Live blogging: What would you like to see Congress working on?

[kellywestlund]

Congress makes decisions that affect all of us, whichever state we're in. What's most important to you?

[DocwillCuNow]

1. Their letters of resignation. n/t

[kellywestlund]

7. Great idea!

Let's ask Sean Duffy to start that letter writing campaign.

[Glassunion]

2. Anything.

[DocwillCuNow]

3. Your name could have been glassreunion, but then that would be something entirely

different.... cool name.

[Glassunion]

14. Phonics

It's all in where you put the syllable emphasis.

Sort of like the website "expertsexchange.com"
Experts Exchange
or
Expert Sex Change

Glass Union
or
Glass Un Ion (a Beetles song)

[DocwillCuNow]

17. That wasn't "Beatles"?

[Glassunion]

21. Sorry. Doing this from my phone.

Track 3 from their self titled album.

[littlemissmartypants]

50. Ill eagles. nt

[kellywestlund]

4. I get those answers all the time. :)

Did I mention that I have a degree in Conflict Resolution? Skills we could maybe use in Congress?

So assuming we can get past the gridlock, what's near and dear to you?

[mopinko]

9. hopefully wont be so necessary after november.

but i tend to be toooo optimistic for my own good.

[DocwillCuNow]

15. Lowering healthcare costs by allowing naturally occurring substances to be used to treat

illness, such as transdermal magnesium therapy as explained by Dr. Sircus, IV ascorbic acid as explained by Dr. Levy, and others. Healthcare costs could be halved but no, we need the synthetic crap at 1000 dollars a pill that might be better treated by a few cents worth of a mineral here or a coenzyme there. Case in point:

http://www.amazon.com/Transdermal-Magnesium-Therapy-Modality-Maintenance/dp/1450283543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407457299&sr=8-1&keywords=magnesium+therapy

Magnesium chloride (magnesium oil) has always been and remains my favorite first line medicine that affects overall physiology. Dr. Raul Vergini from Italy says, “Magnesium chloride has a unique healing power on acute viral and bacterial diseases. It cured polio and diphtheria and that was the main subject of my magnesium book. A few grams of magnesium chloride every few hours will clear nearly most acute illnesses, which can be beaten in a few hours. I have seen a lot of flu cases healed in 24-48 hours with 3 grams of magnesium chloride taken every 6-8 hours.” My recommendation would be to follow Dr. Vergini’s suggestion and augmenting that with Transdermal Magnesium Therapy. The second edition of Transsdermal Magnesium Therapy is also available in hardcopy from Amazon.com.

[RKP5637]

32. Drugs & Medications - magnesium chloride oral

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-10702-magnesium+chloride+oral.aspx?drugid=10702&drugname=magnesium+chloride+oral

This medication is a mineral supplement used to prevent and treat low amounts of magnesium in the blood. Magnesium is very important for the normal functioning of cells, nerves, muscles, bones, and the heart. Usually, a well-balanced diet provides normal blood levels of magnesium. However, certain situations cause your body to lose magnesium faster than you can replace it from your diet. These situations include treatment with "water pills" (diuretics such as furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide), a poor diet, alcoholism, or other medical conditions (e.g., severe diarrhea/vomiting, stomach/intestinal absorption problems, poorly controlled diabetes).

How to use magnesium chloride oral. Take this product by mouth as directed. Follow all directions on the product package. If you are uncertain about any of the information, consult your doctor or pharmacist. It is best to take magnesium supplements with a meal to reduce stomach upset and diarrhea unless otherwise directed by the product instructions or your doctor.

Dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. Do not increase your dose or take it more often than directed on the product package or by your doctor. Too much magnesium in the blood can cause serious side effects.

Tell your doctor if symptoms of low magnesium blood levels (e.g., muscle cramps, tiredness, irritability, depression) persist or worsen. If you think you may have a serious medical problem, seek immediate medical attention.

[Iggo]

5. Everything.

[mopinko]

6. taking care of our natural resources is important to us all here.

tell us about your soil conservation effort up dere. and how you plan to keep the koch brothers in line.

[kellywestlund]

13. Conservation ethic

Not just the soil we're preserving - we're working to save a whole mountain range! And the Big Lake!

The Penokee Hills are at the headwaters of Lake Superior, upstream from the Bad River Ojibwe Reservation in northern Wisconsin, and some other pretty special places. Corporate polluters bought our state legislature, rolled back environmental protections, and now they're pushing for a mountaintop removal iron mine that puts our whole watershed at risk.

Sean Duffy is in favor of it, and I'm opposed. They're already pouring in money to local races, and I can bet it'll be in play here, too. I'm a Sierra Club endorsed candidate and the Koch bros are 2 of his top 5 funders. But their big money saturation is already backfiring in rural WI. We don't like big-money making decisions for us, and we're motivated to do something about it.

