Real Progressives Deal with Political Corruption

A couple of days ago, I received one of those “Let me introduce myself” emails from a politician, a Democrat candidate running for the House of Representatives in Florida’s 25th Congressional District.

After perusing her website, I added Mary Barzee Flores to the 2018 Progressive Candidates Nationwide List. She supports Universal Healthcare, which is one of the two criteria that a candidate must meet in order to make the List. I had to add her.

As is the case with many nice Democrat candidates who put Universal Healthcare or a Living Wage on their campaign platforms, I wonder if they really mean it — if they do not also express determination to get Big Money out of politics.

Because, of course, Big Money donors from the pharmaceutical and medical insurance industries do not want Americans to have universal, single payer, Medicare for All healthcare. Nor do the general horde of Big Money corporate donors want to pay millions of Americans a fair, living wage.

Still, I added Flores to my list. (I had to, for the sake of complete and utter objectivity.) However, the following is my reply to her campaign email:

I’ve added Flores to my 2018 Progressive Candidate List, based on her expressed support for Universal Healthcare. Here’s how that section looks:

25th CD – Mary Barzee Flores (D-FL) – Facebook – Twitter
— Universal healthcare

25th CD – Dr. Alina Valdes (D-FL) – Facebook – Twitter
— Her campaign refuses corporate PAC donations
— Single payer healthcare
— End corporate welfare
— Campaign finance reform

Which candidate do you think is more progressive — Flores or her opponent Valdes? It’s a fine thing to support progressive goals, like universal healthcare or a living wage, but you also need to focus on ending the corrupting influence of Big Money in American politics, which is comprised of pathetically obvious conflicts-of-interests and is nothing short of brazen corruption.

Big Money creates an oligarchy and blocks democracy. That is why Americans do without the citizen rights and securities that all other developed nations provide for their people. If Flores actually does not accept corporate PAC money, or has a priority to end Big Money in politics, please have her emblazon that on her website, and you may leave a comment saying so on the 2018 Progressive Candidate List page. I will be happy to verify and update accordingly.

Was I too hard on Flores? I expect she is a decent woman. But my view is this: A real progressive deals with political corruption.

Meanwhile, I wholeheartedly support the personal political confrontations that citizens are making in public restaurants. Just as we don’t allow an alcoholic to take down the entire family, we cannot allow individuals who are addicted to money and power to take down the United States. For example, the following up-close-and-personal confrontation is an attempt to break through Scott Pruitt’s denial of the massive harm his political actions cause American citizens. The courageous woman making the confrontation is acting out of tough love for her government… and a strong survival urge to protect her child.

Progressives deal with corruption.