My Interview with Sen. Gravel

Written by: Reed in V T on Apr 9, 2007 6:00 AM EDT

First let me tell you a little about myself. I'm just an average guy, working for a highway dept. in Vermont for almost 30 years. Always voted but didn't do much more politically. Then came George W Bush, still other than a lot of cussing, the only action I took was to vote. By 2003 I just couldn't believe what was happening in America and someone finally emerged to change my actions...Howard Dean, my governor, was running for president. I went to a few of his rallies and what he was saying connected with me. WE have the power, WE are the ones that must act if we want change.
By 2004 I had started to get involved, attending our Democratic caucus and becoming a member. After a few committee meetings and meeting some of our local legislators, I looked at how I might help out. The committee didn't have a website so this is what I worked on. With the help of my son and another member, the website was created, which I sponsor and maintain. Dean didn't win but he did empower many people like me and his 50 state strategy showed that indeed WE could make a difference. By 2006 with the help of 60 volunteers, we had a Democratic headquarters in our town, the first in over 20 years. What a celebration we had there after the 2006 elections.
Now the wait to 2008, listening to candidates to see where they stand in this mess we are now in. So many important issues need attention...the war in Iraq, health care, education, climate change, civil liberties, illegal immigration, corporate media, outsourcing of jobs, questionable elections, lobbyists...the list goes on and on. Maybe it's just early, maybe I'm a little more savvy than before but I just don't hear from most of the candidates how I can really make a difference. I want to hear how WE can really enact change. Then one day I heard a voice while I was sleeping...my wife had C-Span on and I was napping in the chair. It was Sen. Gravel and he was speaking at the DNC Winter Conference. What he was saying was exactly how I felt on many issues and what WE needed to do. When I heard he was visiting my neighboring town to speak, I called about the event. The number was where he was staying, he was put on the phone and surprisingly he graciously granted me an interview. Here is what he said at the forum along with the interview...

 

 Sen. Gravel was a pleasure to interview, his years as a senator were obvious at the forum as well as during the interview. Along with his upbeat personality, you can feel a sense of urgency in his voice, this is a man on a mission.

The mission was to change all that is wrong and the backbone to his policy I soon found out was his desire to empower Americans as lawmakers, enabling us to vote directly on legislation, through enacting The National Initiative. Just about every issue he talked about came back to this, enabling the people to determine their own destiny. He said we as citizens are adolescents regarding our civic duties, and we needed to become adults and be involved, to stop giving away our power to lawmakers. Representatives concerns start with themselves, then lobbyists who fund them, then their party so the people's interest is never going to be high on their list. Sen. Gravel mentioned that 24 states already vote on state and local bond issues and initiatives, he just wants to bring it to the federal level as it's the only way things in the U.S. will ever change.

Wants to implement a progressive transparent national sales tax and eliminate the income tax. The wealthy have been gaming the current system to where they are not paying their fair share. Would include monthly payments to registered taxpayers to cover the cost of basic needs. Of course, as is with all his policies he wishes to implement, it would be the people's will to do so with the National Initiative.

 His position on the Iraq war is get out now, Congress has the power but isn't using it. We could be out in 60 days. Protecting America's vital interests means oil. Pelosi and Reid's tactics are childish just giving a free pass to the repugs. Congress has two powers re: war, to start or stop a war. Congress has no business sticking their nose into how a war is fought. Keep filibustering until you have the votes to override the presidents veto.

 On Universal Health Care, said to eliminate business from the picture, every American would get a voucher for basic coverage (around $8,000-$10,000) and people could purchase more if wanted. Mandate pharms to sell prescriptions at world prices. At the recent health care forum, he was the only one with a plan for universal health care. Edwards aid businesses need to do more, possibly raise taxes. Richardson said he proposed to have a plan by the end of the year. Hillary had no plan, Obama had no plan and Kucinich was to go after the ins. cos.

What Bush & Co. have done is more than impeachable. Impeachment is too soft, these are crimes warranting jail time and if elected he would pursue criminal charges and hold them accountable to defer any like action in the future.

He wants to implement a carbon tax, taxing carbon at the source and get the U.S. off carbon energy within a decade.

Education in a democracy should be #1 priority.

Predicted without national Initiative, congress will not enact tax reform, health care reform or get out of Iraq (it's the oil and we'll be there 35 years).

Whether you agree with Sen. Gravel's positions or not, he raises some important issues. I certainly hope a man who has 16 years of elected service to this country is allowed to have his voice heard. 

http://mikegravel.us/

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