"There is No Such Thing as an Illegal Human Being": Kucinich and Immigration

We cannot forget who we are. We are a nation of, a nation welcoming and built by immigrants. And though this Administration wants to divert attention from its current mistakes, we cannot forget who we are in the process. To Dennis Kucinich, America means "give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses...". To Dennis Kucinich, in an open and free democratic nation there must be a path to citizenship. To Dennis Kucinich, there is no such thing as an illegal human being.

Speaking at the Latino Congresso last month, Kucinich said:

I want to let you to know something; how I feel about what’s happened to our country...

in this toxic environment, the Administration, in its never-ending quest for more scapegoats, focuses on immigrants. You know it and I know it. And we see, unfortunately, the failure of the Democratic Party to stand up to this Administration...

Isn’t it interesting how famous Ronald Reagan became for saying, “Mr. Gorbachev, take down that wall.” Oh, how far we’ve come from those days. When President Reagan said, “Take down that wall,” and President Bush now says, “Build up a wall,” where are we going as a nation?

I believe the way the immigrant community is treated, whether documented or not, reflects the direction and future of America. We must believe that our brothers and sisters, Latinos and all of the other ethnic groups, are essential to who we are as Americans.

Kucinich has voted against and vocally criticized the debate on the border fence, though he does support securing our ports and borders. However, to really address the immigration issue, we reform our trade agreements that have caused the mass immigration from Mexico. NAFTA and the WTO not only destroyed high paying manufacturing jobs at home, but seriously depressed the economy in Mexico and forcing millions to cross the border in search for work. The immigration issue is becoming more and more the scapegoat for our disastrous trade agreements and wars. Only by renegotiating fair trade agreements and improving the Mexican economy can we hope to begin to solve our immigration issues.

Kucinich wants to offer immigrants a clear road map to legal status in the United States and grant legal permanent residence to immigrants who have been living in the U.S. for five or more years. He would also offer conditional legal status and work authorization to all law-abiding immigrants living in the United States for less than five years and revoke current laws that bar certain people who live abroad from re-entering the U.S. for a period of three to 10 years. Kucinich wants to stand for all Americans and all people:

It is time that we had a President who understood that human unity is what makes for peace. And that when we impose the wrath of the law that is unjust, what we’re doing is we’re stopping peace from happening. So, I’m running for President to make sure that all the people in America know that they have someone who they can count on, and know that they will have a President who will stand up for them. And I will tell you today that the Latino community, in particular, has a right to expect that all the candidates will stand in front of you and say, “Yes. We must have a path to legalization. Yes. There must be a way for people to work in this country, if they want to live in Mexico. Yes. We must take down that wall!”

Workers' Rights and Trade Agreements

The decline in workers’ rights and representation, as well as the redistribution of wealth and power toward corporations at the top, has been evident ever since The Taft-Hartely Act. So, Kucinich, the most labor progressive and only Union member among the candidates, will repeal the Taft-Hartely Act as President.

However, the steady trends of declining workers’ rights, increase in outsourcing of trade and technical jobs, and our massively growing trade passage of NAFTA and the WTO. In fact, the passage of NAFTA and the WTO. In fact, these trade agreements are written in such a way as to encourage these trends and, as previous attempts have shown, any such reforms are doomed to fail by the binding authority of these agreements.

Thus, Kucinich is the only candidate offering a comprehensive solution to this issue: withdrawing the U.S. from these trade agreements (NAFTA/WTO). Once the U.S. withdraws from these agreements, we will renegotiate bilateral trade agreements, based upon human rights, workers’ rights, equal rights and environmental principles. This will save millions of jobs currently being outsourced. But, Kucinich will go further by creating millions of new jobs and more wealth among the middle/working classes and small businesses, while simultaneously addressing our crumbling infrastructural problems and energy needs, through his Works Green Administration (WGA).

