting corners and making something that is not safe, and the public will not be protected.
I feel safe if France because the government makes sure things are run safely - I do not feel the same way in the US under the Republican view of market forces as the answer to everything.
I'd also like to vote for the question posed by commenter #2. He suggested
"Question for both parties: What population level would be OPTIMUM for the USA, and what measures would you support to avoid exceeding that level?"
Although I'd revise it somewhat and ask what the upper population limit should be rather than the optimum.
The US Missile Defense System. Specifically: In view of the fact that a missile defense system has been "in development" since 1946, and in view of the fact that we've spent between $120-150B on the project since 1983, and in view of the fact that there is no reason to expect a successful outcome, how many more years and dollars should we spend/waste before we're willing to declare failure?
This article by George Monbiot prompted my question.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/19/11068/
Attorney General
The Attorney General is the answer to the question, “Who’s policing the police?”
So what are the criteria for selecting one? Janet Reno was fiercely independent. Alberto Gonzales was ultra loyal. Both were unpopular. Do we need a manager or a prosecutor? A policy maker or policy enforcer?
Population & Sustainability (Topic 7)
The question of population is usually dismissed as :
1) "Not a problem" (E.G. Europe's low growth rate)
2) "Taboo" (Involves birth control or immigration)
3) "Uncontrollable" (9 billion is inevitable)
4) "Manageable" (Our technology can fix anything)
It may be true that more people can be sardined in, but at what cost? (More CO2, global warming, famine, pollution, deforestation, wars over resources, etc.)
Question for both parties: "What population level would be OPTIMUM for the USA, and what measures would you support to avoid exceeding that level?
"That's Rich?"
People and the candidates say, "Tax the rich!" But urban professionals earning $250,000 per year in New York, D.C. and L.A. already pay the highest taxes in the nation. How do you have to earn to be "rich," and should taxes be increased on urban professionals earning betwen $200,000 and $400,000 per annum?
In his interview w Bill Moyers, Andrew Bacevich challenged the conventional wisdom that a 'war' on terror was the most effective way to combat Al Queda. Bacevich, like many others, asserts that the most effective, in terms of cost and tactics, response would be an international police task force which could bring in special forces assets when necessary? Would the candidates consider a different approach and the American public support it?
The FDA: Corporate Health vs. Corporal Health
A second for comment #s 47 & 62-- I am an Obama supporter, but I was put off by his support of energy policies that subsidize corn for ethanol even in the face of growing food prices/ shortages.
What exactly are the candidates positions on the risks food production on such a massive scale pose to our health as well as the environment? What policy changes, if any, would they support or initiate to current FDA practices?
The Elecoral College: an Archaic, Outdated, and Undemocratic System
I second comment # 23, that we need a more democratic system. How can McCain or Obama or any campaigning candidate fight for changing a system and try to work within it to win at the same time?
What's so hard about conservation?
I second something mentioned in comment #4: What initiatives/ policies will the candidate support that will encourage better utilization of resources and make it more appealing for communities and institutions, whether red or blue, to be more green?
Presidential Power... Bush Administration defies Congressional subpeona and asserts 'unreviewable'; that the Executive is the dominant branch, contrary to most constitutional scholars. where do the candidates stand on constitutional separation of powers and respect for rule of law, even in a time of 'war'.
Topic: Sustainability and Population: are we fooling ourselves?
Despite the expense, time-consumption, and hardships of child-rearing, natural selection seems to be propagating people who can rationalize reproduction regardless of facts.
I'd like to know whether the candidates believe the myth that population can never outpace our technological ability to deal with it.
Topic: Genetic Research
Question: What are the candidates views on Genetic Research and will their religious views influence their decisions in this area?
Comment: The George Bush administration denied expanded into some areas of genetic research based largely on his religious beliefs. Many people may be helped with the developments in this area that scientists feel are possible.
Lower the Voting Age to 14
Parents win. More money for education, health care, culture, sports and the arts. We are most rebellious in our teens. How much wisdom do you need to vote for a Bush?
