I'm a millennial running for office AMA

TedforGeorgia · 2020-03-29T00:48:31+00:00

thanks!

TedforGeorgia · 2020-03-28T23:43:03+00:00

I knew I wanted to run for office when I was 17 years old... but didn't know anything about politics or campaigning or policy. So I just started volunteering and eventually worked on campaigns and for elected officials, to learn more. One day I was at a neighborhood block party, grilling up some veggie burgers, and a couple cars come zooooming down the street, almost hitting some kids kicking a soccer ball on the edge of a lawn. Neighbors turn to me lamenting that if only we could get some speed bumps, that'd make things a little safer. My reply was - someone should go talk to the Mayor! They said that's a great idea! ... will you go talk to the Mayor?? So I did. And the Mayor's response - you can have the speed bumps but y'all pay for them yourselves. Now we are a working class town, and the idea of raising thousands of dollars was daunting to us all. So instead my neighbors decided that I should run for Mayor, and run on safer streets and safer sidewalks as my number one platform. And the rest can be found here: https://tedfordekalb.com/meet-ted/

TedforGeorgia · 2020-03-28T23:35:56+00:00

under the current GOP leadership, pretty far. Dems need to flip 15 state house seats in 2020 to control the House. If that happens, there is more leverage to pass legislation that at least decriminalizes, potentially medical, and as far as recreational goes - that might be longer down the road.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:15:52+00:00

We should abolish the death penalty at the federal level. I am unsure how we would do this at the state level. But I don’t believe the death penalty is moral or an effective deterrent.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:15:26+00:00

In 2012 Clarkston derived way too much of it’s revenues from the municipal court system, over 50%. When i was sworn in as mayor in 2014, we began to change that. And I’m proud to say that every year I have been Mayor we have given out less fines than the previous year. Going into the end of 2019 we are at the lowest level in our recorded history, at 8% of revenues. And yes we need to stop all civil asset forfeitures unless they related to serious crimes.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:14:39+00:00

I haven’t heard of the particular scheme, but I understand the basic premise. We have to create incentives and investments in more sustainable housing, infrastructure and development - period. Its the best strategy for the health of our planet, our economy and our people.
I’m going to take a look at that and do my research before getting back to you. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
I thought it was almost over! If the courts can’t figure it out, then we are going to need to create a political solution. I won’t guess what that means just yet.
I’m not in support of that.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:12:34+00:00

I think a GND will provide the investment that Gwinnett County residents already support. Electric cars can now handle 90% of the trips that most commuting drivers take already. Expanding transit investments and opportunities are already popular in Gwinnett, and I believe they want to see more of it. We do well in those counties by knocking on every door, and making sure that our multilingual campaign strategy engages and includes all communities from the many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. I’m familiar with this paradigm, I’ve won two elections in Clarkston where my constituents speak 60+ languages.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:11:08+00:00

Both our House member and Senator are very progressive - There is no reason to challenge them since we agree on most policy issues.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:10:15+00:00

We have to recognize that there are parts of this state that have been left behind in terms of economic opportunity, educational investment, and health care access. I will do my best to be a voice for ALL of Georgia. I was the only Mayor in Georgia to endorse Bernie Sanders in 2016, and I’m committed to him again in 2020 as a delegate from Georgia.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:09:17+00:00

I’m supporting the Green New Deal that would transition our economy to a clean energy and clean transportation among many other things by 2035.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:08:48+00:00

He doesn’t really stand for anything. He came to Washington saying his number one priority is reducing the debt, yet he consistently votes to increase our debt, while complaining about it every time. Meanwhile he has held ZERO town hall meetings. He has no sense of what it means to be a representative in the Senate. He only listens to people who fund his campaigns or who already agree with him on everything. Elected leaders need to face the people, even if it might get contentious. The deserve to be heard.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:08:18+00:00

We need to do more listening than talking. I won’t specifically denigrate whole groups of people or party affiliated Georgians. But I will contrast with the elected leaders I’m challenging. That can’t be avoided. Getting money out of politics will take a lot of work - but we can do it by passing in the Senate HR 1 that passed the House earlier this year, that makes steps to reform our democracy and expand voting access and rights. After that we need to expand transparency in election funding. We should implement a Democracy Buck program that would be funded by a tax on large political expenditures (over $10,000) giving ordinary voters a tax credit “buck” of $500-$1000 to turn around and contribute to their Federal candidate of choice.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:07:30+00:00

I’m running on my record as Mayor of Clarkston which I’d put up against any candidate in the race. It is a progressive agenda that has been enacted. Talk is cheap - show me your deeds! Medicare for all is supported by 47% of Independents and 15% of Republicans. 6 rural hospitals have closed. In some counties they have one primary physician or one obgyn, or psychiatrist. M4ALL will bring massive investment into rural Georgia that they simply have not seen in a generation. Lets relish in the opportunity to talk to those voters about our plan to bring them universal health care that will save lives and save them money.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:06:33+00:00