Inspired by FDR's Works Progress Administration, the WGA utilizes the Environmental Protection Agency to put millions of Americans back to work rebuilding our schools, bridges, roads, ports, water systems, and environmental systems. Not only does the bold practicality of the plan lie in putting Americans back to work by investing in the national wealth of our own infrastructure, but the plan also incorporates environmental and energy concerns to further create wealth for the country and save individual families more money. For example, not only will the public works projects stress green building and renewable energy technology, but the plan will enable homes to be retrofit with green building, solar and wind microtechnology which will save families money on their energy bills.

He will also look at the use of H-1B and L-1 visas, which have had a negative effect on the workplace of Information Technology workers in America. It has caused a reduction in wages. It has forced workers to accept deteriorating working conditions and allowed U.S. companies to concentrate work in technical and geographic areas that American workers consider undesirable. It has also reduced the number of IT jobs held by Americans.

Kucinich will ensure that the government provide adequate funds for the enforcement of visa regulations -- including much-ignored regulations prohibiting the use of foreign nationals in critical infrastructure -- and appoint a special investigator to examine the extent and nature of H-1B and L-1 visa fraud. We need an industry fact-finding commission, including representatives of major U.S. investors, U.S. tech workers, and business leaders who have been competitive in the international marketplace without use of the H-1B / L-1 program. These representatives can make suggestions as to a new policy on the immigration of people with specialized knowledge or unique skills.

Under Dennis Kucinich, Americans goes back to work with better wages and better conditions to build a better country.

Election Reform

Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate calling for what is necessary to safeguard our elections: a required voter-verified paper trail for every election so that any errors and irregularities caused by the voting machines can be discovered. Congress has the ability and the duty to act on real voting reform that addresses the real issues that mar our electoral system, issues researched and documented by countless activists and academics.

Right now there are no such requirements for the so-called "Direct Recording Electronic" machines currently being used in many communities and states. With the computer technology in use, there is constant risk of a program flaw -- or worse, tampering with the software, which could change votes and thus change the outcome of elections. Without a "voter verified audit trail," meaning a permanent record of each vote that the voter can check to verify that it represents his or her intent, these changes might never be detected.

To address these problems, Kucinich is a strong supporter of:

· Requiring all voting machines to produce a voter-verified paper record for use in manual audits and recounts.

· Banning the use of undisclosed software and wireless communications devices in voting systems.

· Having required all voting systems to meet these requirements in time for the general election in November 2004.

· Requiring that electronic voting systems be provided for persons with disabilities by January 1, 2006.

· Requiring mandatory surprise recounts in 0.5% of domestic jurisdictions and 0.5% of overseas jurisdictions.

As a country we need to support measures such as Election Day as a holiday, election-day voter registration, enhanced voting rights enforcement, an end to the racially biased disenfranchisement of felons who have served their time, and full Congressional representation for residents of the District of Columbia. We cannot continue to punish former felons after they have paid their debt to society. To do so, perpetuates the racism of the Reconstruction. Over a million black males have unjustly been deprived of their right to vote.

Further, we need comprehensive campaign reform including clean money with the goal of public financing of the public's elections, ample free television time for candidates, the break-up of the media monopolies that restrict political debate, and the consideration of electorate measures such as IRV.
Instant Runoff Voting. IRV offers a cost-effective way of insuring that the winning candidate is preferred by a majority of voters; it encourages voters to vote their wishes and not their fears; it promotes greater voter turnout and positive campaigning.

Dennis Kucinich firmly supports public campaign financing of elections. Private control of campaign financing leads to private control of the government itself and schemes like the privatization of social security, which would put trillions in retirement funds of Main Street workers at the disposal of Wall Street speculators. Public control of the political process requires public financing. The restoration of our American Democracy depends upon public financing. Less than 1% of the U.S. population contributes 80% of the money in federal elections. When only 0.11% of the voting age population contributed sums of at least $1,000 to a 2002 congressional candidate, doubling the limit to $2,000 provides even more power to the tiny financial elite. Those large contributions amounted to 55.5% of the candidates' individual fundraising.

