10 Demands

10 Immediate Demands for the Newton city council (NCC) and for the US government (US)

Raise the minimum wage - NCC, US#

Cities have the authority, so do it. A $20 minimum wage barely approaches a minimum living wage.

Ranked-choice/instant-runoff voting + None of the Above option - NCC, US#

Remove the two-party intimidation and the advantage among incumbents. Citizens will rank their choices for public office by order of preference, and a legally-binding ‘None of the Above’ option will ensure democratic representation.

Public banking - NCC, US#

The city of Newton and other municipalities (and their citizens) will remove their finances from the commercial financial market, eliminating excessive management and service fees charged by banks. Doing so will also prevent potential losses of public funds during economic crises.

Prioritize transit - NCC, US#

Infrastructure must prioritize high capacity vehicles and public transit. Grade separated right-of-way and steep investment in procurement, service, and maintenance will deliver the emissions reductions required for future transportation. What we build determines how we get around.

Worker cooperatives - NCC, US#

Worker-owned businesses will provide Newton residents with long-term and quality jobs, insulated from financial market volatility. Cooperatives will serve all residents with basic goods and reliable service.

Abolish homelessness - US#

Vacancies nationwide are more than sufficient to house all in need. Using existing housing stock will prevent the predictable negative effects of warehousing poor people and will discourage rising property values and speculative development which are catalysts to homelessness. In addition, a steep (minimum 50%) vacancy tax should be applied to all rental properties.

Green-proof all future development - NCC, US#

Set a minimum standard of compliance for all new construction (regardless of zoning) and promote and fund a city-wide campaign for solar roof installation and energy-efficient retrofitting.

Medicaid/Medicare for all - US#

No more ‘Pay or Die’! No more direct billing. Eliminate premiums, copays, and deductibles. Full coverage for medical, dental, optical, mental, and in-home care for all, free at the point of delivery.

Cancel student debt - US#

Cancel or write off all education debt and abolish education lending.

Abolish property tax funding scheme for k-12 - US#

Public schools will be funded equally, regardless of location. Funds should meet a minimum standard for all facilities in addition to funding per student. Your closest school will be a “good school.”