A bold agenda.

[Ed Suspicious]

"Our aim is not only to relieve the symptoms of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it." ~ LBJ launching his War on Poverty at the State of the Union. This is a big brash bold idea done at a time of high taxes (1964/1965)(88% top marginal rates).



This is not a polite agenda. This is not an apologetic request. This an ass kicking public policy agenda. This package brought us the following:

"The effort centered around four pieces of legislation:

• The Social Security Amendments of 1965, which created Medicare and Medicaid and also expanded Social Security benefits for retirees, widows, the disabled and college-aged students, financed by an increase in the payroll tax cap and rates.

• The Food Stamp Act of 1964, which made the food stamps program, then only a pilot, permanent.

• The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which established the Job Corps, the VISTA program, the federal work-study program and a number of other initiatives. It also established the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), the arm of the White House responsible for implementing the war on poverty and which created the Head Start program in the process.

• The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, signed into law in 1965, which established the Title I program subsidizing school districts with a large share of impoverished students, among other provisions. ESEA has since been reauthorized, most recently in the No Child Left Behind Act."

We need to start expecting, nay, demanding of our government again! We need to stop asking for forgiveness and hiding our commitment to a well governed society. Lets get behind Bernie and demand our government work in a way that serves all of our interests, not just the interests of the few. Let's fix our election problems. Let's figure out a way to get us voting at an 80%+ participation rate. Let's MAKE the government work. Let's refuse to accept an austerity/small government agenda where eliminating government is preferable to improving government. Damn it. Let's just make it work!

[Ed Suspicious]

4. Thanks! I agree. We should revisit.

[rusty quoin]

2. We know what works, and it does not involve worshipping rich people.

[Ed Suspicious]

5. Amen!

[VulgarPoet]

8. Not toeing the kleptocrat party line? *gasp* blasphemy!

[Mnemosyne]

3. Greed is a major cause of much poverty. How do we cure and prevent that? Bernie sees it. nt

[Ed Suspicious]

6. The only one who admits to seeing it. Indeed.

[Mnemosyne]

7. We'll know soon enough how huge the wave will be. Think many corps D's will be stunned. nt