Progressive Democrats of Illinois: Our issues platform

Our key issues:

End the War Against Iraq: While fighting terrorism is a worthy and necessary struggle, the invasion and occupation of Iraq has nothing to do with fighting terrorism -- and everything to do with oil, and global domination. Let's support our troops by bringing them home now. Not one more person should have to die for our illegal war of aggression.
Universal, Single-Payer Health Care For All: The current system of for-profit health care is a cancer eating away at the quality of our lives. Millions of Americans have no health coverage, and many more others are faced with ever-increasing premiums, co-payments, restrictions, and exclusions. Trying to work around this cancer through piecemeal reforms is a prescription for failure; the cancer must be cut out, by making health care a public service like the police and fire departments.
Civil Rights and Equal Protection For All: Repeal the so-called Patriot Act. Oppose abuses of official power, from police brutality in the inner city to misconduct in the highest levels of office. End discrimination based on race, national origin, religion (or lack thereof), gender, or sexual orientation. Support the right to privacy, including a woman's right to choose whether to have an abortion.
Fair Trade: Agreements such as NAFTA, GATT, and the WTO subordinate elected governments to unelected, unaccountable corporate boards. While protecting the intellectual property of big-money interests, they undermine labor and environmental standards and help corporations shift jobs to low-wage dictatorships. The US should pull out of these treaties and negotiate new agreements which protect the environment and the rights of workers.
Reform Campaign Finance: Someone who gives money directly to a politician in exchange for favors is guilty of bribery. But buying influence through that same politician's campaign fund is business as usual. The results of our system of government for the highest bidder are plain to see: the looting of the Savings and Loans in the eighties, the ongoing weakening of environmental and labor protections, the ongoing wave of corporate mega-mergers as our government turns a blind eye. For democracy to truly work, we need a system of fully public-funded campaigns, with free air time to candidates of all viewpoints.
Economic Justice: Corporate CEOs and the other super-rich benefitted from the economic booms of the eighties and nineties while the rest of us saw our wages decline and our debts balloon. It is only fair that the rich should pay back the huge deficits incurred by their bought-and-paid-for politicians. Raise taxes on the rich and corporations, and use the money to give a break to the people who need it.
Reform the Election Process: The electoral process in the U.S. is in dire need of reform. Electronic voting methods are easily hacked and defrauded, partisan officials administer elections, standards are not uniform for candidates to get on the ballot, people aren't given time off work to vote, and voting is not a guaranteed right in the U.S. Constitution. PDI wishes to change all that, with hand-counted paper ballots tabulated and reported at the precinct level, standardized ballot requirements for candidates, public campaign financing, required media access for candidates, and much more. The people of the United States have a fundamental right to choose their elected officials and to have their votes counted accurately and fairly.
Sustainable Energy: Developing clean, renewable energy sources will be of immense benefit to the domestic economy, national security, and the global environment. It is equally imperative that we develop sustainable agricultural practices, building methods, and industries. Also critical is the efficient use of energy. PDI supports making every possible effort to met these goals as rapidly as national, state, and local resources allow. PDI believes that current energy policy is inherently tied to many of the national security and economic issues challenging the U.S. today.
Reform the Media: Concentration of media ownership is detrimental to a healthy democracy. Media monopolies must be broken up. Licensed broadcasters should be obligated to present alternative points of view. Public broadcasting should be fully funded, and controlled locally, shielded from both corporate and political influence.