General Discussion

jmbar2

(7,085 posts) Sun Jul 20, 2025, 10:08 AM Jul 20

What are your platform ideas for the Democratic Party? [View all]

In another post, Celinda Lake, democratic pollster says we need to be FOR things. Here are my starter ideas:

- Preserve low-income housing from being bought/sold to private equity. A significant number of LIHTC (Low income housing tax credit) apartment complexes built in the 1990s got tax breaks to subsidize low income folks. Those tax breaks are expiring now and they are starting either sell them off, or convert them to luxury housing. States need to buy them instead. Cheaper than trying to build new low income housing.

- Private equity has also been buying up Section 8 housing. With HUD planning to cut back on Section 8, housing in poorer markets may get dumped. States should try to preserve that housing as well.

- Promote universal healthcare. Focus on getting corporations on board - they are about to be hit with massive increases in benefits costs. Unchain health benefits from employers, cut out the middlemen sucking money from healthcare delivery.

- Promote universal basic income paid for by taxes on AI. If they are going to kill jobs, it would be cheaper to do UBI than to deal with mass unemployment, homelessness.

- Claw back food stamp funds from corporations that don't pay high enough wages to live. Have them pay for the benefits that their inadequate wages don't cover.

- Reverse engineer every horrible thing in Project 25, and fix laws so that it can never happen again. Point-by-point.

What are your ideas?

126 replies

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Highlight:

What are your platform ideas for the Democratic Party? [View all] jmbar2 Jul 20 OP

I like them all except for UBI SickOfTheOnePct Jul 20 #1

Fund it by taxing oligarchs, AI, crypto, etc. jmbar2 Jul 20 #2

Total net worth of all U.S. billionaires... SickOfTheOnePct Jul 20 #7

Some people think the wealthy, as a group have a lot more $$ than they really do. WarGamer Jul 20 #16

Extreme wealth is resulting in unaffordable negative externalities jmbar2 Jul 20 #20

Good luck getting a response to your common sense questions. harumph Jul 20 #56

Don't necessarily expect a response jmbar2 Jul 20 #61

Externalizing the costs is the main game for the ultra wealthy. harumph Jul 20 #63

AI is not the Holy Grail that folks think it is. GoneOffShore Jul 21 #72

Net worth is not cash in a bank Greg_In_SF Jul 20 #22

No, not at all SickOfTheOnePct Jul 20 #24

Those are all great ideas Fiendish Thingy Jul 20 #3

Good ones jmbar2 Jul 20 #6

$20/hr... living in SoCal I can tell you what that has brought here. WarGamer Jul 20 #18

Yeah, I know Fiendish Thingy Jul 20 #21

Barabara Lee ran on a $50 per hour minimum wage in her losing Senate campaign. MichMan Jul 20 #40

Then McDonads would be run by 4 employees per shift. WarGamer Jul 21 #101

Just out of curiosity dpibel Jul 21 #105

I pulled that number from the sky because it was easy to make an example. WarGamer Jul 21 #108

What's it cost elsewhere? dpibel Jul 21 #71

Immigration Lawlessness Starbeach Jul 20 #4

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were FOR a lot of things. Pretending they weren't plays into GOP propaganda emulatorloo Jul 20 #5

Their platforms need to be revived. Much more salient now that people see the impacts of Project 25 jmbar2 Jul 20 #9

I think there is the very real frustration pinkstarburst Jul 20 #31

Nope. Lots got done under Biden. Obamacare and more done under Obama. And lots would have gotten done under Harris. emulatorloo Jul 20 #42

What drug prices? pinkstarburst Jul 20 #46

" Kamala Harris' plan to keep prescription drug prices down includes a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket costs" emulatorloo Jul 20 #49

I never understood how that would work MichMan Jul 20 #58

OK, but who has addressed this TnDem Jul 20 #65

Exactly. Why are we having to pay insane prices? pinkstarburst Jul 21 #85

Plans. In 4 years my out of pocket costs only went up. Lets stop looking backward. Melon Jul 21 #77

$35 for insulin. What about my meds? pinkstarburst Jul 21 #87

Very good points jmbar2 Jul 21 #88

Then you should GOTV for Dems in 2026 and help take back Congress emulatorloo Jul 21 #89

Fully agree here. Immigration inaction killed our chances. Melon Jul 21 #75

Eliminate the tariffs. The Madcap Jul 20 #8

Nationalize the entire oil industry Fichefinder Jul 20 #10

Not a fan... SickOfTheOnePct Jul 20 #13

Recognize that cable TV shouldn't be regulated except for stations that call themselves NEWS. CrispyQ Jul 20 #57

Getting rid of the First Amendment should be part of the platform? MichMan Jul 20 #59

I would argue that lying while calling it news is similar to CrispyQ Jul 20 #64

You might... SickOfTheOnePct Jul 20 #68

Lots of good ideas here jmbar2 Jul 20 #17

You can't go backward on technology. That has never worked. The AI genie is out of the bag. Melon Jul 21 #78

Step #1 ForgedCrank Jul 20 #11

Well said n/t SickOfTheOnePct Jul 20 #12

Good points Chuuku Davis Jul 21 #80

Have some people been living under a rock? It's out there. It's simple. It's BEAUTIFUL. usonian Jul 20 #14

YES always support the New Deal agenda. thought crime Jul 20 #30

No JustAnotherGen Jul 21 #106

I love Bernie but I am disappointed that questionseverything Jul 20 #33

Lots of things not on this list. usonian Jul 20 #35

I like Bernie's list, but certainly missing a lot, like B.See Jul 21 #73

As I commented earlier. It's not a platform but a short message to accompany the oligarchy tour. usonian Jul 21 #74

