Good public health and lifespan -- Has there been a larger non-war time decline in public health? Half of all Americans are on two more medications as obesity and related diseases have dramatically increased. Men and women just 350 miles apart live, on average, 18 and 12 years longer.
Sustainable environment -- Polluted water and soil poisons our citizens, even as our oceans turn to "plastic soup" and slow down their circulation. What national and international commitments will we make to keep our environment sustainable for life?
Governmental responsibilities should promote democracy and our economic prosperity for all.
Voting rights for all -- Mass disenfranchisement has occurred through restrictive voting registration and voter ID laws, limited voting windows, and removing and keeping US citizens from the rolls. Eight percent of voting age black Americans can not vote, a number high enough to keep Florida a swing state. More than half of Michigan's black residents had their local voting rights taken away in 2013 and 2014. We must restore constitutional rights fundamental to our democracy.
Fair sourcing of revenue -- The dramatic and growing inequality in America is shocking and unacceptable to most Americans. The top 1 percent capturing 121 percent of all income gains in the years after the recession, with the top 1 percent now owning 40 percent of all American wealth. The anti-tax sentiment means programs for basics like police, health care and college are underfunded. Do candidates support a financial transaction tax, higher estate taxes, closing the carried interest for loophole, and higher corporate taxes?
Good public education and affordable college -- Even as schools are shuttered in many inner cities and standardized tests are arbitrarily toughened, we fail to provide our students with a leading education. It gets no easier in college, as debt tops $1 trillion, draining what could fund rent, savings, or other investments. A recent article points to skyrocketing administrative costs at the higher level, not faculty salaries, as a major factor into high tuition. Nations like Germany and Finland provide college for free and use effective teacher training and education models; the same could be done here.
Well-funded public infrastructure and utilities -- Various rationales including lack of tax revenue have resulted in a huge effort to privatize what have traditionally been government services. Yet skyrocketing prices for water have led to water shutoffs that have been condemned by the United Nations. And newly expensive and variable priced privatized roads shorten commutes for the rich even while leaving minorities on low wages with more traffic. The burden of poor services leads to evictions and deepening poverty, while violating our human rights, despite our significant national capacity.
Consumer standards and regulations -- Regulation of our food supply, labor market, and chemicals should protect the Earth's sustainability and human rights. Consumers should know if products are made in the USA, through fair trade, if food is organic, if clothing was made ethically, and if genetically modified organisms have been used. These standards could promote a race to the top for a better world.
Much work lies ahead for candidates to define our values and identify credible policies in these areas, even as they weigh in on current issues.
Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is smart, with a notable background at the Children's Defense Fund, Legal Services Corporation and in designing health care. After the growing popularity by Bernie Sanders and the populism of Elizabeth Warren, she has recently voiced standard Democratic positions while avoiding identifying actors who create and promote these injustices. Is the late timing and lack of framing true leadership? And how do positions necessary for justice and opportunity square with a record as a "corporate" ally and a "hawk?" The Clinton Foundation and Clinton's Global Initiative worked with banks under investigation and foreign governments who donated received more arms under her State Department leadership. Credible endorsement of above platform and an explanation of the Foundation's funding would be welcome. To date, the weak narratives represent major barriers in believing her campaign truly focuses on human rights, innovative policies and structural changes.
"Democratic socialist" Bernie Sanders has placed those values at the center of his presidential campaign, identifying corporations and policies that threaten them, thus surging in early primary polls. He has supported a single payer system, breaking up the big banks, using a financial transaction tax to pay for state college, and taxing carbon. He weighed in on current issues including voicing his opposal to the TPP and Keystone XL Pipeline. Now there's real leadership.
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