What are your top 3 DOMESTIC issues?

[nickshepDEM]

Only 3

And why...

[welshTerrier2]

1. democratic government, corporate media, alternative energy n/t

[calimary]

46. Those look pretty good to me.

I wanted to put choice in there - a woman's right (NOT the government or some domestic-terrorist mullahs) to have the last word over her body. But then, perhaps if we have a Democratic (as in Democratically-controlled) government, then the protection of reproductive freedom would go along with it. I'd settle for best two out of three - White House and Senate maybe. As would election reform, maintaining and safeguarding the separation of church and state, impeachment insurance (in case the still republi-CON House gets a little too vindictive, demanding payback yet again), a chance to set the agenda - and a few serious investigations into motion, and the chance to help determine the course of the Supreme Court. After all, it's in the Senate where you make or break a Justice.

Corporate media absolutely - make it illegal to have monopolies on the infrastructure of public discourse. And the Fairness Doctrine MUST be reinstituted. Keep the robber barons out of broadcasting. Put someone like Bill Moyers in charge maybe (just daydreaming here...).

Alternative energy - how can we NOT? How? You want jobs? You want motivation to stay in school, learn stuff, make something of yourself and achieve? You want entrepreneurialism and a booming private sector? Let the research and development games begin! Throw some money at creating instead of killing. Brainstorming, NOT bombstorming - or braunstorming, maybe?

These are good. They're pretty all-encompassing.

[murray hill farm]

2. OK

1) Bring home the troups 2) Socialize medicine..so no american..ever again..is without needed immunization and medicical care. 3) end hunger and poverty for all in the usa..and it can be done...just do it.

[nickshepDEM]

3. Economic Development, Outsourcing, Strong Family Structure...

Economic Development - In both urban and rural areas. Economic investment and job creation programs in undeveloped areas.

Outsourcing - Give tax incentives to companies that remain in the U.S. -- we are losing entirely too many manufacturing jobs.

Strong Family Structure - Less out of wedlock births, encourage marriage, etc...

[Daphne08]

4. Civil liberties, corporate power and health care. n/t

[kohodog]

5. Personally...

1) Voting-true results. Open source software.
2) Keep corporate money out of elections. No more lobbyists
3) Health care-EVERYONE needs it, and the current plans don't serve the people.


I

[ruggerson]

6. Mine are:

1) Government out of our private affairs. That means, in addition to government out of family medical decisions (abortion, euthenasia), they would not have the ability to prohibit scientific research like stem cells. Additionally, drugs would be legalized, as would prostitution, both regulated by individual states.

2) Total reform of health care. From top to bottom. A government run program, administered by the states, for those who can't afford private healthcare. Healthcare should be available to all citizens.

3) Balance the federal budget. IF that means raising taxes, so be it. We're all in this for the common good of our nation, not just for the selfish rewards of individual families. Roads can't be paved, schools can't be built, defenses can't be maintained without the proper revenue stream to do so.

[iconoclastNYC]

76. How would you argue against

Right-wingers who would say that #1 and #2 are conflicting.

Lots of wingers seemed to think that liberals are advocating that all healthcare workers become government employees and that we're going to nationalize all the hospitals and healthcare companies.

All we want to nationalize is who PAYS FOR IT (meaning we're going to kill off the insurance companies and the HMOs)

When you get to that point with the RWingers they have to change the subject because you are making too much sense.

So how would you deal with them?

[punpirate]

7. Not hard...

... first, genuine, effective campaign and election reform. If money isn't removed from politics, we'll never remove the politicians influenced by money. If we get rid of those, we'll also be able to get rid of bad voting machines.

Second, a return to an economic policy which includes a progressive tax system (similar to the one which worked well for fifty years before being dismantled in the `80s) and which encourages and rewards the creation of good manufacturing jobs in the United States in industries which will be necessary to our survival in the coming decades.