H.R. 676 Offers the Most Comprehensive Coverage

With his health care plan, H. R. 676, Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate willing to eliminate the private, for-profit, insurance industry that wastes 15-30% of every dollar spent on non-health care expenses and offer a truly universal, not-for-profit, single-payer national health care system: H.R. 676. Not only does H.R. 676 make the most economical sense, but the coverage is unparalled in the quality and stability that Americans will receive.

Under H.R. 676 all out-of-pocket expenses like co-pays, deductibles and medications costs are eliminated. This proves H.R. 676 to be greatly superior to other health care plans because it is these out-of-pocket expenses that lead to the mass medically related bankruptcies in this country. Half of all American bankruptcies are medically related and, outrageously, 3 out of every 4 of these are experienced by PEOPLE WHO HAVE INSURANCE! The reason is because the out-of-pocket expenses are out of the reach of most once a serious illness arises. And as H. R. 676 is the only plan that eliminates these out-of-pocket expenses, Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate to address this devastating issue that affects millions of Americans.

Then, consider the coverage offered under H.R. 676. Not only does it provide all medically necessary coverage, but it goes further to include full dental, vision, and mental health care, including substance abuse treatment. All fully covered.

Under H.R. 676, all Americans will have free access to fully comprehensive benefits and care, by actually spending less than we do under the current private insurance system. This is possible because H.R. 676 eliminates the wasteful administration of the current system, which uses 15-30% of every healthcare dollar on non- healthcare related costs such as, advertising/marketing, patient rating and underwriting, and corporate profit. Under the not-for-profit H.R. 676, these costs are eliminated and administration runs at a much more economic 3% of spending, saving the U.S. roughly $400 Billion a year to be utilized for actual care.

The funds are already available in our national healthcare spending. It is only an issue of administering the system properly and allocating the funds in a rational and organized way. Under H.R. 676 the premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and medication costs that are responsible for half of all bankruptcies in this country, are fully covered. The funding for the plan is primarily generated through taxes, as well as assimilating funding for current public programs, such as Medicaid, Medicare and SCHIP, and repealing the Bush tax cuts for the highest income earners. There will be a 3.3% payroll tax on all employers and employees for 95% of income earners; a 5% health tax on the top 5% of income earners; and a 10% tax on the top1% of wage earners.

As stated above, taxes will be raised, however, as the rates are relative to wages and all out-of-pocket expenses (deductibles, co-pays, and medications) are fully covered, the overwhelming majority of Americans will save money. In fact, 95% of families will save money according to a study by national economist Dean Baker. A family of three earning $50,000/yr would spend only $2,375 a year under H.R.676 for full coverage, compared to the average family spending under employer based programs being $11,000/yr according to National Coalition for Health Care. And Businesses would also save and better complete in the International market.

But, the full health of our nation doesn't just call for insurance plans and docotor visits. A healthy nation also includes a new approach to the pychological and spiritual well being of our citizens, and Dennis Kucinich is leading here as well. Under a new doctrine of "strength through peace" America will gain a new balance in priorities, away from foreign wars and back to investing in the economy and infrastructure. The poor, working and middle classes will rebuild their cities through his jobs program and receive quality education (the only proven solution to overcome poverty) beginning with universal pre-kindergarten program. Through his Department of Peace, both international and domestic, violence will be addressed through well established and practical measures. And Dennis Kucinich will finally end The War on Drugs.

Drug addiction and abuse is a serious issue that ruins people’s lives, which cannot be ignored. However, we have to change our policies and approach significantly. We need to help and support these Americans rather than criminalize them. Drug addiction is a medical and moral problem that should be treated by professionals, not dumped on the criminal justice system.

The War on Drugs drives up the price and encourages violence. Prohibition simply doesn't work. We need to aggressively pursue proven public information campaigns and set up a national commission of medical professionals to develop an intelligent program, based on the experience of drug experts from around the world. This will Allow doctors to treat drug addiction humanely and intelligently, including the prescription of maintenance doses, which would allow us to quickly eliminate most of the black market and much of the damage to a safe, free, and just America.

