|
|
Media Inquiries: [email protected]
<--- Volunteers / Web Warriors :: Use the Colorful Icons at Left to Share Page on Social Media
Give Through Your Favorite Platforms
Click on the ActBlue or Donorbox Buttons to Contribute
Click on the ActBlue or Donorbox Buttons to Contribute
"I support policies, ideas & initiatives that deliver responsive, effective government for every citizen. I'm on a lifelong campaign for good government."
-- Mike Trout
-- Mike Trout
JOIN MIKE'S CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND PROPOSALS: SYNOPSES
GOOD GOVERNMENT BILLS
SINGLE ADEQUATE LIMITED TERM - NO RE-ELECTIONS TO CONSECUTIVE TERMS IN FEDERAL OFFICES. Privately funded elections and re-elections by elite wealthy, and corporate donors and other special interest groups are indeed the greatest source of corruption in our current and future elections.
Extend the term of a US Representative to 4 years, from 2 years, and cap to a SINGLE ADEQUATE LIMITED TERM. (Face it, House Reps NEVER close the campaign office! Let's END the NEVERENDING campaign once and for ALL!)
Extend the term of a US Senator to 8 years, and cap to a SINGLE ADEQUATE LIMITED TERM.
Extend the term of the Presidency of the United States to 6 years, from 4 years, and cap to a SINGLE ADEQUATE LIMITED TERM. (As it stands, we elect a President for a two year term, and a two year campaign. Let's give a President 6 years to govern, and no time dedicated to re-election distractions.)
NO MORE D.U.P.E.S. - DISRUPTIVE UNNECESSARY POLITICAL ELECTIONS HAPPEN WHEN AN ELECTED OFFICIAL ABROGATES HIS OR HER OATH BY RESIGNING ONE PUBLIC OFFICE TO SEEK ANOTHER PUBLIC OFFICE OR PRIVATE PURSUIT BEFORE FINISHING HIS TERM OF OFFICE, WHICH WAS A SOLEMN PROMISE TO SERVE THE VOTERS WHO ELECTED HIM OR HER TO SERVE A FULL TERM.
Note* At least one Congressional Candidate in the 23rd District is responsible for a DUPE in Fort Lauderdale.
Members of the Ft Lauderdale City Commission reportedly implored Ben Sorensen and two other members NOT to resign early from their terms of office as the cost to the taxpayers may exceed $150,000.
The other, greater harm this move will impose is that voters will not be ready nor informed, nor engaged in a special election (many candidates who might have participated in a regularly scheduled election might be hesitant to participate in an irregularly scheduled election.)
It is CRYSTAL CLEAR that Gov DeSantis is contemplating a DUPE on a grand scale to play on the whole state of Florida! Even as DeSantis is running for re-election to the Governor's Office, it is NO SECRET that he is considering a run for President in 2024, and if it were to pass that he succeeded in winning the Presidential election, he would be resigning the Governorship midterm, and forcing a HUGELY DISRUPTIVE and COSTLY special election.
TIE MY SALARY TO YOUR SALARY (CONGRESSIONAL MERIT PAY) - SET CONGRESSIONAL HOUSE AND SENATE SALARIES BASED ON THE AVG OR MEDIAN SALARIES OF THEIR STATE AND DISTRICT CONSTITUENTS (WITH SOME ALLOWANCE FOR HAVING TO KEEP DOUBLE RESIDENCES.) SERVING YOUR COUNTRY SHOULDN'T BE REGARDED AS A GET RICH QUICK SCHEME.
PUBLIC FUNDING OF ELECTIONS – PUBLICLY FUNDING ELECTIONS IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT STEP WE CAN TAKE TO INSURE THE INTEGRITY OF FUTURE ELECTIONS. We MUST eliminate the Campaign Industrial Complex altogether.
PEOPLE'S FRANK - TAKE AWAY MOST PAPER MAILING PRIVILEGES FROM CONGRESS, AND GRANT FREE PAPER MAIL FROM ANY CITIZEN TO ANY ELECTED OFFICER OR PUBLIC UTILITY AT ANY FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL LEVEL THROUGH THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICE.
