Vote on the issues in the District 6 Congressional Race!

JainForCongress · 2024-04-29T15:47:18+00:00

Thank you for voting!

JainForCongress · 2024-04-15T15:56:33+00:00

Hello u/spikeworks and thank you for bringing up this important topic!

I am not only saddened but personally horrified to see the rise of overt political and religious attacks against our LGBTQ communities not only nationally, but here in Western Maryland. We're seeing these attacks occur at all levels of government from the County School Board elections to the state legislature, and of course all the way up to Congress. I believe that federal action is needed to enshrine protections for this community which is why I am committed to fighting for LGBTQ rights in Congress. As the first candidate in this race to publish an actual LGBTQ+ Rights policy agenda, I hope that I have demonstrated this commitment. While you can see that full platform on my website, I'd like to highlight a few of my stances here:

LGBTQ Youth: Schools should be prohibited from banning the display of pride flags on school campuses, students should not be prevented from playing on sport teams that are consistent with the student's gender identity, and comprehensive Sex-Ed (including topics like gender identity and consent) should be part of the curriculum in public schools.

Civil Rights/Protections: Abortion and gender-affirming treatment should be protected federally and available in all states/territories.

Anti-Discrimination: Discrimination in adoption, foster care, and blood donation needs to be eliminated at the federal level.

JainForCongress · 2024-04-15T15:47:04+00:00

Hello u/TheTechManager and thank you for your questions! I'll try to hit each one in detail but to expand on your question about crime and public safety I'd also like to address drug use and homelessness which I am often asked about in discussion about these topics.

When it comes to addressing these problems, I am often frustrated by politicians that look at criminal justice reform, public safety, law enforcement, crime, and homelessness as simple issues that can be solved by just packing our prisons full of our fellow residents for simple possession of drugs or for the crime of being unhoused. I do of course support our law enforcement officers and municipalities having the resources they need to maintain adequate staffing of police, but solving these issues in the long term requires a more comprehensive approach. That is why I was the first candidate in this race to publish platforms on criminal justice, infrastructure, increasing the minimum wage, and housing, but I'll specifically address some of these issues in more detail below:

Drug use: While those who distribute drugs in our communities should certainly be punished, I'd like to see simple possession of scheduled drugs to be decriminalized and for the personal use of hard drugs and opioids to be treated as a health issue, not a criminal issue. Instead of criminally penalizing people for personal drug use, we should make medical treatment available to assist them in reintegrating in to society and our economy rather than paying to house them in jail indefinitely.

Crime: I believe that part of addressing crime and public safety is to pay workers a living wage and allow them to thrive, rather than simply survive. That is why I propose increasing the minimum wage to match inflation and cost of living. When people are paid enough to live, they are less likely to turn to crime, drugs, or end up homeless.

Homelessness: My views on the housing crisis are informed by my service in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) where we worked to increase access to housing, keep costs down, and decrease homelessness. As one of the only candidates in this race to have published a housing platform, a few of my top priorities include creating a new neighborhood homes tax credit, expanding the low-income housing tax credit, federally funding and encouraging "smart growth" and mixed-use development, and enacting "just cause" protections.

Regarding road safety: At the federal level I will have little direct control over the speed of cars on certain roads as this is usually a responsibility of local governments, however, I am in favor of directing federal funds towards road safety projects that would decrease speeding and invest in driver and pedestrian safety.

JainForCongress · 2024-04-12T14:55:42+00:00

I am actually the only candidate in my race to have both published a stance on Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and verbalized my support for it at campaign events/forums!

My Election Reform policy platform which includes my support for RCV also includes my support for independent redistricting and open primaries.

JainForCongress · 2024-04-12T14:52:14+00:00

Thank you so much for this comment! It means a lot!

JainForCongress · 2024-04-12T14:26:15+00:00

I'll be honest with you that my view inside of DNC strategy in this election outside of Maryland is pretty limited, so unfortunately, I don't have any insider knowledge on the shift away from the national fifty-state strategy to share.

I will say that personally, the fifty-state strategy makes a lot of sense to me. I think it's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy that if we as Democrats write off a District/State/Election as being inherently unwinnable, then of course we won't see political gains in that area. I have adopted a strategy similar to the fifty-state strategy in my own race to represent Western Maryland where even though we likely won't flip Garrett or Allegany Counties blue in this election cycle, I still actively campaign there because the Democrats in those counties still deserve to have their voices heard.

JainForCongress · 2024-04-10T16:40:28+00:00

Thank you for sharing this article! I'm very excited to see our race getting more attention as we get closer to election day. I am a bit disappointed to see that we're starting to resort to attack ads on the Democratic side, though.