Dennis Kucinich finally means a healthy America!

Dennis Kucinich On Weapons

Dennis Kucinich’s whole candidacy is centered upon practical policies working towards peace; already introducing legislation for disarmament, banning weapons in space, and establishing the Department of Peace. He is firmly against the use of nuclear weapons and, as President, will finally lift up the U.S. to claim its responsibility as a global leader in working with other countries towards disarmament and the abolishment of nuclear weapons forever. We must claim this responsibility, applying the same principles to ourselves as the rest of the world, if we are to have any credibility in negotiations with the international community.

Under a Kucinich Administration, the U.S. will:

Lead the way toward the complete elimination of nuclear weapons from the earth. Our goal should be a steady movement toward complete nuclear disarmament.

Renounce first-strike policy. We must set aside the Bush Administration's Nuclear Posture Review, which is a strategy for nuclear proliferation. We must assure the world community that the United States will not be the first to use nuclear weapons.

Cancel all U.S. nuclear weapons programs. We must work to put an end to the development of any new nuclear weapons, to the manufacture of any nuclear weapons, and to any plans to test nuclear weapons.

Stop the use of all depleted uranium munitions. We must order an end to the United States' use of depleted uranium munitions. We must lead an international effort to recover depleted uranium. We must promote environmental remediation. We must develop a program to provide care and restitution for people suffering as a result of the United States' use of depleted uranium munitions, nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons production, nuclear testing, and uranium mining.

Ban all nuclear weapons testing by the United States. We must enact a new policy banning nuclear testing and work to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Open talks with all nuclear powers. The U.S. must begin new talks with Russia, China, Britain, France, India, Israel, and Pakistan to develop a plan aimed at the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. The first step should be to suspend all "readiness" levels of nuclear weapons systems, including those of the United States.

Encourage participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We must encourage all nations to actively participate in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and meet personally with the leaders of India, Israel, and Pakistan to request that they sign as non-nuclear weapons states. The President must also meet personally with Kim Jong Il to encourage North Korea to rejoin the community of nations through reaffirming its participation as a non-nuclear weapons state.

Discourage nations from acquiring nuclear weapons. We must work with the nations of North Korea, Iran, Algeria, Sudan, Syria, and others to discourage the acquisition of nuclear weapons capability.

Reinstate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and cancel the Ballistic Missile Defense. We must work with Russian President Vladimir Putin to reinstate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The treaty prevents both the United States and Russia from developing nationwide ABM defense systems and limits employment of new ABM technologies. Consequently, the ballistic missile defense program must be cancelled.

Meet all requirements of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We must work to ensure that the United States leads the world again in fulfilling all requirements of the treaty. This means the United States must negotiate the complete elimination of its nuclear arsenal.

Commit to greatly expanding inspections. We must work with the 188 signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the International Atomic Energy Agency to greatly expand the use of inspections in all nations.

Lead an international effort to bring terrorists to justice. The United States must participate in a cooperative world effort to track down terrorists who are seeking to acquire nuclear weapons capability.

The U.S. needs a new foreign policy of “Strength Through Peace” to reverse the disastrous neo-conservative doctrine of “peace through strength”, as well as a President who is not afraid to pursue diplomatic negotiations with all countries. Dennis Kucinich will be this President; aggressively pursuing multilateral and diplomatic solutions and establishing practical relationships, based upon open dialogue and fair negotiations, with countries that are currently being isolated and thus more hostile.

We need to meet with Iran, as well as Syria and all of the surrounding countries. We must support a diplomatic approach in dealing with Iran. According to the IAEA we have at least five years before a nuclear Iran, giving us adequate time to reach a solution; though, only if we open dialogue and abandon the isolationist policies currently in action.