REFERENDUM FOR AMERICA - ENACTMENT OF NATIONAL BALLOT INITIATIVE PROCESS.
YOUTH VOTE - PASS THE CIVIC ACT - PASS 16 Y/O RIGHT TO VOTE, AS IN SOME DOZEN OTHER NATIONS.
IRS/TAX REFORM (FAST TAX) - REDUCE THE 75K PAGE TAX CODE TO A POSTCARD , REQUIRE THE WEALTHY AND BIG BUSINESS TO PAY FAIR SHARE.
WILL YOU EVER BE QUALIFIED? - The Right to Run is as fundamental a voting right as any, but how can the ordinary voter exercise that right when burdensome political qualifying fees are so excessive. In Florida, the Qualifying Fee for a US House election is $10,440 (calculated as a percentage of the salary of the office.) Rather than base qualifying fees on a percentage of the office, they should be calculated based on the income of the voter who desires to compete and serve. It should not exceed 1-2% of the annual salary or net worth of the candidate. If Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or any other billionaires should want to run, they should be ready to part with the same percentage of income as any other voter -- even though in the case of a multi-billionaire, that fee might run into the hundreds of millions. Those fees should be used directly to publicly fund elections activity.
ELEVATE DEBATE - REQUIRE QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO DEBATE OPPONENTS UPON CHALLENGE IN ALL FEDERAL RACES (Any candidate who REFUSES to debate a duly qualified opposing candidate should be disqualified from ballot.) Debates should follow Congressional Style debate rules, with candidates debating each other directly on policy issues and proposals.
THE AUXILIARY ACT - CREATES VOLUNTEER AUXILIARY OFFICES FOR ANY PUBLIC FACING FEDERAL AGENCY UPON A REQUISITE NUMBER OF REQUESTS.
VETERANS - REQUIRE ALL CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES TO MAINTAIN VETERANS LIAISON STAFF.
HEALTH, HOUSING, HUMAN SERVICES, CONSUMER AFFAIRS & ECONOMY
MEDICARE FOR ALL AS ACA REFORM - MAINTAIN FREE MEDICAL MARKETS IN A SINGLE PAYER UNIVERSAL SYSTEM. IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE, AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF MEDICARE ALREADY EXISTS.
JFK CONSUMER ACT - (CONSUMER RIGHTS ARE CIVIL RIGHTS) - CODIFY JFK'S CONSUMER BILL OF RIGHTS AS SUPERSEDING CONSUMER LAW. The Consumer Bill of Rights already stands as a guide for many existing consumer protection statutes -- the codification of JFK's CONSUMER ACT would supersede in cases where an existing law falls short of it's intended spirit, or in the absence of a particular protection in specific instances.
TAKE AMERICA OUT OF FORECLOSURE - NO FORECLOSURES ON PRIMARY RESIDENCES . INCENTIVIZE LOCAL INDIVIDUALS, BANKS, BRANCHES, CREDIT UNIONS, AND OTHER LOCAL PRIVATE AND NONPROFIT HOUSING AGENCIES TO OFFER FAIR MARKET EXIT OPTIONS (PURCHASES) TO HOMEOWNERS IN DISTRESS OR DEFAULT AT FMV (FAIR MARKET VALUE) AND TO REHABILITATE AND RESELL PROPERTIES TO MEET LOCAL HOUSING NEEDS.
Nothing in this proposal would prevent lenders from protecting their interests by safeguarding properties with liens, and other measures. It would simply set a new standard that protects the integrity of the American primary home.
This protection would apply to the (once) wealthy as those of lesser previous means. It would also NOT apply to vacation homes, second homes, investment property, etc.
There was a widely reported case of a (once) wealthy man facing foreclosure on his likely quite valuable home, and upon the foreclosure ruling against him in court – he committed suicide on the spot.
*Note. After I had committed to this campaign, I received news that a disabled family member is facing an imminent foreclosure sale in another state. I may have to be out of town for several days attempting to possibly connect her to resources (such as a HUD approved lender) to stave off the foreclosure, though I’m not at all sure there is any chance of stopping it at this late date. This should not and would not happen under my plan to safeguard the sanctity of every primary home.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING - ACCELERATE THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE 3D CONSTRUCTION REVOLUTION THROUGH GRANTS TO PUBLIC COLLEGES AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES.
