Transcript of Video (pdf)

Rick Hubbard is walking across America to help rally us to fix our broken democracy.

• Our federal political system isn’t working right today.
• It isn’t properly serving our common good.
• We must fix our democracy to avoid autocracy.

Here's how bad it is:

• Most of us have lost our trust in Washington.
• We urgently need candidates and representatives who will fix our democracy to properly serve our common good.
• The system has been hijacked, to ensure those with power keep it.
• Unscrupulous politicians are willing to corrupt and shatter the very institutions that brought them to power
• There’s little correlation between getting elected and serving the will of the people.
• The two major parties prioritize their candidates’ re-election interests, those of their party and biggest campaign money contributors ahead of our public interests and common good.
• They rig the system and set the rules to stifle competition from independent and third-party candidates.
• They control the money, the debates, and the primaries. They even draw their own voting districts.
• Congress is so regularly gridlocked there's little progress on issues important to most of us.
• Small percentages of our representatives can block actions that benefit the greatest percentage of us.
• Meanwhile, almost half of US families can’t earn enough to afford basics like rent and food.
• We see the very rich becoming much richer, while many of us see the collapse of the middle class,
• And the working class face low wages, dead end jobs, debt, homelessness, lack of health care and too little educational opportunity.
• For the first time since the great depression, life expectancy in the US is headed down as drug overdoses and suicides rise.
• Once a leader for healthcare and education within the world’s advanced economies, we are now in the bottom quarter for healthcare and bottom half for education.
• Unaffordable lifesaving prescriptions and medical bills are the reason most Americans file for bankruptcy.
• Our country is getting poorer, sicker, more divided, and our families are paying the price.
• There’s an urgent need for a properly functioning government to serve our common good.

The good news is that we can fix it:

• States create rules that run elections, even federal ones.
• So passing laws in your state to improve things makes the federal election work better.

Here’s what we can do: 

• We can make our political system fairer, more inclusive, more competitive, and more representative.
  
  • We can have independent commissions draw voting districts.
  • We can make it illegal for lobbyists to donate to politicians, so representative better serve our interests.
  • Have campaigns publicly funded, not by only 2% of us as now, rather by 100% of all registered voters with a small rebate or credit they can use to support the candidates of their choice.
  • That will dramatically change who candidates have to pay attention to.
  • We can reform our political process to get more competition, more turnover, and better representation for our common good, or if this can’t be accomplished, set reasonable term limits on elected officials.
  • We can implement open, blanket primaries with candidates from all parties on the ballot and allow all voters to vote to select several to choose among in the general election.
  • We can use ranked choice voting or similar measures to allow independents and third parties to run without spoiling elections and ensure whoever wins is supported by a majority of all voters.
  • We enact automatic and secure voter registration and vote from home ballots.
  • We can have more people voting, and make it easier to vote.

Millions of us are already involved and have already racked up more than 100 victories in cities and states across America:

• But millions more of us need to join in, and that’s why I’m talking with you.
• People near you are fighting for these improvements and need your help.
• So please sign up and be part of the next victory in your state.
• And organize and join nonpartisan citizen walks to Fix Our Democracy in your community, at dates and times in concert with others across America in their communities.
• And only vote for politicians who will fix our democracy.
• If enough of us act together, we can fix the system so government can work for you, your family, and the rest of us. 
• Not just for a handful of special interests and insiders.

We can do it! We can fix our democracy, avoid autocracy, and unlock progress toward our common good. Join us!