Bill de Blasio

The Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, is a refreshingly upfront liberal.  We don't see many of those these days now that the term has effectively been poisoned by the right and many in the media.

Recently, Bill went to Washington D.C. to present his, "Progressive Agenda to Combat Income Inequality."

Naturally, all conservatives are calling the plan DOA and suicidal for anyone who supports it, but most of them worship an imaginary being in the sky that doesn't give a fuck about them, so....their judgement is a little "off."

Apparently, Bill is going to circulate this Agenda to every Democratic member of Congress for them to "sign on to" and if they don't, well, they're being poo-poo heads.

I notice that neither Hillary Clinton nor Bernie Sanders have signed the pledge yet.  

The plan is very ambitious and would really improve the lives of millions of Americans.  But my cynical side rears its ugly head and doubts that the Agenda will be accepted.  After all, we have to spend billions - and probably over a trillion dollars - for lots of F-35 and F-16 fighter jets that we don't need and don't work that well anyway.  But, you know, the war machine must be fed, I guess.  

The American people can just tighten their belts and suck it.

From The Daily Kos:

Please Sign Onto the Progressive Agenda to Combat Income Inequality

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled his nationwide 'Contract with America', which he is calling"The Progressive Agenda to Combat Income Inequality". Like Newt Gingrich's Contract With America, the Agenda will be circulated in Congress and among the 2016 presidential candidates to sign. The idea is that combating income inequality has become a national issue, and those who refuse to sign will risk being voted out of office and/or primaried.

PLEASE SIGN ON and tell all future Congresses that we will only vote for candidates who will fight income inequality, as well as the other initiatives on the Agenda.

1. Lift the Floor for Working People »

Raise the federal minimum wage, so that it reaches $15/hour, while indexing it to inflation.

Reform the National Labor Relations Act, to enhance workers’ right to organize and rebuild the middle class.

Pass comprehensive immigration reform to grow the economy and protect against exploitation of low-wage workers.

Oppose trade deals that hand more power to corporations at the expense of American jobs, workers’ rights, and the environment.

Invest in schools, not jails-- and give a second chance to those coming home from prison.

2. Support Working Families »

Pass national paid sick leave.

Pass national paid family leave.

Make Pre-K, after-school programs and childcare universal.

Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and protect and expand Social Security.

Allow students to refinance student loan debt to take advantage of lower interest rates, and support debt-free college.

3. Tax Fairness »

Close the carried interest loophole.

End tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas.

Implement the “Buffett Rule” so millionaires pay their fair share.

Close the CEO tax loophole that allows corporations to take advantage of “performance pay” write-offs.

Look great? Will you sign on, and help make sure every politician stays accountable to the Working Families' Progressive Agenda?

You will be joining thousands of progressive leaders and activists around thecountry, including:

Steve Adler
Mayor of Austin, TX

Eileen Appelbaum
Senior Economist, Center for Economic and Policy Research

Dean Baker
Co-Director, Center for Economic and Policy Research

Ras Baraka
Mayor of Newark, NJ

Deepak Bhargava
Executive Director, Center for Community Change

Robert Borosage
Co-Director Campaign for America’s Future

Michael Brennan
Mayor of Portland, ME

Raven Brooks
Executive Director, Netroots Nation

Steve Buscemi
Actor

Yvette Clarke
U.S. Representative from New York

Larry Cohen
President, Communication Workers of America

John Conyers
U.S. Representative from Michigan

Robert Creamer
Author, Partner at Democracy Partners

Sheila Crowley
President and CEO, National Low Income Housing Coalition

Alan Cumming
Actor

Bill de Blasio
Mayor of New York City

Mark Dayton
Governor of Minnesota

Howard Dean
Former Governor of Vermont & Founder, Democracy for America

Rosa DeLauro
U.S. Representative from Connecticut

Abigail E. Disney
Filmmaker

María Elena Durazo
Vice President for Immigration, Civil Rights and Diversity, UNITE HERE! & Former President Los Angeles County Federation of Labor

Keith Ellison
U.S. Representative from Minnesota

Chaka Fattah
U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania

Jeff Faux
Founder, Economic Policy Institute

Lily Eskelsen García
President, National Education Association

Leo Gerard
President, United Steelworkers

Danny Glover
Actor

Lisa Graves
Executive Director, Center for Media and Democracy/PRWatch/ALECexposed.org

George Gresham
President, 1199SEIU

Raúl Grijalva
U.S. Representative from Arizona, Co-Chair Congressional Progressive Caucus

Sarita Gupta
Executive Director, Jobs with Justice

Tom Harkin
Former U.S. Senator from Iowa

Arshad Hasan
Executive Director, ProgressNow

Rick Hegdahl
Veteran Outreach Coordinator, VoteVets.org

Wade Henderson
President and CEO, Leadership Council on Civil and Human Rights

Mary Kay Henry
President, Service Employees International Union

Betsy Hodges
Mayor of Minneapolis, MN

Jeannette Huezo
Executive Director, United for a Fair Economy

Sheila Jackson Lee
U.S. Representative from Texas

Van Jones
Co-Founder and President, Rebuild the Dream

Barbara Lee
U.S. Representative from California

Gabriela Lemus
President, Progressive Congress

Dave Loebsack
U.S. Representative from Iowa

Rudy López
Executive Director, Interfaith Worker Justice

Mike Lux
Co-Founder and President, Progressive Strategies

Chirlane McCray
First Lady of New York City

Heather McGhee
Executive Director, DEMOS

Jim McGovern
U.S. Representative from Massachusetts

Jeff Merkley
U.S. Senator from Oregon

Lawrence Mishel
President, Economic Policy Institute

Janet Murguia
President and CEO, National Council of La Raza

Edward B. Murray
Mayor of Seattle, WA

Jerry Nadler
U.S. Congressman from New York

Cynthia Nixon
Actor

Karen Nussbaum
Executive Director, Working America

Atima Omara
President, Young Democrats of America

James Parrott
Deputy Director and Chief Economist, Fiscal Policy Institute

Mark Pocan
U.S. Representative from Wisconsin, and 1st Vice-Chair Congressional Progressive Caucus

Charles B. Rangel
U.S. Representative from New York

Robert Reich
Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at University of California at Berkeley & Former U.S. Secretary of Labor

Jean Ross
Co-President, National Nurses United

Mark Ruffalo
Actor, Director, Producer & Activist

Jeff Sachs
Economist & Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University

Thomas A. Saenz
President of Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund

Bill Samuels
Chairman, EffectiveNY

Susan Sarandon
Actress, Activist

Lee Saunders
President, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

Libby Schaaf
Mayor of Oakland, CA

Jan Schakowsky
U.S. Representative from Illinois

Pedro Segarra
Mayor of Hartford, CT

José Serrano
U.S. Representative from New York

Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, RN
President, New York State Nurses Association

Reverend Al Sharpton
Founder and President of National Action Network

Hadar Susskind
Director, Bend the Arc Jewish Action

D. Taylor
President, UNITE HERE!

Linda Tirado
Author & Founder, Bootstrap Industries

Richard L. Trumka
President, AFL-CIO

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor, The Nation

Craig Varoga
President of Patriot Majority

Bonnie Watson Coleman
U.S. Representative from New Jersey

Randi Weingarten
President, American Federation of Teachers

Michael Wessel
President, The Wessel Group

Nan Whaley
Mayor of Dayton, Ohio

Marjorie E. Wood
PhD, Senior Associate, Global Economy Project & Managing Editor, Inequality.org

Brad Woodhouse
President, Americans United for Change

Marian Wright Edelman
Founder and President, Children’s Defense Fund

Original.