[mopinko]

20. extractive industries

just dont seem like a good mix in such a pristine area. but i do understand the geology of the thing. and we will still need steel for quite a while.
we have to find a balance between the economy and the environment.

pollution is so profitable. i would rather pay an extra $100-200 for a car and keep lake superior clean enough to drink from.
if we lose the great lakes, boy howdy are we screwn.

[mopinko]

33. do you have an idea what sea level rise would mean for your area?

was just commenting today about building green cities from the ground up to be clean and green for people who will be displaced by climate change. seems like we need to be looking at moving away from coastlines that will be going under.
and also making sure that the rebuilding we are dong in places like marshall illinois that was hit by tornados. take the opportunity to do it right.
(pretty sure there is money in this if the original investment is sound. people will need places to live.)

[sybylla]

62. The sea rise would have to get past Niagra for it to matter up here.

The lakes do have their own fluctuation, though. And there are big fights over communities taking drinking water from the big lakes.

[mopinko]

65. yeah, i am on lake michigan.

i knew i was not in line to have beach front property. but it most certainly will still impact the region. wont it?
we fight about who gets our water down here, too. too bad we dont fight as hard to keep it clean and drinkable.

[mopinko]

8. knr, peeps.

this is a short opportunity here.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

10. Infrastructure

Ours in this country is in serious need of repair and it would stimulate the economy. It used to be something both parties would agree on. Not today's teabagging Republicans however.

[kellywestlund]

22. Misread that the first time.

AGREED. We have serious needs when it comes to our infrastructure, and we have people out of work. Seems like this is a problem we can solve.

[csziggy]

11. Infrastructure

That would mean jobs, economic stimulus, and a better framework for this country.

[kellywestlund]

39. YES.

And I think we ought to tax millionaires and billionaires at the same rates as the rest of us to pay for those investments -- in our infrastructure, education, and health care system.

Some things are just basic when it comes to keeping people out of poverty and providing opportunity for growth.

[femmocrat]

43. Agree.

My first choice as well for its stimulative effect on the overall economy.

[JaneyVee]

12. Infrastructure, economy, climate change prep,

Wages, peace, income inequality, immigration reform.

[kellywestlund]

25. Is that all?

Seems like we could address a lot of these things at once if we use a little common sense and creativity. I'm all about that positive vision for the future!

[JaneyVee]

27. Much more, but this congress

Can't even agree on which coffee in the break room.

[kellywestlund]

30. But they DID bring back styrofoam.

Sadly, agreement was on the wrong choice..

But we'll never change the conversation unless we change the people sitting at the table. Which means we have to show up, every time.

[Takket]

16. besides a tan?

the first thing on my list is a constitutional amendment removing personhood from corporations. wipe the citizens united and hobby lobby rulings off the books. our democracy is completely undermined and non-functional in its current state. only then can we actually being addressing the other issues of the nation.

[mopinko]

23. true.

[kellywestlund]

28. YES.

A thousand times, YES.

[Sparhawk60]

58. Winner Winner

We have to get ride of corporate personhood. Corporations do not commit crimes, people do. And the CEO/Senior exes who commit the crimes need to face prison time...as well as forfeiting ALL their profit from their crimes. I would also forbid corporations from any form of campaign contributions.

Get the corporate cash out of politics, and CEO's in prison. That will be good for day one. lol

[ileus]

19. Something useful.

Alternative energies.

[kellywestlund]

29. You mean instead of finite resources?

It's irresponsible for us to continue propping up the dirty, finite, and tremendously PROFITABLE fossil fuel industry with taxpayer dollars when we know those resources are FINITE. Why not invest in clean, renewable, distributed, domestic energy sources and make a proactive transition to something better?

[RKP5637]

24. Getting ALL money out of politics, than publicity funded elections and the

repeal of Citizens United.

[Fla Dem]

46. >>>>>>this<<<<<<<. Nt

[Scuba]

26. Voting rights, worker rights ...

Enriching and expanding Social Security

Medicare for All including dental, optical, hearing aids and mental health services.

And cutting the defense budget to pay for it all. OK, a bit more progressive taxation too.



My favorite rhetorical question: If we can't afford to educate our children, to heal our sick or care for our elderly, just what is the defense budget defending?


Good luck Kelly!!!!!!!!

[kellywestlund]

34. I'm a fan of scrapping the cap.

The richest 900 people in the US stop paying SS taxes on day 2 of the calendar year. If we got rid of the cap and everyone paid the same rate, SS would be solvent indefinitely AND we could expand it and lower the retirement age - opening up new job opportunities for younger folks in the process.