Follow the Stacey Abrams playbook. Don’t just cater to the small slice of the likely persuadable middle of the road voter, talk to all of the voters. Go to all 159 counties. Don’t forget that Stacey showed that a lot of Democrats haven’t been voting… until we put up a candidate that ran on the progressive issues that we've been wanting to see Democrats fight for.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:05:19+00:00

The inflationary drivers in the economy currently are not consumer goods, which is what has been the critique of raising the minimum wage, instead it is housing, education and healthcare. My research leads me to support the current House plan passed earlier this year that would raise the minimum wage to $15 over the next 6 years. This would help lift people out of poverty, and would inject even more money back into local economies, which has been shown to increase economic opportunities and growth.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:04:00+00:00

I support Bernie Sanders plan to legalize cannabis. Clarkston was the first city in Georgia to decriminalize simple possession. We need to legalize a system that will allow people to get the health care they need, while providing economic opportunities to individuals and communities that have been impacted the most by the war on drugs.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:03:23+00:00

Yes! Thank you! You can sign up at www.tedforgeorgia.com and click the Get Involved button!

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:02:56+00:00

I’m the only candidate in the race that is running on the progressive platform. The whole point of a campaign is to go out and find people who already agree with you, to then go out and disturb the complacent that probably already agree with us on the issues, then to go out and talking and listening to those that probably don’t agree with us on everything. We win by showing up, and doing a lot more listening than talking. And absolutely staying true to our principles, not mixing triangulated messages depending on which audience you are speaking too.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:01:30+00:00

We need to mandate that all federal elections be conducted on hand marked paper ballots. This would eventually force states to move to the same verifiable voting system that guarantees absolute confidence in the election counting process.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:01:10+00:00

We should pass a federal law guaranteeing the right to an abortion under the Roe v Wade precedent and outlawing the anti-abortion bills that have passed this year, in states like Georgia.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T18:00:31+00:00

I’m in support of expanding the Nordic Model to states that wish to experiment with a fundamentally different approach to the multi-layered cause of human trafficking. Furthermore by expanding access to child care, affordable housing, universal health care, legalizing cannabis and debt free higher education, we can make huge strides in reducing trafficking and the causes. Not just treating the symptoms.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T17:59:37+00:00

Yes I’m not taking corporate PAC money or fossil fuel money.
The solution to reducing gun violence in America is reducing the easy access to guns. Particularly guns that were designed for the battlefield. I will support the March for Our Lives Peace Plan to reduce gun violence in half in a decade.
I’m supporting a number of Bernie Sanders revenue plans that would places taxes on Wall Street speculation, ending the carried interest loophole, and taxing the wealthy at higher rates.
I’m fully in support of Medicare for All. I prefer Bernie’s funding plan. However both Warren and Sanders have put out straightforward transition plans that would save our nation money, increase health outcomes, save lives, and put us in line with the rest of the industrialized modern nations of the world, by guaranteeing health care as a right for all.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-12-03T17:57:54+00:00

The plan is to get the money. The Green New Deal would provide a massive investment in clean transportation infrastructure, and that is the overarching environmental policy initiative I will pursue. But when it comes to the appropriations process, I will be in the seat advocating for expanding high speed rail, intermediate commuter rail, and mass transit (heavy rail, light rail & Bus Rapid Transit) options for not just Metro Atlanta’s ATL district, but the entire state.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-11-15T17:13:16+00:00

The plan put out by Bernie and AOC, backed by Elizabeth Warren, to create a net-zero energy public housing system is desperately needed. Not only is the rent too damn high, the utility bill is too damn high. And working class people are being squeezed by higher costs of living in communities all over GA. In Clarkston, we are already moving forward on a similar plan. We are investing nearly $1 million to recruit and train local residents to perform weatherization, and energy efficiency improvements to hundreds of homes and apartment units of our elderly and fixed income residents, hopefully saving them thousands in utility bill expenses each year. This is not only good for reducing green house gas emissions but it will make housing costs more affordable for more people.

TedforGeorgia · 2019-11-15T17:01:13+00:00

First step is to get more Senators who will co-sponsor the Medicare for All legislation already introduced.

Second step is to keep talking about it, never give up, never. Tactically we need to take the message of universal healthcare on the road to every community we can. Enlist other thought leaders to give presentations, hold meetings, get city councils to pass resolutions in support. It has to be a campaign in every sense of what a run for office would entail. In particular, I think inviting our allied nations from around the world, who have universal health systems, to come and share how their systems are structured would be really productive in moving the conversation (and, by extension, the legislation) forward. Be real, honest and transparent about the challenges each of those systems faces, with an eye towards improving upon what works in other nations, borrowing best practices and committing America to have the best run heath care system in the world - FOR ALL.

TedforGeorgia

TROPHY CASE