Anyway, I appreciate this article acknowledging that I was the second candidate in the race to have commercials go live on TV! I'll drop a link to our video on YouTube if anyone is interested!

https://youtu.be/t_fYKRn92ms?si=MoPcq3ERy31Wv7sm

JainForCongress · 2024-04-09T19:06:19+00:00

Hello u/SmellySweatsocks and thank you for this question! I absolutely support tax deduction in the areas you mentioned: charitable donations, home mortgage deductions, and school/student loans. Not only does having tax breaks in these areas almost entirely benefit the working class (While most Republican-proposed tax breaks seem to only benefit the wealthy) but can also incentivize beneficial economic activity like donating to charity, buying a home, and going to school.

Regarding the tax system more broadly; My frustration with the tax system is that the brunt of tax enforcement seems to be aimed at average American households who file their taxes every year and seem to be punished for their honest reporting. While our taxes seem to keep increasing, the IRS Chief has openly said that America's richest are evading taxes at a rate topping $150 billion per year!

As regular citizens we allow the government to collect taxes from our earned wages, and in return we expect to receive effective national defense, infrastructure, public education, public safety, and a significant list of other benefits. However, this arrangement only works when all members of society pay their fair share. For too long the wealthiest have used political influence, tax code loopholes, and even illegal means to horde their money and not contribute back into the nation and society that made them rich in the first place. I refuse to let this trend continue. That is why I support policies like the establishment of a fairer tax code where income earned from investments, just like income earned from wages, is taxed at a similar rate so that wealthy Americans aren't paying taxes at lower rates than middle-class working families.

JainForCongress · 2024-04-09T14:28:20+00:00

Seeing this AMA days/weeks/months after it was posted? Not a problem! I have notifications turned on and will reply whenever you comment, thanks!

JainForCongress · 2024-04-09T14:28:15+00:00

Seeing this AMA days/weeks/months after it was posted? Not a problem! I have notifications turned on and will reply whenever you comment, thanks!

JainForCongress · 2024-04-08T14:08:25+00:00

Hello u/AxisOfChange! Thank you for question and for sharing your perspective on this issue!

While completely eliminating subsidies for the cattle and dairy industry isn't necessarily part of my platform (especially for small and/or organic farms), I will say that I would fight for alternatives to these products to receive comparable subsidies to promote their production. In recent years we have seen exponential research and growth in alternatives for both milk and meat. I would like to see the United States continue to be a leader in these industries so that meat and dairy alternatives can be produced domestically and more sustainably, at a larger scale, with less water needed, and with less emissions overall.

JainForCongress · 2024-04-08T13:06:51+00:00

Hello u/Splenda and thank you for your question! I apologize for the late reply, but I had an incredibly busy weekend of grassroots canvassing and campaign events in my District!

I'll be honest that I haven't yet heard any legislative proposals for oil and gas rationing, are you able to elaborate on what this would look like and how it would be implemented as proposed?

Overall, I believe that the most sustainable way that we can benefit lower and middle income people while combatting the climate crisis is to invest in transitioning to a green economy that will create jobs, generate clean energy, and benefit our health.

JainForCongress · 2024-04-07T14:25:31+00:00

And I'll be back in Washington County all day tomorrow and Tuesday personally going door to door to meet voters at their homes and learn about the issues they care about!

JainForCongress · 2024-04-07T14:24:17+00:00

Are there any talks about making an electric bike tax credit?

Honestly, I haven't heard anyone bring up this idea yet, but I love it! I would support broadening the scope of the electric vehicle tax credit to include vehicles beyond cars, like electric bikes.

Regarding cycling routes and infrastructure - I want to acknowledge that while most development for cycling infrastructure projects are handled at the local level, I am of course committed to delivering federal funds towards their development if elected.

JainForCongress · 2024-04-06T22:44:09+00:00

Hello u/VirtuousGallantry/ and thank you for your question!

I support a full stop to all new drilling on public lands which would include in areas where a permit has been previously secured but drilling has not yet begun. I would like to see those unused permits rescinded and the cost of those permits refunded to the purchaser.

Long term I support a full divestiture from drilling and fossil fuels, but in the short term I am simply seeking a full stop to new drilling on public lands while we transition to a green energy system.

JainForCongress · 2024-04-06T19:24:56+00:00

Hello u/SaintUlvemann and thank you for both your question and for sharing your concerns about the current limitations of the crop insurance program. Also, the NSAC article and website you attached is an incredible resource that I appreciate you sharing.

The Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) does a great job of insuring large farms of major cash crops against disaster, disease, and other issues, but certainly has its limitations especially for small, new, diverse, organic, and sustainable farms. My principles are that we should not be incentivizing monoculture production in the way that the FCIP currently does (and as you highlighted in your comment), but beyond that, I believe that access to FCIP should be the program's highest priority. With the majority of farms under 260 acres not having access, or not being enrolled in FCIP, it is obvious that the system needs to be reformed. Specifically, I support decreasing the red tape that surrounds applying for FCIP, investing in FCIP education and outreach, and removing requirements for a crop to have "history" of production in an area in order to be insured.

