Project 2029
by John Lawrence
Democrats should start now preparing their agenda for when they take over the reins of government in 2029. Moreover, they should keep up the campaigning and rallies just as Bernie and AOC are now doing. In other words take a page out of Trump's and the Republican's book. Bernie's and AOC's policy statements should become the mainstream of the Democratic Party. People have said they are too extreme. Really? And Trump is not too extreme? The Republican agenda is not too extreme? Democrats need to proceed with their agenda ala Biden's Build Back Better plan plus more. And it should all be funded by taxing the rich. A couple of points from the BBB plan:
- More than one million new affordable housing units, and modernizing existing public housing
- Expanded home care for elderly and disabled individuals through Medicaid
Democrats need to get on seriously with getting young people into houses that they own. That's how people build wealth. Otherwise, the US becomes a nation of renters paying rent to the wealthy. If the US is ever to become a democracy again, it needs to rebuild the middle class and rebalance the distribution of wealth. Biden also had a plan to increase social security for the elderly so that they have enough money from social security to actually live on. Another cornerstone in Biden's plan is to extend Social Security's solvency by "asking the highest-income Americans to pay their fair share." He has proposed making all income above $400,000 subject to the payroll tax that helps fund Social Security. That should just be the least of what Democrats should ask for in Project 2029: "raise the cap on social security."
When we're talking affordable housing, we're not talking affordable rent. We're talking affordable ownership. That's the only way wealth has been created in the past for the middle class.
So Project 2029:
1) Free universal child care
2) Expanded social security for the elderly
3) Free universal home care for the elderly
3) Universal Medicare for all
4) Taxing the rich
5) Affordable ownership of housing
Democrats need to boldly proclaim their agenda. Don't be shy. Bernie and AOC are drawing huge crowds. Build on that. Don't go "middle of the road." And continue the rallies! Pound these ideas home the way Trump pounded his agenda for the four years between his Presidencies.
