Are you a Snowguy liberal?

[Ban my account ffs!]

Abortion:
Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.  Comprehensive sex education that promotes other forms of contraception that does in include abstinence as one of many choices, combined with alternatives to abortion like adoption or support if you decide to keep the baby, will reduce the number of abortions.  It should be legal with no questions asked in the first and second trimesters, with it being only in the case of health of the mother, rape, or incest in the 3rd trimester.  No partial birth abortion.

Balanced Budget:
We need to have a balanced budget.  All spending should have a revenue stream derived mostly from progressive forms of taxation.  All loopholes and credits should be done away with.  The first $20,000 of income is tax free for individuals, the first 30,000 for families.  After that, an increasing percentage is taken out.

Business Tax:
Taxes should be lowered on small businesses and raised moderately for large businesses and corporations.

Campaign Finance Reform:
Contributions should be done by individuals only.  Groups can form to promote candidates, but can only be funded by individual contributions.  No union or business contributions.

Education:
Minimal federal involvement in schools, except to provide equalization funding, handle curriculum that applies to all Americans, and special ed.

Environment:
Sustainability should be our number one priority.  Conservation, preservation, and protection should be important.  Large fines need to be instituted for businesses that pollute.  We need to work to protect ecosystems and manage our forests/grasslands in a natural and sustainable way (no fire suppression on public lands except around structures).

Free Trade:
We should engage in free trade with nations that do not engage in activities that are illegal in the United States.  Trade should be heavily regulated and taxed for nations that do not meet these standards.  We cannot continue to let our standard of living slide because businesses are exporting their labor to nations that engage in child labor, poverty wages, and horrid working conditions.

Gun Control:
Your right to own guns as a law abiding citizen should not be infringed upon.  We do need background checks and waiting periods.  You should also be licensed and hold a permit to carry a gun in public places and that gun should never be visible.

Health Care:
As an intermediate step, the government should cover all children/young adults under 25, all seniors over 65, and the poor/disabled.  This way only healthy adults that can afford private insurance are buying it, ensuring that prices will drop for them.  In the long term, the system should be public with an emphasis on preventative care.

Immigration:
Enforce illegal immigration while significantly relaxing legal immigration laws.  No quotas.  All people should be allowed in that want to come in with a relatively easy process of doing so.  Once they are here, they should have access to a path towards citizenship. 

Military Funding:
Decrease funding of the defense department while increasing the benefits and salaries of our service men and women.

Military Doctrine:
Our focus should be on humanitarian relief to foreign countries with intervention only when there is a direct threat to the U.S.

Personal Tax:
Already covered above.

Social Security:
Eliminate the cap on payroll taxes, increase the benefit for the poor, reduce it for the rich.

Nation-Building:
We should not take part in this in any way, shape, or form without international support.

Civil Rights:
Civil rights are tantamount to a free society.  Your rights are equal and should be protected by the federal government.  You should be free to do as you please as long as it doesn't harm somebody else.

Crime:
Eliminate prison sentences for non-violent offenders.  Greatly increase funding for treatment, work, and community service programs.  Non-violent offenders should pay their debt to society by contributing to society so that they feel like they're actually paying for their punishment without rotting in a cell.

De-criminalize marijuana and other "softer" drugs and regulate them while focusing on reduction of hard drugs like meth and crack.

No death penalty.

[Flying Dog]

ewww sick, no!

[War on Want]

Yeah if I had to pick the person I am most similar with on Atlas, it would be you or JSojourner.

[Albus Dumbledore]

Abortion: Why not?

Balanced Budget: YES

Business Tax: Yes

Campaign Finance Reform: Doesn't go far enough

Education: Not sure

Environment: Ok. Why not?

Free Trade: Yes.

Gun Control: NO! BAD! BAD SNOWGUY NO BISCUIT!

Health Care: No. PUBLIC healthcare? That'd be what'd trigger me moving to mexico or argentina..

