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Universal Health Care (Single Payer)                        Support

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I didn’t come to this place easily. In fact, I came kicking and screaming. I spent 12 years as a Vice President of a health insurance company in Washington State and I was convinced that, given the right incentives, providers and insurers could control healthcare costs. I was wrong. Universal healthcare is possible. I learned quite a lot exploring the possibilities with providers, patients, and government workers while I was in the industry and that experience has informed my current position on the issue.

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Tinkering with the system simply won’t work. The solution to rising costs and constricting access is an expansion of Medicare to cover all Americans. Having said that, I add these three bullet points:

• Single Payer Healthcare is possible

• It can only work if the entire nation is covered under a single process

• Once in place, there will be unpopular limitations on access, benefits, and waiting periods which will require further modification to coverage.

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TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership)                                 Oppose

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I have honestly not read the entire text of this agreement. After all, it has 30 chapters and over 2,000 pages. That alone would probably be enough for me to oppose it. Additionally, I am generally opposed to the "fast track" concept. This is an important agreement that deserves careful scrutiny. Fast tracking it is not a good idea.

 

When faced with a subject I know little about and pressed for an answer sooner rather than later, I look to the opinions of people I respect and have had occasion to trust. In this case, that would be Senators Sanders and Warren who both oppose it. That would be good enough for me and I could confidently oppose it, ordinarily. But in this case, there's more.

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What I have read tells me that this is a bad deal for American workers, Internet privacy and access, and the environment. It also tells me it is a very good deal for multi-national corporations which makes me think, "I smell a rat."

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Of course, there is also the rather bothersome problem that the TPP purports to be a control on Human Rights abuses yet one of the potential signatories is Malaysia which is arguably one of the most murderous regimes on the planet. They have an endless string of Human Rights violations, mass graves, and human trafficking detention centers. This is not a government we should be partnering with.

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And finally, I have a real concern regarding  subjugating our civil justice system to foreign courts and arbitration panels. In the case of the TPP, not only are foreign courts, over which we have no control or recourse in a position to impact us but, they are also responsible for the interpretation of the agreement which is even more troubling.

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Bad for workers, bad for the environment, bad for consumers, created in secret, and holds Americans accountable to foreign powers. Those are five reasons why the TPP is a bad agreement for us.

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Death Penalty:                                                            Opposed

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This is an issue I’ve evolved into over the years. I’ve listened to the people who say, “What about mass murderers?” and “What about if it was your wife or daughter?” and I’ve finally come to a position where not only can I not support it but I will fight against it at every opportunity. What it comes down to for me is this:

• If we get it wrong once, just once, there is no way to make that right. In recent years advances in DNA evidencing have confirmed, without a doubt, that we have gotten it wrong many, many times. I can’t live with that. We may have to house violent offenders for years and years but that is a small price to pay to avoid state sanctioned murder because that’s what it is. When the state executes the wrong person the state is committing murder, pure and simple.

 

Same Sex Marriage (LGBT Rights):                              Support

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I think we’ve settled this one. People of the LGBT community are just that, people. They deserve and have reason to expect equal and fair treatment. I believe that all of the rights and responsibilities afforded the straight community also apply to the LGBT community but, clearly, that has not been enough. I would rather special laws and considerations would not have to be made for the LGBT community but it appears they are needed. Because of the special persecution they have been under for 100’s of years, they require special consideration in the protection of their rights.

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Veterans Benefits and Affairs:                                   Support

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It’s easy to say; “I support our Veterans”, after all, everyone does. To me it means several things:

• Whatever you agreed to when you put your name on the dotted line, you get. Period. Congress can make changes to Military benefits, incentives, enlistments and so on but, at a minimum, you get what was offered on the day you signed up.

• Medical and Mental Health services are a right for all active duty and retired personnel and their families. The services must be available at the same level or better as the surrounding community. Medical services for Veterans must be state of the art.

• Military households should not be on food stamps or public assistance. If we can’t afford to pay our Armed Forces Personnel a living wage then we can’t afford to deploy them.