Hire more IRS agents to clear the federal debt
We all know that there is an underground economy, that companies hide their profits in off-shore shell companies and too many cheat on their taxes. A crack down on tax cheats, with amnesty for payers and publicity for those caught. This is improve revenue and restore the sense of fairness to salaried workers.
Climate Change: What’s the congress’ role?
Carbon tax vs. Cap & Trade vs other ideas. Review each option. See what the candidates say. Review int'l case studies.
Thanks! Love the show
What, EXACTLY, are we doing for infrastructure redevelopment / design? How are we husbanding our resources?
Given the bridge collapse last year, and "visible rotting" on all sorts of structures in the public eye (for past 30 years have been back / forth on PA turnpike (during which it has been rebuilt 3 times), for last 15 have ridden NYC subways, have also been in 41 of the 50 states), the inability of people to do SIMPLE conservation things (like NOT idling buses or running AC when person is not home), varying recycling policies everywhere (between states, as well as within communities: I recycle foil at work, because work will take it, home will not), HOW EXACTLY are we husbanding resources to take care of what we have, extend or retract wisely, and re-using everything we can? Why are some communities allowed to get away with nothing? Why are we NOT taking care of things?
Topic: The real size of the U.S. debt and how it will be paid down.
Problem: No more Enron accounting by Congress. ALL debt obligations should be accounted for, just like Congress demands from corporations. The "stated" $9 Trillion (which is bad enough and misleading) is not capturing hidden costs like total Social Security and Medicare obligations, true costs of two wars and projected interest payments on debt. True U.S. debt obligations are probably closer to $50 Trillion in 2008! No one in Washington wants to touch this.
Options include: higher taxes, massive spending cuts, printing money, defaulting on the debt, selling off U.S. assets to pay for it (e.g., selling Alaska back to the Russians), imagining it doesn't exist, or finding someone on Wall Street to invent a financial instrument to magically convert debts to assets (like convertible bonds).
Suggestion: Former Commerce Secretary Pete Peterson would be a very good person to be on a panel discussion.
How are we really dealing with water shortage / surplus issues?
I was just in Las Vegas to see the end of the Star Trek Experience exhibit at the Hilton, and took a bus tour to the Grand Canyon. The driver / tour guide said Las Vegas had no water issues and that people "from outside" the area have no clue. I didn't argue, but that goes counter to EVERYTHING I know about the West, aquifers, recycling and city planning. Las Vegas has enuf planning / building initiatives to TRIPLE its water use in next 10 years. Is this wise? What about water use in other areas? See the Aug'08 issue of Scientific American for a full discussion.
Leadership
What are the candidates' leadership styles and how will that help them govern? How will they mobilize the American imagination to support national goals?
If the Republican party is pro life and wants lives saved at birth then how can this same party be pro pre emptive war that takes lives unnecessarilly? Is life more important in the beginning?
Ditto comment 17 on science. But this should go beyond the use of science by the administration and the place of scientific research, and include a longer view on science education.
What about the role of the textbook industry on science education? What about the dumbing down of science teaching? The fears of offending creationists? The lack of qualified scientists and engineers coming from our school system? As the economies of China and India explode, how long will America be able to import brain power it isn't producing at home? And what critical scientific thinking are the candidates demonstrating themselves (e.g., Obama's position on autism and vaccines)?
What should really be the next step on NAFTA and trade in general?
Beyond the pandering to free-traders on one side and workers whose jobs have been sent overseas, is any candidate proposing a way to trade fairly with the rest of the world while rebuilding a working class at home?
What about job training for young people who do not enter college.
I lived in Germany, and they for example as a high cost country produce front load washer and dryer for the US market. Why can't this be done here in the states. why is not more done to train young people and maybe have corporations build training centers for them in cooperation with states. Why are tests and standards for schoolchildren so different from state to state, and why is there not more emphasis on art and sport in schools? Especially for federally connected children (Military) it is very hard to move from state to state, almost discriminatory, because they suffer with every move, and some children move every other school year. Why not demand the same curriculum across the country? why do poor neighborhoods have underfunded schools? Can't this be fixed that ALL have the same start into life? Why is the government not doing something different to combat the drug use and crime, the war on drugs is lost?
