[GPSCC-chat] Continental Congress 2.0

[Carol Brouillet]

Dear activists,

This July 4th, there will be a gathering 
(<http://www.the99declaration.org/>http://www.the99declaration.org/ 
Continental Congress 2.0) in Philadelphia to come up with a list of 
grievances to present to Congress, the President, the Supreme 
Court.  I'll be going as part of the California Delegation.  We are 
supposed to come up with our top ten grievances.  Any input from you 
would be helpful.

An abbreviated list of proposed grievances is posted at 
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fde0K2G5XbYRj3FPR8QwP9z0w7APGXoyPRBVOtvc1Nw/edit?pli=1>https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fde0K2G5XbYRj3FPR8QwP9z0w7APGXoyPRBVOtvc1Nw/edit?pli=1 


The gathering is not formally endorsed by the Occupy Movement, who is 
holding a national gathering, coincidentally in Philadelphia at the 
same time (See 
<http://www.occupynationalgathering.com/>http://www.occupynationalgathering.com/ 
).

If you would like to just choose ten of these that you feel are the 
best for this occasion, and email them to me, that would be helpful. 
(Send your choices to cbrouillet at igc.org).  They can be tweaked/added 
to/altered, as well in Philadelphia.)

100 Consolidated Proposed Grievances
For Consideration to be Included in a Petition For Redress of Grievances
  by The Delegates to Continental Congress 2.0
Convening in Philadelphia From July 2, 2012 to July 4, 2012

1. Corporations, unions, political organizations and all entities 
created by operation of law are not naturally born human beings and 
any law, rule, regulation or court decision so holding must be 
overruled, abrogated, repealed or overturned even if it requires 
amendment to the United States Constitution.

2. Money is not speech it is property and any law, rule, regulation 
or court decision so holding must be overruled, abrogated, repealed 
or overturned even if it requires amendment to the United States 
Constitution. If money is deemed speech then only wealthy individuals 
and concentrated sources of wealth such as corporations and unions 
have a voice in our society.

3. New legislation immediately enacted to impose a 100% public 
campaign finance system in all federal elections requiring an 
immediate ban on all direct and indirect private contributions of 
money, or anything of value (except unpaid time from volunteers), 
from all sources including individuals and the candidates themselves, 
to all politicians or political parties in all primaries and general 
elections. As in other modern democracies, the new system shall 
utilize a "blind" public trust whereby the taxpayers will fund all 
federal election campaigns. The funds in the public trust shall be 
allocated by the Federal Elections Commission in non-partisan equal 
apportionments to candidates on the ballot based on the level of 
office sought and the geographic location of the candidates running 
for office and the cost to by advertising time in specific media markets.

4. Adopting Professor Lawrence Lessig's $50 voucher system with $100 
private contribution limits in federal political campaigns.

5. New legislation to impose a $2500 aggregate campaign contributions 
limit per human being per election cycle including primaries.  Legal 
entities such as corporations, PACS, Super-PACS and unions to be 
barred from making any direct or indirect contributions to politicians.

6. A total ban on corporate and union political expenditures, 
directly or indirectly to or in favor of political candidates or 
political parties.

7. Retaining the current campaign finance system but enacting new 
laws making all direct and indirect political contributions to 
politicians and political parties completely transparent and 
published online and elsewhere. There must be total transparency for 
any person, corporation, union or other entity including PACS, 
Super-PACS or not-for-profit organizations that make political 
contributions or buy advertising time to advocate for any politician, 
political party or political view because money is property and not 
speech.  If money is deemed speech then only the wealthy have a voice.

8. New laws banning all private expenditures on advertisements 
endorsing a particular candidate or political party or attacking a 
candidate or political party.

9. New laws banning foreign money and the use of cash in all federal 
political campaigns.

10. Public broadcasting licenses granted by the FCC and other 
regulators must mandate calendar specific dates and specific time 
slots which are available to candidates for elected federal office at 
a 90% discounted market rate for the purpose of campaigning whether 
funded by taxpayers or by private sources.

