Issues
Tristin Mock
"We must be vigilant about protecting our environment. Economically, it makes no sense to degrade our soil, air, and water in the interest of quick profits, only to spend billions ten years from now to remedy the mess we've made. The enormous cost of cleaning up existing toxic waste sites reveals that pollution is only a cost deferment.
In health terms, environmental degradation makes us far sicker than we would otherwise be, and reduces the quality of our everyday life. Effective health care begins with prevention, and preserving a liveable environment is one of the best medical investments we can make."
Bernie Sanders, Outsider in the House
Peace
Supporting our troops does not mean sending them on a suicide mission, and abandoning them if/when they return. We should be providing them with appropriate support when they return to the US. Care of the body, mind, and spirit are essential. Veterans should be fed, sheltered, and healed.The occupation of Iraq needs to be ended immediately. There are several plans, including the McGovern Plan and "a responsible plan" that have already been developed that address how to successfully end our invasion of Iraq.
Community-Based Economics
Keeping things local, improves the welfare of your community by creating sustainable economic and ecologic systems. Shipping products results in higher costs and increased pollution. Locally produced items provide meaningful work and a decent standard of living to members of the community.Universal Healthcare
Everyone deserves access to healthcare. Ongoing wellness care can help prevents illnesses, costing everyone less money. It is deplorable that a 20 year old type I diabetic could be denied access to life saving insulin because its too expensive. It is morally repugnant to send home widowed seniors hours after surgery for a fracture because they don't have insurance. The current healthcare system is leaving doctors with no time to see patients; and patients are receiving suboptimal care. According to Sen Sanders, a single payer system will provide enough in administrative savings to provide healthcare to all Americans.Retirement
With the continued raiding of the social security fund, and the large population of people nearing retirement age, reforms need to be made. Generations of people paid into the social security fund, and now that they need it, it is disappearing. Several actions need to be taken to minimize this crisis, first being that the social security fund should be off limits! Limiting military spending, by ending the occupation of Iraq, will prevent some of the raiding that has been happening.The War on Drugs
The government should increase funding of drug treatment programs. It's morally reprehensible that some law makers would rather jail drug sellers, and sentence them to death, than pay for drug treatment facilities. We need to determine why people commit crimes and try to change these factors rather than just throwing them into prison.Balanced Budget
We should not be placing a huge burden of debt onto future generations. The government should model fiscal responsibility to its people. Government funds should be spent wisely, we should no longer spend billions of dollars on untested equipment for the military. By cutting military spending and corporate welfare we will be able to invest in rebuilding the infrastructure of our nation.Environmental Protection
As Sen Sanders eluded to in the above quote, we must protect the environment because we will have to pay the price for not protecting it at some point. Environmental protection will lead to new jobs through the "greening" of industry. A major first step is to phase out funding for fossil and nuclear energy development and shift it to renewable energy research and development. Here is a more expanded version of Tristin's environmental policy.Tristin is against the proposed LNG terminals. These terminals are serious environmental and economic hazards. More jobs could be lost than created by these ports. They also could have a negative impact on commercial fishing because of the area that needs to remain clear around the tankers. California, who will receive most of the LNG has rejected all of the proposals because of these serious concerns, but wants to use Oregon as a back door. Read more about the negative impacts of LNG.
Election Reform
We must return electoral power to the people. Modern politics has evolved to the point where corporations and PACs buy candidates, by donating huge sums of money to the chosen campaigns. The American people can no longer be sure if their representatives will represent the people, corporations, or special interests. Tristin will not accept money from businesses or PACs; She only accepts contributions from individuals and the Green Party.Tristin supports public financing of elections. Public financing keeps power in the hands of the people. Public financing is extremely important for incumbents. Elected officials should spend their time leading our nation, not trying to raise money for re-election.
Paid for by the Committee to Elect Tristin Mock
