Forum Post: Another Proposed List of Demands -- Part 1

This proposed list of demands was compiled by "DIMOJABE" (Disqus name) (with some of my suggestions), who was sick of the media and pundits saying "the Occupy people don't know what they want".

This forum complained that the content was too long, so I've split the list into two parts.

Suggestions and comments are needed to expand & refine the list, and to achieve consensus! Let's hear from you!

Combining other independently-developed lists will help insure we haven't left anything out.

1) The Minimum Wage - Increase it to restore it's original purchasing power - $20.00/hour(a) 2) Eliminate The Poverty Level - Establish a real living wage for everyone by removing the premise that some people must live in poverty even if they work. 3) A Natl Labor Relations Board - Staff it with real (nationally elected every 4 years), working people, employment attorneys who represent them, and labor rights activists. 4) Repeal The Taft Hartley Act - Unions must have the right to strike at all times. 5) Worker Taxation - The removal of ALL taxes on worker pay less than $60,000 a year [(as it was when the Federal Personal Income Tax was first implemented in 1921 ($3K in 1921 dollars)]. 6) Health Care - Expand Medicare to create a Public Option/Single Payer system and remove the profit motive from this basic human right. 7) Rebuild the Social Safety Net - All public programs, private-public partnerships, etc. that promote the general welfare must be sufficiently funded to perform their mandate. 8) Insurance & Benefits - Let all businesses of any size create and participate in their own benefit programs with pre-tax income. 9) Credit Cards - Restore the 11% Usury Cap on Credit Card Interest. 10) Rental Tax Deduction - Restore the "Renter's Tax Credit" that existed to balance out the homeowner's mortgage interest deduction. 11) Cease all military (and other forms) of foreign intervention by the US Government on behalf of US corporate and general business interests. 12) Stop all foreclosures and return property to those who were victims of mortgage fraud or illegal seizures and eviction offenses. 13) Publicly funded elections at every single level of government. 14) A national communication forum/system (as an alternative to our failed media industry) that includes an internet discussion clearinghouse on broad based referendums, televised discussions for policymakers to field questions from average people. 15) Term Limits - Let voters decide by referendum what term limits should be for every elected and appointed public and judicial office. 16) Judicial System Funding - Restore it to levels where the Rule of Law can exist in the US again. 17) Department of Justice - Start prosecuting those who have broken the law. The list grows longer every day and it must include those who have committed felonies by covering up the illegal acts of others. 18) Supreme Court Conflicts of Interest - An independent judicial auditor must conduct a review of each justice on the Supreme Court. Recommendations for impeachment should follow any conflicts of interest that are surfaced. 19) Civil & Voter Rights - Restore and rebuild the regulations that preserve these fundamental concepts that make up the basis for life in the United States by rescinding all legislation that would seek to control the US population in ways that defy the Constitution. 20) Repeal The Patriot Act, The Military Commissions Act - And any other legislation that infringes on the basic civil rights of Americans. 21) US Voting Processes - Design new transparent systems with a panel of computer scientists using open-source software that cannot be hacked or manipulated. Begin the evolution of a national on-line voting system. Remind Congress that their role could be greatly reduced if citizens voted directly on legislation instead of them. 22) Campaign Finance & Conduct - Eliminate private campaign funding. TV ad time must be equal for all candidates. Rule breakers will forfeit their candidacy. 23) 9/11 Investigation - Remedy the failed 9/11 Commission with a real investigation that includes subpoena powers and independent media coverage of the on-going investigation. 24) Congress will receive merit pay based on weighted metrics: 1) # of successful bills authored, 2) # of legislative efforts participated in, 3) Constituent Customer Satisfaction Surveys, 4) Penalties for failure to satisfactorily resolve constituent casework, ... (suggestions welcome:) 25) Congressional Health Care - Congress will utilize the VA system for their healthcare benefits. 26) Congressional Committee Assignments - NO more selling committee seats. Redefine the committee assignment process to eliminate cronyism and seniority dependent allocation. 27) Corporate Taxation - Corporate tax levels will be restored to 1950 levels: an effective rate of 52% of net revenue assessed in 1950 --> when there was no crisis. 28) Personal Federal Taxation on Hedge Fund Managers - Removal of the 15% Capital Gains Rate cap on all earnings by hedge fund managers. They are working people so they can pay their fair share. 29) Corporations are NOT People - A constitutional amendment must be passed to forever prevent corporations from manipulating any US governmental and/or judicial systems to acquire the rights of human beings. 30) Corporate Tax Avoidance - Removal of ALL corporate tax avoidance loopholes and off-shoring of income by subsidiaries (IRS Letters, re-domiciling, off-shore accounts, etc.).

-- Continued in Part 2...