Third, and this is controversial, I admit. We're going to have to do something about the national security state we've created over the past sixty years. It's been steadily encroaching on our civil liberties, our ability to resist that encroachment and has been eating up tax revenues at an extraordinary rate without substantively improving our security. We have a Congress now determined to cut food stamps, Medicare and school lunches, among other social programs, but the actual spending on so-called defense will probably reach almost $800 billion in 2006 (including the actual expenditures for defense, intelligence, homeland security and interest on the debt related to military spending). This government is the most secretive in history, and that trend will accelerate unless action is taken to force an abatement. Moreover, our defense department is no longer geared to defending us and our territory--it's designed to operate as a offensive force globally, and every indication is that that capacity is being expanded. That can only induce the current and future presidents to use it unwisely, further exacerbating our poor reputation in the world. If we don't bring the beast under control, it will control us. If we continue as we have been, we'll be the world's newest--and largest--banana republic: over-armed, awash in debt, economically impoverished and obsessed with internal security.

Cheers.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. Domestic Job One: Fix the frikkin' Media

Not a liberal media ..... and honest, non partisan, truth obsessed media. A Walter Cronkite media ... trusted and respected by all.

Job Two: A minimum standard of living from cradle to grave. This includes health care, education, senior services, nutrition, and on and on. In our nation, there should be no poverty and no one - anywhere - ever - in need. The least of us should be better than the best of least of anyone else on earth.

Job Three: Alternative energy development on a crash program with the goal being complete energy independence by 2015. Not 2020 or 2030. 2015. Or sooner.

[Norwood]

9. My top 3 in no particular order

1. The corporate media

2. Getting our civil liberties back (Patriot Act)

3. Fixing the damn voting machines, there needs to be a paper trail.

[longship]

10. Hmmm. Here are mine.

1. Tax equity -- Retax the corps and the rich. Make them pay.

2. Health care -- Single-payer plan is the *only* solution.

3. Government election, ethics and campaign reform -- So that our country will never again have an administration like ChimpCo.

[FrenchieCat]

11. Media conglamoration, Election paper trails, and

Civil Liberties.....

[Martin Eden]

12. Election Reform; The Fourth Estate; Energy/Environment;

1) Election Reform: Our democracy is dysfunctional, and until we fix it we have little chance of fixing anything else. We need secure balloting, universal registration, instant runoff, non partisan redistricting to replace gerrymandering, and an end to the legalized bribery of big money campaign contributions.

2) The Fourth Estate: Corporate media consolidation is giving the monied interests the power to manipulate public opinion by filling the public airwaves with the news that THEY WANT US TO HEAR rather than WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW. Through commission and omission, the American people are not getting an honest representation of the issues that are most important to our lives. This enables the powers that be to increase their power by manipulating the information the public is exposed to. The strength of a democracy depends on an informed electorate. We the people are terribly uninformed and misinformed.

3) Energy/Environment: These two issues cannot be separated, because solving the first is the primary key to sustaining the second. More than anything else, the survval of life on earth depends on protecting the ecosystems that sustain us. The only reason I didn't put this first is because we cannot win the battle to protect the environment if our democracy and information system are broken.

[IndianaGreen]

13. Peace and bread

We are down to the most basic needs, like any oppressed people.

[0007]

49. .....and clean water & air ~

[Nimrod2005]

14. Education, Education, Education

If we can feed the peoples' brains with STUFF, they will vote better going forward, they will know how to vote in their own best interest.

[IndianaGreen]

18. Republicans have been doing their best to sabotage public education

in this country. At this rate the only people that will be able to afford education will be the children of the elites, the rest of us will be reduced to role of slaves for the ruling class.

[DrDan]

70. i just posted the same 3 (see # 68)

before I reviewed the list

I obviously agree completely with you - there is nothing more important than getting our educational system straightened out

[Catchawave]

15. minimum wage, national health care, suburban sprawl....

hopefully those are self explanatory !

[Jed Dilligan]

16. My three

Environment, especially oil dependence and agribiz subsidies

Ending the War on Drugs and law enforcement inequities in general

De-suburbanization (making cities attractive again)

[Mz Pip]

17. Corporate crime

civil liberties
health care policy.

That about covers everything about the Bush Administration I disagree with, except for foreign ploicy.

But I'll try to be more precise -

Corporate welfare - totally burns me that corporations who outsourse jobs get any government perks at all.

Health Care - everyone should have access to health care. Everyone.

Social issues - the government has no business in this.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Bluerthanblue]

19. Life- is clearly top of the list-

that means NO ONE in America should die for lack of access to medical care, shelter, food, or the basic necessities of life.- REGARDLESS of whether anyone feels that they 'deserve' them.
(what good does going to war do if those, who the soldiers 'protect' are dying of disease, malnutrition or exposure?