RECORDING FOR QUALITY PURPOSES - REQUIRE ACCESS TO COPIES OF ANY RECORDINGS MADE IN THE COURSE OF COMMERCE OR GOVERNMENT TELEPHONIC INTERACTIONS. If the purpose of the recording is to accurately document the details, representations, and understandings of these calls, then it is only fair that all parties have unfettered access to these records.
FREEWAY COMMERCE ACT - FOSTER MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRISE OPPORTUNITY ON FEDERALLY OWNED OR ADMINISTERED LANDS OR SITES (EXAMPLES: IN REST AREAS ALONG INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AND IN PARCELS IN AND ADJACENT TO NATIONAL PARKS)
ENVIRONMENT - THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS REAL AND UPON US. I SUPPORT SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
BREAK UP BIG TECH - WE ARE STRUGGLING UNDER THE MASSIVE WEIGHT OF TECH-MONOPOLIES THAT THREATEN TO STIFLE THE WIDE PROLIFERATION OF SMALL ENTERPRISE INNOVATION AND ENABLEMENT THAT HAS ALWAYS FUELED THE AMERICAN DREAM.
Note: When I was growing up in Central America, in the former US Panama Canal Zone, AT&T was the reigning monopoly in telecommunications. To call my Gramma in Georgia, Ma Bell would charge up to $3 or more to connect the call, and $3-$4 PER MINUTE of talk time. When the Federal Government finally broke up AT&T for their egregious pricing and anti-competitive, monopolistic anti-consumer practices, it marked the beginning of the innovation revolution in the telecommunications industry. Today, we can install apps on our phones that allow us to talk to friends in any country in the world for free. (Well, maybe not completely free because we might have to put up with some advertising for the privilege, but for me that’s a good model.
Many Americans (probably MOST) have very little market choice in where they get their internet services. There is effectively NO competition.
Today many of our markets are DOMINATED by enormous corporations who operate with the same impunity as the old AT&T. By some estimates, AMAZON controls nearly 50% of online e-commerce sales. Three or four companies control nearly the entire meatpacking industry in America. A small number of GAS Giants are gouging us at the pump during a pandemic, even as their publicly available profit sheets show huge market gains quarter over quarter. Survival of the Monopolies was NEVER the ideal of free and fair market Capitalism. Let’s take back America for the people.
Extend the term of a US Representative to 4 years, from 2 years, and cap to a SINGLE ADEQUATE LIMITED TERM. (Face it, House Reps NEVER close the campaign office! Let's END the NEVERENDING campaign once and for ALL!)
Extend the term of a US Senator to 8 years, and cap to a SINGLE ADEQUATE LIMITED TERM.
Extend the term of the Presidency of the United States to 6 years, from 4 years, and cap to a SINGLE ADEQUATE LIMITED TERM. (As it stands, we elect a President for a two year term, and a two year campaign. Let's give a President 6 years to govern, and no time dedicated to re-election distractions.)
NO MORE D.U.P.E.S. - DISRUPTIVE UNNECESSARY POLITICAL ELECTIONS HAPPEN WHEN AN ELECTED OFFICIAL ABROGATES HIS OR HER OATH BY RESIGNING ONE PUBLIC OFFICE TO SEEK ANOTHER PUBLIC OFFICE OR PRIVATE PURSUIT BEFORE FINISHING HIS TERM OF OFFICE, WHICH WAS A SOLEMN PROMISE TO SERVE THE VOTERS WHO ELECTED HIM OR HER TO SERVE A FULL TERM.
Note* At least one Congressional Candidate in the 23rd District is responsible for a DUPE in Fort Lauderdale.
Members of the Ft Lauderdale City Commission reportedly implored Ben Sorensen and two other members NOT to resign early from their terms of office as the cost to the taxpayers may exceed $150,000.
