Moving Toward a 'Working Society'

I saw John Edwards speak today at the Center for American Progress. Whenever that man makes his announcement, sign me up! I'm ready to get on the trail as a part of Team Edwards!

His speech was on "Restoring the American Dream - Combating Poverty and Building One America." Reminding us that Katrina's tragedies serve to hold up a mirror to America and show us the constant tragedy of systemic poverty nationwide, Edwards proposed a "New America Initiative" to create a "Working Society."

The Bush Administration champions the wealth society, but that leaves millions of American adults and children behind. The statistics are amazing - 37 million Americans live in poverty. 1 in 5 American children live below the poverty line. Imagine a family of four trying to exist on roughly $50 a day. Even the statistical definition of poverty is a political issue, and the numbers don't even include millions more families that exist right on the edge.

But don't believe the old stereotype that poor people don't work, that it's their fault that they can't rise up in the economy. Over 63% of those families who live in poverty have 1 or more full-time workers in the household. These are people who are working, WORKING, and still can't get by.

And now, Bush has revoked the Davis-Bacon protections, cutting wages for the workers who will be rebuilding the Gulf. Edwards asked if Bush will be putting any salary caps on the leaders of Halliburton and the other crony companies that will be getting those bloated contracts. Not likely.

We should not stand for this. We can't possibly stand for this. Edwards is proposing several initiatives to combat poverty in America - a new New Deal, a Great Society for the 21st Century. He reminds us that "America is not, and never wished to be, a Wealth Society. To be true to our values, our country must build a Working Society." Everyone who is willing to work, willing to contribute to the American economy, must be guaranteed that they will get by.

His ideas include:

• Work Bonds to help families save.
• A New Savings Plan to help families buy and keep a home.
• Housing Vouchers that enable families to move to good school districts.
• Raising the minimum wage
• Creating a College for Everyone plan
• Finishing meaningful welfare reform
• Reforming the Alternative Minimum Tax to benefit middle-class Americans

The main way to pay for this? Repealing the Bush tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy. Keeping the estate tax. Ending many tax breaks for big corporations.

Edwards was great. He sounded like a candidate, and he looked like one too. He's even better-looking in person!