Immigration: Yes and no. Yes to closing down illegal immigration but no to allowing mass immigration.

Military Funding: Yes.

Military Doctrine: No.

Personal Tax:
Already covered above.

Social Security: No.

Nation-Building: Doesn't go far enough. No nation-building

Civil Rights: Yes.

Crime: No to all besides legalizing soft drugs

[Tender Branson]

Yes, I´m a Snowguy liberal. I agree with this stuff about 95-100%.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I disagree with most of the ideas, but I like that the problems seem to have real solution ideas instead of the bandage of throw more money at it

[Torie]

Basically no. Some of it is kind of an internal mess.

[dead0man]

I pray to God for the day when all Democrats think the way you and NDN do.  I don't agree with all of it, but nearly everything is swallowable.....swallowable?

[Albus Dumbledore]

Wait... who are you agreeing with besides NDN? Me or Snowguy?

[Ban my account ffs!]

I pray to God for the day when all Democrats think the way you and NDN do.  I don't agree with all of it, but nearly everything is swallowable.....swallowable?

I really don't think I think all that differently compared to my DFLer brethren here... environmentally conscious, show restraint where prudent, keep the focus on core issues (education, environment, health care, infrastructure)... and don't waver on that. 

[NDN]

Abortion:
Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.  Comprehensive sex education that promotes other forms of contraception that does in include abstinence as one of many choices, combined with alternatives to abortion like adoption or support if you decide to keep the baby, will reduce the number of abortions.  It should be legal with no questions asked in the first and second trimesters, with it being only in the case of health of the mother, rape, or incest in the 3rd trimester.  No partial birth abortion.

I more or less agree with this.

Balanced Budget:
We need to have a balanced budget.  All spending should have a revenue stream derived mostly from progressive forms of taxation.  All loopholes and credits should be done away with.  The first $20,000 of income is tax free for individuals, the first 30,000 for families.  After that, an increasing percentage is taken out.

Good ideas.

Business Tax:
Taxes should be lowered on small businesses and raised moderately for large businesses and corporations.

Yes to the first, no to the second. Just streamline corporate taxes and cut by 3-5% overall.

Campaign Finance Reform:
Contributions should be done by individuals only.  Groups can form to promote candidates, but can only be funded by individual contributions.  No union or business contributions.

I don't see how this is going to meaningfully change anything. The heads of those groups (particularly companies) will just offer donations themselves. Unless you're going to heavily publicize the names of donors.

Education:
Minimal federal involvement in schools, except to provide equalization funding, handle curriculum that applies to all Americans, and special ed.

Reasonable.

Environment:
Sustainability should be our number one priority.  Conservation, preservation, and protection should be important.  Large fines need to be instituted for businesses that pollute.  We need to work to protect ecosystems and manage our forests/grasslands in a natural and sustainable way (no fire suppression on public lands except around structures).

Agree in theory.

Free Trade:
We should engage in free trade with nations that do not engage in activities that are illegal in the United States.  Trade should be heavily regulated and taxed for nations that do not meet these standards.  We cannot continue to let our standard of living slide because businesses are exporting their labor to nations that engage in child labor, poverty wages, and horrid working conditions.

Disagree, this will effectively block trade with most countries. It makes more sense to implement trade with countries with some minor regulations then gradually promote higher standards and/or set goals for their economic development over time.

Gun Control:
Your right to own guns as a law abiding citizen should not be infringed upon.  We do need background checks and waiting periods.  You should also be licensed and hold a permit to carry a gun in public places and that gun should never be visible.

I do not agree with federal gun control but I could accept individual states implementing these measures.

Health Care:
As an intermediate step, the government should cover all children/young adults under 25, all seniors over 65, and the poor/disabled.  This way only healthy adults that can afford private insurance are buying it, ensuring that prices will drop for them.  In the long term, the system should be public with an emphasis on preventative care.

I differ from you here in that while I agree with universal healthcare, I favor a plan that covers people after a set amount of time if they do not choose to get private healthcare.