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Law Enforcement:                                                        Position

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I understand that being a member of law enforcement can be a thankless and dangerous job. Frankly, it is not a job I would want nor for which am I suited. I also understand that a vast majority of law enforcement personnel are dedicated, honest, hardworking men and women who have a genuine desire to make a difference in people’s lives and their communities. Their position of power, however, requires that they be held to a higher standard than the public at large and that they be completely accountable to the people they serve.

• Any death occuring once in custody should automatically trigger a Federal investigation.

• I support the funding for and requirement of body cameras for on duty law enforcement.

• I support the demilitarization of our Police Departments, Sherriff Departments, and State Patrol.

• I support Medical and Mental Health Services for law enforcement similar to that provided to Military Personnel and Families.

• I support prosecution without prejudice of law enforcement personnel who commit crimes or abuse their power or authority.

• As part of our enforcement system I oppose for profit prisons.

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Gun Control                                                                  Support

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I'm a gun owner and I formerly held a concealed carry permit. I believe the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Washington State Constitution guarantees a right for individual citizens to keep and bear arms for their personnel protection. I believe this right was enacted to not only allow the citizenry to protect themselves from crime but from their government as well. But, like many rights, reasonable restraints may be placed upon them by consent of the citizenry. These restraints may include:

• Denial for previously committed violent crimes

• Denial for demonstrated destructive mental health issues

• Denial for threats to carry out crimes

I support waiting periods for weapon purchases and the removal of the so called “gun show” loophole. All sellers, even private ones, should be required to comply with waiting period statutes in place at the time of sale.

 

Native American Tribes                                              Support

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Recognized Tribal governments are sovereign powers that have treaties with the United States government. These treaties are no less important than treaties with Great Brittan, Canada, or any other government or peoples. They are not “quaint documents that have outlived their authority” and the United States needs to abide by these treaties as they would any other. Additionally, the United States needs to recognize the genocide it practiced upon the people of Native American tribes and be proactive in the support of the restoration and preservation of their customs, languages, rights, and lands.

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$15 Minimum Wage                                                    Support

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I didn’t always believe this. I bought the idea that it would hurt business and businesses create jobs but I’ve come to the realization that businesses don’t, in fact, create jobs. Consumers create jobs and people can’t be consumers if they can’t afford to consume. I am also skeptical that it is inflationary. The market dictates prices not wage.

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The fact is, I’m not sure $15 an hour is enough. While I will support and vote in favor of any Bill that includes a $15 minimum wage I believe any Federal Minimum Wage is a stop gap measure. The day after it is enacted, in many places, it is out of date. A more appropriate and permanent solution would be to regionalize it. After all, it costs more to live in New York City than it does to live in Butte Montana. Once regionalized, the minimum wage should be tied to the Consumer Price Index or some other nationally accepted economic indicator.

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Marijuana legalization                                                 Support

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This issue has been settled in the state but it hasn’t been settled nationally.  Marijuana is still considered a Schedule 1 drug putting it on par with LSD, Heroin, and methamphetamines. This is clearly indefensible. I frankly am not a fan of the regular use of marijuana but, then again, I’m not a fan of the regular use of alcohol either. I do, however, believe that marijuana, like alcohol, is a matter of personal choice.

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The nation needs to look at illegal drug use and our failed war on drugs.  According to The Whitehouse, Americans spend about 100 BILLION dollars a year on illegal drugs.  According to a report in the Huffington Post, America spends between 40 and 50 BILLION dollars a year fighting illegal drug use. This means that Americans are funding BOTH SIDES of the War on Drugs and we’re losing. Clearly unacceptable. That 40 billion dollars would be better spent on treatment and reducing the prison population of non-violent offenders.

 

Tax Free Status of Charitable Organizations           Opposed

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This is not a popular position but I have reached a point where I no longer believe that a tax free status for charitable organizations is good for the country or, frankly, the charitable organization. It creates a field ripe for fraud and corruption that simply can’t be justified in any way. I am willing to consider a tax free status for organizations that are 100% volunteer but my position is; if you can afford to pay a CEO, you can afford to pay your taxes.

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Charitable organization, including churches, depend upon all tax payers not just those that belong to the organizations. They avail themselves of our roads, utilities, fire and police protection and they should be required to participate in the support of those socially provided services.