Good to know. And for starters, how 'bout this B.See Jul 21 #76

Please add: All his executive odors also be eliminated. usonian Jul 21 #79

Focus on things that help every household across America pinkstarburst Jul 20 #15

On immigration... WarGamer Jul 20 #19

Restore women's rights mcar Jul 20 #23

Adjust cap gains by backing out phantom cpamomfromtexas Jul 20 #25

Repeal 2026 bucolic_frolic Jul 20 #26

Agree ! US is behind EU in societal programs Bread and Circuses Jul 20 #27

Pardons for Rep. McIver and Judge Dugan Justice Brandeis Jul 20 #28

Anti-corruption, always. blm Jul 20 #29

Curious about this one as well SickOfTheOnePct Jul 20 #32

Treat it similar to the way that companies pay for unemployment insurance. jmbar2 Jul 20 #44

That doesn't really correlate though SickOfTheOnePct Jul 20 #45

a New Deal, Square Deal and a Great Society DBoon Jul 20 #34

That's a good question and a valid one senseandsensibility Jul 20 #36

That's right. taxi Jul 20 #37

Media: 'Wide-eyed wonder at all things GOP, steely-eyed skepticism at all things Democratic' emulatorloo Jul 20 #54

FDR's Second Bill Of Rights is the basis of success! He Said: Granny Blue Jul 20 #38

Thanks for the reminder jmbar2 Jul 20 #43

Limit any president to 10 executive orders per year synni Jul 20 #39

FDR's second bill of rights should be the base of platform. BlueTsunami2018 Jul 20 #41

2024 tells us otherwise carpetbagger Jul 20 #47

Some for me would be - mvd Jul 20 #48

We were for things. Plenty of things. And not just for things, but actually accomplishing those things. W_HAMILTON Jul 20 #50

You are 100 percent correct. I'm optimistic we can win in 2026, but DU'ers need to stop emulatorloo Jul 20 #51

Increase the size of the Supreme Court!!!! Betty Boom Jul 20 #52

Agree, but... carpetbagger Jul 20 #70

I'm a Democrat for a lot of reasons, but the main one is equality. hamsterjill Jul 20 #53

Yes! emulatorloo Jul 20 #55

Thanks! hamsterjill Jul 20 #67

$35 per hour minimum wage MichMan Jul 20 #60

Or... jmbar2 Jul 20 #62

Of course! Abolishinist Jul 20 #66

Or to put it another way... jmbar2 Jul 21 #90

So let's say you own a restaurant. Annual sales of $2.4 million. Abolishinist Jul 21 #92

It's more than that. Someone flipping burgers makes what a nurse makes. Melon Jul 21 #93

Exactly SickOfTheOnePct Jul 21 #94

It's classic. The workers aren't more skilled, the currency is being devalued. Melon Jul 21 #98

I take it then that campaigning on a Living Wage is a no MichMan Tuesday #114

Of course. The assistant manager earning $65K per year is NOT Abolishinist Jul 21 #97

Are those numbers from your restaurant? MichMan Tuesday #110

Nope. I like to cook, and we dine out from time to time, Abolishinist Tuesday #111

Wasn't sure where the numbers came from MichMan Wednesday #122

Obviously a lot of factors involved, the type and location for example, but certainly Abolishinist Wednesday #125

I think that you pretty much covered it. al bupp Jul 20 #69

Moderation and bipartisanship, of course. DJ Synikus Makisimus Jul 21 #81

The democratic voters need to realize bob4460 Jul 21 #82

For the midterms? JustAnotherGen Jul 21 #83

detrumpization rampartd Jul 21 #84

Adress the problems the working poor and poor people have been facing. Autumn Jul 21 #86

Campaign from the middle and govern from the far left. kentuck Jul 21 #91

"Most of America is tired of extremism from all sides" SickOfTheOnePct Jul 21 #95

A few things... themaguffin Jul 21 #96

From posts on Bluesky Blue Full Moon Jul 21 #99

that's a really good list - thanks for sharing. jmbar2 Jul 21 #100

Remove all six fucking pedophile-loving judges Aviation Pro Jul 21 #102

Stop sending Isreal aid and weapons 8until a two state solution is hammered out indusurb Jul 21 #103

Proportional Representation ZDU Jul 21 #104

Well, since half of the electorate is Republican, and they don't have many female elected officials... MichMan Tuesday #113

Nope ZDU Wednesday #123

Well, not sure how you will ever get there otherwise MichMan Wednesday #124

We need young voters and candidates! Initech Jul 21 #107

Solid middle class support KentuckyWoman Tuesday #109

Some ideas are good, but not too sure about others. MichMan Tuesday #112

#1 reverse the bad bill. GoodRaisin Tuesday #115

Take away the tax break for seniors and the extension of the increased standard deduction? MichMan Wednesday #116

Do you mean to cherry pick it then or just keep the whole bad bill for those provisions? GoodRaisin Wednesday #117

Reversing it means all of it, not just portions. MichMan Wednesday #120

I know what reversing it means. GoodRaisin Wednesday #121

Do more to embrace, mentor and include our youth/young democrats. diehardblue Wednesday #118

THIS!! jmbar2 Wednesday #119

Legislate against Citizens United. Before anything else. I don't know how to make that Scrivener7 Wednesday #126