Our Constitution guarantees equal protection. Yet we’ve seen that the actual effective tax rate of many Fortune 500 companies is a fraction of that borne by middle-class families. We’ve seen that people of color caught up in our criminal justice system too often incur harsher sentences than whites convicted of the same offense. We’ve seen how our campaign finance system gives those with the means to contribute to political campaigns far greater access to, and undue influence over, elected officials, especially since the Supreme Court declared corporations to be “people” with First Amendment rights, opening a door to a deluge of cash into shadowy super PACs. The list goes on and on, and it seems to be getting longer every year.
Decent Americans believe in fairness in law- and policy-making and believe that tough ethical standards serve everyone. Polls show that most of us agree on:
- Equal treatment under the law regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity
- Access to quality education regardless of zip code
- The rights of women and people with pre-existing conditions to the same healthcare as everyone else
- Equal pay for equal work
- Every person’s right to vote
- Additional assistance to people with disabilities
- Sensible campaign-finance reform
- A better VA healthcare system, with improved access through integrating VA care with community care