Medicare for All - we have the resources in this country to make sure that every, single person has access to affordable, quality health care. What we need is the political will to make it happen.

I'm a fan of implementing a little tax fairness to generate the revenues we need to invest in education, infrastructure, and healthcare.

[Scuba]

37. I knew I like you! Hard to believe dental isn't part of Medicare, especially considering ...

... the important of dental health to overall health.

[kellywestlund]

40. Agreed.

It's a common complaint from folks who rely on the VA system, too. Lots of demand for dental, vision, and hearing coverage.

[mopinko]

61. ok, this is a bit of a pet issue w me, and one where i disagree w bernie sanders.

do we not, if we lift the cap, then have to send those millionaires a comparably inflated check at 65? does that help the system, to let in people who do not need it.
it is such an easy stand to take, but it changes the nature of the program. it was intended as a safety net for working people. let the rich buy their own insurance.

BUT, i think that if you start making people with capital gains instead of wages pay into the system, you get a much better result. and in keeping with the intent of the program.

teddy kennedy wore himself out on the senate floor every time this debate came up. it changes the program from insurance to welfare. that changes how the recipients feel about that money. people who would never ask for a dime that they didnt earn deserve to take that with them into retirement.
sorry, i stand w teddy on this.

and in the interest of full disclosure, we topped out every year for the past decade+. we have done plenty to save for our retirement. we will need that check, but not so much that we would take it if we hadnt earned it. people like us do not need the system any more indebted to us than someone of lesser means.

[LiberalAndProud]

31. I would like to see the trend for cutting budgets for poverty programs reversed.

Taking food from those of us most in need to fund tax breaks for the well-to-do is immoral and unconscionable.

I would also like Congress to take a reasonable approach to the USPS. The pension funding requirement really needs to go the way of the dinosaur.

[kellywestlund]

36. Absolutely.

Again, we have the means. We just need the political will. And that comes with changing the people sitting around the table.

I live in a rural area, and we depend on our rural post offices to keep us connected. I would love to see changes made to the pension funding, but I'm also interested in Warren's proposal to offer micro-loans and other banking services at post offices. Generate revenues, provide valuable services, and save people money: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-warren/coming-to-a-post-office-n_b_4709485.html

[LiberalAndProud]

38. Warren's proposal is very exciting.

And you're right, the faces at the table need to change. Good luck.

[mopinko]

35. 2 recs???? 2???

c'mon peeps.
make a connection to the next congress. you wont be sorry.

[kellywestlund]

41. KNR - THANK YOU!

I've gotta run, but I very much appreciate the warm welcome and all of your comments. I look forward to doing this with DU again soon!

I'm sure you all know how important it is for progressive candidates like myself to have a broad base of support to be competitive, and WI-7 is a district we can win. But I can't do it without help. Please consider chipping in what you can to help us reach out to voters and change our country for the better!

[mopinko]

42. thank you kelly

you are on your way to d.c., i know.

[MH1]

44. Laundry list, in no particular order

1. Climate change. Anything and everything that will make even a minor contribution to addressing it, although some major action would be nice.

2. Protecting natural resources as much as possible. The human population has blown past the planet's comfortable carrying capacity and we'd better start preserving every bit of at least quasi-wilderness that we can, while we still can.

3. Reproductive rights, particularly the right to not reproduce. (in addition to the basic human rights aspect, see items 1 and 2). Plenty of people will still be perfectly happy to provide more social security payer-inners. Or we could start welcoming immigrants like that tall statue thingy at Ellis Island kind of says we do. Let's stop forcing people to have kids they're not ready and happy to care for.

4. Reduce spending on incarceration and ruining lives in the Drug War.

5. Get money out of politics. (yeah, right) Anyway try to find some way of limiting big-dollar campaign contributions, or at least requiring transparency / disclosure of large donors.

6. Figure out how to make it easier for sole-provider primary practice docs (and other small providers) to navigate the EMR software swamp. This seems to be a real hardship for the small practices. As if they don't have enough to deal with besides taking care of patients.

7. Figure out how to entice more bright young people to choose primary care medicine as their career. And especially to help out in underserved areas.

99. (a small but meaningful thing) restore parity for mass transit commuter tax break with parking. Last budget they failed to re-authorize the increased mass transit pre-tax monthly maximum and it fell back to 130 (which is less than a zone 2 rail pass costs in Philly). Parking is 200 or so. It's bullshit that parking a private car should get a bigger tax break than taking mass transit. (Refer also to #1 above.)


.... and so many more but that's a start.

