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391 Ideas in Economy & Jobs

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Merged Idea

Now is the time to expand Social Security — not cut it. Social Security benefits simply haven't kept up with the rising costs that seniors face—for medicine, food, and housing. We're facing a retirement crisis where seniors can't rely on pensions and other parts of the social contract. We need to increase benefits to make sure they reflect the true costs seniors face. Expanding Social Security is the best way to ensure all Americans have the economic security they need to retire with dignity.

Submitted by Michael Phelan, Deputy Director of Social Security Works in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 2:33 a.m. 15

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#1

16301 votes

Merged Idea

Corporations are paper, not people. People before profit. Enact laws which reverse Citizens United, McCutcheon, and Buckley v. Valeo. Without a fair field in which everyday people are heard and treated equally, when, as we're now seeing, corporations and money carry more weight than the voices of our citizens, our entire system of government falls into plutocracy and oligarchy.

Submitted by Theresa Schwacke from WA in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 6:20 p.m. 4

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#2

15382 votes

Merged Idea

Restore the protections of the Glass-Steagall Act. The decision by Congress and the President to repeal the Glass-Steagall law in 1999 paved the way for the “too big to fail, one-stop financial supermarkets” that played a major role in the near economic collapse of 2008. For a decade, we saw the financial industry assume unbelievable risks knowing that they were able to gamble with the taxpayers money. The American people paid a heavy price for it!

Submitted by Former U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan (N.D.) in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 2:27 a.m.

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#6

8058 votes

Merged Idea

Break up Citigroup. We face a danger to our democracy from the power of our largest banks—particularly Citigroup. Their control over the executive branch is unprecedented. Their donations buy votes every day in Congress. Their money supports think tanks that produce endless smokescreens to make sure no one notices what is really going on. It’s time to fix the imperfections in Dodd-Frank, just as Elizabeth Warren says: “Let’s pass something—anything—that would help break up these giant banks.”

Submitted by Simon Johnson, MIT Sloan professor and author of 13 Bankers in Economy & Jobs Dec. 15, 2014, 1:47 p.m. 1

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#8

7854 votes

"We are demanding an emergency program to provide employment for everyone in need of a job, or if a work program is impractical, a guaranteed annual income at levels that sustain life in decent circumstances. It is now incontestable that the wealth and resources of the United States make the elimination of poverty absolutely practical." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Submitted by r/BasicIncome on Reddit in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 1:23 p.m. 8

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#12

6722 votes

Corporations receive tax credits for outsourcing jobs offshore. Reverse those tax credits by repealing them so that there are tax credits for insourcing jobs and keeping them in this country.

Submitted by Craig T. from FL in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 7:14 p.m.

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#37

4004 votes

In the same way that law enforcement agencies confiscate property gained in illegal drug trading, confiscate profits and executive bonuses for companies involved in illegal financial trading.

Submitted by Virginia Gilbert, retired journalist and seminary student in Economy & Jobs Nov. 9, 2014, 9:34 a.m.

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#38

3978 votes

Address TPP trade agreement that gives companies like Monsanto power to sue governments that refuse to sign their contract that would put farmers in Third World countries in jail for four years for using family heritage seeds.

Submitted by Francia Jackson in Economy & Jobs Nov. 6, 2014, 5:17 p.m.

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#42

3671 votes

Merged Idea

A maximum wage for CEOs. The average American company pays its CEO 475 times the wage of their average worker. That ratio has skyrocketed since 1950 & more than tripled since 2000. Congress should act to limit maximum compensation of high income executives to 25 times their lowest paid employee. This would slow down economic inequality, encourage companies to raise worker's wages, and put the US more in line with the rest of the world.

Submitted by Working Families Party in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 1:57 a.m.

