Reply #36: This One's for KoKo [View All]

[DoveTurnedHawk]

Social Security Retirement Age,

I'm not positive on this one, but I believe he supports maintaining the current level of benefits. He definitely believes in the concept of a social safety net, per the next question you raise.

Health Care: Independent/Single Payer/National

Per DWC, Clark is a strong supporter of a social safety net, including effective and well-supported systems of education and health care:

"I grew up in an armed forces that treated everyone as a valued member of the team. Everyone got healthcare, and the army cared about the education of everyone's family members. It wasn't the attitude that you find in some places, where people are fending for themselves and the safety net doesn't work." (Source: Waging Modern War)

....Job Loss/Economy.

“At home, we've got a jobless recovery. We've lost 2.6 million jobs since this administration took office. Just to maintain the same level of employment in America, we have to create about 1.3 million jobs a year...So, the statistical unemployment rate, it doesn't really address what the problem is that Americans are feeling out there. There are millions of people who aren't in the labor force. There are other people who are employed, but they're underemployed in terms of their skills. We've got problems.” (Source: CNN)

“We are shedding jobs day after day in this country because you can hire an engineer in Eastern Europe for what you pay for an engineer’s healthcare costs in America. And companies that can’t raise revenues are companies that are cutting expenses by outsourcing jobs. In order to create jobs, we don’t want to change our labor market. What we want to change is the environment in which businesses can grow. We want small businesses to have opportunities for job creation for growth, for investment, for development. We want to strengthen the ability of this country to create jobs. That’s through the capital markets. It’s through tax incentives where necessary.” (SOURCE: NDN Speech)

”We have to have an environment in here so that people can find meaningful, satisfying, and remunerative work in their lives. Right now, we are in a jobless recovery. We’d like to fix that. But we have to fix it through the creation of jobs and that is primarily done by small business. We have to create the best possible environment for small businesses to get started, and meaningful businesses, and businesses that can grow, businesses that use our skilled workforce, our intellectual capital and develop it because that’s the key to richness as a nation in the future...I’ll tell you that the other thing…is that we have a very high proportion of dual wage earning families in America. And I worry about this in a way because I think it’s great if that’s what the people want to do. But I think that one of the real burdens we are facing in America is that the actual real wages have not gone up in this country for ordinary men and women for thirty years.” (SOURCE: Sound Off With Sasha)

“<The Bush tax changes> were not efficient in terms of stimulating the kind of demand we need to move the economy back into a recovery mode, a strong recovery and a recovery that provides jobs.” (Source: Meet The Press)

“The tax cuts weren’t fair… the people that need the money and deserve the money are the people who are paying less, not the people who are paying more. I thought this country was founded on a principle of progressive taxation. In other words, it’s not only that the more you make, the more you give, but proportionately more because when you don’t have very much money, you need to spend it on the necessities of life. When you have more money, you have room for the luxuries and you should—one of the luxuries and one of the privileges we enjoy is living in this great country.” (Source: Meet The Press)

“I mean, you look at the long-run health of the country and the size of the deficit that we’ve incurred and a substantial part of that deficit is result of the tax cuts. You have to ask: “Is this wise, long-run policy?” I think the answer is no.” (Source: Meet The Press)

NAFTA/GATT.....Trade Imbalance....

He is pro-FAIR trade, not "free" trade, and he is very concerned about NAFTA, the trade imbalance and outsourcing jobs overseas. Please listen to this radio appearance on NPR, minutes 27 through 31:

http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/09/20030908_b_main.asp

Environment/Kyoto/Clean Air Standards/Fossil Fuel/Wind Solar???

“As you look at where we are in this country, a hundred years from now, none of us, probably, will be here. There may be some exceptions in the back of the room. I can’t see whose back there. And medical science is wonderful. But basically, a hundred years out you have to think of the environment and your legal, constitutional institutions. And if you’re going to work the environment and those institutions, that work has to start today. Because, it takes a hundred years to work effectively and protect the great gifts we’ve been given in this country. A hundred years from now, it’s going to be very important that we make America a beautiful, safe land. We want our grandchildren to really love it here. We want people from all over the world to come here. We want it to be a natural, a national park, a treasure, all over the world. We can do that but we have to start now.” (Source: NDN Speech)

“Our environment, well I think the argument should be about over. Yes, human beings do affect the environment and all you have to do is fly along the Andes and look at the disappearing glaciers down there and you recognize that there is something called global warming and it’s just getting started as China and India modernize. Our health is subject to influences from abroad, AIDS certainly, but also West Nile disease, and who knows what else is coming?” (SOURCE: America at the Crossroads)

“I am not one of those people who will rule out nuclear energy as a contributor to dealing with the energy problem. We’ve just got lots of things we need to do on energy conservation and energy generation, and especially renewable energy resources. The means are out there not to take a much greater percentage of our energy needs from the sun, from solar, and from wind, and even from wave action. And I would hope that we would move ahead in those areas much more rapidly than we have been.” (SOURCE: Sound Off With Sasha)

Clark is also closely affiliated with an alternative energy company, WaveCrest.

DTH