East Bay Kerry

Our Plan For America : The Book

You wanted talking points? You got it! "Our Plan for America: Stronger at Home, Respected in the World" is a 252 page book. It has Kerry's and Edward's goals, and their action plan to get us there.

Download "Our Plan for America" (1.53 MB)

Two parts.

The first has the plan in three sections: Security, Opportunity, Family. The second is a collection of 13 policy speeches the two gave since October 2002, including Edwards' Two Americas and Kerry's talks on foreign policy. In between: 16 pages of color photos from their campaign.

Three ways to use it:

1. Debate prep. If you're with the East Bay Kerry Speakers Bureau, it has specific bullets on many issues.
2. Letters. If you're writing letters to the editor, handy quotes from the candidates to make your point.
3. Outreach. If you're tabling, registering voters or doing other face-to-face field work, you want to be able to answer questions. Here are the specifics. Read a few pages every day and you'll be an expert before you know it.

Free to download, I'm sure it will be in print soon.

Overview (from the JK.com web site)...

Restore America's Respect in the World and Make us Independent of Mideast Oil

Today, we face four great challenges above all others - First, to win the global war against terror; Second, to stop the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; Third, to promote democracy, freedom, and opportunity around the world, starting by winning the peace in Iraq; Fourth, end our dependence on Mideast oil. To meet these challenges, Kerry and Edwards will:

Launch and Lead A New Era Of Alliances.

The threat of terrorism demands alliances on a global scale - to utilize every available resource to get the terrorists before they can strike us. Kerry-Edwards will lead a coalition of the able - because no force on earth is more able than the United States and its Allies.

Modernize The World's Most Powerful Military To Meet New Threats.

Kerry-Edwards will ensure that our forces are fully prepared for the dangerous and vital missions they may face, and that America's military always remains second to none. We must extend our capabilities to better face new threats of terrorism, failed states and homeland defense.

Deploy All That Is In America's Arsenal.

The war on terror cannot be won by military might alone. Kerry - Edwards will deploy all the forces in America's arsenal - our diplomacy, our intelligence system, our economic power, and the appeal of our values and ideas - to make America more secure and prevent a new generation of terrorists from emerging.

Free America From Its Dangerous Dependence On Mideast Oil.

To secure our full independence and freedom, we must free America from its dangerous dependence on Mideast oil. By tapping American ingenuity, we can achieve that goal while growing our economy and protecting our environment. Kerry-Edwards will create a new energy and conservation trust fund to accelerate the development of innovative technologies, such as more efficient cars and trucks, the development of biofuels, and creating clean, secure, hydrogen-based energy. Kerry-Edwards will also expand the supply of natural gas, assure 20% of electricity comes from renewable sources by 2020, and make clean coal part of our energy solution.

Create New Jobs, Strengthen the Middle Class, and Ensure Educational Opportunity

Reward Companies that Create Jobs in America.

The Kerry-Edwards plan will end tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas and use the savings to reduce the corporate tax rate by 5 percent, cutting taxes for 99 percent of corporations. The Kerry-Edwards plan also includes a New Jobs Tax Credit for new hiring in manufacturing, other businesses affected by outsourcing, and small businesses.

Strengthen the Middle Class.

As incomes decline and costs rise, families are having a hard time paying their bills, let alone saving for tomorrow. Health care costs are up by nearly 50 percent, college tuition has increased by 35 percent, and gas prices have skyrocketed. A Kerry-Edwards administration will provide relief to middle class families by cutting taxes and investing in health care and education.

Invest in the Jobs of the Future.

To keep America competitive for the future, a Kerry-Edwards administration will invest in research and technology and provide tax credits to unleash innovation in broadband, energy and small business. They will also provide a tax credit on up to $4,000 for each of four years of college tuition. And they will work for responsible immigration laws that honor America's promise and strengthen America's economy and security.

Restore Fiscal Discipline to Washington.

Kerry and Edwards have a record of fiscal discipline that is absent in this administration, and they have promised to live within the budget principles that helped lead this nation to balance the budget. Their plan will cut the deficit in half in four years, increasing economic confidence and keep interest rates from rising.

Provide High-Quality Health Care, Improve Education, and Strengthen Families

Up to $1,000 of Health Care Premium Relief

The Kerry-Edwards plan will provide relief for employers who offer their employees quality health coverage by helping out with certain high cost health cases - saving families up to $1,000 per year.