Immigration:
Enforce illegal immigration while significantly relaxing legal immigration laws.  No quotas.  All people should be allowed in that want to come in with a relatively easy process of doing so.  Once they are here, they should have access to a path towards citizenship. 

No, the massive increase in population (including unskilled laborers) would quickly overwhelm our country. I would agree with speeding up/streamlining the process for qualified immigrants however. I'm starting to think that a pathway to citizenship may be a bad idea too.

Military Funding:
Decrease funding of the defense department while increasing the benefits and salaries of our service men and women.

Yes.

Military Doctrine:
Our focus should be on humanitarian relief to foreign countries with intervention only when there is a direct threat to the U.S.

I'm skeptical about humanitarian relief. It frequently does not wind up where it belongs. I would not object to more aid for economic development however. On the whole I agree with you.

Social Security:
Eliminate the cap on payroll taxes, increase the benefit for the poor, reduce it for the rich.

I could accept this. Certainly better than the status quo or the crackpot 'privatization' plans the GOP keeps offering up.

Nation-Building:
We should not take part in this in any way, shape, or form without international support.

Absolutely agree, and even with international support I am extremely leery of it.

Civil Rights:
Civil rights are tantamount to a free society.  Your rights are equal and should be protected by the federal government.  You should be free to do as you please as long as it doesn't harm somebody else.

Agree.

Crime:
Eliminate prison sentences for non-violent offenders.  Greatly increase funding for treatment, work, and community service programs.  Non-violent offenders should pay their debt to society by contributing to society so that they feel like they're actually paying for their punishment without rotting in a cell.

I disagree with this for certain crimes such as theft.

De-criminalize marijuana and other "softer" drugs and regulate them while focusing on reduction of hard drugs like meth and crack.

I agree with this as a first step. I would end the federal war on drugs.

No death penalty.

Agree.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I also support a program like the CCC that would revamp our public parks/forests for our enjoyment while also improving infrastructure.

The jobs would be available to anyone.  The pay would be low (minimum wage or a bit higher), but the government would provide room and board and give you free access to the national parks for a number of years afterward or something.

There are a lot of young people that want to do something for society, but don't have the time or energy because they're working just trying to live.

[Albus Dumbledore]

Snowguy is one of the few sane leftists on atlas and for that we should respect him.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Bump

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Abortion:
Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.  Comprehensive sex education that promotes other forms of contraception that does in include abstinence as one of many choices, combined with alternatives to abortion like adoption or support if you decide to keep the baby, will reduce the number of abortions.  It should be legal with no questions asked in the first and second trimesters, with it being only in the case of health of the mother, rape, or incest in the 3rd trimester.  No partial birth abortion.

Balanced Budget:
We need to have a balanced budget.  All spending should have a revenue stream derived mostly from progressive forms of taxation.  All loopholes and credits should be done away with.  The first $20,000 of income is tax free for individuals, the first 30,000 for families.  After that, an increasing percentage is taken out.

Business Tax:
Taxes should be lowered on small businesses and raised moderately for large businesses and corporations.

Campaign Finance Reform:
Contributions should be done by individuals only.  Groups can form to promote candidates, but can only be funded by individual contributions.  No union or business contributions.  I could be okay with that.  I don't really know.

Education:
Minimal federal involvement in schools, except to provide equalization funding, handle curriculum that applies to all Americans, and special ed.

Environment:
Sustainability should be our number one priority.  Conservation, preservation, and protection should be important.  Large fines need to be instituted for businesses that pollute.  We need to work to protect ecosystems and manage our forests/grasslands in a natural and sustainable way (no fire suppression on public lands except around structures).

Free Trade:
We should engage in free trade with nations that do not engage in activities that are illegal in the United States.  Trade should be heavily regulated and taxed for nations that do not meet these standards.  We cannot continue to let our standard of living slide because businesses are exporting their labor to nations that engage in child labor, poverty wages, and horrid working conditions.

