Position Paper

By David Edwards

During the course of our history the people of our state have made extraordinary accomplishments. I believe that in most instances their actions were intended for the common good; however, sometimes were only for the enrichment of a greedy few. Regardless of our motivations some of our accomplishments have not been improvements. Our industrial agricultural system with excessive use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and water will not survive much longer. It has and is causing much harm to our food, our water, and our health and is reliant on cheap energy and government subsidies. Our massive water projects have decimated our watersheds, and our agribusiness has further degraded our rivers. We need to restore our watersheds. We need to become energy independent and keep our money local to create funding alternatives for small businesses, startups, small family farms, energy efficiency upgrades, and local energy production. We need to start a single payer healthcare system that emphasizes preventative care and wellness. We need to redefine Corporations, eliminate Corporate Personhood, and disallow big money the ability to buy free speech.

We clearly have a history that demonstrates our ability to be innovative. In making these changes we will create meaningful local jobs to provide security for our people. We need to learn from our past and move forward utilizing our amazing innovative abilities for the good of the people and environment of California, and to be a positive force in the world.

Key Issues

Money, We need to control our money locally. We need financial institutions that reinvest locally rather than feed the New York Banks. We need a cooperatively run state bank for investors who are the people of California, similar to the Bank of North Dakota. We need local programs utilizing local equities and ingenuity to employ local people working to better their communities and environment. Finally we need to pass legislation regulating all banking and lending institutions that do business in our state to control interest rates and fees. By doing this we will create opportunities for small start up business, new and existing local energy production, small family farmers, sound forestry use and management, energy efficiency upgrades for our homes and revitalizing our down town main streets.

Employment, We need local meaningful work. We have so much to do. We need to support and stimulate local; local food production,local energy production, efficiency retrofits on our homes and businesses, health care and wellness, sound forestry practices and watershed management. When we do this we will have full employment and people secure in their homes.