That’s my cue. Apologies for the overly long post. If DNC did their job, it wouldn’t be necessary. There’s work that can be done between now and the midterms.

Pasted below are suggested planks for November, amended by substack readers. Since there are nearly 50, each state has been randomly assigned one plank to research. If incumbents and candidates collaborate on just one issue per state, they can provide detailed timelines and budgets to the country at virtual conventions. We WILL have the country that was promised 400 years ago but it will require unprecedented cooperation, like Quincy Jones got when he made “We Are The World.” He posted a sign that applies here: “check your ego at the door.” Or emigrate. Like the celebrities who got rich here but won’t stay and fight.

If DNC has better ideas, let’s hear them?

(BTW, the assignments are random. Who knew AI had a sense of humor?)

1. Medicare for all, including mental health, dental, and vision. Assign to South Dakota.

2. Running water for all. Assign to Delaware.

3. Safe, affordable, adequate housing for all. Assign to Maryland.

4. Climate change course correction. Assign to Kentucky.

5. National “Annual Yearly Progress” educational standards that apply to all students: public school, private school, home school. Assign to Washington.

6. Nutrition and pesticides. There’s a reason why US wheat imports are banned in EU. Assign to Vermont.

7. Paths to citizenship and statehood. Assign to Minnesota.

8. Metric system instead of imperial measurements. Every country in the world has made the switch except the US, Liberia, and Myanmar. Assign to Arkansas.

9. Reading and math literacy. Assign to Iowa.

10. Maternal and infant survival (US has the worst rates among developed countries). Assign to Hawaii.

11. Restore DEI. My disability requires electronic communication (email or chat with a transcript) but legal teams don’t like written records. I have to surrender agency and assign a proxy to manage a credit card issue or schedule a mammogram. Disney sent me an email stating that they’re “phones only.” What’s next? Telling guests in wheelchairs to manage the stairs? Assign to Colorado.

12. Zero tolerance of corruption. Assign to New Hampshire.

13. Child care. Montessori is Head Start in Italy. It was invented there to lift up disadvantaged children. In the US, we’ve made it a designer brand that’s unaffordable for those who need it most and for whom it was intended. Assign to North Carolina.

14. Amend the 2nd amendment. Texas has more than 4000 gun deaths per year. FL takes silver with more than 3000. Together, they’re responsible for more than 17% of the 40,000 annual gun deaths in the US. The UK has 28. Not 28,000. Not 2800. 28. Their cops are unarmed. Everyone wins. Assign to Arizona.

15. FOIA restored without the loopholes. Assign to Oregon.

16. Enforcement of the laws, regs and court decisions that are on the books but ignored. Assign to Wisconsin.

17. Abortion rights enshrinement. Assign to Mississippi.

18. Marriage equality enshrinement. Assign to Florida.

19. Infrastructure investment. Assign to California.

20. Internet for all. Assign to Nevada.

21. We need to stop flushing drinking-quality water. We’re running out. Assign to Illinois.

22. Return the Black Hills. Assign to Tennessee.

23. Reparations. Assign to Louisiana.

24. Livable wages in decent working conditions, ideally in a union environment. Assign to Michigan.

25. End citizens united. Assign to Connecticut.

26. Inheritance reform. Assign to Montana.

27. Enshrine social security. Assign to West Virginia.

28. Reform SCOTUS and court system. Assign to North Dakota.

29. Campaign finance reform. Assign to Georgia.

30. Tax reform. Assign to Alaska.

31. Commitment to ethical conduct. Assign to New York.

32 Commitment to “truthfulness, transparency, and accountability.” Assign to Ohio.

33. Texas: Enshrine voting rights. Assign to Texas,

34. Outlaw NDAs. They were meant to protect secret formulas, not silence the voices of victims. Assign to New Jersey.

35. Join ICC. Assign to Missouri.

36. Restore the covenant of “good faith and fair dealing.” Assign to Maine.

37. Term limits. Public service is not for accumulating power and influence, it’s for serving the people. Assign to Indiana.

38. Mandatory service to by all citizens reaching 18 for two years in public works, AmeriCorp, National Guard, or other similar organization. Assign to Utah.

39. Prison reform. Assign to Alabama.

40. Free college or vocational training. Assign to Virginia.

41. Eliminate electoral college. Assign to Idaho.

42. End private equity investment. Assign to Rhode Island.

43.End tipping. It’s out of control and our global neighbors don’t do it. Assign to Pennsylvania.

44. Issue new SS numbers to each citizen now that ours have been compromised. Assign to Wyoming.

45.Animal Welfare Act. AKC “breed standards” require docked tails and cropped ears for some dogs. The US and Russia are among the only nations where cosmetic mutilation of dogs is legal. Global leaders Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI, France) and The Kennel Club (KC, UK) preserve breed standards without these cruel practices. We can do the same. Assign to Kansas.

46.Regulate contracts signed by—and conditions endured by—pregnancy surrogates. Assign to New Mexico.

47.Regulate fine art industry to prevent money laundering and tax evasion. Assign to Oklahoma. naturalist.gallery/blog…

48.Regulate AI. Assign to Nebraska.

49.Other____________________

Massachusetts: Collaborate with Delaware

South Carolina: Collaborate with Maryland

District of Columbia: Collaborate with Kentucky

American Samoa: Collaborate with Washington

Guam: Collaborate with Vermont

Puerto Rico: Collaborate with Minnesota

Northern Mariana Islands: Collaborate with Arkansas

US Virgin Islands: Collaborate with Iowa