Thank you
Given that the Taliban appears to get a great deal of their money from the sale of opium poppies grown in Afghanistan, would it be sensible for the NATO forces currently in Afghanistan to simply buy the crop of poppies, instead of trying to eradicate it (unsuccessfully)? The poppies could be used to make pharmaceutical grade opiates or simply destroyed. Either way, it would likely be money well spent.
If you want a follow up to this, if this approach should prove to be successful, would this mean that a change in approach in the so-called war on drugs is warranted?
And another follow-up, or perhaps a second question: - given that you can vote at age 18, and can serve in the military at age 18, should you not be legally able to purchase and consume an alcoholic beverage at age 18?
Afghanistan.What is the end game.
How do you intend to finish this game.
Do you think the Russian experience should be considered in your decision.
Question: God, when will the United States have universal health coverage?
Answer: Not in my lifetime.
- Source unknown to me
McCain's tax credits won't provide affordable healthcare for ALL of us.
Obama's universal health coverage will probably meet the same success as Clinton's.
Universal health coverage will only lower our rates collectively. But it will still not address the problem that the healthcare industry is outdated and operating without concern of the cost benefits of their treatment.
Prisons as Punishment Or Rehabilitation?
This issue should be especially prominent in this campaign with its prospect of electing the first black president, as it's central to the black community.
Except of course, if Barack Obama has made a conscious decision to ignore his color.
Net Neutrality: the internet is now firmly established as a new communications medium. Is the internet a tool of grassroots democracy and community? Or is it merely a new advertising channel for big corporations? Will providers like Comcast be permitted to dole out preferential service to those with deep pockets? Does the concept of a common carrier apply to the internet?
The State of Executive Power:
There has been a ton of good reporting in the last few years chronicling how the Bush administration has expanded executive power through signing statements and other subtle methods,to fight the war on terror. I haven't seen either candidate directly address this issue, which I believe is separate from the discussion about specific policies enacted through this power. For example, domestic wiretapping. I know where Mccain and Obama stand on that issue. But what do they think about the WAY the Bush administration carried out that policy? And if they think this expansion is a necessary tool in the war on terror, how specifically would they judge when to use that power? Conversely if they believe this expansion has damaged the balance of power between the branches of government, what specifically would they do restore that balance for future generations?
1) Why is the United States using interrogation techniques on its prisoners that it has condemned when used on Americans, and which are known for extracting false confessions?
2) Is it time to reevaluate copyright and fair use in light of the challenges posed by the Internet?
Mandatory National Service: Yes or No? Or, put another way, should there be a draft for either military or non-military service?
"Should the TSA be abolished?"
After 9/11 the airline-based security system was replaced by a single government agency, the TSA. Given problems with "watch lists", increased luggage theft and unresponsive, slow, rude or officious TSA personnel, has this proven to be a bad idea? Should the airline-run system be revived, perhaps with a high minimum wage to ensure competency?
Why is online poker, a game of skill, illegal when betting horce racing online is not? Why not legalize, regulate and tax a $100 billion industry instead?
How can we close the achievement gap between white students and their black and Latino counterparts? Does either candidate emphasize this gap in their education policies? Does either put school integration as a priority?
Title - Election Reform
Can we abolish the electoral college and go with the popular vote total? Can we abolish the delegate system for primaries and caucuses and choose the nominate by popular vote?
Healthcare reform: It's clear to just about everyone that something must be done about health care, but what? And what about all the public health challenges we face as a nation?
- Universal Healthcare? Single payer? Subsidized Health Insurance? Mandatory coverage?
- Tort reform/Malpractice costs
- HIV/AIDS: with millions of americans uninsured and HIV infection rates skyrocketing, how will we adequate care, prevention, and research funding?
- The Elderly: Now that we're living longer and the baby boomers are retiring, how will we afford to care for our elderly, fund social security and Medicare, etc?
- Other possible healthcare issues to address: obesity, mental health, and addiction treatment (does the candidate support harm reduction?).