The other, greater harm this move will impose is that voters will not be ready nor informed, nor engaged in a special election (many candidates who might have participated in a regularly scheduled election might be hesitant to participate in an irregularly scheduled election.)
It is CRYSTAL CLEAR that Gov DeSantis is contemplating a DUPE on a grand scale to play on the whole state of Florida! Even as DeSantis is running for re-election to the Governor's Office, it is NO SECRET that he is considering a run for President in 2024, and if it were to pass that he succeeded in winning the Presidential election, he would be resigning the Governorship midterm, and forcing a HUGELY DISRUPTIVE and COSTLY special election.
TIE MY SALARY TO YOUR SALARY (CONGRESSIONAL MERIT PAY) - SET CONGRESSIONAL HOUSE AND SENATE SALARIES BASED ON THE AVG OR MEDIAN SALARIES OF THEIR STATE AND DISTRICT CONSTITUENTS (WITH SOME ALLOWANCE FOR HAVING TO KEEP DOUBLE RESIDENCES.) SERVING YOUR COUNTRY SHOULDN'T BE REGARDED AS A GET RICH QUICK SCHEME.
PUBLIC FUNDING OF ELECTIONS – PUBLICLY FUNDING ELECTIONS IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT STEP WE CAN TAKE TO INSURE THE INTEGRITY OF FUTURE ELECTIONS. We MUST eliminate the Campaign Industrial Complex altogether.
PEOPLE'S FRANK - TAKE AWAY MOST PAPER MAILING PRIVILEGES FROM CONGRESS, AND GRANT FREE PAPER MAIL FROM ANY CITIZEN TO ANY ELECTED OFFICER OR PUBLIC UTILITY AT ANY FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL LEVEL THROUGH THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICE.
REFERENDUM FOR AMERICA - ENACTMENT OF NATIONAL BALLOT INITIATIVE PROCESS.
YOUTH VOTE - PASS THE CIVIC ACT - PASS 16 Y/O RIGHT TO VOTE, AS IN SOME DOZEN OTHER NATIONS.
IRS/TAX REFORM (FAST TAX) - REDUCE THE 75K PAGE TAX CODE TO A POSTCARD , REQUIRE THE WEALTHY AND BIG BUSINESS TO PAY FAIR SHARE.
WILL YOU EVER BE QUALIFIED? - The Right to Run is as fundamental a voting right as any, but how can the ordinary voter exercise that right when burdensome political qualifying fees are so excessive. In Florida, the Qualifying Fee for a US House election is $10,440 (calculated as a percentage of the salary of the office.) Rather than base qualifying fees on a percentage of the office, they should be calculated based on the income of the voter who desires to compete and serve. It should not exceed 1-2% of the annual salary or net worth of the candidate. If Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or any other billionaires should want to run, they should be ready to part with the same percentage of income as any other voter -- even though in the case of a multi-billionaire, that fee might run into the hundreds of millions. Those fees should be used directly to publicly fund elections activity.
ELEVATE DEBATE - REQUIRE QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO DEBATE OPPONENTS UPON CHALLENGE IN ALL FEDERAL RACES (Any candidate who REFUSES to debate a duly qualified opposing candidate should be disqualified from ballot.) Debates should follow Congressional Style debate rules, with candidates debating each other directly on policy issues and proposals.
THE AUXILIARY ACT - CREATES VOLUNTEER AUXILIARY OFFICES FOR ANY PUBLIC FACING FEDERAL AGENCY UPON A REQUISITE NUMBER OF REQUESTS.
VETERANS - REQUIRE ALL CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES TO MAINTAIN VETERANS LIAISON STAFF.
HEALTH, HOUSING, HUMAN SERVICES, CONSUMER AFFAIRS & ECONOMY
MEDICARE FOR ALL AS ACA REFORM - MAINTAIN FREE MEDICAL MARKETS IN A SINGLE PAYER UNIVERSAL SYSTEM. IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE, AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF MEDICARE ALREADY EXISTS.
