Bernie Sanders on reform....

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

i think this op-ed really expresses the value of caring for and about others....

from mother jones: http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2007/01/sanders_oped.html

the president still believes that the economy is booming as a result of his tax breaks. but the president fails to note that since he has been in office, 5.4 million middle class americans have slipped into poverty, 6.8 million americans have lost their health insurance, median income for working-age families has declined for five consecutive years, and 3 million manufacturing workers have lost their jobs. at the same time, the costs of education, prescription drugs, energy, and housing have risen dramatically.

meanwhile, the wealthy have never had it so good. the richest 13,000 households earn nearly as much income as the bottom 20 million and the top one percent own more wealth than the bottom 90 percent.

in terms of our federal budget priorities there is one key question which must be asked. which side are we on: the rich and the powerful or the middle class and working families?

...

if, as a nation, we are serious about addressing the long neglected needs of the working people of this country and creating a more egalitarian society, we have got to invest in education, health care, housing, infrastructure, environmental protection and sustainable energy as well as many other areas. we also have to reduce our national debt. given that reality, congress must develop the courage to stand up to the big money interests and roll-back the tax breaks for the wealthiest one percent, eliminate corporate welfare and demand that the wealthy and powerful rejoin american society.

[Simplepleasures]

For all you history buffs, if one takes a look at societies that have gone this route, one in which the gap betweeen the rich and the poor continued to widen, those societies have fallen, and fallen bigtime.Look at Rome, how about Czar Nicholas of Russia, the communists took over as a result of this huge gap in wealth. I dont propose to say that communism was the answer to this problem , it was an experiment that failed and rightly so.BUT are we as a modern, intelligent, sophisticated , free society not capable of righting the wrongs in our own society? I have FAITH in this country of ours, I know that IF we as a free society can get behind the folks who have the intelligence and power to change what is wrong, it CAN be done. I am amazed at the posters that continue to say they dont trust government to do the right thing, WE ARE the GOVERNMENT, as far as I can see, we havent lost our fundamental rights under the constitution. OUR VOTE will determine the route in which our government will go.Its up to us to inform ourselves , not to be afraid of change. We need to open our eyes and realize that the free market system has not worked and its up to get those folks that have a better plan in the seat of power.The last 6 years has been tough on this country, it is time for a HUGE change.

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

I would actually extend the period of decline back to 1980 with Reagan's election. His policies set our country on the path to ruin with obscene increases in the public debt as well as outright war on the rights of workers to collectively bargain to improve their lot in life.

[Keysnurse2008]

hm2viking....i can understand completly with the thought processs here. it is frustrating when you see what "lack" of healthcare looks like.it looks like the face of a brittle diabetic who will postphone purchasing the needed supplies to test for the month so that he/she can have food...or pay the basic utilities like electricity....these are the ones who end up in dka ..or worse and spend days in a icu trying to "recover". the have to wait until they are so very sick to even attempt to get tx. so yeah...it is frustrating esp when you can put a face to the "uninsured" population out there.