The Forward Party is approaching “Platform” differently. Every problem facing our country can be fixed - with compromise. Too often the rigid, one-size-fits-all platforms of the Democrats and the Republicans keep us from reaching the compromises that would move our country forward. They keep us from discussing real solutions that meet the real needs of our citizens.
For this reason, the Forward Party is not starting out with an extensive, fully formed national policy platform. Instead, we have defined an approach to governing: Human Centered. Forward Party members in the states will decide how Human Centered translates into policy proposals and legislation for their state. It’s up to the candidates and the people in each community to decide how to make their laws and government more Human Centered.
“Human Centered” in Practice
And we do need to again make our laws and our government more human centered. We’ve slipped away from this approach, in ways large and small. Sometimes because of conscious efforts by one part or the other. Sometimes just because of the passage of time and our changing economy. Here are two examples of how “Human Centered” translates into policy and legislation.
Policy Proposal: Change Employer FICA
Proposal: End the current Employer’s contribution to Social Security and Medicare, payable by companies that employ US workers, and instead implement a revenue-based tax payable by all companies that do business in the US. The change would make our tax system fairer, reduce the cost of employing US workers and address numerous challenges: offshoring of jobs, increasing automation, pressure to shift employees to contractor status and the growth of the gig economy. Read more..
Policy Proposal: Transparency Agenda
The starting point for change needs to be greater transparency. As our country has slipped away from Human-Centered Capitalism and civil society it has also slipped away from transparency. Transparency is almost always the starting point of good governance – it’s hard to know what needs to be fixed unless it’s first measured and unless we fully understand and quantify the challenge. Following are six proposals for changes to Federal law to increase transparency in our society. By themselves, none of them change outcomes – they don’t change the laws that dictate how we respond to challenges. Instead, they only serve to shine a light on the challenges, to help us more fully understand what is happening. Read more..
For this reason, the Forward Party is not starting out with an extensive, fully formed national policy platform. Instead, we have defined an approach to governing: Human Centered. Forward Party members in the states will decide how Human Centered translates into policy proposals and legislation for their state. It’s up to the candidates and the people in each community to decide how to make their laws and government more Human Centered.
“Human Centered” in Practice
And we do need to again make our laws and our government more human centered. We’ve slipped away from this approach, in ways large and small. Sometimes because of conscious efforts by one part or the other. Sometimes just because of the passage of time and our changing economy. Here are two examples of how “Human Centered” translates into policy and legislation.
Policy Proposal: Change Employer FICA
Proposal: End the current Employer’s contribution to Social Security and Medicare, payable by companies that employ US workers, and instead implement a revenue-based tax payable by all companies that do business in the US. The change would make our tax system fairer, reduce the cost of employing US workers and address numerous challenges: offshoring of jobs, increasing automation, pressure to shift employees to contractor status and the growth of the gig economy. Read more..
Policy Proposal: Transparency Agenda
The starting point for change needs to be greater transparency. As our country has slipped away from Human-Centered Capitalism and civil society it has also slipped away from transparency. Transparency is almost always the starting point of good governance – it’s hard to know what needs to be fixed unless it’s first measured and unless we fully understand and quantify the challenge. Following are six proposals for changes to Federal law to increase transparency in our society. By themselves, none of them change outcomes – they don’t change the laws that dictate how we respond to challenges. Instead, they only serve to shine a light on the challenges, to help us more fully understand what is happening. Read more..
Paid for by the Committee to Elect Blake Ashby