JFK CONSUMER ACT - (CONSUMER RIGHTS ARE CIVIL RIGHTS) - CODIFY JFK'S CONSUMER BILL OF RIGHTS AS SUPERSEDING CONSUMER LAW. The Consumer Bill of Rights already stands as a guide for many existing consumer protection statutes -- the codification of JFK's CONSUMER ACT would supersede in cases where an existing law falls short of it's intended spirit, or in the absence of a particular protection in specific instances.
TAKE AMERICA OUT OF FORECLOSURE - NO FORECLOSURES ON PRIMARY RESIDENCES . INCENTIVIZE LOCAL INDIVIDUALS, BANKS, BRANCHES, CREDIT UNIONS, AND OTHER LOCAL PRIVATE AND NONPROFIT HOUSING AGENCIES TO OFFER FAIR MARKET EXIT OPTIONS (PURCHASES) TO HOMEOWNERS IN DISTRESS OR DEFAULT AT FMV (FAIR MARKET VALUE) AND TO REHABILITATE AND RESELL PROPERTIES TO MEET LOCAL HOUSING NEEDS.
Nothing in this proposal would prevent lenders from protecting their interests by safeguarding properties with liens, and other measures. It would simply set a new standard that protects the integrity of the American primary home.
This protection would apply to the (once) wealthy as those of lesser previous means. It would also NOT apply to vacation homes, second homes, investment property, etc.
There was a widely reported case of a (once) wealthy man facing foreclosure on his likely quite valuable home, and upon the foreclosure ruling against him in court – he committed suicide on the spot.
*Note. After I had committed to this campaign, I received news that a disabled family member is facing an imminent foreclosure sale in another state. I may have to be out of town for several days attempting to possibly connect her to resources (such as a HUD approved lender) to stave off the foreclosure, though I’m not at all sure there is any chance of stopping it at this late date. This should not and would not happen under my plan to safeguard the sanctity of every primary home.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING - ACCELERATE THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE 3D CONSTRUCTION REVOLUTION THROUGH GRANTS TO PUBLIC COLLEGES AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES.
RECORDING FOR QUALITY PURPOSES - REQUIRE ACCESS TO COPIES OF ANY RECORDINGS MADE IN THE COURSE OF COMMERCE OR GOVERNMENT TELEPHONIC INTERACTIONS. If the purpose of the recording is to accurately document the details, representations, and understandings of these calls, then it is only fair that all parties have unfettered access to these records.
FREEWAY COMMERCE ACT - FOSTER MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRISE OPPORTUNITY ON FEDERALLY OWNED OR ADMINISTERED LANDS OR SITES (EXAMPLES: IN REST AREAS ALONG INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AND IN PARCELS IN AND ADJACENT TO NATIONAL PARKS)
ENVIRONMENT - THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS REAL AND UPON US. I SUPPORT SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
BREAK UP BIG TECH - WE ARE STRUGGLING UNDER THE MASSIVE WEIGHT OF TECH-MONOPOLIES THAT THREATEN TO STIFLE THE WIDE PROLIFERATION OF SMALL ENTERPRISE INNOVATION AND ENABLEMENT THAT HAS ALWAYS FUELED THE AMERICAN DREAM.
Note: When I was growing up in Central America, in the former US Panama Canal Zone, AT&T was the reigning monopoly in telecommunications. To call my Gramma in Georgia, Ma Bell would charge up to $3 or more to connect the call, and $3-$4 PER MINUTE of talk time. When the Federal Government finally broke up AT&T for their egregious pricing and anti-competitive, monopolistic anti-consumer practices, it marked the beginning of the innovation revolution in the telecommunications industry. Today, we can install apps on our phones that allow us to talk to friends in any country in the world for free. (Well, maybe not completely free because we might have to put up with some advertising for the privilege, but for me that’s a good model.
Many Americans (probably MOST) have very little market choice in where they get their internet services. There is effectively NO competition.
Today many of our markets are DOMINATED by enormous corporations who operate with the same impunity as the old AT&T. By some estimates, AMAZON controls nearly 50% of online e-commerce sales. Three or four companies control nearly the entire meatpacking industry in America. A small number of GAS Giants are gouging us at the pump during a pandemic, even as their publicly available profit sheets show huge market gains quarter over quarter. Survival of the Monopolies was NEVER the ideal of free and fair market Capitalism. Let’s take back America for the people.
