Procrastinet

The Kerry/Edwards '04 Platform

filed under: Hey, What's The Big Idea

Based on an ongoing argument with Big John Devore, who claims that Big John Kerry and Sunshine Johnny Edwards don't stand for anything except being anti-Bush, here's a thumbnail of the main points of the Kerry/Edwards platform.

All of this is paraphrased directly from www.johnkerry.com.

1. Roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest while preserving those for the middle class and working families (child tax credits, end of marriage penalty).

2. Reform international tax laws to remove incentives for corporations to move jobs and investments overseas, and use the new revenue to cut domestic corporate taxes by 5%.

3. Increase NATO's role in Iraq, with an emphasis on the training of domestic Iraqi security forces.

4. Extend health coverage to all children, and assist everyone with health coverage costs through aggressive tax credits and more comprehensive options.

5. Reform homeland security and domestic intelligence-gathering, with a focus on streamlining bureaucracies, equipping and training first responders, securing ports and facilities both public and private, and involvement of the National Guard.

6. Ensure funding for current and future educational reforms through a National Education Trust Fund.

7. Offer four years of college education in return for two years of national service.

8. Prioritize energy independence and restore environmental protections rolled back under Bush/Cheney.

9. Reinstate five year ban on lobbying by ex-officials, and require public disclosure of all meetings with lobbyists and special-interest insertions into legislation.

10. Rebuild disrespected alliances and build a War on Terror that is not based on half-truths and deceptions.

There's lots of stuff on the site (much of it not very well or clearly laid out - I look forward to the trickle down effect from adding Edwards to the ticket, as his site during the primaries was a model of clear, efficient platforming), including Kerry's "Real Deal" plan for "100 Days to Change America."

So now, when someone gets all up in your face with "what does John Kerry stand for besides being Anti-Bush"...

...tell them.

Posted by rjt at July 8, 2004 04:21 PM