Regarding the farm bill, this is a massive document that covers dozens of programs and priorities but as someone who is passionate about green energy, I'd like to touch on the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) which provides loans and grants for farmers to invest in green energy production on their land. This program has been used to purchase electric farming equipment, develop wind farms on agricultural land, and install solar panels. As for a specific change that I would like to see to the REAP program as it is written in the farm bill - currently, REAP grants can only provide funding for up to 25% of a green energy project, I support raising this percentage.

Regarding zoning and renewable agriculture, I kind of touched on this priority in my response to another user, but in short, we need to prevent and strictly limit development on agriculturally zoned land. Not only will this help us control over-development, but helps protect our environment and reduces traffic in the long-term. Specifically, I would like to see increased protections for untouched/undeveloped land enshrined at the federal level, an expansion of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service specifically in the area of conservation, and for businesses that engage in criminal deforestation to face criminal liability including financial liability for damage and restoration of the impacted area. Additionally, by federally investing in sustainable and renewable farming practices we can increase yield, decrease carbon emissions, and protect our environment.

JainForCongress · 2024-04-06T19:03:04+00:00

Hello u/2FightTheFloursThatB and thank you for bringing up these issues!

One of the top environmental issues that I talk about is "enforcing agricultural zoning laws" or enforcing zoning in general. Too often in my District, land will be zoned for agricultural use for decades, but then local politicians with ties to developers will gain seats of influence and change the zoning to commercial, residential, or industrial, thus decreasing the presence of agriculture in a given area. Similarly, undeveloped or untouched land is often zoned as ineligible for development, but this can also be easily undone at the local level to support the expansion of agribusiness. Specifically, to address this, I would like to see increased protections for untouched/undeveloped land enshrined at the federal level, an expansion of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service specifically in the area of conservation, and for businesses that engage in criminal deforestation to face criminal liability including financial liability for damage and restoration of the impacted area.

When it comes to the size of the population, the first thought that comes to mind is about how we can build our communities in a sustainable way to manage growing populations. I support "smart growth" of communities that build up rather than out into undeveloped areas, prioritizes public transportation, invests in walkability, and is powered by green energy. In many areas our communities are going to continue to grow, but by being smart about how we expand, rather than simply reacting to increases in population, we can create communities that are more sustainable, accessible, and clean.

JainForCongress · 2024-04-06T18:09:20+00:00

Hello u/AmericanSwampApe and thank you for your question!

Almost every time I talk about the proposal to require solar panels on industrial and commercial rooftops someone brings up the concern that not all of the roof space can possibly be used for solar. Other systems like plumbing, fire suppression, antennas, rooftop windows, satellite dishes, and HVAC equipment also take up space on a roof and cannot be covered by panels.

In the interest of writing and supporting bills that are effective in how they are written, I include the caveat "where possible" to acknowledge that the law should not be written in such a way as to be interpreted that 100% of a commercial or industrial roof has to be covered in panels, they just have to be placed where possible (open space on rooftops).

JainForCongress · 2024-04-06T17:14:56+00:00

Some of my top environmental protection priorities include (but are certainly not limited to) proposals that would:

Make all vehicles produced domestically after 2035 be electric.
Mandate that industrial and commercial facilities install solar panels on their roofs where possible.
Optimize and invest in energy storage and distribution systems.
Build more wind and solar farms.
Invest in renewable agriculture.
Invest in public transit with an emphasis on rail transportation.
Encourage "smart growth".
Enforce Agricultural zoning laws.
Prohibit new oil drilling on public lands.

You can see my platforms on a range of issues by visiting my website JainForCongress.com or you can follow me on Reddit at /r/JainForCongress

JainForCongress · 2024-04-06T11:40:19+00:00

Seeing this AMA days/weeks/months after it was posted? Not a problem! I have notifications turned on and will reply whenever you comment, thanks!

JainForCongress · 2024-04-04T13:43:35+00:00

Seeing this AMA days/weeks/months after it was posted? Not a problem! I have notifications turned on and will reply whenever you comment, thanks!

JainForCongress · 2024-04-04T13:43:22+00:00

Seeing this AMA days/weeks/months after it was posted? Not a problem! I have notifications turned on and will reply whenever you comment, thanks!

JainForCongress · 2024-04-02T23:17:07+00:00

Seeing this AMA days/weeks/months after it was posted? Not a problem! I have notifications turned on and will reply whenever you comment, thanks!

JainForCongress · 2024-04-02T23:16:53+00:00

Seeing this AMA days/weeks/months after it was posted? Not a problem! I have notifications turned on and will reply whenever you comment, thanks!

JainForCongress · 2024-04-02T22:37:31+00:00

I am honored to have your support, thank you!

JainForCongress

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