pietas initiative
TRANSCRIPT
The Pietas Initiative
End corruption.Implement fiscal sanity.Protect the Constitution.
Problems
Corruption and Political MalaiseWith approval ratings hovering around 10%, Congress continues to get reelected over 90% of the time. Americans rate government itself as our single greatest problem.
Problems
Corruption and Political MalaiseIt often costs over $1 million to get elected to Congress – and almost $1 billion to get elected to the Presidency.
With this much cash involved in our political system, corruption is inevitable.
Problems
Fiscal InsanityThe continuing growth of the national debt and unfunded liabilities is marching this country - and the entire world - toward unprecedented economic collapse.
ProblemsTyranny
Both major parties continue to advocate unconstitutional policies.
Don’t mop the floor with dirty water.
The current political culture in Washington cannot be trusted to solve the problems that it
has caused – and that it has a vested interest in ignoring.
Solutions
A New Political ParadigmO An STV (single transferable vote)
systemO Term limitsO No special retirement benefits for
CongressO Lobbyist transparencyO Net neutralityO Official online portal for federal
elections
Solutions
Fiscal ReformO Tax simplification.O Significant budget cuts.O Revamping of Social Security.
Solutions
Rule of LawO Constitutional review for all
questionable federal programs.O Congressional checks against
unlawful divestiture, imprisonment, and execution.
A New Political Paradigm
Single Transferable VoteO Vote for the candidate you truly
support.O No vote is wasted.O No need to worry about how others
will vote.O Already in use in Australia, NZ, and
other places.
New Political Paradigm
Single Transferable VoteExample:O In a three-way race, I prefer A, but I
think B has a better chance of beating C.
O I identify A as my first choice and B as my second choice.
O If B gets more first-choice votes than A, my vote is transferred to B.
New Political Paradigm
Term LimitsO Two terms for the House.O One term for the Senate.O Eight to ten years for high-ranking
bureaucrats.
New Political Paradigm
Congressional Retirement BenefitsO Congress made Social Security.O Congress has ruined Social Security.O Congress does not have to rely on
Social Security.O End all special retirement
benefits for Congress immediately. (Let them collect Social Security.)
New Political Paradigm
Congressional Retirement BenefitsWhy bother with this when the amount of money it will save taxpayers is nothing compared to the national debt?
Because it will go a long way in ameliorating the problems related to a career-minded culture in Washington.
New Political Paradigm
Lobbyist TransparencyAll Pietas Initiative candidates pledge to:O Record and publish all
communications with lobbyists.O Refuse donations from the
organizations that lobbyists represent (corporations, labor unions, special interest groups, etc.)
New Political Paradigm
Net NeutralityNet Neutrality ensures that Internet providers (Comcast, AT&T, etc.) cannot selectively slow down websites and thereby strangle independent media.
New Political Paradigm
Official Online Election PortalO All candidates receive equal
representation.*O Structured video debate format.O Voters decide the questions.O Major parties will be required to take
part.
*There will be minimum requirements for inclusion. Ex.: Signatures from 1,000 people in one’s district.
Fiscal Reform
SimplificationO Eliminate convoluted and
unjustifiable deductions.O Begin candid discussion of
alternative tax models (FairTax, flat tax, land value tax, etc.).
Fiscal Reform
Budget CutsO Cut everything. There is no sacred
cow.O Pass a balanced budget amendment.
Fiscal Reform
Social Security
Young people are being eaten alive.
Social Security has not yet been fixed because doing so requires us to make
tough decisions.
It is time to make those decisions.
“Short of an economic meltdown, there is only one thing that might produce meaningful change: a mass movement for tax, spending, and entitlement reform led by the cohort that is the least organized but will be the most affected if we don’t think long term — today’s young people.”
--Thomas Friedman
Rule of LawConstitutional Review
The federal government currently commands many extra-Constitutional powers. In all such circumstances, one of the following must happen:O Passage of new amendments to
legitimize these powers.O Relegation of these powers to the
States.
Rule of LawCongressional Checks against
Executive ActionO Give Congress the power, with
signatures from any five members, to order the release/prosecution of anyone being held by federal authorities without trial for more than 90 days.
O Outline clearer legal stipulations regarding when the Executive Branch can order the killing of U.S. citizens.
Platform Summary
Political Reform
Single Transferable Vote
Term Limits
Congressional Benefit Reform
Net Neutrality
Federal Election Portal
Fiscal Reform
Simplification of Taxes and Benefits
Alternative Tax Model Discussion
Budget Cuts
Repair of Social Security
Rule of Law
Constitutional Review for
Federal Programs
Congressional Check Against
Unlawful Detention
Congressional Check Against
Unlawful Execution
Limitations on Surveillance and
Divestiture
“But you don’t stand a chance!”
Oh, really?
Remember these guys?
How to lose against giants…
O Play by their rules.O Fight on a level field.O Let them use their strengths.O Ask them nicely.O Don’t fight them – because they’re
giants!
How to win against giants…
O Make your own rules – and use your own weapons.
O Make them fight where they don’t want to.
O Aim for the weak spots.O Do what has never been done
before.O Be aggressive, and catch them off
guard!
Giants are big and strong.
They are also slow and indecisive.
…and vulnerable.
How we will win…
We will:O Leverage the massive bipartisan
support that exists for these items.O Prove that democratized
communication technology makes cash politics obsolete.*
*When your message is compelling.
If a video of the Evian dancing babies can get over 95 million views…
…and if social media can overthrow governments in the Middle East…
…we can use efficient communication technology to defy Washington culture and rally support for reforms most of us want.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
--Albert Einstein
What We NeedO Not your money.O Candidates. If you think you are
qualified to run in your district, we would love to hear from you. We will also accept existing political figures who support these items.
O Internet activists. Do you care about these things? Do you have a computer and an Internet connection? Do you know other people? Then we want you!
What You Can Do Right Now
O Join the network.O Like us on Facebook.O Follow us on Twitter.O Follow us on Google+.O Share this slideshow with your
friends.O Write your senator or representative
and ask him/her to support the movement.
“All the armies in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come.”
--Victor Hugo
My name is Ronald Kimmons. I am running for U.S. Congress in Texas’s 7th Congressional District in 2016. I would appreciate your support, whether you are in my district or not, and I ask others to run alongside me in other districts.