11. Repeal of prior healthcare laws and immediate enactment of 
"Medicare for all" or a new single-payer healthcare system.

12. New laws permitting the federal government to negotiate directly 
with pharmaceutical companies to set prices for medications.

13. Reintroduction of compulsory exercise programs in all public 
schools to combat the epidemic of obesity.

14. Passage of a comprehensive jobs and job-training act like the 
"American Jobs Act" to employ our citizens in jobs that are available 
with free relocation services, specialized re-training through 
partnerships between companies seeking employees and community 
colleges and other educational institutions.

15. Immediate passage of a law, similar to the "Lilly Ledbetter" 
bill, requiring equal pay for women with stiff financial penalties 
imposed on employers for violating the law.

16. Re-institution of the Works Progress Administration, Civilian 
Conservation Corps and similar emergency governmental agencies tasked 
with creating new projects to provide jobs for the families of the 
151 million people living in poverty and on low incomes.

  17. Tax incentives granted to companies who partner with 
educational institutions to re-train workers to work in green energy 
and new sources of American manufacturing to reduce reliance on 
imported goods, services and natural resources.

18. Tax incentives should also be offered to U.S. companies that 
invest in reconstructing the manufacturing capacity of the United 
States and hiring our citizens to produce and innovate.

19. Tax incentives to entice businesses to hire our citizens rather 
than outsource jobs and a new "outsourcing tax" should be introduced 
to discourage businesses from sending jobs overseas and companies 
that continue to outsource will be barred from earning income in U.S. markets.

20. The rights to clean air, water, safe food, and conservation of 
the planet for future generations shall no longer be infringed by 
greed-driven corporations and selfish individuals who care for 
nothing except money and instant gratification.

21. A new federal charter to establish a "Green Bank" to fund "Demand 
Driven Clean Energy" including electric and low emission vehicles, 
solar, wind, fusion, hydroelectric, geothermal.

22. Tax incentives to rapidly transition away from poisonous fossil 
fuels and nuclear energy {those government subsidies should be 
eliminated immediately} to safe, non-toxic, reusable or carbon 
neutral sources of energy such as wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric.

23. New comprehensive treaties, laws and regulations must be 
immediately enacted to give the Environmental Protection Agency, and 
other environmental protection regulators around the world, expanded 
cross-border powers and resources to shut down corporations, 
businesses or entities that intentionally or recklessly damage the environment.

24. New federal laws enforcing mandatory recycling programs now in 
effect in some US cities and many countries must be uniformly adopted 
in the US in addition to controlling the unchecked dumping of waste 
into our oceans, air and ground by imposing meaningful fines on violators.

25. A new treaty to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from 
its current level of 392 parts per million to below 350 parts per million.

26. No "corporate veil" protection for any employee, officer or 
director of a corporation that is directly or indirectly engaged in 
the intentional or reckless decimation of the planet for profit.

27. A Progressive tax on gross income, from a minimum tax rate of X% 
to a maximum tax rate of 3X%.

28. Any corporation or entity that does business in the United States 
and generates income from that business in the United States shall be 
fully taxed on that income by removing deductions, subsidies and 
loopholes regardless of corporate domicile or they will be barred 
from earning their profits in the United States.

29. The $4 billion per year "hedge fund loophole" which permits 
certain individuals engaged in financial transactions to evade 
graduated income tax rates by treating their income as capital gains 
shall be immediately abolished.

30. Elimination of all tax deductions except: (1) interest paid on 
mortgages for one's primary residence; (2) Contributions to 
charitable institutions, up to a total of one-tenth of annual gross 
income; (3) Interest earned on bonds issued by the governments of any 
state, municipality or other sub-division of the federal and U.S. 
domestic government.

31. No household with an income at or below the poverty line 
(responsibility for making this calculation having been shifted to 
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) shall be subject to 
federal income tax action.

32. Abolish the death penalty in all states or lose federal funding 
for law enforcement.

33. Curtailing the "Private Prison Industrial Complex" by removing 
all incentives in the legal system set-up to imprison non-violent 
drug offenders and the mentally ill rather than treat or provide 
alternatives to incarceration. Non-violent drug offenders who do not 
engage in drug sales, and those with mental health issues must be 
treated rather than imprisoned and adjudicated through specialized 
drug and mental health courts.

