First of two articles.
To the Editor:
Re “8 Big Ideas for the Next Congress” (Opinion, Nov. 8):
The “large concepts” are spot on, however they want two necessary additions.
First, the Democratic Get together should work to revive professionalism and integrity within the Departments of Protection and Justice, together with the F.B.I. The core missions of each departments have been considerably broken by extremely unqualified leaders and extremely partisan political intervention.
Second, a core home precedence have to be to extend hope and alternative for younger adults. This could possibly be promoted by investments in significant job coaching applications at our group faculties, together with actions to handle affordability, akin to will increase within the baby tax credit score, restoration of enhanced subsidies for Obamacare, elevated assist for Head Begin and pre-Okay applications and the creation of recent subsidies to help first-time house consumers.
Failure to offer assist for younger adults will end in these necessary voters dropping hope and once more abandoning the Democratic Get together out of frustration and disillusionment.
John Mathewson
Portland, Ore.
To the Editor:
The writers of “8 Massive Concepts for the Subsequent Congress” uncared for to incorporate the one biggest creator of inequality in the US, the one authorities program that drains assets from the poor whereas showering them on the wealthy. It’s the most important authorities subsidy in the US, and its recipients want it the least. I’m writing, after all, in regards to the federal tax code. Democrats should deal with this inequality.
Republicans have lengthy pitched an concept of welfare that denigrates minorities and the poor, portray them as shiftless, lazy grifters who would moderately acquire a authorities test and use medicine than work. To the knowledgeable, nevertheless, this fantasy collapses below the load of an much more enraging fact: Our authorities supplies billions in subsidies to the richest of the wealthy.
As Democrats assume management of Congress, it’s crucial that they assume strategically, and assume large. Provided that the president will stay within the White Home, and that he’s spoiling for a struggle, there shall be limitations on the actually transformative energy of the brand new Congress. Democrats should start a fragile, knowledgeable and clear dialog with our people who restores advantage to the notion of civic funding and turns away from the free-lunch mentality of tax reduction for the wealthy.
Finn Kavanagh
Tampa, Fla.
To the Editor:
Listed below are three extra concepts for Democrats:
First, increase the federal minimal wage to two-thirds of the nationwide median wage by 2030, to about $20 per hour, and set it to extend with that benchmark. Elevating a ground caught at $7.25 since 2009 — now at its lowest real value in 77 years — addresses affordability by boosting incomes. It could enhance pay for a couple of quarter of the work force by matching the method utilized in other high-income countries, with out major adverse effects on employment or inflation.
Second, go labor regulation reform that ranges the taking part in discipline for employees looking for to prepare and discount collectively with their employers. Immediately, 43 percent of nonunion U.S. workers — 56 million folks — would be a part of a union if they might, and unions boost wages and benefits. However employers spend roughly $1.7 billion each year on anti-union consultants and regulation companies, whereas reform proposals to raised defend employees’ rights and streamline paths to union organizing and collective bargaining have languished since no less than the mid-Nineteen Seventies.
Third, re-establish the nonpartisan Office of Technology Assessment — to offer a fact-based basis for enhancing U.S. industrial, commerce and know-how insurance policies. A revitalized O.T.A. would assist policymakers thoughtfully deal with synthetic intelligence and different technology-related points.
Charles J. Whalen
Mendon, N.Y.
The author is the creator of “Preventing for the American Dream.”
To the Editor:
Add a ninth initiative to your listing: Counter local weather change and assist biodiversity. To do that, the US should get again to limiting fossil gasoline emissions each right here and overseas. Meaning lowering, not increasing, air journey, house exploration and nonessential, high-polluting enterprises akin to cruise traces. It means defending crucial habitats. And whereas we’re at it, how about restoring federal assist for various vitality sources like wind and photo voltaic?
The world shall be watching, so the US ought to act as a world position mannequin as soon as once more.
Peggy J. Printz
Seattle
To the Editor:
Among the many concepts put ahead by the writers in your Opinion article, just one — relating to ending the Iran conflict — addresses international coverage issues. What about President Trump’s pricey and self-defeating tariff impositions? Is that not a manner of reaching decrease costs, as one author urges?
Furthermore, the American folks have issues past their very own financial plight and rampant corruption, each of which have undeniably worsened below President Trump. The American persons are involved by the Trump administration’s betrayal of allies like Canada and its abandoning of Ukraine in its battle to face in opposition to Russian aggression.
Democrats, working with reasonable Republicans, should deal with all facets of President Trump’s failures to incorporate pressing issues within the international coverage realm.
Edmund McWilliams
White Oaks, N.M.
The author is a retired senior U.S. Overseas Service officer.
To the Editor:
I provide a ninth concept to handle the truth that the US’ worldwide status and status are in tatters: Finish the madness of the Cuban blockade. This one step would let different nations know that we’ve got lastly put the Chilly Conflict behind us and are prepared to maneuver ahead to face the issues of the twenty first century.
We will not depart our international coverage towards Cuba (and all of Latin America, for that matter) to a gaggle of hard-core ideologues who dream of marching again into Cuba to reclaim the land and place in society that their households misplaced within the revolution there greater than 65 years in the past.
Ending the embargo would value us nothing; we’d save the price of imposing it. Congressional Republicans (besides, maybe, these in Florida) could possibly be persuaded to assist ending the embargo because it supplies nothing of worth to their districts or states, and lifting it could open alternatives for the export of products and companies if regular commerce resumes.
Tom Murray
San Francisco
To the Editor:
Whereas I recognize the eight “large concepts” mentioned by these specialists, they omitted a significant plan of action. Until Congress acts, Social Safety will proceed on a path to deplete its reserves in roughly six years. All that’s essential to keep away from this unconscionable consequence is to do what the founders of Social Safety noticed as a step too far on the time: Make all revenue topic to federal payroll tax (FICA) on the similar price.
The concept that at some mounted quantity, which has modified because the years have handed, there needs to be a restrict past which the tax isn’t collected is clearly a coverage of taxing lower-income earners at the next price than higher-income earners. Acquire FICA tax in a good manner, which will even assist clear up the larger downside of financial inequality.
Ginger Lennon
Princeton, N.J.
To the Editor:
Please add one other concept for the following Congress: a constitutional modification to take away the pardoning energy from the president of the US. It has clearly been abused in ways in which weren’t initially meant.
The nation is fed up with corruption. Democrats will management Congress. A majority of governors shall be Democratic. Congress ought to seize the second of the nation’s revulsion on this matter.
Joseph Sopiak
New York
We’ll publish one other sampling of readers’ concepts for the following Congress later.