I put that top of the list because it was, and is supposedly the first unalienable 'right' that we as a people cited as among our 'commonly held TRUTHS'-

"Make every vote count"-
Fighting hard for second place would be restoring the 'power of an individuals voice' made manifest in the ACTUAL POWER of their vote- VERIFIED PAPER BALLOTS, and I believe that would likely mean reforming the electoral college, very likely eliminating paid lobbyists, or allowing 'corporations' to have such a determining role in politics. Money and power are dangerous things- Addiction to either or both, often do more harm than any drug, or 'substance' we regulate (or attempt to) by legislation.

"Affluenza-"
Learning to conserve, and wisely use our natural resources- Finding innovative ways to create sustainable, renewable energy. Using our vast work force and creative minds to discover ways in which we can enrich the quality of life for all the world, while also learning how to experience, and value the more ...ordinary things in life. SLOWING DOWN-! smelling the 'roses' so to speak- life is fleeting, and fragile, in the 'race' to accumulate many 'things' we rarely have time to enjoy those things- What makes a country 'great'? Is it power, money, and size? Or the quality of life, the integrity of its people, and the way in which it conducts itself within the community of nations which make up this world? We have come to believe 'being on top' is the only value worth pursuing. The problem with that, is that the focus of existence is not on living, but on doing whatever it takes to 'win'- even if that means losing ourselves on the way-

As life draws closer to the end, you look at the world abit different I believe- and the things that matter, usually aren't things at all- but living entities. And the 'little stuff' of life.

This is hardly a DNC platform- but my little piece of earth to stand on.- for what it's worth.

[Hollow Shells]

20. Only three huh?

1) Dramatically increase education.

2) Reserve prisons for only the most depraved violent criminals, immediately release everyone else.

3) Dramatically increase health care.

[XemaSab]

72. Welcome to DU!

:cheers:

[Zynx]

21. National Healthcare, Stronger Regulations, and a Balanced Budget

1. National Heathcare- we should at the very least cover catastrophic and routine medical expenses.

2. Stronger Regulations- a free market economy with no regulations is just as much of a utopian wet-dream as Communism is. That being taken into account, we must prevent abuses that are currently allowed from happening. For example, mutual fund companies are currently allowed to pull off all kinds of bullshit in their prospectuses such as buying a hot stock towards the end of a quarter trying to show that they have been owning winners. Also, insider trading is a lot more common than it appears to be IMHO and we should punish it a lot more. Without insider trading regulations being strictly enforced, there is not a fair stock market. I favor regulations to encourage the formation of labor unions in retail as well.

3. Balanced Budget- It is essential that we get our books in order for our fiscal health. Only with a balanced budget can we pursue other initiatives. We can not run large structural deficits indefinitely and we must make room for new initiatives.

This would be followed closely by major league electoral reform including allowing felons to vote(once they have completed their prison term)and a major effort at redistricting, educational reform though I don't have a good idea how to proceed as of yet, major infrastructure investments, abolition of recruiters in public schools, and an increase in the minimum wage.

[Lefty48197]

22. Jobs/Walmartization - Health Care - Social Security

Pretty simple: Working people and the money they earn.

[stevebreeze]

23. he first step needs to be only two pronged

Campaign reform....clean money elections as in AZ and Maine.
We will not have a government that works for the people until the people are paying the bills.
Media reform...a media that speaks truth to power. The airwaves belong to the public and if not being used for the public good the license of those stations should be revoked.

[flaminbats]

24. democracy, health care, and being pro-life..

democracy - if our party can't live up to its name, then how can we take back Congress or the White House? when will we live in a country with an elected President, with elections not influenced by wealth or money, and with Senators elected to represent the voters..not the states? why should we call ourselves democrats?

universal Medicare - why should anyone pay high premiums to private insurance companies, ultimately to have their medical expenses covered by Medicare? why should uninsured workers pay higher payroll taxes only to lose their healthcare coverage when it is most needed? how can we keep medicare solvent while insuring that all workers benefit from what they pay in?

a moral majority - Republicans claim it's about the unborn. A fertilized egg must be protected at all costs..but screw the Muslims, all those big government liberals, and all those welfare moms who aren't working from 6 am to 11pm. It's about those aborted eggs, and the hell with any living person who can be cured by stem cell research! it's about imprisoning and executing all those pro-abortion feminazis..the hell with those wild-eyed tree huggers, those un-American peace freaks, and those amoral bleeding-heart idealist God haters!!

in the words of Jesus "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out the devils: freely ye have received, freely give"

[serryjw]

25. Simple

how to get rid of Bushit
How to get rid of Chaney
How to get rid of the rest


WHY? They are destroying this country

[WA98296]

26. Un-Privatize Voting, Fairness Doctrine, Election Reform

Without our votes counted NOTHING else matters.

