The Socialist Bob Kaufman’s 24 Electoral Theses In the spirit of Jimmy Carter’s explanation as to why he wrote his latest controversial book, I wanted to stimulate a debate in this city; consequently I have a few suggestions to offer any and all want-to-be mayor or city council candidates. 1. Reverse the so called “War on Drugs”. Treat addiction as the medical problem it is. Have ‘red light’ districts for addictive drugs as well as for prostitution. Struggle for Federal jobs and job training programs – for all – reminiscent of the WPA and CCC camps of the 30’s. Stop arresting people for “victimless crimes” like prostitution and possession. Remove all restrictions on the availability of buprenorphine. 2. Replace residential property tax with a progressive income tax, supplemented with a progressive commuter tax. 3. The minimum wage in Baltimore should be the living wage. 4. Establish a non-profit vehicle and home insurance cooperative for Baltimore and Maryland. 5. Democratize our school system. School boards should be self-elected by parents, teachers, students and other school employees. Such an entity could work educational as well as political wonders. 6. Democratize our government. Non-partisan, city wide, proportional representative, instant run-off and publicly financed elections. Eliminate the expense of primary elections. Have the City Council hire a city manager. Fire the Mayor. Furthermore, students should be encouraged to mentor other students. First grade students should “adopt” kindergarten students both collectively and individually as mentors and big sisters and big brothers. And so on through 12th grade where an alumni association would mentor them. 7. All residents of Baltimore and Maryland should be considered citizens of Baltimore and Maryland. We should have no 2nd class citizens. That would mean: A. Non-naturalized immigrants should vote in city and state elections. B. All felons, including prisoners, should also vote, as they do throughout Europe. C. The voting age should be lowered to 16 and incorporated into school social studies programs. 8. Public employees know where government waste proliferates. Protect and reward whistle-blowers, in cooperation with employee unions. 9. Sufficient, clean, comfortable, safe housing should be provided to every person in need. Refurbish underused buildings for emergency housing. Create sweat-equity, job training, and reconstruction of empty houses. 10. Recently the Columbia Sussex Corporation purchased the Wyndham Baltimore Hotel and turned it into a Sheraton Hotel. Its UNITE/HERE labor union workforce has labored over 9 months without a contract. Now Sheraton wants to impose additional work on already overburdened housekeepers and cut their medical insurance. We must do whatever it takes to prevent Columbia Sussex from breaking the union. 11. There are probably tens of thousand of “empty nesters” in Baltimore and surrounding suburbs. The city should set up computerized listings of such government inspected accommodations (like B & B’s with or without “breakfast”); so that more could afford to visit Baltimore and that more Baltimoreans would be able to profit from the deal. 12. Non-violent detainees who have not been found guilty along with jurors should not be punished, but made as comfortable as possible, with comfortable recliners, clean beds, sanitary restroom, cable TV, reading and writing materials, free phone calls, the right to send out for pizza, etc., along with courteous service providers and guards. 13. Unless they have otherwise indicated that they wish to take all their organs with them to the grave, we should assume that those who pass away are humanistic enough to want their organs to be harvested so that another person would be able to see, or live with a good heart, intestines, pancreas, kidneys, etc. 14. Reverse National City Line’s successful post World War II conspiracy to sabotage Baltimore’s inexpensive, safe, non-polluting and reliable streetcar and trackless trolley system. 15. Investigate capturing methane gas from garbage dumps, as well as pig and chicken farms to create energy. 16. Encourage the development of electric vehicles, wave power, fusion power, and other renewable energy sources. 17. Plant shade trees on Baltimore streets, fruit and nut trees and berry bushes in Baltimore parks. 18. Shopping areas should maintain clean public restrooms for all. 19. Gas stations should provide free air to everyone, as well as maintain clean public restrooms. 20. Merchants should not require customers to purchase anything they don’t want as a condition for giving them change for bus fare, etc. Mandate merchants require photo identification and enforce restrictions on tobacco vending machines. 21. Educate and mobilize the community to march on Washington to end U.S. imperialism as in Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Iraq, Palestine, etc., as well as move Congress to help implement much of the above. Baltimore’s representatives in the Congress of Mayors should be getting other cities to follow Baltimore’s lead. 22. Organize a youth movement around their class consciousness and economic needs – to unite the interests of the 95% of U.S. citizens who collectively own less wealth than the top 1% – our ruling class. 23. Make the Department of Sanitation serve low income communities as well as it does wealthy neighborhoods. 24. Protect kids from abuse by foster parents and other care providers including police, teachers and other students. Bob Kaufman is offering a course at the Baltimore Free University entitled: “The Class Struggle – Road to Socialism” It will meet every Sunday afternoon 4-6pm beginning March 18 through the end of May, at 1229 Druid Hill Ave. (Our Fathers Place at Union Baptist Church). For more info, call Bob at 410-728-8611. A. Robert Kaufman, Candidate for Baltimore City Mayor Put Socialism on the Ballot By authority: Michael Melick Website: www.myspace.com/arobertkaufman Email address: arobertkaufman@gmail.com Phone: 410-728-8611