New Ideas Roundup
.............I recently finished reading the Washington Monthly's July/August issue and feel the Paul Glastris piece "Winning Is Not Enough" deserves attention. Here's a quick look and my reaction:
The Gist: An FDR-like era of progressive ascendancy is needed, politically, rather than one more victory in the vote for President, followed by yet another stinging defeat.
The Agenda:
* A Broad Effort To Encourage Voting
--secure against hacking
--vote-by-mail (much cheaper to hold election, especially if postage is free)
* A 52-State Union
--add D.C. (currently, they can vote for President, but not Congress)
--and Puerto Rico (U.S. citizens, but can't vote for Prez. or Congress)
* Reduce Expenditures By Ditching Contractors
--saves big $$; prevents feeding at Fed's trough
* Address $$ In Politics
--let voters choose who to give $1,000 to (tax credit)
--receiving candidates would have to decline lobbyist $$
* Set Up Medicare Buy-In and Universal Public Option
--don't try too hard (Medicare for All)
--instead, Medicare Buy-In for 55-to-65 year-olds
--and Universal Public Option for all (to promote competition and availability)
* New WPA Jobs
--let unemployed sign up with existing non-profits
--2 years wages paid for by Feds
* Take Writing of Legislation Away From Lobbyists
--return Congressional staff levels to previous (pre-Gingrich) levels
--currently, Congress can't afford to write/vet complex legislation
My View:
I like it all. One caveat is with the WPA Jobs. Some areas of the country still have high unemployment rates (urban cores, rural backwaters), so a legit concern. Would be easier to enact during a recession. Also, would have to avoid make-work jobs to avoid controversy.
The over-all feel is much more likely than some of the wilder and more politically difficult ideas being floated these days, like:
* Single-Payer Health Insurance
--would involve enormous disruption to health care industry
--those having insurance through employer would be giving up a freebie, then paying enormous tax
* Taxing Corporations Whose Employees Rely On Government Benefits
--good idea, except for unintended consequences (poor can't find work)
--maybe a rewrite could solve the problem
What I Would Add:
In these pages I've written about:
* Combining A Lottery With Boosting Civic Engagement
--would appeal to low-information voters
* Addressing The Big-State, Little-State Electoral Imbalance
--build retirement housing in Native American South Dakota and African American Mississippi
--effectively turn two small states from Red to Purple
* Democrats Running For President Forming An All-Star Team
--would assure voters that whoever won would be able
* Ending The Ill-Conceived Trump Supreme Court Advantage
--subterfuge should not lead to advantage
* Ideas on Trade, Immigration, Informality
--making Trump a 30% President, not 40%
* Getting Out Of Afghanistan
--pay Afghan soldiers enough to really want their jobs
True, several of these (the second and fourth) would be controversial and perhaps to be avoided in the near future.
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