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Communications « Campaign
Literature—Primaries « Bernie 2016
Campaign Literature—Primaries
| Bernie 2016 |
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| Newspaper, front, inside and
back, National, Iowa. |
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ARE PART OF OUR CAMPIAGN. FIND OUT WHY.  "Our nation will not survive morally or economically when so few have so much while so many have so little"Dear Friend, In the United States today the very rich are getting richer, the middle class is disappearing and too many of our fellow citizens are living in poverty. We need to create an economy which works for all, not just the billionaire class. Politically, we must end a corrupt campaign finance system dominated by Super PACs. They undermine American democracy and allow the very wealthy to buy elections. As a nation founded on the principles of equality and justice, we can no longer stand aside as immigrants, people of color,and members of the LGBT community are treated as second-class citizens. We must not allow women to be paid as second-class workers. We must stand up and fight for civil rights and equality for all. And, as our planet becomes warmer because of climate change, we must lead the world in transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. Given this unique moment in history, the American people face a momentous decision. Are we prepared to take on the enormous economic and political power of the billionaire class? Or, do we continue to slide into economic and political oligarchy? These are the most important questions of our time, and how we answer them will determine the future of our countrv. In my view, it is too late for establishment politics and establishment economics. Enough is enough! We need a political revolution that brings millions of people together to demand that we create a government which represents all of us, not just the top 1%. Please join our campaign. Please join the political revolution. Sincerely, [Bernie signature] U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders INSIDE: THE RIGGED ECONOMY EQUAL EDUCATION FOR ALL ACT TO STOP CLIMATE CHANGE PROMOTE RACIAL JUSTICE SUPPORT WOMEN'S RIGHTS WE NEED COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM  "We need a political revolution that engages millions of people – a movement poweful enough to take America back from the billionaires" End the Rigged EconomyWe must end the grotesque level of income and wealth inequality in America where so few have so much and so many have so little• In America today it is just not acceptable that the top 0.1% own almost as much wealth as the bottom 90%, and that 58% of all new income goes to the top 1%. • At a time when real unemployment is 10%, and youth unemployment is extremely high, we must create up to 13 million new jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure- roads, bridges, rail systems, water plants, levees and dams. • We must increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next several years. No American should work 40 hours a week and live in poverty. • We must establish pay equity for women workers. • The United States must join all other major countries in guaranteeing paid family and medical leave, paid sick leave and guaranteed paid vacation time. • We must strengthen workers' rights and protect American jobs. Unionized workers enjoy higher wages, and better benefits than their non-union counterparts. We must vigorously oppose all efforts to break the trade union movement, and make it easier not harder for workers to join unions. • We must end our disastrous trade policies that have cost us millions of good paying jobs. Corporate America must create jobs here, not just in low-wage countries. • We need a tax system which is fair, and demands that the wealthy and large corporations start paying their fair share. Corporations and Wall Street banks cannot be allowed to continue stashing their profits in the Cayman Islands and other tax havens. Multi-millionaire hedge fund managers should not be paying an effective tax rate lower than truck drivers or nurses. We need to break up the big banks • Seven years ago, the taxpayers of this country bailed out Wall Street because they were "too big to fail." Yet, three of the four largest financial institutions are 80% bigger today than before we bailed them out. We need to re-establish Glass-Steagall and break up the largest banking institutions whose irresponsible behavior helped spur the financial crisis, and whose "too big to fail" status poses serious risks to the global economy. Health Care for All • We must end the international embarrassment of the Urilted States belng the only major country on earth which does not guarantee health care for all. Health care is a right, not a privilege. We must pass a Medicare for All, single payer system. Expand Social Security • At a time when the senior poverty rate is going up, we have got to make sure that every American can retire with dignity and security. Under current law, the amount of income subject to the payroll tax is capped at $118,500. That means someone making millions of dollars a year pays the same amount in payroll taxes as someone making$118,500 a year. We must subject all income over $250,000 to the payroll tax which allows us to preserve and even expand social security benefits. Equal Education for All • In the year 2015, when a college degree is equivalent to what a high school degree was 50 years ago, we must expand the concept of public education to include college. That is why Bernie has introduced legislation to make public colleges and universities tuition free, and substantially lower the interest rate on student debt. His legislation is paid for by a tax on Wall Street speculation. • Working parents are entitled to know that their young children are being well taken care of during the day. That is why Bernie supports high quality and affordable Pre-K and childcare for all. Act to Stop Climate Change• Climate change is real, it is caused by human activity and it is already causing massive devastation in our country and around the world. