Those of you who follow me on Twitter @kerr_vernon , know that I often harp on the need for a credible third political party as a solution to the divisive, partisan, bickering state of today’s US Politics.  Recently I called on the nation’s youth to pick up the torch and help to create such a party.  Here are the beginnings of a party-platform.

NewIntegrity Party

PLATFORM

Preamble

In the 21^st Century, division caused by “tribal-politics” has destroyed the unity of the Citizens of the United States of America.  Tribal-politics, in this context, means politics which encourage viewing Citizens of the opposite party as:

• evil
• enemies
• not worthy of respect as Americans, whose every idea for change must be battled against and defeated

In addition to promoting tribal-politics, the two major parties in America, Democratic and Republican, have created and maintained a monopoly on Citizen-access to the democratic process.  In the historically epic Presidential election cycle of 2016 these two parties presented candidates who were viewed by the majority of the populace to be flawed and unworthy of nomination. But, because of the Democratic/Republican monopoly, many well-intentioned Citizens were faced with the sad and disgraceful situation of voting for “the lesser of two evils,” or worse, voting a straight party-line regardless of candidate weaknesses.

Subsequent to the 2016 Presidential nomination-cycle it was learned that dishonest practices within one party (or perhaps both parties) effectively repressed the will of party members and, through that dishonest manipulation, secured the nomination of the bad-actors’ preferred candidate(s). This truth explains why the first planks in the NewIntegrity party—those planks deserving top priority—have to do with Integrity, more specifically: honesty, openness, promise-keeping, inclusiveness, financial responsibility, respect for political opponents, respect for party members’ opinion, and rejection of negative campaign practices. By putting these planks at the top of our platform, and putting planks that contain specific promises below them, we are saying, promises are mere platitudes if a political party does not first honor those eight. Promises are cheap if there is no resolve to keep them.

The NewIntegrity Party strives to restore dignity to the political process, to be a shining comparison to the current chaotic, sensationalistic, petty, war-like, two-party political process, which process has been responsible for a drastic decline in citizen participation and voting in America.  For those whose stomachs have been turned by America’s political process, we are the antiemetic.

Platform Planks

1.     Honesty

1. Our internal processes are devoid of chicanery and double-dealing and our candidates for public office are rejected, when not displaying honest…
2. Political solutions proposed by our party should be aimed at causative factors of the underlying issue needing correction, not dishonest quick-fixes that deal only with effects while remaining willfully ignorant of deep underlying causation. Candidates using these tactics shall be declared unfit for the office being sought.

2.     Openness

1. Our internal processes are openly publicized and open-door to party membership and our candidates for public office are rejected for deliberate lack of candor. Furthermore…

3.     Promise-keeping

1. First, we make no promises unless we are reasonably certain that they can be kept. Once a promise or platform-plank is stated we stand together to put a high priority on fulfillment of that promise. In our party, promises are not cheap and…

4.     Inclusiveness

1. NewIntegrity Party has NO Central Committee, NO National Committee, NO Ivory Tower.  Administration is not through one National Convention but through frequent Local and regional Conventions whose recommendations become the Party Platform to be proposed for adoption at the Presidential Nominating Convention every four years.
2. All registered US voters are eligible for party membership and all U.S. residents, regardless of immigration-status are eligible for non-voting, party associate-advisory membership.

5.     Financial responsibility

1. The NewIntegrity Party rejects large contributions from corporations and Political Action Committees (PACs). Our party will not be tainted by money given by financially privileged individuals or corporations in order to push forward their personal or corporate agendas.
2. Party treasury is a sacred trust administered on behalf of patriotic citizen-contributors, it will not be used by party leaders for personal enrichment or bribery of government officials or media outlets.

6.     Respect for political opponents

1. Although we may disagree, heartily or even vehemently, with our political opponents, we shall do so with all respect for their mutual citizenship and assumed patriotism for our country…

7.     Respect for party members’ opinion

1. NewIntegrity Party leadership is bound, by accepting that position of leadership, to listen to and respect the suggestions and wishes of both the voting members and the associate-advisory members. Leaders who push forward personal agendas irrespective of over-all membership opinion, shall be removed from office.

8.     Rejection of negative campaign practices

1. While historically very effective at winning elections, smear tactics, whether using truth or fabrication, are universally viewed with disdain by the electorate—and are another cause for voter apathy and declining participation in the political process. Party candidates shall always take the high-ground, when comparing themselves with opposing candidates.  Such comparisons should always be limited to objective, verifiable criteria that relate directly to both candidates’ leadership qualities and fitness for the office being sought.

9.     Crime

1. Gun Control

10.     Full Employment

1. Limit the percentage of part-time, non-benefit employees, regardless of business size.

11.     Family

1. DACA

12.     Fair compensation for labor

5.     Access to Housing

6.     Retirement

7.     Healthcare

8.     Fair taxation of persons and corporations

1. A flat tax.  Banks and financial institutions, doing business in the United States should be required to deduct a milltax (.001%) for each deposit or withdrawal, electronic or otherwise. These decuctions would be automaticall credited, dynamically as they occur to the U.S. Treasury.  Banks would be audited for compliance, but no other paperwork or reporting would be necessary.  The percentage could be increased or decreased by act of Congress as the economic situation changes.

9.     Encourage Alternative, Clean Energy Technologies

10.  Amend the US Constitution to remove the legal-fiction of Corporate Personhood.

11.  Research causes and effect sane solutions to current economic inequality.

1. Limit the percentage of gross-national-product any one corporation or individual can control.

12.  Strengthen definition and enforcement of anti-trust laws

13.  Education

1. All public colleges and universities should be tuition-free and supported by the federal, state and local treasuries.

14.  Etc.   Fill in the blanks…