The Media is a mess, and I see the Fairness Doctrine as a beginning fix

Our electeds need to be focused on money, and more on the good of the nation.

[BlueIris]

27. Threats to (all) choice, threats to environment, lack of clean elections.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

28. Ok...

Universal health care- everyone deserves decent medical care, regardless of income.

Labor issues- People shouldn't be forced into jobs like walmart that provide almost zero benefits, low wages, and long hours. I'm very pro union.

Civil rights- minority rights, GBLT rights (including marriage), choice. Every American deserves to have basic human rights. No one should be denied this.

[freestyle]

29. Poverty, health care, energy.

The increasing poverty and inequality is turning the U.S. into more of a third world country by the day. By driving people out of work, driving down wages, and decreasing access to education, our future as a nation is in jeopardy.

Lack of universal health care also drags us down. We spend more and get less than all other industrial nations. We still leave 45 million people with no insurance. We also make minimal investments in public health and in education to help people make choices to keep themselves healthy. What manufacturing is left is being crushed by health care costs.

Our whole structure is dependent on the continuation of relatively cheap oil and natural gas. Those days will end soon, and the pain will be severe if we are not prepared. The whole society needs to be physically reordered for lower energy use, and we are already past the time to start.

[raccoon]

30. Health care, a living wage, and affordable housing.

Notice all these 3 are related to low incomes.

It is beyond disgusting that in this country there is no national health plan. An industrialized country, and how many is it, 40 something million, who have no health insurance?

The specter of impoverishment because of atrocious medical expenses hangs over most Americans, unless they're uber-rich. It can happen to people who have insurance.

--More and more "good jobs" are gone to other countries, or just gone. The majority of jobs being creating are temporary, pay poorly, and have no benefits.

--Housing has become increasingly difficult for people to afford. I'm talking even renting a place. Used to be a rule of thumb was 1/4 of your monthly salary. Nowadays, many people couldn't rent anything for that.

[KurtNYC]

31. BBV, corporate-controlled media and healthcare reform

[raindrop]

32. top three

1. Deal with the Iraq War, either by pulling out completely, or pulling back to small-scale areas where we can actually successfully implement things like running water, electricity, security and jobs programs. Create a timeframe and a deadline for doing this.

2. Develop an alternative energy policy where we drastically reduce our dependence on foreign oil within a specific time frame (10 years?), similar to how Kennedy called on the nation to put a man on the moon.

3. Affordable health care for all Americans, but at the bare minimum health care provided to all children under 18. It's criminal that millions of children are walking around in this country without access to basic medical services.

[PurityOfEssence]

33. verifiable voting, reinstate the fairness doctrine, tax the rich

n/t

[No Exit]

34. Frighteningly fast disappearance of our civil liberties; health costs/

health insurance;corporatocracy running rampant over our natural resources.

Does the reinstatement of THE DRAFT count as a domestic issue? If so, I will replace one of the above with THAT. It is a top concern of mine.

[fleabert]

35. choice, equal rights, environment

I don't think an explanation is necessary, all are pretty obvious.

[Greyhound]

36. Top 3? 1. Stopping Corporatism Now

This is, IMO, the most pressing issue at the moment. It is the reason behind so many of our national maladies, from the shitty economy, rigged elections, M$M consolidation, mis-management of essential industries, the list seems endless (although I'm happy to continue if you wish).
2. Health Care
The very idea of a for-profit system of health care is insane on the face of it. The inevitable conclusion is what we've seen evolve in the last 3 decades or so, and it will get much worse.
3. Education
Again we see the results of our 'pride in ignorance' philosophy. An electorate that is completely ignorant of their nation, their politics, of the purposes of government, and an utter lack of interest in these issues. It creates a population that knows nothing and doesn't care, not to mention an acceleration of the economic exodus from amerika.

[Jai4WKC08]

37. Hard task

So many critical things...