34. The federal government and all states must provide a free 
attorney to every criminal defendants at all stages of every criminal 
case beginning at arrest and arraignment or lose all federal funding 
for law enforcement.

35. Legalization of marihuana for recreational and medicinal use in 
all US Jurisdictions or loss of federal funding for law enforcement 
to states and municipalities.

36. Require that all prisoners be granted a DNA test at taxpayer 
expense in their cases if a genetic sample is available in the particular case.

37. Abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote in 
presidential elections.

38. Election day shall becomes a federal holiday requiring employees 
to provide sufficient time for employees to vote on that day.

39. Compulsory voting with fines imposed on voters for failing to vote.

40. New election laws and rules, and amendment of the constitution if 
necessary, to provide for a gender balance in Congress so that 50% of 
the seats are reserved for people who identify as women and 50% 
reserved for people who identify as men.

41. New election laws banning all rules in all states that hinder the 
right to vote whether it is called a test or requiring the 
presentation of identification; the federal government shall issue 
free photo identification cards to all voters.

42. New election laws banning all rules in all states that prevent 
equal access to the ballot by giving advantages to certain political 
parties or penalizing independent candidates for office.

43. New federal laws passed authorizing the FEC to impose uniform 
rules in all states and districts setting forth the criteria for 
excluding a person from voting and the use of the same verifiable 
voting systems in all voting precincts; all elections are to be run 
by employees of the Federal Election Commission only; municipalities 
will no longer run elections when federal candidates are running for 
office; the federal government shall pay for this uniform, secure, 
cost-effective and verifiable voting system.

44. The practice of "gerrymandering" shall be ended and replaced with 
a non-partisan commission to redraw all voting district lines using a 
and equal distribution system calculated with an objective 
mathematical formula or algorithm that does not take into 
consideration the wealth, party affiliation, race, religion or other 
demographics of voters.

45. New federal laws requiring that no political party shall be 
privileged or receive special advantage in any state for their 
candidates running for Congress or the Presidency.

46. New election laws to ban all publically reported polling two 
weeks before election day and completely ending the practice of 
so-called "exit polling" and early return reporting by the media 
which contaminates the democratic process.

47. Open primaries in all states for all parties in all races for 
federal office so that all voters may vote in any primary.

48. Reinstatement of the "equal time" rules so that each candidate 
for office is given equal free air time on television, radio, cable, 
or any other medium licensed and regulated by the federal government.

49. Passage of a law to reduce the $15 trillion national debt to a 
sustainable percentage of GDP by 2020 by re-implementing the Clinton 
era income tax rates, increasing the capital gains tax rate, ending 
the hedge fund loophole, no oil and gas subsidies, and mandatory cuts 
in defense and entitlement spending.

50. Congress must pass immediate legislation (see e.g. H.R. 639) to 
encourage China (which undervalues its currency by up to 40%) to end 
currency manipulation and take additional steps to reduce our massive 
trade deficit.

51. Passage of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

52. The immediate formation of a non-partisan commission to audit and 
investigate the short-term and long-term economic risks and benefits 
in eliminating the Federal Reserve Bank and transferring all its 
functions to the United States Treasury Department

53. Passage of the line item veto amendment to the Constitution.

54. The United States government shall begin to measure economic 
growth by the GPI (Genuine Progress Indicator) rather than GDP (Gross 
Domestic Product)

55. To reduce the principal on all outstanding student loans, a 
financial transaction surcharge, similar to those fees charged by 
banks on consumers, will be introduced to banks and securities firms.

56. After leaving government service, no federal elected or unelected 
official shall receive anything of value, for a period of five years, 
or work in any capacity to influence the actions of the federal 
government, with the sole exception of exercising their own personal 
First Amendment right to speak and publish.