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#46

3487 votes

A tip is not a wage. Due to an unfair loophole, the restaurant industry gets away with paying them a subminimum wage as low as $2.13 an hour in 43 states. Forced to live entirely off customer tips, 90% of female tipped restaurant workers report experiencing sexual harassment (70% of servers are women). We propose eliminating the lower wage for tipped workers, and requiring all employers to directly pay their workers a fair minimum wage.

Submitted by Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 1:20 a.m.

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#48

3364 votes

Reverse Reaganomics, reform the banking sector, and strongly enforce, broaden and modernize our nation's anti-trust and anti-monopoly laws! Give America back to the people and legitimate businesses. Let's rebuild America, starting with infrastructure, Public Education, All outsourced jobs back home! We are the most productive people in the world. Let Americans once again enjoy the fruits of their labor, and NEVER return to Rule by Aristocracy.

Submitted by America Held Hostage in Economy & Jobs Jan. 4, 2015, 8:06 p.m. 1

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#67

2876 votes

Merged Idea

Pass a federal minimum wage law for $15.00 and tie in automatic annual COLAs.

Submitted by Sandycoast in Economy & Jobs Dec. 29, 2014, 7:20 p.m.

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#71

2783 votes

Finally prosecute the Wall Street hot shots and bankers whose crimes caused the crash and deprived the people of their life savings, their homes, their futures while walking away with millions and billions. SEND THEM TO PRISON FOR A LONG TIME. THAT'S WHERE THEY BELONG.

Submitted by Robert Beissel in Economy & Jobs Nov. 11, 2014, 7:36 p.m.

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#81

2645 votes

Merged Idea

An Unconditional Basic Income Guarantee (UBI) for every U.S. citizen over 18 of $1,000 per month and every citizen under 18 of $300 per month, to be paid for through consolidation of present in-kind benefits better met by cash, and through the closing of loopholes, elimination of subsidies, and increase in top tax rates.

Submitted by Scott Santens, Moderator of /r/basicincome on Reddit and Founder of The BIG Patreon Creator Pledge in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 6:07 p.m. 5

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#83

2617 votes

Merged Idea

Interest rates on credit cards are absurd. Banks borrow money at ridiculously low rates and yet charge usurious rates on their credit cards. If you really want to stimulate the economy, help get the American people out of debt and reduce poverty, pass a law or implement a banking regulation that prohibits banks/credit card companies from charging any more than 5% above the rate charged to banks on ALL existing and future credit cards.

Submitted by Stuart in Economy & Jobs Jan. 4, 2015, 12:03 p.m.

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#84

2589 votes

Equal pay for women & women having 100% say over ALL choices for her own body!

Submitted by Shelly R. from AZ in Economy & Jobs Nov. 16, 2014, 5:12 p.m.

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#85

2578 votes

Lets put grid-connected solar panels on 5 million homes by Dec 31 2015. It's feasible, affordable & doesn't require batteries. Homes would pull power from the grid when needed but any excess power would feed into the grid & reduce our use of dirty coal.This would create 1000's of good paying new jobs, reduce both pollution & climate changing emissions and eliminate our need for more Oil wars. The Gov't could sell bonds with 5% interest to provide the financing & be of no cost to taxpayers!

Submitted by Monty in Economy & Jobs Dec. 30, 2014, 6:08 p.m. 3

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#92

2371 votes

Breaking up the large banks and send these guys who crashed our economy to jail

Submitted by Roger M. from NY in Economy & Jobs Dec. 30, 2014, 2:51 p.m.

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#98

2196 votes

Require members of congress and the senate to work a 40 hour week just like all Americans.

Submitted by Gregory in Economy & Jobs Jan. 4, 2015, 4:34 p.m.

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#109

2025 votes

Recommit to applying, and then expand, our anti-trust laws so that "too big to fail" banks and other corporations are too big to exist (without getting broken up into much smaller pieces). That would be a good first step toward getting control of our political system and economy out of the hands of giant corporations.

Submitted by Richard W. from NM in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 1:54 p.m.

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#110

2015 votes