| 1. How do you personally define socialism? |
Socialism/communism -- Marx used the two words interchangelably, I've learned, is a struggle toward enabling us all to provide comfort, ease and pleasure -- recreation, work that feels good to do that is respected and needed by our communities, and security unto our children's children, in gentle care of Earth. |
| 2. Do you plan on running on the Socialist Party platform and the principles embodied in Socialism as Radical Democracy (including social ownership, worker control, and production for use -- not profit)? Is there anything in the Socialist Party Platform or Statement of Principles with which you disagree? |
I absolutely!! plan to campaign on the Socialist Party platform including its principles, which I support altogether. |
| 3. If you take any positions that differ from those of the Socialist Party, are you willing to make clear at all times that your views differ from those of the Party? |
Yes. |
| 4. In what way will your campaign take a working-class orientation? How will it differ from mainstream appeals to the working class? |
Letting us working people know that we have the right to comfortable enjoyment of the fruits of our labors, eliminating wanting what capitalism wants us to want, letting us look at easy living as our goal -- producing what we need and like, not enslaving us to our work but letting our work be only a part of who we are; these promote our reasonable mental health. Reminding people that we are owed it ALL, not just a smidgeon here or there, not just an allowance from the owners, the rulers, to keep us able to be at their grindstones, submissive to their religions, their churches, their schools, their institutions that sap our vigor -- these I hope will urge us to say, si se puede and know that we want and deserve all. |
| 5. What would be the top three issues you would address in your campaign and why? |
The top issue of a socialist campaign is to enable people to declare that the rulers have stolen our language. Socialism-communism -- these are how we can speak of what we're about. It's bad enough we on the actual left lack the material -- the money, the permission -- to build our political work. We can't continue as well to sacrifice the century-old, enormous theft of our language. Talking socialism as Sweezy has said, requires that we preach it -- much as did King preach for justice as far as he went -- as a song we can sing together. It's ours. I want people to feel free to reclaim it.
I want people to be able to know we are able all to provide comfortably for us all, opposite the scarcity capitalism would have us succumb to, placing materials -- housing, health care, bridges, repair in time of catastrophe beyond our reach as too costly.
And I want people to know that these objectives belong to all people everywhere; no exceptions.
Sorry -- there's a 4th objective here, implicit but needing stating nevertheless. Arrest and imprisonment must be entirely different from what has ever been done to people -- except say, in Cuba. We must be care for criminal behavior, any leftovers of capitalism's brutality, by helping people deal with unacceptable behavior in healthy, encompassing ways, making sure alternatives and healing are plentiful. Any long-term incarceration must be as totally humane as anyone's pleasant home.
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| 6. Please describe your position on the following issues. |
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| 6a. Do you support a woman's right to choose? |
Absolutely. I've aborted a number of my own pregnancies, much to my pride and pleasure, no doubts or recriminations. |
| 6b. Do you support Affirmative Action? |
YES! and reparations!!! |
| 6c. Do you support equal rights for non-heterosexuals? |
What's the difference!? People all... |
| 6d. Do you support equal rights for non-citizens? |
Workers' rights for all people wherever we are. Borders are the capitalists' tools. |
| 6e. To what extent do you support establishing a socialized healthcare system? |
Fully. We to own the equipment and remedies/medications as well; all valid forms of treatment to be available. The billions for war can pay for our walk through how to give us all sufficient health care instead. |
| 6f. How do you envision a socialist solution to the most common problems in the public school system (i.e., funding, assessment, and integration)? |
School serves to stratify us. It is an alienating tool of the establishment. I campaigned for the school board here because the truant and disruptive, even criminal behavior is not seen as indicative of the problem. Instead, individuals are told AND ACCEPT that it's their own fault for not fitting in.
School receives people as though they need fixing; and takes them through a 'repair' system to which, if they submit, and complete going through the top schools, they are likely to obtain high-paying positions and what capitalism calls success. Resistance to these, dissension within these ranks elicits swift punishment and exclusion, from Kindergarten on.
Integrate all ages; we work together, learn and teach together. End age segregation. School is the institution integral to maintenance of the status quo. It like capitalism, cannot be 'reformed'.
Meaningful change of the system could not happen overnight. But recognition of the problem and the goal is fundamental to liberating people's thinking about what we need to do.
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| 6g. How do you intend to address living wages and affordable housing? |
While we're always working for the little survivalist changes -- for better working conditions and wages, and for social funding for housing, we know that the concessions will always fall short of need, and usually in be done in polluting ways rather that in well thought out ways that care for Earth.
As now, attacks on any concessions would begin as soon as there would be any relenting to provide care for us. Socialist support of nice housing and good work for us all is the only reasonable objective. |
| 6h. How do you propose to address the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? |
Continue our demands to stop them. Further, demand that all occupying troops and auxiliary workers be removed and made to do their work here in the U.S. |
| 7. Do you have any experience running for and/or holding public office? For what office(s) have you run? Have you ever run before as a Socialist? |
Only campaigned last year, as above. Never held such elected office. I always do everything -- except any job I'm permitted to do -- as a socialist. |
| 8. Do you satisfy the Constitutional requirements for being elected president of the United States (e.g., you are a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years of age, and have at least 14 years of U.S. residency [foreign military service notwithstanding])? |
Yes. |
| 9. To what extent are you willing/able to travel while campaigning? Do you have any personal commitments that would significantly limit the amount of time you can dedicate to campaigning (i.e., family, school, work, etc.)? |
If I am nominated to be the candidate for the party I will travel as much as possible. I can do this just about full time. |
| 10. What strategies and/or methods do you think would be most effective in promoting your campaign? Do you have access to any community resources that might aid in publicizing your candidacy? |
I have no special resources, just the usual ones with which we're familiar. |
| 11. Are you comfortable writing campaign statements, speaking to large audiences (including the media), and participating in debates when opportunities arise? |
Definitely. |
| 12. What resources (financial, skills, etc.) do you bring to the SP Presidential campaign? And what resources would you request or need from the Socialist Party USA? |
I have tightly limited personal funds. The Party would have to add to any besides minimal expenses I'd pay for travel. |