THE CULTURE WARS
Alas, the Culture Wars are upon us, and we can do nothing but fight (at the ballot box) to return and preserve hardwon rights that the extreme right is hell bent on destroying -- from Women's reproductive autonomy, Contraception, Gun Safety, and even Marriage Equality, it's clear that the Supreme Court has declared war on civil society. Even Medicare and Social Security are on our "own" Senator Rick Scott's chopping block. It will take every vote in every district to defend against these attacks, and I am ready to represent you at any and every turn.
CLOSING ARGUMENTS
Good Government. Is there such a thing? I think so, but it takes the resources of an involved constituency -- and it must be administered in consultation and with the informed consent of the people.
If you believe that we need social justice and business and job creation, safety and respect and tolerance for our diverse ethnicities, religious, and social customs, an overhaul of our justice system and replacements for our bridges, tunnels and roads, VOTE for Mike Trout for Congress in Florida's NEW 23RD Congressional District.
Voters should choose me because where my opponents offer discussions of the issues and their positions -- I offer concrete proposals and solutions to real problems.
Voters on the left should vote for me because I am a lifetime Progressive Democrat, and I understand the challenges of inequality in our society, and I offer geometric solutions -- the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and we have to have solutions that go directly to the heart of circumstance.
Independent voters should vote for me because I am not an ideologue who blindly follows partisan demagoguery, but instead view situations with new and independent eyes.
Voters on the right should vote for me, because I want to be known as an enterprise progressive, and I believe in releasing the creative edge of the pioneering American spirit.
I believe in a minimal amount of government intrusion on our liberties, and free access to domestic and international markets, especially for the smallest of players.
We can look at investment in higher education as the best way to leverage and employ the best energies of our brightest and sharpest minds to continue to participate in the cutting edge medical and scientific research that will produce the cures and treatments for the things that ail us -- from Alzheimer's to Zika, and everything in between.
Investment in the rapidly developing Maker Movement promises breakthroughs in everything from affordable housing, to modern agricultural methods.
Providing systems to distribute the most important resource of all -- clean water, will dramatically improve health both here at home and around the world. I stand in support of the efforts of the Miami Waterkeepers at the forefront of our fight for clean water.
When we get to the point of distributing the means to tap free and renewable energies, we will mark that day as the beginning of the era of universal wealth and prosperity, and an end to all cycles of poverty.
Voters should vote for me because I and some other forward thinking candidates want to once and for all scrap our bloated 75000 page tax code, and replace it with a fair, automatic, and simple tax (FAST) that eliminates all the special interest carve-outs and tax giveaways to corporations, and creates a system in which everyone pays their fair share.
Voters should vote for me because I will support efforts to repeal Obamacare, and simultaneously and seamlessly implement Medicare for All, which achieves immediate administrative savings of 25% - 35%, by eliminating the profiteering insurance companies who contribute nothing productive to the health care market except exclusion, while preserving the free market of doctors and other providers, and vastly simplifying the bureaucratic burden on those who’s mission in life is to practice medicine in the best way they are trained to do, universally accessible by all.
Voters should vote for me because I will protect the environment, and always vote to be a good steward of our natural and essential resources that produce clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and healthy food to eat.
Voters should vote for me because I will always vote for peace over war, and choose to focus our defense budget on actually defending the homeland, and not running off to military mis-adventurism at every turn.
Voters should vote for me, because I’m going to close the campaign office upon election, and spend exactly ZERO time electioneering and groveling for special interest monies to fund my next re-election campaign, because I pledge to spend just one Single Adequate Limited Term in office, and while I am doing the best job I can for the people, new voters can plan to get involved in public service, knowing full well that I will be stepping out of the way to make room for the next one to come and do the very best job they can for the people."
-- Mike Trout
Look for Mike's Billboards, Banner and Button Ads - BuckSaverDigitalMedia
|
@NicoleSanders Show / My First '22 Campaign Interview!
MY ENDORSEMENTS FOR FLORIDA