Debate Night
Opening statement:
Thank you to our gracious hosts, the moderator and my fellow candidates for being here tonight.
When I began my career in politics in 1987 after winning a seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly, our country was heading down a path of deregulation and brinkmanship with other nations. While President Reagan embarked on a period of massive military spending; deregulation of Wall Street and more, I stood opposed to it.
As Lieutenant-Governor, I pushed for progressive, liberal policies, many of which succeeded. As Governor, I was able to rebuild Wisconsin's infrastructure and institute a single-payer healthcare system. As a Senator I have pushed for the same policies. Hopefully, as President, I will push for the same policies and do the same for the country as I did for my state.
If you do not choose me, then choose on of the others up here. These people are all fine candidates and would make fine Presidents. Trust me, when you see the difference between a policy-centric debate such as this one and the popularity contest that was the Republican debate, you'll see who the better choice is.
Well for starters we need to restrict the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons. These are tools of war, and have no place on American streets. Reinstating the Federal Assault Weapons Ban would be the ultimate end goal. At the same time, we should close the gun show loophole and stop strawman purchases.
However, we need to be nuanced about this. We cannot allow unrestricted blame to go around. If a gun store sells a weapon to someone who has mental issues, and they do it unknowingly, and that person does something crazy, i believe that store is not responsible. If they do it knowingly, that is a different matter.
As a side note, I find it odd that the only time Republicans talk about mental health in any detail is when an incident like this occurs.
I agree with Tsukimi here. No number of refugees accepted will ever be enough; there will always be more. We should accept as many refugees as we can, but we must not play down concerns that there is a danger, however minute it is.
The point is we don't need a tougher screening process-we already have one of the toughest in the world-we need a better screening process. As president, I would grant blanket amnesty to anyone currently in the US, but at the same time, we need to be able to distinguish legitimate threats from the paranoia that the right espouses. We can improve our screening process without getting tougher.
Well obviously we need to reinstate Glass-Steagall. I have lobbied endlessly for it to be reinstated as a Senator, and even in my time as a Governor. I plan to introduce a Glass-Steagall for the 21st Century along the lines of what was proposed in the past by Senator Sanders.
As for the immediate tackling, we need to start by creating universal college tuition; make public college and high school free of charge to all. A degree is the new High School Diploma, and we must make sure that people have them.
We must also look to increase the minimum wage to a minimum of $15 an hour. $7.25 is inept as a minimum wage; there are people working two or three jobs who are still not making enough to take care of their families. What makes matters even worse is that employees are expected to be tipped well. As such, there are some places who pay there employees $2.13 an hour and require tips to make up the difference
That is damn disgraceful, and needs to change.
It's a step in the right direction, and I supported it. However, over time, I have seen it for what it is: a toothless bill that caves to the right wing of the Republican Party and the pharmaceutical interests in this country. What pains me most is that this was a right wing idea; it was proposed by Richard Nixon, the Heritage Foundation, and has been supported by New Gingrich and Chuck Grassley.
The only logical solution in the introduction of single-payer, universal healthcare. We're the only Western nation that doesn't guarantee healthcare to all its citizens. Why are we behind in this area? Republicans want people to think that Medicare and Medicaid are going bankrupt. They're not. They're solvent and will remain so for years to come.
As you know, I'm a proponent of marijuana legalization; but not drugs like heroin. I cannot begin to imagine what the families of these people are going through each day of their lives.
However, the current policy of harsh punishment towards users, especially non-violent users, is especially egregious. how can we claim to be the land of the free when we imprison people for not harming anyone? Our policy needs to shift from punishment to rehabilitation so addicts can recover.
But simple recover is not enough. We must train them to take up jobs in the world. My infrastructure plan will create millions of jobs; those who are former addicts will find work readily available
Not at all. I was an outside shot to win my State Assembly race in '87, and again was an outside shot to win my State Senate seat in '91. I defeated what you might call an establishment candidate to become Governor in 2002, and again in 2012.
My point is, as a Governor and Senator, I know how the legislative branch and executive branch co-exist. The point is, I have been heavily experienced within the executive branch. I was a Governor of eight years, and Lieutenant-Governor for the preceding eight years. I know how to wield executive power, and I have experience in the legislative branch; both state and federal.
I have also worked hard on what might be considered anti-establishment causes. I created universal healthcare in my state. I completed a major infrastructure build. I fought off a major attempt by wealthy corporations to overrule me. Granted, that nearly led to a recall election, but the point is, it didn't. I have taken on corporations and won. The Koch brothers tried financing a major Republican against me, but I defeated him too. I have defeated corporations and their candidates en every election since 2002, and I will do so again, if given the chance.
Closing statement:
Men and women of this great nation, America needs a progressive to bring our country back. I have served faithfully for many years, and would be happy to do so once more. However, as i said at the start, every single candidate on this stage is capable of taking on Wall Street and winning. I would hope the candidate you choose is me, but naturally, you have your own opinions on everything said tonight.
Regardless of your personal leanings, when the time comes to vote, get out and vote. The political revolution can't move ahead without you. And never forget: Always vote your conscience.
