Dawn, Howard Dean is the former governor of Vermont (my home state) who is running for the Democratic nomination for President. His website is: http://www.deanforamerica.com/ and there are several Live Journal communities about him.
His stance on major issues: Universal Health Care: Full coverage for children. Add a pharmaceutical package to Medicare. To cover everyone else, use the present employer-based system with refundable tax credits and federal subsidies to cover low- and moderate-income Americans who lack insurance. (In Vermont every child is insured and people like my parents, self-employed living below poverty line, pay a monthly fee for affordable health care, the only way they can treat my father's skin cancer) Fiscal Responsibility: "As Governor, I was able to cut the income tax twice, remove sales tax on most clothing, reduce the state's long-term debt and still maintain a balanced budget - all the while providing health insurance for everyone under 18, and increasing school funding." Equal Rights for All Americans: Dean took the biggest gamble of his political career by supporting Vermont's Civil Unions. He is so eloquent in his defense of this supreme court decision that insures the basic civil rights of all vermonters. Educational Excellence: Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act is second largest unfunded mandate (after special education) in the history of federal education legislation. I am personally opposed to unfunded mandates like these. It takes power away from local communities and forces the costs onto communities that can least afford it. Vermont has created its own plan for education reform that takes that state's needs into consideration. Environmental Protection: Dean supports the Kyoto Treaty, enforcement and strengthening of clean air and water legislation, reduce sprawl, but always keep the economic development of needy communities in mind. Reproductive Rights: Not only is Dean Pro-Choice, he is a doctor, and believes that the ban on so-called "partial birth" abortions will cause harm to too many women. Gun Control: Dean is the only Democrat to recieve a "A" from the NRA. He believes in certain national gun control laws (ban on assault weapons, the Brady Bill, closing gun show loophole) but essentially believes that gun control is a local issue. A state like Vermont has very different gun control needs than, say, California. National Securtiy and Homeland Security: You should see his website for more, because he has very specific plans, but to sum up what I have heard in speeches: We need to have a global plan with international cooperation to work towards public health, human rights, and anti-terrorism, modelled on the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after WWII. We need to reorganize the FBI, increase funding for the CIA, decrease our dependence not only on foreign oil, but oil in general because it leads to environmental degradation and political compromises. Essentially, we need to fight terrorism effectively, while helping the world to stem the economic and social problems that lead to that type of violence.
Hope that helps! I can honestly say that Howard Dean is the only candidate that I have ever supported wholeheartedly and without any reservation.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2003-03-19 08:30 am (UTC)Howard Dean is the former governor of Vermont (my home state) who is running for the Democratic nomination for President.
His website is: http://www.deanforamerica.com/ and there are several Live Journal communities about him.
His stance on major issues:
Universal Health Care: Full coverage for children. Add a pharmaceutical package to Medicare. To cover everyone else, use the present employer-based system with refundable tax credits and federal subsidies to cover low- and moderate-income Americans who lack insurance. (In Vermont every child is insured and people like my parents, self-employed living below poverty line, pay a monthly fee for affordable health care, the only way they can treat my father's skin cancer)
Fiscal Responsibility: "As Governor, I was able to cut the income tax twice, remove sales tax on most clothing, reduce the state's long-term debt and still maintain a balanced budget - all the while providing health insurance for everyone under 18, and increasing school funding."
Equal Rights for All Americans: Dean took the biggest gamble of his political career by supporting Vermont's Civil Unions. He is so eloquent in his defense of this supreme court decision that insures the basic civil rights of all vermonters.
Educational Excellence: Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act is second largest unfunded mandate (after special education) in the history of federal education legislation. I am personally opposed to unfunded mandates like these. It takes power away from local communities and forces the costs onto communities that can least afford it. Vermont has created its own plan for education reform that takes that state's needs into consideration.
Environmental Protection: Dean supports the Kyoto Treaty, enforcement and strengthening of clean air and water legislation, reduce sprawl, but always keep the economic development of needy communities in mind.
Reproductive Rights: Not only is Dean Pro-Choice, he is a doctor, and believes that the ban on so-called "partial birth" abortions will cause harm to too many women.
Gun Control: Dean is the only Democrat to recieve a "A" from the NRA. He believes in certain national gun control laws (ban on assault weapons, the Brady Bill, closing gun show loophole) but essentially believes that gun control is a local issue. A state like Vermont has very different gun control needs than, say, California.
National Securtiy and Homeland Security: You should see his website for more, because he has very specific plans, but to sum up what I have heard in speeches: We need to have a global plan with international cooperation to work towards public health, human rights, and anti-terrorism, modelled on the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after WWII. We need to reorganize the FBI, increase funding for the CIA, decrease our dependence not only on foreign oil, but oil in general because it leads to environmental degradation and political compromises. Essentially, we need to fight terrorism effectively, while helping the world to stem the economic and social problems that lead to that type of violence.
Hope that helps! I can honestly say that Howard Dean is the only candidate that I have ever supported wholeheartedly and without any reservation.