Local 'planks'

If there is no solution, there is no problem

The Democratic Party's 2016 platform is 81 pages long and often seems distant from issues that affect the daily lives of Duval/Jax voters. Still, most resonate with this core platform message:

Democrats believe we are stronger when we have an economy that works for everyone--an economy that grows incomes for working people, creates good-paying jobs, and puts a middle-class life within reach for more American. And we can have more economic fairness, so the rewards are shared broadly, not just with those at the top. We need an economy that prioritizes long-term investment over short-term profit-seeking, rewards the common interest over self-interest, and promotes innovation and entrepreneurship.

Making Duval democratic means showing local voters this relates to local issues; and builds innovation and entrepreneurship from the ground up. And that takes open, fact-based, discussion of alternative solutions; with registered voters, regularly and not just as sound-bites in election speeches. This website takes positions, proposes specific actions, and invites views via blogs and surveys open to registered voters. It aims to be an objective reporter of voter opinion about the relative importance of issues discussed, and practical solutions.

Conventional wisdom only sees risks in openness. Early proposals about solutions to any problem are easy to criticize; partisans can bide their time and reveal flaws late, as a tactic to stop change and make others look foolish. I see benefit in trusting voters to break the vicious circle this creates. I hope you will join me to create a collaborative political ecosystem where we value and learn from those with whom we disagree as much if not more than the like-minded.

If so, click on links to issues that matter to you, below.

Or send me an email letting me know what I am missing.