57. All federal employees, politicians and officials are entitled to 
their salary, benefits, pension and nothing else. Any gift or thing 
of value given or promised to a politician or federal employee or 
immediate family valued at more than $5 will be deemed a bribe and 
punished under the criminal laws.

58. The revolving door between the federal government and the private 
lobbying sector must be closed and no federal employee, official or 
politicians may ever work as a lobbyist upon leaving office.

  59. It shall be a crime, punishable by at least two years in 
prison, for any member of congress or the president, to provide 
preferential treatment to any lobbyist or representative of any 
industry or union. All natural born persons shall have equal access 
to their elected representatives.

  60. No person employed in the private sector, shall accept or 
pursue employment in the federal government or run for public office 
in the federal government, in exchange for anything of value, 
including bonuses, gifts or promises of future employment. The quid 
pro quos between the private sectors and those who enter government 
service will end and all public servants must represent the best 
overall interests of the country not particular special interest 
groups. It shall be a crime, punishable by at least two years in 
prison, for engaging in this corrupt practice.

  61. New laws to fund and immediately establish a 23 member 
Citizen's Ethics Panel comprised of ordinary citizens and experts on 
ethics to investigate and hear cases of alleged ethics violations by 
members and employees of Congress, Supreme Court and the Executive 
Branch. This panel shall operate like a grand jury and have subpoena 
power enforced by the contempt power of the United States District 
Court for the District of Columbia. Upon making a finding, the Panel 
shall refer any evidence of criminality to the Justice Department 
and/or relevant States Attorney General and further make specific 
recommendations for sanction to the House, Senate or President. In 
cases of ethics violations by the Supreme Court, the panel may file 
an ethics complaint with the appropriate disciplinary authority or 
bar association where the judge is admitted or recommendation for 
impeachment to be served upon Congress.

62. Amend the constitution to establish an elected "General Public 
Assembly" as a fourth branch of government to oversee the two houses 
of Congress in all matters particularly ethics.

63. Immediate passage of laws stating that the trading of inside 
information shall be a crime for all elected and unelected officials 
and government employees just as it is a crime for all other 
Americans. No politician or government employee is above the law.

64. New laws to require mandatory minimum prison sentences for anyone 
convicted, upon plea or after trial, of public corruption or bribery 
involving any public official or employee.

65. New laws enacted to end the so-called "filibuster rule" in the 
Senate, which requires a supermajority of votes to pass virtually any 
legislation.

66. No elected or unelected official or their immediate family 
members may hold stocks of any public company while in office or five 
years after leaving office unless said stocks are held in a blind 
investment trust.

67. No member of the military shall own or hold any stock or share in 
any corporation or other entity that the official specifically 
regulates while in service and shall last five years after the term 
of military service ends.

68. Recognition of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia as full 
states of the union entitled to all rights and responsibilities of states.

69. Tax reforms to treat the citizens of Puerto Rico and the District 
of Columbia as if they were citizens of any other state.

70. All Veterans and their dependents must have access to the 
consolidated military health care system just as active duty 
dependents have access.

71. Funding must be increased to assist veterans returning to 
civilian life to pursue their education goals and become gainfully employed.

72. An immediate freeze on all primary residential home foreclosures.

73. All lending institutions shall be barred from the mortgage 
origination in favor of direct federal home loans at the discount 
window interest rate (currently 0-.25%).

74. Creation and proper funding of a non-partisan task force 
specifically designed to work with existing regulators who are 
supposed to be regulating mortgage-backed securities and other 
speculative financial instruments but are failing to adequately do so.

75. Immediate reenactment of the Glass-Steagall Act; immediate 
implementation of the regulations required under the Dodd-Franks Act; 
immediate and vigorous enforcement of the "Volcker Rule" and new 
funding to allow enforcement of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act in all 
industries, especially the corporate media, airlines, oil and gas, 
healthcare, drug and medical device manufacturers, insurance, and 
many others to enhance competition, protect our democracy from the 
undue influence of money, and to protect the free speech of human beings.

