My vision is in line with Progressive vision as described by George Lakoff, i.e. "Our COMMUNITY and our NATION are a family; a caring and responsible family.  Our America is a place where people care for and about themselves and others.  It is an America where people act responsibly with strength and effectiveness..."  (…Read related material by George Lakoff)

Values:

1. RESPONSIBILITY and Caring for all carried out with strength and conviction
2. PROTECTION, fulfillment in life and fairness; an America where dreams can come true in safety for any individual willing to put forth the effort
3. FREEDOM, opportunity and broad prosperity
4. COMMUNITY, service, and cooperation; responsibility requires service to shape our community
5. TRUST, honesty, and opened communication in and from our government
    

Fairness            equality            empathy          caring               diversity
 

Progressive principles:

1. Equity: work hard, play by the rules, serve your family/community/nation then the nation should provide the environment for you to have a decent standard of living, freedom, security, and opportunity
2. Equality: guaranteed political equality and avoid imbalances of poweDemocracy: maximize citizen participation, minimize concentration of political, corporate, religious, and media power.  Maximize journalistic standards.  Establish publicly financed elections.  Invest in public education.  Bring corporations under stakeholder not just stockholder control.
3. Government for a better future: promote and provide sufficient protection, greater democracy, more freedoms, better environment, broader prosperity, better health, greater fulfillment, less violence, and provide and maintain infrastructure.
4. Ethical business: business should not adversely affect the public good
5. Values based foreign-policy: A strong and effective military; Strong alliances; Effective diplomacy; A focus on world health, poverty, hunger, ecology, women's education, people’s rights
6. Domestic Policy: Protection at home; Strong community; Caring and responsibility

 

Policy directions – Attention to People & Fiscal Responsibility 

1. Security – I will work for a stronger military, stronger diplomatic ties, wise foreign and domestic policy, and safety at home and abroad. If we must send our youth to war, do so with good judgment and the best equipment. Security includes strengthening, preserving and improving the Social Security System remembering that this country made a commitment to all of us for our retirement years. We can continue to fulfill that agreement by the participation of every wage earner. 

   Many are concerned about immigration. We must keep our borders strong and yet be responsive to the needs of appropriate employers and workers. The incumbent Representative in District 2 of California, has repeatedly voted for visa programs for workers from countries that have major economic interests in this country. Most of those workers fill high tech and/or skilled jobs at lower wages than American workers. At the same time, he has voted against measures to assure farmworker programs that would aid farmers and employment. This lopsided logic creates additional stress on a slumping economic picture in this district. It also creates a sense of fear in people about "illegal immigrants" taking jobs. The immigrants taking the best and the most jobs are legal and enter this county on Republican backed legislative packages that reward big corporate interests and influential oil countries. We should level the field for all our people. Stop these programs, support farmers and be realistic about what kinds of immigration reforms are necessary.

2. Economy – I will support innovation that leads to good paying jobs to provide a fair opportunity to prosper. Free trade agreements should actually be free trade by both parties. Fair taxation of businesses ad corporations will enhance a balanced budget. Government should be as responsible as it expects its citizens to be. Stop running up huge deficits while encouraging companies to move offshore or send jobs offshore.

   What’s wrong with a reasonable profit in order to help your community? Can’t manufacturers and industries be responsive to workers, the community, and customers? Are the only determinants of good business based on all the profit you can get while squeezing the most out of underpaid workers? Let’s develop programs to encourage small business people to band together and incubate factories and industries that benefit their communities. Provide incentives to do community businesses and factories. Farmers have co-ops, businesses can too. There is enough work – what is missing are more jobs with adequate pay. The recent Knight-Ridder newspaper sale is a good example. The company was profitable. The investors felt that the profit wasn't enough and forced the sale of the company. The chain will likely be broken up and gutted in order to maximize profits. Many will lose jobs and our news options will be more limited.

3. Health – I will work for state-of-the-art health care that is affordable for all. Medicare is the most efficiently run medical insurance company—2% costs for overhead. The VA has developed systems that have achieved high praise in the past few years but has suffered greatly because of budget cuts by the Bush administration and their rubber stamp Congress. Private insurers average 25-35% of their costs going to overhead. Your health is not a product and shouldn’t be subject to the whims of administrators. Health decisions are supposed to be between you and your medical team. Do you really want to manage your own healthcare insurance program?

