Issues

Because this campaign is designed to appeal across ideological divides to people of good will who want their democracy back. The issue of failing democracy seems to unite almost all people in the country today.

Politics as usual simply is not working and the choice is to abandon government or fix it.

We propose that fixing it must begin with a reclaiming of the democratic tradition of discussion, not mindless bickering. To that end the campaign is supported by a diverse coalition of individuals and organizations who all agree that we must fix our broken government – and most importantly that sending people from the same two big parties who can’t manage government is no longer an option.

The Campaign’s views are diverse but the candidate’s view’s are specific. Below is an example (the campaign’s agreed position is first, then candidate’s views are in italics).

Broken Government

A democracy cannot function without a healthy exchange of ideas and our current system clearly excludes most ideas and most people. Further it is clear the two corporate parties cannot conduct a conversation with themselves let alone the American people. Democracy is not a horse race or a contest – it is a conversation.

The two corporate parties clearly function so as to represent the interests of the wealthy and large corporations. Democracy is about the people and the people must speak and be heard.

The Wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, etc.

The American people have spoken loudly and clearly on the issue of war and they do not approve. A nation cannot morally go to war lacking overwhelming the support of the people.

Wars of domination and conquest are illegal and these wars clearly fit that definition. They have no legal or moral justification and must be ended immediately. As Senator you have my promise that not another dime will be spent on them as long as a filibuster can last.

So-Called War On Terror

The American people deserve liberty and security and the so-called War on Terror provides neither at huge expense. It is a wasteful delusion to pursue military solutions to civil problems.

The so-called War on Terror is a farce designed to keep people afraid while other people get rich at their expense. This farce has been entirely justified by the Bush Administration’s unproven claims about what they want us to think happened on 9/11 – claims that even the Chairs of the 9/11 Commission have publicly rejected. It is deeply irrational to believe claims that the source rejects.

Economy

The economy must, morally, work for the interests of all, and ours has been hijacked by multi-national corporations. The American people everywhere and at every level must reassert their will, democratically decided.

Capitalism is failing and we must admit this and take steps to protect working Americans from losing their jobs, homes, and pensions; and we must provide these for people who do not have them. Dr. Curtis proposes massive federal works programs, a Green New Deal, to get America back to work while reworking the economy in an environmentally sustainable way.

Environment

Government policy must be informed by science and not simply the economic interests of those who profit from the destruction of the planet.

We are poisoning our planet and without change we will destroy the capacity of the Earth to support human civilization, as we know it. We must radically restructure the economy in a Green revolution of production and consumption.

Education

Technologically advanced societies must have an educated population, and the government must do more to facilitate general education and universal literacy. Some members of the campaign support minimal approaches to government but even some of them are saying it is just not fair to American business to not have an educated populace from which to draw employees.

Education is a human right, at all levels. A society as wealthy as ours has no excuse for not providing a free education to all (preschool through graduate school).

So-Called War on Drugs

The so-called War on Drugs is a waste of resources and a lost opportunity for tax revenue. History clearly teaches us that prohibition leads to increases in violent crime not decreases in drug abuse.

The so-called War on Drugs is a cheap excuse to lock people up rather than provide meaningful opportunities. Dr. Curtis supports decriminalizing possession of small quantities of almost all drugs and full legalization of marijuana (along with taxation of it to fund health and education programs).

Agriculture

Subsidies for large agri-business corporations has nothing to do with helping the American farmer feed the American people. The subsidies mostly produce less healthy products and misuse of food resources (like corn for fuel, which speaks to a good intention but is deeply problematic). We must use the best science to inform policy not lobbyists.

It is time to end all subsidies to huge agricultural corporations and given them to actual farmers. We also must end subsidies for tobacco and non-feed corn, corn used for sweeteners and fuel, instead of food. It is time to legalize hemp farming and put more resources into researching its myriad of uses.

Family

People are people and all deserve equal rights. Why should the government care who marries who? Further we are agreed on the value of reproductive freedom, for a free society.

The government has a deep and abiding interest in pair bonding and family stability. This means allowing people to freely marry the individual of their choice as well as full freedom to make reproductive choices. Dr. Curtis supports abortion on demand with no restrictions.

Middle East Peace

People of good will disagree about the solution. The campaign supports human rights for all people (especially the Palestinian people, in this context), and the basic principle of self determination for all people. The U.S. government simply must ensure honest negotiations and stop giving aid to any nation that abuses its local population – regardless of how they might be classified.

Dr. Curtis supports the rights of both the Palestinians and Israelis to a homeland. As an active member of his local synagogue and a basically moral human being, Dr. Curtis is appalled by the behavior of his co-religionists running the State of Israel. He personally supports a two-state solution based generally on the 1967 boundaries. However, he is more supportive of whatever the people of Palestine and Israel would decide for themselves. The ultimate solution is an extension of democracy.

Health Care

Supporters of the campaign are divided on solutions but all support using real democratic processes for deciding disputed issues.

Dr. Curtis unequivocally and unambiguously supports Universal Single-Payer Health Care, and views health care as a human right.