We need a new foreign policy towards Korea and a President who will visit both Koreas, meet personally with Kim Jong Il, and strive to block the self-fulfilling prophecy of the Bush administration's "axis of evil." The U.S. should develop diplomatic and humanitarian relations with North Korea, with the goals of assisting the Korean people, furthering reunification, and advancing disarmament. We should engage in direct negotiations with North Korea, and in a multilateral peace conference involving both Koreas and the surrounding states, to pursue a permanent peace settlement. As a part of this process, we should consult closely with our South Korean allies, to evaluate appropriate conditions for a reduction or eventual withdrawal of U.S. forces.

By engaging in direct negotiations with North Korea and in a multilateral peace conference involving both Koreas and the surrounding states, the U.S. could pursue a permanent peace settlement. This settlement would include a non-aggression agreement and a nuclear weapons-free zone.

Dennis Kucinich will take this country in a new direction. We only need support him!

Kucinich, Peace and The Middle East

Under a Kucinich Administration, the United States will work closely with the Arab countries as well as Israel to promote peace, strengthen ties, and achieve greater freedom and human rights for all. Dennis Kucinich supports two free and fully independent states, Israel and Palestine, living peacefully side by side and enjoying friendly relations with the other countries of the region. So far, the Bush administration has failed to alleviate doubts over how sincerely it remains committed to this vision. We must work tirelessly to ensure that Israelis and Palestinians live free from the threat of violence and to bring an end to the occupation of 1967. Such an effort is not only in the interests of the people of region but is also in the interests of the American people.

The U.S. must work closely with the United Nations and other international organizations to resolve the humanitarian and development challenges in Iraq and Palestine. We must challenge oppressive governments and stand up for peaceful progressive change in the region. We must oppose the expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied territories and strengthen bilateral relations with all governments in the Middle East, while supporting the efforts of those in the region who are striving to achieve democracy, human rights, and greater freedom for their citizens.

The United States can and must foster peace in the Middle East, and we must do this now. We must stand for an autonomous Palestine Sate. And to have this state we must see the rebuilding of all of those areas that are now in the Palestinian territories, the areas that have been devastated, the areas where the homes have been wrecked, and the businesses have been wrecked, the infrastructure destroyed, because to talk about political autonomy is a mirage, unless you talk about economic vitality. So there must be jobs, there must be healthcare, there must be education, there must be an opportunity for people to be able to breathe, and to be able to live freely. Dennis Kucinich believes that this is possible. He knows that there are many people in Israel who understand how important is it for the Palestinian people to achieve not only autonomy, but economy viability.

Kucinich’s plan would be to achieve that, and to work towards that. And he believes the United States can help to foster that. The United States can help to foster a negotiating structure, where we get both parties to agree on the sharing of water rights, because water rights can be the basis of further conflict, and they can also be the basis of further cooperation. And we must use our influence in construction of a negotiating climate, where we can move towards getting the parties to agree to share water rights. So, too, we must move forward to create a circumstance where the parties will understand that the security of one depends on the security of the other, and there must be mutual agreements to provide security. And as we foster that kind of climate for negotiations, we can then enable the parties to come to those decisions which truly Israelis and Palestinians must be able to resolve on their own, and that we cannot force a decision on these matters of borders and right of return. Kucinich will create a climate to cause the parties to resolve those issues.

As Americans, We must use our considerable influence with Israel to ask Israel to stop building walls, ask Israel to tear down the walls, ask Israel to not participate in the building of any new settlements, because we have to recognize that in order to achieve peace we must stop anything that smacks of isolation, or of creating conditions which will make it that much more difficult to achieve a peaceful agreement.

Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are unlawful and against the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians. A Kucinich administration will vigorously oppose the expansion of settlements in the occupied territories and insist on the dismantlement of existing illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

The U.S. should support the spirit of the Geneva Accord, which demonstrates that representatives from both Israel and Palestine can negotiate a mutually beneficial and mutually agreeable contract to resolve their longstanding conflict. Outspoken military men have pointed out, that the current logic is leading to unacceptable outcomes, both in failing to protect Israelis, and in terms of human rights abuses committed against Palestinians.

