SURVEY: DNC Platform Drafting Committee

I received an email from Keith Ellison, Congressman from Minnesota, a true Progressive, and one of Bernie Sanders picks for the DNC Platform Committee. Since I am no one special (except perhaps to present company), I assume it was sent me because I have vocally – if you can use the term "vocally" about internet and email – supported Bernie throughout his campaign. Probably many who read and post here received it too, but not all.

[Incidentally, I also received a similar request from the DNC itself, but it was quite different.  It just had one small box for me to put my thoughts into.  I responded to it too – I said, “There isn’t room here to summarize my thoughts, but I did send them to Keith Ellison.”  Wonder what they will make of it.]

Anyway, Keith invited me to share the email, so I quote it in full here:

Joanne-

It’s an honor to have been selected as one of 15 Democrats from across the country to serve on the 2016 DNC Platform Drafting Committee.

Our platform listening forums start this week and I want your input.

After all, this is your party, and you deserve to be heard.

That’s why I wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to give me your feedback: simply click here to fill out our short survey and tell me more about your priorities.

With strong public support for criminal justice reform, raising the minimum wage, and fighting for trade deals that put American workers first, it’s clear that the progressive message is resonating.

But it’s up to all of us, together, to keep up the momentum so we make sure the Democratic Party Platform reflects the urgent needs of the American people.

So please, take our short survey and tell me more about your priorities. I’d love to hear from you.

Thank you,

Keith Ellison

The survey itself starts,

What are YOUR PRIORITIES FOR THE OFFICIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM?

It's an honor to serve on the Democratic Platform Drafting Committee. Now I want to make sure your voice is heard as we draft the official 2016 Democratic Party platform

Together, I am confident that we will help to craft a platform that reflects the urgent needs of the American people.

Please fill out our short survey below and tell me about your top priorities!

It requests your email address, first and last name, and Zip code.  Then it asks for one's first priority from a drop-down list, q.v.:

Raising the minumum wage
Civil rights
Making college more affordable
Protecting women's health care choices
Immigration reform
Protecting and expanding Social Security
Overturning Citizens United
Reducing economic equality
Wall Street accountability and consumer protection
Common-sense gun reform
Affordable housing
Criminal justice reform
Other

Then it gives you a type-in box to expand on your answer.  It does the same for the second and third priorities (if you are a true ine issue voter, you can use the same one all three times), and then provides a fourth type-in box for "If your top priorities were not listed, or if you'd like to tell us more, please use the space below (optional):"

I gave as my first priority Overturning Citizens United, and used the box to explain that I include under that heading voting rights in general, civil rights, and immigration reform; and added how grieved I am that after all our work stating fifty years ago, we have so much more to accomplish.

I gave as my second priority Reducing economic inequality, adding that this includes the minimum wage, affordable college, Social Security, Wall Street accountability, and affordable housing.  I mentioned that, with roughly 80% of my own income being Social Security, I am not able to contribute as much as I would like.

My third priority was Criminal justice reform, which I said includes common-sense gun reform as well as protecting women's health care choices, which should never be made part of the criminal justice system, but are being made so by certain legislation.  (I could have chosen to include immigration reform here, but to me it's a civil rights issue first.)

Having gotten everything it, I was then able to discuss climate change and reference all the lies we have been fed by big oil, big ag, and big pharma, and state that, whether their subsidies are coming from bad tax law or from appropriations, they are obscenities. 

Readers here are more than welcome to add their opinions – Keith said so.  Don't hold back.  You'll probably want to categorize things differently than I did, or add issues I failed to mention.  That's great.  Let's give them an earful.  (Do remember that Keith is a real Progressive and be nice to him.)  I duplicated the link being given twoce in the letter, but here it is again:

http://mn.keithellison.org/page/s/dncplatform

Lona (The Napster) asked me whether I expected any feedback.  I replied, "Assuming you mean personal feedback, no.  It's not impossible, but it would surely be significant if I did.  I expect any feedback to be either in a blanket email with numbers on how many people said what, or simply reports on deliberations or on the final platform.  Believe me, if I get any more, you will hear about it!" 

And I promise all here that you will too.

Cross posted to care2 at http://www.care2.com/news/member/101612212/3991161