76. Increased funding for the SEC, FINRA, CFTC, CFPB, and to the 
Justice Department and State Attorneys General to investigate 
potential criminal practices of the Securities and Banking industries 
especially in the areas of mortgage backed securities, hedge funds 
and speculation

77. Because education is the only way to secure our future success as 
a nation, interest on student debts must be immediately reduced to 2% 
or less (plus the discount window rate currently 0.0 to 0.25%) and 
repayments deferred for periods of unemployment or illness or 
disability. Employers will receive a student loan repayment tax 
deduction for paying off the student loans of their employees.

78. Outright federal grants to forgive loans provided to those 
students who pursue and obtain degrees in the physical sciences of 
physics, chemistry, green energy, environmental sustainability, 
mathematics, or advanced technology and engineering.

79. Public and private universities and colleges that do not reduce 
tuition to affordable levels so that middle class-families (defined 
here as $100,000 in annual family income or less) can again afford to 
send their children to obtain a higher education shall lose all 
federal funding including grants and loans.

80. Broadcast television, cable television, radio and print 
communications are controlled by too few corporations and 
individuals. New laws and regulations must be passed to fund, 
authorize and mandate the Anti-Trust Division of the U.S. Justice 
Department to break-up the 6-10 massive media conglomerates that 
control virtually all media content. This highly concentrated control 
of speech is an existential threat to the security of the United States.

81. The immediate passage of "The Dream Act" by Congress.

82. New legislation to secure our borders while streamlining the path 
to US citizenship especially for those qualified to work in high 
demand industries or skills required in the United States.

83. Non-citizens who obtain their education in the United States in 
highly demand fields should be provided an accelerated path to 
citizenship so the investments made in these students remain in the 
United States.

84. New treaties, laws and regulations must be passed to ensure that 
the Internet will remain free for all people in the world to use and 
express themselves without government or corporate interference.

85. The immediate ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

86. Repeal those portions of the Patriot Act that limit civil rights 
and repeal of those sections of the 2012 National Defense 
Authorization Act that permit indefinite detention of US Citizens.

87. The so-called Defense Of Marriage Act must be repealed for the 
reasons recently stated by the United States Court of Appeals for the 
First Circuit.

88. Immediately recalling all combat troops from Afghanistan and the 
allocation of no less than $25 billion to assist these veterans to 
re-acclimate to civilian life, job placement assistance and 
specialized psychiatric treatment for those veterans and their family 
members suffering from the effects of post-traumatic stress disorders 
and other mental illnesses.

89. Reinstitution of the draft or mandatory public service for males 
and females without any deferments or exceptions so that the wealthy 
and privileged who profit from war will be required to send their 
children to die with the children of the poor and middle class should 
that grave decision be made again.

90. New laws to counter the Military Industrial Complex's mission of 
perpetual war for profit, particularly in the Middle East, which 
dramatically benefits the Oil and Gas Industrial Complex due to 
fluctuations and speculation in the price of oil caused by incessant 
and unwarranted military intervention motivated by profit rather than policy.

91. A new treaty with Russia, China, India, North Korea, Pakistan, 
Israel and the other countries with nuclear weapons or plans to make 
nuclear weapons, to reduce the number of nuclear weapons so complete 
nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation may be achieved by 2020 or sooner.

92. Arrest and extradition to the jurisdiction of the International 
Criminal Court for war crimes, of any person properly charged upon 
probable cause as defined by U.S. legal standards, with intentionally 
and knowingly engaging in warfare based upon a false premise or 
pretext or engaging in conduct that violates the Geneva convention.

93. New laws to reinvigorate the War Powers Resolution to limit the 
deployment of military forces to only those instances where 
Congressional approval has been granted.

94. No new term limits should be imposed but new laws should be 
enacted so that Senators will not serve consecutive (six-year) terms 
and Representatives shall not serve more than two (two-year) terms 
consecutively.

95. Term limits: 4 years for house; 6 years for senate

96. Term limits: 8 years for house; 12 years for senate

97. Term limits: 12 years for house; 18 years for senate

98. Term limits: 16 years for house; 24 years for senate

99. Term limits: 10 years for the Supreme Court of the United States

100. Term limits: 20 years for the Supreme Court of the United States























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