Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders formally endorses Vice President Kamala Harris for president at Portland rally

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72. Can't argue with you there, and I have in the past contacted his office and Leahy's and other

Last edited Mon Jul 29, 2024, 10:06 AM - Edit history (1)

Federal, state and local officials on the issue. But unless and until there is a collective reorganization of the economy towards investment in renewable energy, infrastructure, and other non-defense industries, the lobbyists and funding-circles will hold sway, and the MID we were warned about by President Eisenhower will continue to dominate all phases of our economy.

Places like Burlington -- and unfortunately politicians who represent these places, like Bernie -- are pretty much in thrall to weapons systems like the F-35 because defense dollars are one source of Federal funding that never seems to to dry out.

A Democratic Party with a forward looking plan should be leading that economic reorganization effort, hopefully in concert with non-Party Progressives. President Biden's spending initiatives on chip manufacture, renewable energy generation, electric vehicle production, and small business start-ups, must be continued and expanded in the decades ahead.


That the reorganization of the economy towards a non-militarized model, would tremendously help the working class, is clearly obvious.

And that leads me to one final way the Democratic Party could work towards the betterment of working class life. The Party must unify behind meaningful campaign finance reform.

Not just nationally, but at the state and local level as well, Democrats are often as reluctant as Republicans to enact laws that would lessen the impacts of the pressure that lobbyists can put on elected officials. Even efforts to make the lobbyists' work and that of the donors who work hand in hand with lobbyists more transparent, face opposition from both parties, and as a result much positive government action that could benefit society in general often fails to proceed. The status quo, like unending defense spending, continues space.

Again, a forwarding looking Democratic Party, the kind I hope we will be sweeping into power this November, should lead these efforts.