Feel free to add!
Should there be a limit to the size of the Federal Government relative to the size of the economy?
If no, why not? If yes, why should there be one and what should the limit be?
Given how badly the current administration has treated scientific research and distorted findings the following seems to be an issue of national importance (and national security and competiveness):
Science, Politics and Policy?
How important is good, objective science?
How important is it to free them to speak their minds regarding their area of expertise?
How will good science impact policy?
How will politics limit what science can say?
What is the priority for research?
The Mainstream Media: Should Government Help Save It?
Viewership, readership, and financial viability of our traditional media is on a steep downward trend. If this continues do the candidates feel there is any role for the government to play in preventing the ultimate failure and disappearance of such stalwarts as The New York Times, Washington Post, ABC, NBC, CBS, and others? If so, what would they propose the government do and how would they choose who to help?
A corollary: Same question with regard to General Motors, Ford, and Daimler-Chrysler.
What happened to Healthcare?
Healthcare seems to have disappeared from the discussion. "At least you have your health", has taken on new meaning. Healthcare is a burden on the population as well as our businesses.
BIG EDUCATION: ARE THEY GOUGING AMERICANS?
Every year Congress publicly berates heads of Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Telephone, Big Finance or whoever the industry villain du jour is over supposedly unfair predatory pricing practices. Meanwhile the cost of college educations continue to skyrocket well beyond inflation rates and quickly rise to soak up any increases in government tuition assistance programs all while sitting on billions in endowment funds. Do the candidates think that our elite institutions are being held accountable for providing quality education at reasonable cost and, if not, what policies would they push to ensure Big Education is held accountable?
Immigration: What the MSM doesn't cover. Discusses its link to massive corruption, political power for foreign governments, etc. Discusses how the MSM constantly lies about the issue. Includes a discussion of attrition as well as pointing out examples of the candidates and the MSM ignoring that option.
(See my archives for endless examples of the above, and feel free to contact me for more information).
Jury nullification:
Do juries have the right to refuse conviction when they feel a law to be wrong or not meant for the particular circumstance in which it's being applied? It seems like a great check on tyranny (as in the Zenger case) but is also rife with possible abuse (Southern white juries letting Klansmen get away with murder).
1- Infrastructure. From Katrina to that bridge in Minnesota, from power production, to air transport the nation's infrastructure is either over capacity or falling apart. It is crucial that the next president address this issue in a comprehensive way. It's not a sexy issue but critical to national welfare and economic growth.
2-Views on the Constitution. Presidential power, the separation of powers, the wall between religion and public life, privacy concerns, habeas corpus, the Bush administration has shredded these corner stones of our system of government. We need to know each candidates basic philosophical orientation towards these issues.
3-Political skill. Politics is a dirty word in America but CENTRAL to getting anything done. Will the new president be a consensus builder, a bully, a wheeler/dealer or what. Hopefully he'll be all of these as requirements of the situation demand. We might have had national healthcare if Clinton had said to Fortune 500 CEOs in a back room somewhere: "You want NAFTA?, then support singal payer." A discussion of the art of politics is long over due on NPR.
Life extension research:
Do the candidates support government funding for extending our healthy lifespans? Do they support making the fruits of this labor available to all classes, perhaps at the cost of a delay in the Social Security benefit? Can we, eventually, survive as a society if the rich and powerful stop dying?
What do we, the good people, owe a bunch of losers?
In America we tend to dismiss people who don't do well for themselves. They seem to bear all the blame for their state, and, whether it's poverty or teen pregnancy or prison violence, the general attitude seems to be, "You screwed up, so you deserve anything you get."
Do the candidates approve of this way of thinking?
McCain's Policies on Reproduction
We know he will try to overturn Roe v Wade, and that stem cells are OK if they already exist. No gov money for contraception. But what about EC? (no fertilization) RU4?? (probably out)
What about the attempt to classify birth control as abortion? Is he down with that?
(I know Obama's position.)
Poverty in America. The problems attached to poverty touch nearly every other important issue: Immigration, education, health care, food shortages, discrimination and the declining infrastructure. That Americans go to bed hungry and live in substandard housing is our country's greatest disgrace.
