A Better deal for Main Street

Netanyahu addressing the American Knesset said that “[Iran] needs this [JCPOA] agreement more than you do.”I believe after many years of shifting congressional powers between Democrats and Republicans nothing has changed for Main Street America, with both parties committed to Wall Street and the influence of big money.

Both parties are the same, different sides of the same coin, failed Main Street in almost everything, from jobs, to social security, to wars, to education, social services, health, housing, infrastructure, the environment and an unfair tax system.

Notwithstanding the lies and propaganda we hear from both Republicans and Democratic candidates, all of them are beholding to big dollars, to the rich and powerful, with citizens reduced to showing up at the voting booth like cattle at the watering hole.

Both parties, seek the necessary funding and alliance with the rich so they can convince Main Streeters to vote for them through political strategists, polestars and 30-second advertisements that make a mockery of voters and their intelligence, while hiding the stupidity and fakeness of these candidates.

With Citizens United, it is the money; the Super PACs; the billionaires from Hollywood, Texas, Wall Street and Las Vegas already lined up behind major candidates from both parties. This coming presidential election is a test of who is more powerful and influential, the billionaires behind the Republicans or the billionaires behind the Democrats.

Although reforming a corrupt, inept political process could not take place overnight or in a single election cycle, we as citizens and voters can change the entire political process within the next 10 years.

We can defeat Citizens United — not in the grand halls of the Supreme Court — but in the privacy of voting booths. We can defeat big dollars, pollsters, and political strategists who package candidates for the TV ads. Without our votes, candidates with hundred of millions of dollars behind them could not win an office.

The key and focused objective of any new political movement is not to compete in the current presidential race, but to target key congressional elections where candidates have shown themselves over and over to be Wall Street First, Main Street Last — Israel Firsters, America Last — at the behest of paid lobbyists.

The new political movement must not be an extension of nor beholding to any of the political parties and must not seek funding or support from major donors like the Koch Brothers, Adelson or Saban. Most important, this movement must not be ideologically driven by politics of faith, but politics of common sense.

Support and funding must come from individual voters and members. No Super PACs should be used, but membership money and small donations — and most important commitment to vote, with the objective to transform and change the existing political landscape within the next 10 years. A majority of at least 40% in legislative houses is sought across America and in DC.

To achieve that:

1. Candidates for local and congressional offices must be committed to term limits (6-8 years), thus transforming legislative houses to citizen houses, rather than a place for lifetime professional politicians;
2. Candidates must be committed to end the seniority system, which gives long time sitting politicians an unfair edge in money and influence in elections; and committed to changing this seniority system once in office;
3. Candidates must be committed not to seek or accept any funding from outside their local, congressional or senatorial districts, thus limiting the amount and influence of outside money;

4. Candidates must commit themselves to a maximum of 3 months of campaigning and accepting no “issue” funding from special lobbies;
5. Candidates must be committed to America first, before other countries; and seek to limit the undue influence Israel and its Fifth Column and AIPAC have over Congress and the White House;
6. Candidates must be committed to reform and overhaul the Tax System, simplifying it from 300,000 pages to less than 30 pages, making sure that every citizen, every corporation and every business pay their fair share of the tax; no more tax loopholes;

7. Candidates must be committed to re-invest in America First; in re-industrialization of America; in infrastructure; public transportation systems; public education; industrial education; parks and public facilities; to force the more than $3 trillion of America’s corporate money sitting in tax shelters back to the US;
8. Candidates must commit themselves to not accepting lobby money or favors, including paid trips by foreign governments, lobbyists or special interests;
9. Candidates must be committed to a drastic reform of the financial system, including reining in the undue and toxic influence Wall Street has on our political, economic and social life; and make sure that corporations (as “citizens”) are subject to criminal prosecution, with executives going to jail for crimes or fraud committed by their corporations;

10. Candidates must be committed to reform our judicial, criminal justice, social and welfare services system to bring America in line with other nations, and seek reconciliation between all of our citizens, making America the united nation we should be;
11. Candidates must be committed to a balanced budget with a budget cycle of 5 years, thus avoiding all the uncertainty paralysis facing our nation annually;
12. Candidates must be committed to no more wars, while keeping our nation strong to defend itself against enemy aggression.

We as citizens and voters must not under estimate our power, the right to vote, which is more powerful than all the billions raised in elections. Without our votes, no one can win an office.

Sami Jamil Jadallah

Sami, a Palestinian-American and a US Army Veteran (66-68), recipient of the “soldier of the month award and leadership award from the 6th Army NCO Academy, is an international legal and business consultant with over 40 years of international experience, in construction, hospitality services, conservation, and defense, in the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa. Sami is a holder of BA, MPA in Public and Environmental Affairs, Jurist Doctor from Indiana University. While at IU he was elected class president, student government president and chairman of the Indiana Students Association,

Active in peace movement as a co-author of the pre-amble for the One State for All of its people and voluntary service program SalamNation. A frequent contributor on national and international affairs. He resides in the United States.