1) Restoring open, transparent, Constitutional government. Democracy is the most important thing. It's what makes (or would make if we had it) this country worth all the rest of what people have to put up with. It's what our forebearers fought and died for.

2) Repairing the media. Almost ranked this one first because I really think if we had the media we should, a lot of the rest of the problems could get fixed.

3) Protecting the environment. Most dire consequences over the longest time if we don't. This one is, of course, not completely domestic.

[npincus]

38. Healthcare, Environment, Education

[RunningFromCongress]

39. Healthcare, Education, 'new economy' jobs in that order

[ArkDem]

40. Here ya go

1. Doing the dishes. (I get stuck too often)

2. Mowing the lawn. (Nobody helps)

3. Kids math homework. (ditto above)

[tk2kewl]

41. education/health care/environment

[dkofos]

42. 1. govt corruption

2.health care (single payer)
3.jobs

[Crunchy Frog]

43. Health care, education (particularly quality SCIENCE education),

and the whole issue of corporations having too much power (in general, and in the media in particular).

[AJH032]

44. environment, fiscal policy, religion-government separation

1. Strong environmental rules are absolutely necessary to preserving life and beauty on this planet. Who says being technologically productive and being environmentally friendly have to be mutually exclusive things? We can be even more productive if we use more environmentally clean energy that is more efficient than what we use now, and the more we use it and standardize it, the cheaper it will be, so the supply-side of the market won't be hurt in the end (Republicans can't seem to grasp this concept).

2. Our government's fiscal policies play a major role and have major effects on our economy, obviously. Forget the spending side for now (which of course is also very important), and just look at revenue and how we allocate taxes. There are several paths to choose. We could put in place taxation policies that encourage more outsourcing of jobs, increase competition among workers (by adding millions of people to the American company's choice of workers), and generate lower wages so we have a depleted consumer-side of the U.S. market, even if prices do go down (if at all, as most of the extra revenue will go into the company's profits, not into lowering the prices unless they need to to stay competetive). Or, we could limit outsourcing and the opposite would happen. Additionally, we could encourage businesses of any size to be more productive by making it more tax-friendly for them to re-invest a large portion of their revenue into their own productivity (ie, hiring more workers, designers, creating better products, encouraging competition), or we could limit corporate taxes and allow profits to build up while everyone else suffers (except maybe the resource market). I'm not advocating we put a cap on profits, because this would encourage companies to be less productive. I'm only encouraging a more graduated corporate tax, so as a company makes more, they pay more (but at no point would they be better off by not making a profit). Okay, this is already too long, because this is a very complicated issue. But I think I've made my point.

3. This one's very simple. Religion out of government. Everyone in the United States should be free to practice whatever religion s/he chooses, so long as they don't disrupt others. This goes for all branches of government, including the SCOTUS.

[area51]

45. 3 issues

Stop all offshoring/inshoring, universal healthcare, abortion stays legal.

[AnnieBW]

47. Here's some:

- National broadband policy to bridge the "digital divide".
- Religious freedom and equal tolerance for minority religions
- Women's rights, including (but not limited to) reproductive rights

[OKthatsIT]

48. Voting, Campaign Finance, and Environmental REFORM

3 issues are not enough...you do realize this, right?

[High Plains]

50. Illegal immigrants, indoor smoking, and child molesters

...based on activity in DU forums

[AbbyR]

51. Voting reform, health care, poverty (nft)

[AbbyR]

52. Can I change my mind?

I think I want to change "poverty" to tax reform. If taxation is more fair, poverty won't be so much of a problem, I don't think.

I'm sticking with voting reform - we must have a secure, accurate voting system with a paper trail, and health care is going to kill us all, financially speaking.

[CAG]

53. Healthcare, fiscal responsibility, Steelers win Super Bowl 40 (nt)

[BigYawn]

54. Socialized health care, higher taxes on the rich, reduce defense spending

[blindpig]

55. Environment, jobs, campaign finance.

Environment because it is The Bottom Line.

Jobs because government is for the people. This includes outsourcing.

Campaign finance because money is not speech.