FCC Licenses - How are they granted, what are the restrictions on oligarchies forming, how has the relaxation of rules (under Clinton) affected the nature of news delivery?
Corporate Tax Loopholes - what constitutes a US corporation, are returns very different from previous decades, how can loopholes be closed down?
The Supreme Court Under President McCain
Would McCain succeed in appointing another arch conservative to the Bench?
If so, what happens to reproductive rights, Constitutional rights?
The current court upheld the right for a state--one of the Dakotas--to prohibit abortion even if the woman's health was at stake.
What does it mean to be a Republican?
The parties agree on many issues, and there are people in each party who don't agree with the majority of their party on one issue or another. Without petty name-calling and divisive rhetoric, what does it actually mean to be a Republican?
What does it mean to be a Democrat?
The parties agree on many issues, and there are people in each party who don't agree with the majority of their party on one issue or another. Without petty name-calling and divisive rhetoric, what does it actually mean to be a Democrat?
Total Tax Load
When adding up local, state, federal, payroll, income and all the other taxes, how progressive or regressive is our system? What income level has the greatest burden? What are impacts of the candidates plans on this?
When does life begin?
What are the possibilities? What is the scientific case for alternative to fertilization? What about implantation? For example, what % of fertilized eggs don't implant? What else is there?
Supporting the Troops: HBO's Generation Kill
The HBO miniseries "Generation Kill" makes our military officers/command look like idiots who don't care about civilians or the larger mission. Is this the least bit accurate? What does this imply for the idea of "supporting the troops"?
Timelines to New Energy
How long does it take to go through the oil exploration/drill process? How much investment does it take? How much investment is put into alternative energy sources? How long do they take to come up with something?
We Fight Them Over There So We Don't Have to Fight Them Here
What are the moral implications of fighting terrorists in Iraq so that we don't have to fight them here? Does the US have the right to make battlefields of other countries? What does this say about multi-lateralism?
Charter Schools
Are charter schools actually better than regular public schools? Do they have better test scores? If they do, what explains them? Are they better or worse in ways not measured by tests?
The production of food has captured attention unlike any period in recent times. Numerous authors including Michael Pollan, Paul Roberts, Raj Patel, and Taras Grescoe have recently discussed the ethics of food production, the public policies of food production, and the effects of our varied diets on ecologies throughout the globe. John McCain has addressed farm subsidies, expressing wishes to restructure American farm policies, and Barak Obama has said next to nothing about the issue.
[[This comment has been edited to be MUCH shorter. Remember, we are just taking topic suggestions at the moment - please keep them to 30 words or fewer! Thanks!]]
NCLB: Testing
What is wrong with the kind of testing that states do under NCLB mandates? What can they measure and what can't they measure? Are there alternatives?
(Not simply bashing the idea of testing, and not complaining about the lack of arts education. Those are different questions.)
Soft money gives the parties too much power. Washington, Adams and Jefferson all cautioned against the dominance of political parties. Can we resurrect the campaign against soft money?
What's Wrong with Vouchers?
Vouchers to help people send their kids to private school seems an obvious idea. Why are so many Democrats against them?
(I'm against them, but I don't hear the real arguments addressed very often.)
Is it time to revisit Affirmative Action?- With a black presidential nominee, a female just miss, a booming Hispanic birthrate and an America demographically destined to no majority, perhaps.
Affirmative and deliberate lying by the government (examples too many to mention, such as WMDs) - recently, the Bruce Ivins posthumous announcement re anthrax after Steven Hatfill fought back and won.
Immigration Rights for same-sex bi-national couples
The right for gays and lesbians to sponsor their same-sex partners for immigration purposes is a matter which in desperate need of media visbility.
Obama agrees with the Uniting American Families Act "in concept" but believes that "changes need to be made to the bill to minimize the potential for fraud and abuse". What changes need to made? Is this yet another concession made in order to not alienate religious and conservative voters, or does the act as it stands provide loopholes for gay terrorists, etc to enter the US? Essentially, how does this act provide any more potential for abuse than the system already in place for heterosexual couples? Media visibility of this matter might compel McCain to take a stance on the issue, and compel Obama to identify the specific changes that he feels need to be made.