Gun Control:
Your right to own guns as a law abiding citizen should not be infringed upon.  We do need background checks and waiting periods.  You should also be licensed and hold a permit to carry a gun in public places and that gun should never be visible.

Health Care:
As an intermediate step, the government should cover all children/young adults under 25, all seniors over 65, and the poor/disabled.  This way only healthy adults that can afford private insurance are buying it, ensuring that prices will drop for them.  In the long term, the system should be public with an emphasis on preventative care.

Immigration:
Enforce illegal immigration while significantly relaxing legal immigration laws.  No quotas.  All people should be allowed in that want to come in with a relatively easy process of doing so.  Once they are here, they should have access to a path towards citizenship.  More or less agree.

Military Funding:
Decrease funding of the defense department while increasing the benefits and salaries of our service men and women.

Military Doctrine:
Our focus should be on humanitarian relief to foreign countries with intervention only when there is a direct threat to the U.S.

Personal Tax:
Already covered above.

Social Security:
Eliminate the cap on payroll taxes, increase the benefit for the poor, reduce it for the rich.

Nation-Building:
We should not take part in this in any way, shape, or form without international support.

Civil Rights:
Civil rights are tantamount to a free society.  Your rights are equal and should be protected by the federal government.  You should be free to do as you please as long as it doesn't harm somebody else.

Crime:
Eliminate prison sentences for non-violent offenders.  Greatly increase funding for treatment, work, and community service programs.  Non-violent offenders should pay their debt to society by contributing to society so that they feel like they're actually paying for their punishment without rotting in a cell.

De-criminalize marijuana and other "softer" drugs and regulate them while focusing on reduction of hard drugs like meth and crack.

No death penalty.

[MaxQue]

Yes, I´m a Snowguy liberal. I agree with this stuff about 95-100%.

[RI]

I agree on almost everything, though perhaps making abortion regulations a bit tighter, and relax a bit on the gun control. Other than that, it is all pretty good. I assume you support gay marriage too?

[Ban my account ffs!]

I support marriage rights for gays.  Churches should be free to marry who they wish but from a government standpoint, there should be no discrimination.

[RI]

Excellent

[WillK]

95% yes.  The difference is in some of the phrasing (edited to show specifics).


Things I would change:

Budget -- I’d make the family tax-free amount larger.  Under your stated system, a two income couple making more than 30K would do better to file as individuals. 

Education -- Id go further to say no federal involvement in schools, bolish the US Department of Education. 

Immigration - I wouldn’t make it quite as easy to come in.

Military Funding -- I think the word ‘a lot’ was missing after ‘Decrease funding’.

Military Doctrine-- I’d add that we should limit our military imperialism by reducing our bases around the world.
     

[Јas]

Abortion:
Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.  Comprehensive sex education that promotes other forms of contraception that does in include abstinence as one of many choices, combined with alternatives to abortion like adoption or support if you decide to keep the baby, will reduce the number of abortions.  It should be legal with no questions asked in the first and second trimesters, with it being only in the case of health of the mother, rape, or incest in the 3rd trimester.  No partial birth abortion.

Largely agree. However at the stage where the fetus can be deemed viable independent of the mother, I'd consider that it has a right to life which should be protected. Abortion should onyl be allowed in such circumstances where there is a significant risk to the well-being of the mother.

Balanced Budget:
We need to have a balanced budget.  All spending should have a revenue stream derived mostly from progressive forms of taxation.  All loopholes and credits should be done away with.  The first $20,000 of income is tax free for individuals, the first 30,000 for families.  After that, an increasing percentage is taken out.

Business Tax:
Taxes should be lowered on small businesses and raised moderately for large businesses and corporations.

I don't know enough about the American tax code to answer.

Campaign Finance Reform:
Contributions should be done by individuals only. Groups can form to promote candidates, but can only be funded by individual contributions. No union or business contributions.