[mopinko]

49. #7 is an excellent point.

i am sure this is something that the 7th district battles. big area, low population, lots of people just getting by.
the aca is bringing some great things to cook county, and will help break a lot of cycles of woes. but we have the money here. it makes too much sense here to invest in healthcare. besides, it is a BIG business here.
but up there in the timberlands, i am betting the problems are much more vexing.

[Rex]

45. The end of special interest groups, lobbyist and the rotating door to Wall Street

would be a good start. Also, maybe be a little mad that the CIA was spying on them? Maybe a lot mad and NO MORE of that reading a kid's book and wasting 26 billion dollars for Kabuki theater!

Trust? Sure it is on the money. Not much else.

What else ya got?

[mopinko]

47. btw, friends, kelly set up a fundraising page just for us.

you can see at the link how we are doing here. right now there are 3 donations.

lets put up some number to be proud of, eh?

[Fla Dem]

48. Minimum wage increase, reform congressional alignment process

Repeal corporate personhood, allocate funds for national infrastructure improvements, increase days congress is in session, so much more, so little time.

[ancianita]

51. 1. Getting a public-only campaign finance amendment into the Constitution. Details have been

kicked around in past threads, so I'll leave those up to discussants.

2. Getting a comprehensive conflict of interest amendment into the constitution to keep separation of corporate and state business. Banning all elected officials from sitting on boards of, or lobbying for, any corporate entity; at the very least, signing 20-year non-disclosure agreements. Their public political work and influence should not be peddled for profit to capitalist interests.

I'm not wording these right, on the fly, so I'm hoping you know what I mean.

[Cal33]

52. Just to let you know: Congressman Alan Grayson of Fla. has been a long-time

member of this forum.

[B Calm]

53. Legalizing marijuana and raising the minimum wage.

[mopinko]

60. lotsa good places to grow weed up there.

and hemp, too, of course. just sayin.

[Ed Suspicious]

64. On a related note, work to redefine what is a crime and how

we treat criminals in order to get our incarceration rates more in line with the rest of the world. It is criminal that we are locking up between 700 and 750 out of every 100,000 people when our neighbor to the north, Canada, locks up 117 per 100,000. Are Canadians better people than Americans? What else could explain the disparity?

We even dwarf other countries with zero tolerance drug policies.

1 in 10 americans, 31 million people have been arrested for drug related offenses. This is insanity.

We need to figure out a way to allow our people to remain citizens, not turn them into criminals.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_incarceration_rate

[Octafish]

54. The rock pile.

Making little ones out of big ones.

I kid. There are a few Democrats who try to do the People's business.

[mopinko]

55. kelly is a good one OF

her work is already the people's business. she is dong great things up there in her current capacity.
and she really is in karl rove's sights.

[Octafish]

57. Thanks, mopinko!

Wisconsin and the nation need more like her.

http://www.kellywestlund.com/

I'm bummed because Hansen Clarke lost the primary in Michigan Tuesday. The big money came in and posted all up and down the Internet that he was in the pocket of the GOP. He had served one term. I know the guy through mutual friends. No way he's that way. Gov Snyder of Gateway Layoffs and the Lansing GOP redistricted the state and took out his seat. Money. Money. Money.

[mopinko]

59. and there is money money money

for the koch brothers in this district. regular folks, not so much. especially when they get done polluting the pristine wilderness that brings tourism to the area.

c'mon du. open up those wallets.

[mopinko]

56. btw, folks, kelly's primary is tuesday

after she wins that, hopefully she will have some time to come back and chat.

i will be issuing a little fundraising challenge for her this weekend.

and please note that link- that is our page there. you can check it and see how we are doing.

[sybylla]

63. Thank you so much, mopinko!

I live in Kelly's district and I'm a huge fan. I've already given her a big chunk of money, but I will be doing more. I hope other DUers can chip in a little to make a big difference in this race.

Even with redistricting, Kelly stands a great chance. And you can see by her answers here she's a great candidate.

[mopinko]

67. i have the honor and the privilege of being on a list

that jan schakowsky shares w good women candidates.
she had me about 30 seconds after i answered her phone call.
i used to have a lot more cash, but i still have du to call upon.

and when she wins in november, she carries mary burke with her. there is a big gender gap in the district, and we need to work that.

her list of endorsements is truly impressive.

[Capt. Obvious]

66. More Benghazi hearings

[unhappycamper]

70. Why didn't we have F-35s on station in Benghazi loaded for bear?

Just because the damn things don't work very well is NO excuse.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

68. A WPA type jobs bill to build a 21st century infrastructure....

This means a transcontinental aqueduct, geothermal at Yellowstone, a smart grid, roads and highways including new corridors through Appalachia and, of course high speed rail. Also public schools and modern, green municipal buildings.

Oh,...and...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

69. A vain wish. Getting the money out of politics.