Single-payer health care
Why wouldn't Americans be better off with a single-payer health care system like Canada's? Why should we give a third of our health care dollar (http://www.openmedicine.ca/article/view/8/1) to the insurance industry? Why is it politically impossible?
(Everybody agrees that all Americans should have health care. The question is, how? A majority of Americans, and certainly WNYC listeners, favor single payer/Medicare for all. Politicians say it's too difficult to accomplish. The question is, why is it so difficult? The New England Journal of Medicine says it's because of the campaign contributions to the Democratic and Republican parties. Do the candidates have a better reason?)
The electoral college runs counter to democracy. Why maintain it? It bolsters the political power of smaller states, which in theory is good, but the senate accomplishes the same thing.
The War on Drugs:
Should we legalize (and tax) drugs and treat addiction as an illness rather than as a crime? 1/3 of prisoners held for non-violent drug offenses.
An Honest Examination of the Candidates Depth of Foreign Policy Knowledge. Shatter the CW. Is Obama inexperienced? Is McCain really the most experienced? Use candidates past statements, position papers, gaffes and misstatements to determine who has the best grasp of foreign policy.
fiscal responsibility at the federal level. what will each do to so that we will no longer be the world's largest debtor
Respect for freedom FROM religion: exclusivity of morality to 'believers', not only arrogant, offensive but also dangerous. No one brings this up. Appauling
Veterans -- any issue: how they're treated; medical care; stop loss redeployment; who's being recruited.
And please not to forget, we are fighting two wars.
sigh
Military Staffing: The Draft
We were told throughout the 1990's and up to the war in Iraq that we had a military capable of fighting war(s) on two fronts. However, in Iraq, it seems that we called on the National Gurad to supplement the regular Army within a relatively short period of time after the initial invasion. Going forward, how should we staff the military? Should we reinstate the draft (and/or alternative national service)? Also, would reinstating the draft suppress the country's appetite for war insofar as more citizens would have a direct link to soldiers-at-risk?
Toxic Chemicals in food, water and people:
~Is the FDA failing Americans?
~Will you support an initiative to clean our water of toxins such as: arsenic, PBDEs, pesticides etc.
~Should American corporations who have outsourced their production be required to develop codes of conduct for their suppliers that reflect the law of our society?
same sex marriage to be recognized in NY State where the marriage was legally performed in another jurisdiction such as Mass. or Canada, to give equal rights as heterosexual marriage.
Transportation: bicycles, light rails, high speed rails, electric cars (please no hydrogen fuel cell gimmicks).
Why is the united states so adverse to public transportation?
Why does united states build in their cities and spaces in a sprawling incompetent way, rather then a efficient grid like system?
Where are LGBT civil rights today? There may be more anecedoctal (and legal) acceptance of non-heterosexuals in parts of our country, but in other parts discrimination and abuse persists. Will any candidate take this civil rights issue on at the national level?
Universal Healthcare. How to actually reduce the cost through hospital and pharma company reforms.
Women's Rights to Abortion is threatened by threats to overturn Roe v. Wade, what is being done to protect women's reproductive rights?
Violence, Scarcity and Famine in Darfur, Africa in the Sudan and what is being done to bring relief.
Campaign Finance Reform. Remember that?
Topic: Iraq
Question for Obama, McCain, guests: Have our troops won the war in Iraq, or have our troops lost the war in Iraq?
Transgendered people are lynched or murdered at a rate of 1 per fortnight. They're 1 in 30,000. That's like 750,000 murders a year. Why are they not a protected class?
Title: Stopping Traffic Deaths
Every year more than 40,000 Americans die in traffic accidents; many are young people. Why do we not have a high priority program to end these tragedies?
Gerrymandering: How a noble idea to foster better representation in Congress evolved into a system to protect incumbents. More uncontested races than competitive ones, and how to fix the system.
This thread is closed.