A Health Plan for Every Child

The Kerry-Edwards plan will pick up the full cost of the more than 20 million children enrolled in Medicaid. In exchange, states will expand eligibility for children's health coverage and low-income adults and enroll every child automatically.

Manage Skyrocketing Health Care Costs

The Kerry-Edwards plan will improve health outcomes while reducing health care costs by cutting administrative costs, waste, fraud, and abuse; enhancing disease management efforts; and reforming malpractice insurance.

World Class Education

The Kerry-Edwards plan will support more resources and more reform in our schools. The plan will fully fund the No Child Left Behind Act so students have smaller classes and more textbooks. The plan will make reform work for our schools, supporting innovations in public schools like smaller schools, all-girls schools focused on math and science, and charter schools. And the plan will invest in afterschool programs so that 3.5 million children have a safe, quality place to go after school.

Every Classroom Has a Great Teacher

The Kerry-Edwards plan will raise teacher pay, especially in the schools and subjects where great teachers are in the shortest supply, and will improve teachers' professional development and training opportunities. At the same time, the plan will create rigorous new tests for new teachers; provide higher pay for teachers who have extra skills and excel in helping children learn; and ensure fast, fair procedures for improving or removing teachers who do not perform well on the job, while preserving protections from arbitrary dismissal.

Every Young Person Graduates

Today 3 in 10 young people do not finish high school, and half of Hispanics, African Americans, Native Americans don't graduate. Kerry-Edwards will keep better track of graduation rates to hold schools accountable for raising them; will offer more tutoring and mentoring to at-risk youth; will make big high schools smaller when they are not working for their students; and will strengthen the high school curriculum so all students can graduate with a meaningful diploma.

###

Now It Begins...

Yesterday, John Kerry accepted the Presidential nomination of the Democratic Party, with John Edwards as his running-mate. They can't, however, do this alone. We're all in the same boat. Now it's official. 3 months to the election. Volunteer. Get active. Now it begins.

Persuading Bush'00 Voters

"You do not reason a man
out of something he was
not reasoned into."

Jonathan Swift

But seriously folks....

As we broaden our efforts, we must remain focused on the issues. Yet, as John Kerry's latest messages make clear, we must also appeal to the heart, the emotions, of those we address. Kerry has inserted "values" into his message. He states that he is optimistic because he believes we can do better.

Together, we’ll build an America stronger at home and once again respected in the world. Together we will bring an end to the Bush Administration.

Enter John Edwards. Robert Kaiser says, "He has an emotional impact on people." A Kerry-sensible issue platform delivered by so compelling a speaker as Edwards ought to raise some pulse-rates. Let's help!

Kerry-Edwards '04

A Vision for a New America.

Update: The AP has obtained a memo outlining Kerry's selection strategy.

Happy Independence Day -- A Vision for America

Today, as much as at Thanksgiving, is a day to take stock of our beloved country. What does this country mean to you? Does it mean tax cuts for the wealthy, at the expense of public education, social security, and homeland security? Does it mean alienating our allies and undermining 50 years of diplomacy? Does it mean skyrocketing healthcare premiums, so that fewer and fewer Americans can afford health coverage?

That's not what this country means to John Kerry.

To John Kerry, this country means:

• An open and honest government
• Providing healtchare for ALL Americans
• Respecting the Constitution and protecting the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation
• Keeping faith with our veterans by providing them with access to healthcare, education, and other benefits
• That women have the right to choose
• Ensuring a fair tax code
• Ensuring a clean environment
• Increasing funding for education at all levels -- primary, secondary, and college
• Protecting our country by giving the people who need it -- firefighters, police, customs, etc. -- the money they need to do their job
• Making the US energy independent, because no young Americans should ever again have to die for our dependence on foreign oil
• Internationalizing the effort in Iraq, thereby giving the rebuilding legitimacy

Find out more. Get involved.

Love your country. Vote Kerry.

08/15 - Writers Bureau meeting (V)

Writers Bureau, August 15th, 7:00 p.m.

Where: TBD

09/21 - Registering New Citizens to Vote (V)

Please see the information posted here.

09/07 - Registering New Citizens to Vote (V)

Please see the information posted here.

08/17 - Registering New Citizens to Vote (V)

Please see the information posted here.

08/03 - Registering New Citizens to Vote (V)

Please see the information posted here.