Tired of seeing the rich get richer and honest
workers struggle? So are we. The American Labor
Party is a brand new political party, established
in June of 2007, and based in the Washington D.C
suburb of Arlington, Virginia.
Join us to share your opinion, find others of a like mind, and to make a difference. This site is rapidly evolving and will add new features for interaction soon. But first of all you should realize what we're not; socialists or communists. We believe in the market system – we just want to make it works for everyone that is willing to do honest work.
This is not your parent's labor party, or the European socialist labor parties. We’re proud to be American, and would like to see a return to the traditional American values of fair play, and more equal opportunity for all of those who are willing to work to improve their lives.
We believe in free markets, and the unrestricted flow of capital and labor, which has proven to be an enormously productive force in increasing global wealth. We'd simply like to see a greater share of that wealth end up as a return to labor, rather than capital.
Some of the most fundamental planks of our platform are:
Join us to share your opinion, find others of a like mind, and to make a difference. This site is rapidly evolving and will add new features for interaction soon. But first of all you should realize what we're not; socialists or communists. We believe in the market system – we just want to make it works for everyone that is willing to do honest work.
This is not your parent's labor party, or the European socialist labor parties. We’re proud to be American, and would like to see a return to the traditional American values of fair play, and more equal opportunity for all of those who are willing to work to improve their lives.
We believe in free markets, and the unrestricted flow of capital and labor, which has proven to be an enormously productive force in increasing global wealth. We'd simply like to see a greater share of that wealth end up as a return to labor, rather than capital.
Some of the most fundamental planks of our platform are:
-
Income
disparity has become far too wide, with
the very rich being paid far more than warranted
by their contribution to society. We don’t have
any objection to a reasonable difference in
incomes to account for many factors, such as
innate ability, and to reward entrepreneurs for
hard work and risk taking. But the level of
disparity in income has grown to absurd
proportions, and has little or nothing to do with
rewarding value creation.
-
Traditional
government regulation and taxation has become far
too complex and unwieldy, often benefits
large corporations and the rich, and does honest
labor more harm than good. We propose sweeping,
and very simple, changes: for instance,
elimination of all social security and income
taxes for any adult with an income of less than
$50,000. The American Labor Party is a fiscally
responsible party, and supports dramatic
government spending cuts in order to compensate
for the decreased revenues as a result of these
tax changes. We support a balanced budget, and a
plan to eliminate all federal government debt,
which will be a huge burden to future generations
of working people.
-
Sweeping,
radical changes are necessary. Ideally, if
possible, these changes should be accomplished
peacefully through the existing democratic
processes.
-
One of our
most innovative ideas is the General
Credit. The General Credit provides a set
amount of credit that is issued to every American
adult. Rather than ineffectual government
subsidies and programs in specific areas, the
general credit provides every American adult with
a credit to be used for a broad array of services
provided by the private sector: education at all
levels, medical care, housing, and much more.
This allows working people to choose the area
that would most benefit themselves and their
families, empowering them to get help in the
areas that matter most to them. Some families
might have a very pressing and expensive medical
need, and use the entire annual credit for one
individual's medical needs. Another family member
might use the credit to send their children to an
excellent private high school. A lower middle
class couple with no kids might use the credit to
increase the level of housing they can afford.
The private sector is infinitely more capable of
efficiently and effectively providing services,
and the use of a credit, rather than specific
programs, will result in higher levels of real
benefit at a far lower cost than existing
programs that attempt to provide specialized
benefits. The general credit would replace
federal subsidies to education, all HUD programs,
Medicaid, Medicare, and by doing so would save
billions in waste and fraud. Let those who need
help decide what kind of help they need, rather
than having their needs dictated to them by
politicians and federal bureaucrats. To avoid
problems with manipulation of the system, and
equity issues, all American adult citizens would
receive the credit; those who did not need help
could donate their credit to others, but the
credits could not be sold. The only major limit
on credits is how they would be applied; they
could not be used, for instance, for cosmetic
surgery; housing credits could be used for
purchases or rentals, but only up to certain
price limits; education credits could be used
only at accredited schools.
- Get the US out of Iraq Now - The US military is overwhelmingly composed of young, often minority, and usually poor, service people. The war is being ordered by a spoiled, indulged president, son of a former president, who would not know sacrifice if it hit him in his pampered face. The war is hugely expensive, spending money that should be used to satisfy domestic needs rather than support the vast US military industrial complex.