[soleft]

56. Mark Warner? - no way

Because my top domestic agenda = human rights for everyone

The next two =

Progressive Tax Plan

Universal Healthcare

[Hidden Stillness]

57. One, Two, Three...

1) Return government to the operations of government, and get the corporate lobbyists and donations out of the system, (and that includes the snide sabotaging of "D"LC, Inc.). There will be no solution to any of the problems we face, on any level, until people face the fact that a civilized society is civilized because it has and enforces laws, not because their people are just "different" or "better," like a fairy tale. Corporations manipulate the system because they have reworked the laws and rules, and now are not punished for it. Raiding pensions, tax evasion, fake "energy shortages," outsourcing, busting unions and legal strikes, nothing is illegal, and so they do it. Abusers continue their abuse of victims until they are forcibly stopped, not until they feel anything for their victims, which will generally never happen. When corporations were taxed at a higher rate, (as late as the '50s, for example), most of their profits went cautiously right back into reinvestment in their own equipment, etc. (Bartlett and Steele, "America: What Went Wrong?" and all the rest of their reporting), but ever since that bastard Reagan made it profitable for them to profit on bankruptcy, etc., they have done so. They pay not one penny more than the minimum wage they are forced to pay, and never give raises, and so it is a maximum wage--and they are drowning in profits. Only the law gives the poor employee even that pathetic amount. I think that corporations should get "incentives" to keep from outsourcing, killing pensions and benefits that people were promised, and all the rest that they do, as soon as drug dealers are given subsidies for ceasing to sell drugs--that is, WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER. They are criminals, and should live under a system of laws and justice, just like we do. Otherwise, there is a depressing and enraging (correct) sense that there is actually no system at all, but only whatever the rich pimp wants to do. We have to face the total failure of the corporate/Republican/libertarian pipe-dream, (speaking of which, why isn't the fat-assed illegal-prescription dope addict in prison, the way we all would be?), and rebuild our infrastructure of laws and regulations, of the people, by the people, and for the people.

2) Poverty. The whole world stops when you are poor. I used to have all kinds of interests, dreams, things to think about; but since the Bush fascism, I have so many money problems, am so price-gouged, so fearful over the recent huge jumps to bills and energy prices, that I can't think or even relax anymore. Everything is worry now, I never get anything accomplished or fixed, and I fear at the thought of things getting only worse. I used to have many interests in life--now I only think about poverty and bills, and any services for the poor I might suddenly, for the first time in my life, qualify for. The stingy bastards have the income limit set so low, though, that almost nobody does. Then you get no help.

3) The devil's media. Anyone old enough to remember the way the media used to be, as late as the '70s when it was still the press, knows what was killed, and how the whole country slides right into a kind of "mental slum" at the lack of clear, intelligent discourse in society. Many great comments have been made on this thread, about how we need the Fairness Doctrine, real reporters and commentators who only want to get the story right and tell it completely, etc. I think it should even go back to the days when they did not even keep Neilson ratings for news programs, so there would be no commercial incentive for trying to kill the news with sensationalism, fluff, or advertisement disguised as news stories. Notice also, that as soon as the media started reporting the Bush Administration's crimes, lies, and vicious accusations against good people who don't deserve it, that Bush's and Cheney's approval poll numbers are right in the tank. People are not stupid so much as they are lied-to, and we will all be elevated by intelligence and truth.

[Little Star]

73. If I may....I'll tag along with Hidden Stillness

who reflects my three very nicely.

[Mass]

58. Campaign Finance reform. Energy, Heathcare,

[shayes51]

59. Health care, environment, jobs

[win_in_06]

60. Prosperity, Security and Freedom

[BJW]

61. Reform ERISA

ERISA is a federal law that covers "employer sponsored" benefit plans--read pension plans, health insurance and disabiilty insurance. The law was poorly written.

It has been interpreted by courts to largely prohibit affected employees from bringing state law claims against health insurers, pension plan administrators and disability law insurers in favor of resolving disputes under an administrative law process.

The end result is that when you've been royally f'ed and there are clear violations of state consumer protection laws, state insurance laws, state finance laws, etc., because it's an "employer sponsored benefit" you don't have express rights to sue them in state court under state laws.

Under ERISA, with few exceptions, the only thing you can sue for is to make the insurer follow its rules, and this process can takes years and go on and on and on.

Because there's nothing in federal ERISA law to punish companies for f'ing people over, again and again and again, and because these cases take forever to resolve--the companies have no reason and no incentive to change predatory, unethical and immoral practices.

[LSK]

62. end the war, deficits/fair taxes, environment

Ending the war includes ending the Military Industrial Establishment that has been milking our budget for year after year.