These measures include hundreds of roadblocks, mostly separating Palestinians from each other. The roadblocks are one of the two defining features of the occupation, since they define every sphere of existence: access to jobs, schools, medical care, relatives and friends. The other defining feature is the growth and spread of settlements, all of which are illegal under international law. The daily hardships imposed by Israel and the loss of land fuel the despair that leads to terror. It's time to fight terror with the only weapon left in Israel's arsenal: hope.

Terrorism And What Is Needed

After September 11th, Americans did not authorize the deterioration of the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments. However, during the past 6 years, the logic of fear has enabled an agenda of undermining our most basic civil liberties. The enactment of The Department of Homeland security, The Patriot Act, The Military Commissions Act, and FISA, pose unprecedented threats to Americans’ individual freedoms of speech, religion, assembly and privacy; the rights to counsel and due process; utilizing unconstitutional search and seizure, warrantless sneak-and-peak searches, wiretaps, library, medical, internet and financial record searches, the detention and deportation of non-citizens without meaningful judicial review, and increased government secrecy.

Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate who showed the clarity and judgment in opposing these unconstitutional programs from the beginning. In fact, not only did Kucinich vote against each; the Patriot Act in 2001, the Homeland Security Act in 2002, the Real ID Act in 2005, the Military Commissions Act in 2006, and FISA earlier this year; but he has provided leadership in speaking out and offering reform. In 2003, he sponsored the Benjamin Franklin True Patriot Act, which would have addressed and repealed several major sections of the Patriot Act and addressed concerns with The Department of Homeland Security.

It would have eliminated the Patriot Act's subjective search-and-seizure provision, unwarranted incarcerations, and the authority of federal officials to search our private records without probable cause. Further, the legislation would have restored the fundamental right of attorney-client privilege, revoked various Department of Justice secrecy orders, and repealed provisions harmful to the rights of immigrants. In addition, it would restore transparency to Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security administrative procedures by revoking Freedom of Information Act secrecy orders and reinstate the tougher guidelines to reign in a runaway FBI, conducting unlawful surveillance of protesters, peace demonstrators and religious groups.

As President, Dennis Kucinich would work to repeal The Patriot Act and the FISA program, as well as deny retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies, and begin to restore and secure our constitutional democracy.
Just as we cannot end terrorism by stripping Americans of their freedoms, neither can we by unilaterally hunting them down. The roots of terrorism lie in desperation. People with no hope resort to acts of indiscriminate violence. And so, Kucinich is offering a more practical approach: to reduce poverty worldwide with bold changes in current U.S. policy.

Our country and all nations must review and modify all treaties that reject national sovereignty in the cause of a global corporate ethic that does not respect human rights, workers' rights, and environmental quality standards. This means reviewing the practices and the practical impact of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. The U.S. also needs to invest in developmental aid; currently spending only one-tenth of one percent of our Gross National Income on development aid -- the lowest of any developed country. This is not the formula for winning the hearts and minds of the next global generation?

Dennis Kucinich believes in an America that abides by Lincoln's precept: "The only lasting way to eliminate an enemy is to make him your friend." We will accommodate rather than alienate, make friends instead of enemies, and employ carrots far more often than sticks. We need an administration that will drain the swamps of hopelessness, exploitation, and humiliation that cause vulnerable individuals to head down the terrorist road. We need leaders who will be both tough on terror and tough on the causes of terror.

The U.S. must reach out to the international community and openly work with other countries. Further, we must re-engage in the important treaties that the Bush Administration has abandoned. We must affirm and ratify treaties, beginning with:

The Kyoto Treaty on Global Climate Change
The Biodiversity Treaty
The Forest Protection Treaty
The Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty
The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
The Landmine Ban Treaty
The Biological Weapons Convention
The Chemical Weapons Convention
The International Criminal Court