4. Education – I will promote a vibrant, well-funded, expanding public education system where children are taught the basics plus tools that fit for them based on their individual capabilities from pre-school through college as they choose. We should return the management of budget, curriculum and staff to the local schools. Local educators are best qualified to shepherd innovation and creativity of youth in their communities. We should instill pride and feeling of OK-ness no matter what your chosen field of work. We have to foster attitudes that recognize the worth of all work. Doing that improves services, fosters creativity, and enhances self-respect.
5. Environment – I want a clean, healthy, safe environment -- water you can drink, air you can breathe, and beautiful, clean places to go.  This District of California has those qualities. Let’s keep them by developing strong recreational options that provide good jobs and happy visitors. Experts tell us that the Sierra Nevadas have a population cap. Beyond that number, our environment in the lowlands starts to degrade more quickly. We must control growth and preserve resources. There is plenty in this great land yet it requires responsible management. We have many smart, creative people who have developed plans that respect both the environment and the workers. Let’s use those plans.
6. Energy – I will promote renewable energy sources for the economy and the environment. I will work to embark immediately on a 10 year plan for energy independence—The Decade to Energy Independence Initiative. This District can lead the way. Stop the oil tanker parade from the Middle East and other parts of the world. This country has a strong, vibrant middle class that has been the greatest economic engine in the world. Let’s get it back on track. Let's fund alternate energy sources and develop new ones.
7. Protections – I will support initiatives for fair treatment for consumers, workers, retirees, investors - Every person in this country is treated both as a Shareholder and a Stakeholder in this country’s future. I will support the rights of individuals and individual states to manage their choices as they see fit within a respectful framework.
8. Equal rights – I will continue to support equal rights for individuals and the right of the states.
9. Openness – The government must be open, honest, efficient, and fair -- tell the truth and earn the trust of every American. Representatives of the people represent the people not the parties or special interests. I will support total federal funding of elections. Let’s re-open the governance of this country to the people with emphasis on fiscal responsibility. If we must, we can form an office that monitors integrity that has independent investigative powers.
10. Representation of, by, and for the people -- I am a citizen, a husband, a father, a clinical psychologist, and a veteran. I am not a politician. I have chosen to be a Democrat because I believe in the power of the individual to choose to cooperate with others and invest energy and good will in others toward shared goals. I believe that when we use whatever feelings we have in this joint effort we can solve any problem. The biggest difficulty that confronts an individual, a group, or a nation is being stuck in conflict. The current administration and the Republican Party would have you believe that the world is scary and you must let them protect you. I caution you to be skeptical of people who want to protect you without letting you know what they are doing and the whys and wherefores. Together, we are stronger, we are wiser, and we are effective. Trust yourself to have the resources, along with those in this Co-op we call the US, to thrive and flourish. It is time for all of us to speak up for the Constitution and the rights of all the people of this country.
     

Progressive v. Conservative

Progressives                                                                 Conservatives

Stronger America(Protection)                                         strong defense

Broad prosperity(Freedom)                                            free markets

Better(Brighter) future(Responsibility)                             lower taxes

Effective government(Trust)                                            smaller government

Mutual responsibility(Community)                                   family values

 
Stronger America is about defense and every other dimension of strength -- effectiveness in the world, our economy, our educational systems, our health care systems, our families, our communities, our commitment to the environment & the peoples of the world, and our integrity at home and abroad.

Broad prosperity -- markets are to benefit someone, there are no markets that are completely free.  Markets should benefit the broadest possible prosperity for the greatest number of people. Protected markets or corporations lead to a drain on the resources of the rest of us.

Better future -- economically, educationally, environmentally, and in all other areas of life.  Lowering taxes primarily for the rich elite has had the effect of the de-funding programs that give people opportunities for a better future.  The proper goal is a better future for all Americans with efficient use of resources.

Effective government -- smaller government supposedly eliminates waste; it really eliminates social programs and increases spending in areas than endanger personal freedoms.  We need government that is responsible and responsive to all the people.  We need government that gets the job done.

Mutual responsibility -- means that families, communities, and the nation are authoritative, equal, open, based on caring and responsibility, and strong in principles and deeds.

IT’S TIME! – It is time for Democrats and other people who believe in freedom and justice to speak out. Our forefathers built this nation on the principles of freedom and justice for all. They recognized that unchecked power corrupts. They provided insurance -- these principles would be protected by a system of Checks and Balances. Those Checks and Balances are in trouble today. They have been hijacked by a group of extremists in the guise of Republican leadership. Please visit my links page at www.falzett.org to review the problems. When Democrats and other like-minded individuals speak of these things, we are accused of complaining without offering vision and a program. Our vision and programs are designed to keep us safe & strong, get a fair deal for everyone, and employ innovation & sound fiscal principles while respecting our governmental system of Checks and Balances.