With the money that is no longer wasted on that, maybe we can get some balanced budgets and pay down our debt. Also make the rich and corporations pay their fair share for once.

Environment has been silently raped. Global warming is real and needs to be addressed.


I would also say Health Care is important and alternative energy sources. But I believe a balanced budget and getting military under control would free up money that can be used for Health Care. In addition, I believe fiscal responsibility leads to better overall economics which would make more opportunies for Americans to have better jobs.

[BJW]

63. rescind tax cuts enacted by Bush

self-explanatory

[BJW]

64. major govt. investments

in alt energy and alt energy companies. Get off the oil now!

[AZBlue]

65. Only two: social security and healthcare.

It's a crime that a nation as rich as ours can't, or won't, take care of the poor and elderly. I'm not talking about hand-outs. I'm talking about basic care needed to pursue a life of quality and dignity.

[Arugula Latte]

66. abortion, environment, and corporate control of government

[Kolesar]

67. Energy, Habitat Protection, and Free Speech

[DrDan]

68. Education, Education, Education

the key to keeping the U.S. in a position of power is through education. That can provide solutions to all other issues - the environment, social security, medicare/medicaid, honesty in government, etc.

Without it, we are lost. The fundies will dominate.

[AmericanDream]

69. Poverty, Energy Independence, Environment... n/t

[Initech]

71. Religious fundamentalism, corporatism, and education

1. Religious fundamentalism - And especially the religious fundamentalist take over of our government, as witnessed in the Bush administration scares the crap out of me to no end. I live in a pretty fundamentalist town and the last thing I need is government enforced religion. I think people like Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, Fred Phelps, and Pat Robertson are a far greater danger to our democracy than anything we're facing overseas. And I've felt that way for YEARS.

2. Corporatism - Something else we've seen grow in the Bush admin. And it's making me sick that companies like Halliburton and Exxon Mobil are posting gargantuan profits but they're paying virtually no taxes thanks to Bush's tax cuts for the rich (TM). Oh, and I despise the advertising industry to no end and the fact that we cant walk about 10 feet without seeing an ad for some stupid crap we dont need.

3. Education - This is especially important for ANY country, be it the US, Iraq, or Cuba. And especially in this country where we're about to let a group of people who still believe that the earth is 6,000 years old try to teach us how the earth began using something called "intelligent" design. Actually, this part ties in directly with #1. I'm using a blatant slippery slope here, but if they start teaching ID in schools, who knows where it will lead to? School-enforced Bible study classes?

[XemaSab]

74. Education, Energy/Environment, and Health Care

A significant portion of the electorate is too ignorant and poorly educated to BEGIN to have an independent opinion on most topics, and there's no excuse for that. I'm talking about science, civil liberties, fiscal policy... a really wide range of topics.

Energy and environmental policy go hand-in-hand. I'd like to see energy independence as well as clean energy. Why should we pay the Saudis and other terrorists and crazy fundamentalists every time we're at the pump? As some above posters put it, give it a ten-year deadline and work hard on it.

Health care here includes reproductive health, and simply put, there's no reason why people should have to choose between food and health care. Single payer, government run.

[iconoclastNYC]

75. My top three.

1. Energy Independence
2. Sensible Tax Reform (Raise the upper marginal rates and raise the personal exemption)
3. Single Payer Healthcare/Universal Healthcare

[Gyre]

77. election integrity, breaking the MSM monopolies, education

Because all 3 are critical to keeping our democracy. Nobody said it would be easy, or that we wouldn't have to fight for it.

Gyre

[election_2004]

78. LGBT Rights, Election Reform, Energy Independence

Allow same-sex couples to at least have some access to a bare minimum civil union of domestic spousal rights. My ideal scenario is full same-sex marriage, but that will take at least another decade.

Verifiable voting machines with paper trail ballot. Implement same-day voter registration. Implement IRV (Instant-Runoff Voting). Eliminate mandatory-party registration.

Invest in biomass and other alternative energy sources, to end the brownouts/blackouts and to lower the gas prices.

[LWolf]

79. My 3:

1. Universal, single payer, not-for-profit health care

2. Public education preschool - college or trade school, under local control after the diseased tumor of standardized tests have been removed.

3. Re-regulation of all public services and infrastructure that have been privatized and deregulated over the last several decades.