Bernie Sanders, The Only Choice For Economic Equality

Bernie Sanders is the best choice of the two democratic candidates for president.  Between him and Hillary he is the most ambitious with his goals, but in that ambition he is also the most concerned with what is best for the citizens that make up the shrinking middle class and those in the expanding category of the low income.   His plan goes the whole mile, while Hillary’s plans seem to stop half way or just short of the goal post.  With that goal post being turning the country off of the path towards becoming a full oligarchy that it is currently one.  Bernie’s plan represents a step in the surgical approach to not only addressing the issues faced but turning them around, by contrast Hillary’s plan smacks  more of throwing some antibiotics and a bandage at the problem then actually solving them, which is more In line with the political mainstream that she comes from.  I think that what is needed though is true ambition and bold leadership and that is just what Bernie’s plan is and provides, and it all benefits the average American.

When it comes to worker’s rights he starts off with the big guns with raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020 (halfway down page point 2) in stark contrast to Hillary’s meager $12 an hour with the caveat of supporting higher wages at the state and local level (section Fair Growth, heading Raising The Minimum Wage) without giving any timeline on when she would raise the minimum wage, or how she would effectively put the pressure needed on said state and local governments to get them to achieve the goal of a higher minimum wage.  Bernie is also more ambitious when it comes to time off of work, he calls for 12 weeks paid family medical leave, 10 days paid vacation and 7 paid sick days a year. (point # 10) while Hillary only calls for 12 weeks of family medical leave, no vacation time, and most importantly no paid sick time.  Bernie would also extend overtime protection to workers making lest the $947 a week. (Paragraph 3)

One of the biggest points you can see Bernie go all out and Hilary stop short of the goal line is when it comes to college education.  Bernie wants to make public college tuition and debt, and tuition free and has the plan on how to finance that,(It's Time to Make College Tuition and Debt Free whereas Hillary just wants to make it debt free.  In contrast to Hillary’s plan that is only debt free if you attend in in state public college Bernie’s plan would be good around the country, his would also require no tuition payments whereas Hillary’s plan calls for students to pay tuition, with her plan requiring them to work 10 hours a week plus their parents to make a contribution of about 10% of their income (heading Cost Wont Be A Barrier, point 2 & 3) Bernie would also stop the Federal government from making a profit off of student loans (point # 2) in Bernie’s plan public colleges and universities would be required to meet 100% of low income students’ needs and as such they would be able to use financial aid to pay for room and board, as well as living expenses.(Point # 5)  When it comes to education of the future of our country we can’t afford to stop part way there, many of the very countries that we are competing against in the world already have free public college and universities and more have it in the works.  If we want to insure we have the educated workforce we need for the future we need to make getting that education free so that everyone has a shot and to strengthen our global competitiveness.

Bernie also goes all out when it comes to health care, advocating for a Medicare for all single payer health care system, in sharp contrast to Hillary who just purposes some tweaks to the ACA and some changes to Medicare itself.  In Bernie’s plan he transforms Medicare into a true single pay health care system that every American gets to participate in regardless of age.  It is beyond time for something like this to happen, we are the only developed nation that does not recognize health care as a basic right and provide a single payer health care system (Medicare For All: leaving no one behind) as parts of his changes to health care in this country, he would allow Rx medication to be imported from licensed pharmacies in Canada, saving Americans money.(point # 2)   Not only that but he would change the law that forbids Medicare from negotiating prescription drug prices and require that it negotiate prices with the drug companies.(point # 1) In Bernie’s plan through a serious of funding avenues from closing tax loopholes to a couple new taxes he would fund universals health care which at a cost of 1.38 trillion a year (heading The Plan Would Be Fully Paid For bullets 1-7) it is estimated to save $6 trillion in cost of the current system over the next ten years (Heading Major Saving For Families and Businesses, point 1) the average family of 4 making $50,000 would now pay $426 a year for health insurance a saving of over $5,800 a year  and average employer health insurance contribution would go from $12,591 to $3,100  a saving of $9,491 an employee!(Points 2-3) This would all be funded through minor adjustments to the top 4 income tax brackets, taking dividends and capital gains as income, 0.3% tax on estates over 3.5 million, limited tax deductions for the wealthy, savings on current health insurance tax breaks ($310 billion a year), a 6.2% income based premium paid by employers, and a 2.2% income based premium paid by households. (heading The Plan Would Be Fully Paid For bullets 1-7) It is time for America to move to a single payer system where insurance does not depend on employment, often holding people hostage in jobs they don’t like, or preventing them from getting further education for fear of lack of health insurance.

This is just a high light of the issues, on just about every issue on his platform Bernie Sanders goes the extra mile when it comes to what he wants to accomplish and how he plans to do so.  He demonstrates a keen understanding of what is wrong with this country and what needs to be done to not only change that but to make America a great nation once again.  One that lives up to its values.  One that would be able to once again call itself number one and for it to be true. Bernie’s platform not only demonstrates a keen understanding of what is really wrong, but an honest and earnest desire to not only fix it but to improve this country for the average American, and snag the government back into the hands of the people and out of the jaws of the billionaire class, making us once again a country of the people, for the people, by the people, not just a government of the corporations and billionaires, for the corporations and billionaires, by the cooperation’s and billionaires that it is becoming and is dangerously close to becoming.    Bernie is the only choice that can not only stop that trend but do what it takes to reverse that trend and restore this great nation to what it used to be. That is why America needs Bernie Sanders as our next president.