Environment:
Sustainability should be our number one priority.  Conservation, preservation, and protection should be important.  Large fines need to be instituted for businesses that pollute.  We need to work to protect ecosystems and manage our forests/grasslands in a natural and sustainable way (no fire suppression on public lands except around structures).

Free Trade:
We should engage in free trade with nations that do not engage in activities that are illegal in the United States. Trade should be heavily regulated and taxed for nations that do not meet these standards. We cannot continue to let our standard of living slide because businesses are exporting their labor to nations that engage in child labor, poverty wages, and horrid working conditions.

Tend to agree.

Gun Control:
Your right to own guns as a law abiding citizen should not be infringed upon.  We do need background checks and waiting periods. You should also be licensed and hold a permit to carry a gun in public places and that gun should never be visible.

My answer for this differs between America and Ireland. In America, guns are already so widespread and the belief in the right to bear arms so fervent that any effort at meaningful gun control is almost doomed from the get-go. I would therefore support strong efforts at ensuring that all guns are licensed, that there are appropriate background checks and waiting periods, and that penalties for possession and use of unlicensed firearms should be very substantial. For Ireland, I support limiting the spread of firearms as much as possible. Any and all firearms should be licensed; an examination of the feasibility of licensing of ammunition might also be considered. Again there should be strong penalities for unlicensed possession or use.

Health Care:
As an intermediate step, the government should cover all children/young adults under 25, all seniors over 65, and the poor/disabled.  This way only healthy adults that can afford private insurance are buying it, ensuring that prices will drop for them.  In the long term, the system should be public with an emphasis on preventative care.

Though, I'd hope that movement could be made towards a fully public system quicker than in the long-term.

Immigration:
Enforce illegal immigration while significantly relaxing legal immigration laws.  No quotas.  All people should be allowed in that want to come in with a relatively easy process of doing so.  Once they are here, they should have access to a path towards citizenship.  

Tend to agree.

Military Doctrine:
Our focus should be on humanitarian relief to foreign countries with intervention only when there is a direct threat to the U.S.

I'd support broader interventionalist terms, such as threat to friendly nations and for humanitarian reasons.

Social Security:
Eliminate the cap on payroll taxes, increase the benefit for the poor, reduce it for the rich.

Nation-Building:
We should not take part in this in any way, shape, or form without international support.

Civil Rights:
Civil rights are tantamount to a free society.  Your rights are equal and should be protected by the federal government.  You should be free to do as you please as long as it doesn't harm somebody else.

Crime:
Eliminate prison sentences for non-violent offenders. Greatly increase funding for treatment, work, and community service programs. Non-violent offenders should pay their debt to society by contributing to society so that they feel like they're actually paying for their punishment without rotting in a cell.

Tend to agree. I wouldn't go so far as to eliminate prison sentences for non-violent offenders- I think the option should remain for exceptional circumstances and in cases where other penalties would not work or be appropriate.

De-criminalize marijuana and other "softer" drugs and regulate them while focusing on reduction of hard drugs like meth and crack.

No death penalty.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I seem so agreeable when I write it all down... ehh.. I think a lot of it is common sense and pragmatism, but I remain a proud liberal.

[JSojourner]

Abortion:
Mostly, though I have no problem with partial birth abortion since it is almost always performed in cases of anencephaly and is usually the safest procedure available in such cases.

Balanced Budget:
Not at present, given our economic situation.  When, or if, things return to some semblance of "normal" or "healthy", then I am very open to and supportive of this idea.

Business Tax:
Yes.

Campaign Finance Reform:
I am sorry to say I have not given this issue the thought it deserves.  I cannot say.

Education:
No.  I want a larger federal and state role in public education.

Environment:
In part, though I put one priority before sustainability -- public health & safety. But yes -- your position is excellent and much-needed

Free Trade:
Another issue I need to think more about.  As far as I am concerned at present, there is no excuse for the existing inequalities in trade that prevent or hinder the sale of U.S. goods abroad while freely allowing other nations to peddle their wares unhindered, here.  That said, I would be reluctant to make much more of a statement without hearing all sides.

