The Big Ideas Project

Guarantee the accrual of sick-time, vacation, retirement benefits... according to hours worked, eliminating the hard line between part-time and full-time work. Full-time doesn't work for everyone - some for health, family, educational, or other reasons. Additionally, others are kept at part-time hours in order to avoid paying them benefits. Workers should be able to work the number of hours that works for themselves & their families. Improved comprehensive Medicare for all for medical coverage.

Submitted by AP in Economy & Jobs Dec. 13, 2014, 5:36 p.m.

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#1319

108 votes

Create a counterpart to the VISTA program that puts out-of-work professionals into service. These professionals would work 5 year terms at non profit agencies helping low income families. The pay would be $21.000/year plus healthcare, and a $2500 end of the year bonus that the professional can use towards an IRA.

Submitted by Robert Argue in Economy & Jobs Dec. 9, 2014, 8:07 p.m.

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#1328

107 votes

Make the Federal Reserve open its books for review by all citizens and auditing by the GAO.

Submitted by manny in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 8:03 p.m.

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#1328

107 votes

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Jobs & More Jobs - Not minimum wage jobs but Real Jobs that can support a family - Pre-2008 Jobs! Until everyone is re-employed again nothing else matters. Get behind a SINGLE ISSUE of Campaign Finance Reform and then maybe we can have a senate, a congress and a president that can really create better JOBS! - Campaign Finance Reform is the means to a better economy.

Submitted by Lenore in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 4:32 p.m.

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#1334

106 votes

Pay Social Security for stay-at-home parents, who are forfeiting their jobs and Social Security earnings to devote their best hours to raising smart, ethical, healthy, productive Americans.

Submitted by Rah Bickley in Economy & Jobs Dec. 18, 2014, 9:12 p.m.

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#1334

106 votes

Develop a national program, calling for fossil/coal fuels companies and renewable energy companies to develop an achievable transfer to renewable energy!

Submitted by Willie HRMD in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 3:24 p.m.

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#1342

105 votes

Redo our tax system that actually follows the United States Constitution. The authority of Congress to regulate international trade is set out in Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 1 of the United States Constitution. Whenever we have U.S. manufacturers making certain product types and there is actual U.S. competition, tariffs need to be also used to tax companies who only import these product type goods. U.S. manufacturers getting taxed without import companies getting taxed is STUPID.

Submitted by Mark Sanguinetti in Economy & Jobs Jan. 3, 2015, 3:16 a.m.

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#1362

102 votes

Put minimum wage increase initiative on the ballot in as many states as possible in 2016! This will increase Dem and liberal turnout!

Submitted by Greg in Economy & Jobs Dec. 11, 2014, 4:29 p.m.

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#1370

100 votes

Increase Social Security payments incrementally in the following manner : age 65=increase of $100.00/mo. age 70=increase of $200.00/mo. age 75=increase of $300.00/mo. age 80+=increase of $50.00/mo.

Submitted by Gary H. from MI in Economy & Jobs Dec. 19, 2014, 1:03 a.m.

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#1370

100 votes

Eliminate government subsidies to profitable businesses, non profits and "welfare". (except medical) benefits Replace them with employee owned co ops created and funded by the government for unemployed and under employ paying wages so people can meet their needs. The co ops would produce, market and sell a product and reduce cost of support from government. They would start from an initial site and spread once sales of the .product is established. Each co op unique to each site.

Submitted by the answertothegap in Economy & Jobs Dec. 29, 2014, 10:16 a.m.

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#1381

99 votes

Let's have fair trade not free trade. If a company from any country wants to avoid import duties to another country,they must produce the product they want to sell in the country they wish to sell it. They must also use labor from that country,this would help the economy of the entire world not just a few countries.

Submitted by idea man in Economy & Jobs Dec. 15, 2014, 10:18 a.m.

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#1381

99 votes

Someone should re-introduce FDR's Second Bill of Rights as legislation, or President Obama should use it as the subject of a major address.

Submitted by RIhara in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 1:24 p.m.

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#1385

98 votes

Provide every prison with energy producing exercise equipment so that prisoners can produce energy and earn money, Automatically credit savings accounts for energy they produce. Allow them to invest in CDs and low-risk mutual funds, Provide them with personal finance and small business education. Prepare them for better outcomes when they leave prison.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Economy & Jobs Dec. 26, 2014, 2:56 p.m.

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#1402

95 votes

Women in the work force are paid less than men throughout their employment years: after retirement or disability, that disadvantage follows women into retirement. Social Security should be increased for women at the same percentage that women were cheated out of during their working years.

Submitted by Anti-GOP in Economy & Jobs Jan. 15, 2015, 11:49 p.m.

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#1412

94 votes

Stop forcing unions to represent nondues paying members. Make Right to Work illegal, no one should be forced to perform a function for free.

Submitted by bruce s. from IN in Economy & Jobs Dec. 19, 2014, 12:32 p.m.

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#1412

94 votes

U.S. Constitutional Amendment for Balanced Trade with all foreign countries ending the present treaties ( N.A.F.T.A. and all others) and full U.S. sovereignty and enforcement at exporters sites of U.S. F.D.A., E.P.A., Labor, Equality & Human Rights by U.S. Inspectors (rotated monthly) and paid for by the exporters to the U.S. Treasury with loss of export licences for non-compliance.

Submitted by no in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 2:59 p.m.

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#1412

94 votes

Instead of a flat minimum wage, which is almost as bad as a flat tax, have a minimum wage relative to the gross annual income of the business. That way, small business aren't crushed or overloading their workers by trimming their crew to nothing to stay afloat.

Submitted by William Harold II` Hinkson` in Economy & Jobs Nov. 17, 2014, 1:34 a.m.

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#1426

93 votes

Labor: Encourage a more robust working class by building labor organizations and rewarding companies who engage positively through collective bargaining with their workforce by making "card check" legally sufficient for unionization. Keep it simple. Keep it fast. Make it fair with no more retaliation and captive meetings!

Submitted by Steven Dornbusch in Economy & Jobs Dec. 18, 2014, 10:22 p.m.

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#1426

93 votes

We need to empower people so that we are not dependent on corporations for our livelihood. More education and resources need to go to help individual’s start their own businesses and organizations and to support employee owned co-op businesses. If we are going to address all the issues we need to address, climate change, equality, jobs, ending war etc. I think we first need to empower the people by unlinked them from corporations

Submitted by Lois in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 7:01 p.m.

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#1447

91 votes

If corporations need people to work over 40 hours per week and over 48 weeks a year, they should open more jobs to cover their needs and stop making hard-working people put in free labor and call it "salary."

Submitted by Alice in Economy & Jobs Dec. 18, 2014, 4:33 p.m.

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#1447

91 votes

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