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, we must transform America's energy system away from polluting fossil fuels and toward energy efficiency and sustainability.• Bernie has helped lead the fight to cut greenhouse gas emissions, stop Arctic drilling, and prevent the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. • He has introduced a comprehensive piece of climate change legislation that includes a tax on carbon pollution. • The five largest oil companies in the U.S. have made more than $1 trillion in proits over the past decade. Bernie has fought to repeal loopholes and tax subsidies that benefit oil, natural gas, and coal special interests. • Bernie secured $3.2 billion for grants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in a program that has funded upgrades for more than 86,000 buildings and installed more than 9,500 solar energy systems. Promote Racial Justice• Now is the time to invest in education and jobs for our young people, not more jails and incarceration. At a cost of $80 billion a year, and an immeasurable toll on millions of lives, the United States has more people in jail than any other country. We need an all out effort to combat institutional racism and reform a very broken criminal justice system.• We must address state violence against African Americans and other people of color, and police officers must be held accountable when they break the law. We need to end the militarization of police forces. Police departments should not act or look like invading armies. • We need a national database of all police shootings and deaths that take place while in police custody. Law enforcement must be held accountable. • We need new rules on the allowable use of force. We need training for police officers to de-escalate confrontations, and learn how to humanely interact with those who have mental illnesses. We must protect the right to vote in America • Voter suppression must end. The Voting Rights Act must be restored and extended so that every American, regardless of skin color or national origin, is able to vote freely. • We must put an end to discriminatory laws and the purging of minority-community names from voting rolls. • We need to re-enfranchise the more than two million African Americans who have had their right to vote taken away by a felony conviction. We Must Reform Our Prison System • Corporations should not be allowed to run jails and make a profit by incarcerating Americans. Bernie introduced legislation to end the private-for-profit prison industry. • We need to invest in medical and mental health intervention for people with substance abuse problems so that those struggling with addiction end up in treatment, not prison. • We need to end mandatory minimum sentencing. • People who have committed crimes need a path back from prison. We need education and skill training for the incarcerated. • We must take a hard look at the war on drugs and end the over-incarceration of nonviolent young Americans who do not pose a serious threat to our society. Support Women's Rights• As a result of the struggles of millions of women, we have made significant progress in our country in combating sexism. But much more needs to be done.• It is unacceptable that women earn just 78 cents for every dollar a man earns. We need pay equity for women. Further, Bernie's efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15 will especially benefit female workers who are often low-wage workers. • Bernie has a 100% pro-choice voting record and will fight to protect reproductive rights and expand women's healthcare. • Bernie wants to expand funding for Planned Parenthood, the Title X family planning program, and other initiatives that protect women's health and access to contraception. • Bernie will continue the fight to protect women against domestic violence and sexual assault. "It
is
an
outrage
that women earn just 78 cents for every dollar a man
earns"
We Need Comprehensive Immigration Reform• We need a path to citizenship for t he 11 million undocumented people living in the shadows.• We need to reject the hateful speech that is being directed at our immigrant neighbors. • We need an immigration policy that keeps our families together.  Get Big Money Out of PoliticsWe must reverse the disastrous Citizens United decision• Under the 2010 Supreme Court decision on Citizens United, billionaires and corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money to elect candidates who will represent their interests. American democracy is being undermined. Citizens United must be overturned. • Bernie proposed a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, and restore America's one person-one vote democracy through public funding of elections. • He also sponsored legislation to expose the exorbitant amounts of "dark" money in political campaigns and will fight to overturn our corrupt campaign finance system. Bernie's campaign walks the walk on campaign fmance • A Sanders Administration in the White House would only appoint justices who are committed to overturning Citizens United. • Bernie does not have or want a Super PAC. • Our campaign has received over 1.3 million contributions from some 750,000 people. • The average contribution to Bernie's campaign is about $30.00. • Over the course of his long political career, Bernie has never taken money from corporate interests. Bernie Can Win
• National and state polls show that Bernie does as
well or better than other Democrats in match ups against Republicans. |
Copyright © 2015, 2016, 2017 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy
in
Action. 