Gun Control:
Close.  I support closing the gunshow loophole, mandatory waiting periods and extensive background checks.  I would support bans on modern weapons that exist solely for the purpose of killing and not for sport or target shooting.  Rifles, handguns and shotguns are fine by me, however as long as the appropriate public safety protocols are observed.  Conceal and carry is fine with me, provided the carrier is properly vetted for need.

Health Care:
Yes, basically.

Immigration:
I like your idea in principle.  But I would be amenable to a temporary moratorium on all new immigration, aside from political asylum seekers, while we get out house in order on this issue.  

Military Funding:
No.  I support an increase in military spending for the war on terror and am extremely hawkish on that point.  Naturally, your call for increased salary and benefits to "the troops" is near and dear to my heart and I would consider that a part of my vision.  I am actually the most pacifistic and gentle of thinkers on issues of war and militarism, willing to explore almost any option aimed at reducing international violence and especially aimed at eliminating nuclear arsenals and other horrific weapon stockpiles.  But...once America comes under attack, it's on.  And in my opinion, the only way to win a war is with a massive response from the air, on the sea and with boots on the ground.  I am, of course, thinking of Afghanistan and Al Qaeda...not Iraq.

Military Doctrine:
Again, we're close.  Along with humanitarian aid, I believe we should passionately pursue the complete elimination of nuclear stockpiles around the world.  War, which should only be undertaken when we ( or a close ally ) are attacked should be decisive and devastating to our foe.  So what about genocide, people ask?  I believe sensible military action, coupled with diplomatic, economic and humanitarian responses, can and should be undertaken.  HOWEVER, my belief remains firm that the United States is not the world's rich uncle anymore.  I prefer regional responses.  If Bosnia were to flare up again, then I would expect Europe and Russia to take the lead in figuring it out.  Haiti?  Well, that's our backyard...so it's our problem.  The thornier question comes when we're talking about places where there really is no superpower close by.  Congo, Somalia, Sudan.  In that case, the nations of the world must work together in all ways -- militarily, economically, etc -- to prevent atrocities from spreading.  But I mean all nations...not a force made of 90% American and British troops with token commitments from everyone else.  And I would do my best to encourage the great "neutrals" to play a more active role, too.  Even militarily.  There's a reason most historic neutrals are so prosperous today.  Because someone else has done their fighting for them.

Social Security:
Yes.  But I might even eliminate, rather than reduce it, for the wealthiest citizens.

Nation-Building:
No.  But see my point above about war.  The same would be true of nation building.  This is something we can't afford to do or even take the lead in anymore.  Have the damn Saudi's paid off the debt they owe us after the first Gulf War yet?

Civil Rights:
Yes.  I support certain reforms to Affirmative Action programs, however.  Though like Bill Clinton, I prefer the "mended, not ended" approach.

Crime:
We're fairly close.  No death penalty.  I would legalize and heavily tax marijuana and prostitution...subjecting the latter to rigorous public health standards.  I would still keep other drugs criminal and would consider any crime against children, including the possession or production of child porn, to be a criminal offense warranting severe punishment. I would pursue a program of prison reform, taking a long look at recidivism and gang activity.  But prison reform would work both ways.  I might insist on better health care for inmates and more counseling and job training.  I might also insist on an end to some prison perks like televisions in cells, weight training in the yard or other entertainments.  Prison should be safe and not overly punative.  It should continue to be a place that potential offenders wish to avoid at all costs. I've personally interviewed more than a few criminals who insist doing jail time "isn't so bad".  Breaking rocks might not be such a bad thing.

Some non-violent offenders, while not imprisoned per se, would be expected to work off their sentence in various ways.  The could make license plates during the day and go home, with the ankle bracelet, at night.

 

[memphis]

Generally yes. I'm a bit more free trade oriented than you are, mainly because I think it is unrealistic to expect our labors to be enforced in third world nations.

[Matt Damon™]

Snowguy is one of the good ones.