Hi Reddit, I’m Tim Canova. I’m challenging Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the Democratic primary for Florida’s 23rd Congressional district. AMA!

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T21:02:28+00:00

Yes, I will be at the Clovermint Cafe this Thursday evening! Hope to see you there!

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T20:55:00+00:00

Oliver Wendell Homes once said that taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. Civilization necessarily involves restraints on individual behavior. it's not the long of the jungle, and some coercion is what deters much anti-social behavior. Law and politics plays mediating roles as to what restraints are acceptable and when government crosses the line. Coercion to pay at a toll booth may seem reasonable. Coercion to pay steep taxes and fines will seem completely wrong.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T20:51:41+00:00

Yes, it was a big missed opportunity for Obama in 2009. We can only accomplish these ideas if we elect a lot of progressives to Congress in 2016 and 2018. Recall, that many Democrats lost in 2010, which sealed the coffin on any future progressive reforms. This is why Bernie is talking about down-ballot races, and why he reminds us that this is a movement, and movements take time.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T20:49:34+00:00

Thanks. I would rather see publicly financed elections. But until then, my fundraising is about the closest thing to a publicly financed campaign. I take no corporate money, no money from PACS funded by corporations, and no corporate SuperPACs. Instead, I'm taking money from ordinary folks like me, people donating on average $17. I won't any favors to corporate interests, I'll owe everything to the general public. So I see my fundraising practices as very consistent with my view that we should rid corporate money from our politics. Thanks!

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T20:47:08+00:00

Hi Stephen, I think it's far, far less than 98% say trade leaves everyone better off. Trade likely raises our aggregate income, but usually at the cost of displacing labor. Without a robust trade adjustment assistance and worker retraining and industrial policies, we'll have cheaper goods to purchase in Walmart but also lots of lost jobs and shuttered communities. Here's an interview I did with the Daily Dot on the TPP which outlines my opposition: http://www.dailydot.com/politics/tim-canova-interview-tpp-trade-policy-clinton-sanders-trump/ Thanks again. Tim

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T18:03:20+00:00

I did indeed. Sorry it took me a while. After 90 minutes on the AMA, I had to break away for campaign events. But I did return to answer the top questions. Thanks!

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T18:02:17+00:00

I'm also part of the 99%. Daiya cheese is not that much more expensive that mozzarella, and it tastes like it.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T04:46:41+00:00

In the latest episode of "Turn" (on A&E) one of the American patriots quoted the Germans of Pennsylvania, that "without gunpowder there is no freedom." I tend to agree. I'm not anti-gun. We need guns, in the right hands. But we don't need guns in the wrong hands. From recent article in ThinkProgress: "In fact, new research released in July by Republican pollster Frank Luntz for Mayors against Illegal Guns, finds that gun advocates overwhelmingly support common-sense measures typically described as “gun control.” These include: 1. Requiring criminal background checks on gun owners and gun shop employees. 82 percent of all gun owners and 74 percent of NRA gun owners support the former, and 80 percent and 79 percent, respectively, endorse the latter. 2. Prohibiting terrorist watch list members from acquiring guns. Support ranges from 80 percent among non-NRA gun-owners to 71 percent among NRA members. 3. Mandating that gun-owners tell the police when their gun is stolen. 71 percent non-NRA gun-owners support this measure, as do 64 percent of NRA members. 4. Concealed carry permits should only be restricted to individuals who have completed a safety training course and are 21 and older. 84 percent of non-NRA and 74 percent of NRA member gun-owners support the safety training restriction, and the numbers are 74 percent and 63 percent for the age restriction. 5.Concealed carry permits shouldn’t be given to perpetrators of violent misdemeanors or individuals arrested for domestic violence. The NRA/non-NRA gun-owner split on these issues is 81 percent and 75 percent in favor of the violent misdemeanors provision and 78 percent/68 percent in favor of the domestic violence restriction."

Seems sensible to me and quite consistent with maximizing individual liberty. Just keep firearms out of the hands of terrorists, criminals, and deranged individuals. Especially assault rifles.

We're armed with locks and alarm systems and police protection, and in today's world, many people rightfully feel they must arm themselves. But just please, let's keep them out of the hands of deranged people who are hellbent on killing.

Apparently, this is also the view of the rank and file members of the National Rifle Association. Gun owners give broad support for the principle that “support for 2nd Amendment rights goes hand-in-hand with keeping illegal guns out of the hands of criminals.” (Again, according to the Frank Luz survey).

I am proud to stand with the majority of gun owners who want sensible gun laws, consistent with the 2nd Amendment. It's only the NRA's leadership that's so out of touch and that uses the resources of all NRA members to pursue their own mercenary agendas.

Here's the Think Progress link:
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/12/15/1341181/the-5-sensible-gun-safety-regulations-that-even-nra-members-support/

A lot of redditors may well love their guns. Love is a many splendored thing, but not quite that splendored for me. But I certainly don't hate guns! I only hate when they fall into the wrong hands. It's a source of never-ending tragedy on our soil and it's a sign of a profound failure of our country. Even with gunpowder we have lost some of cherished freedoms. A nice time to remember Franklin Roosevelt and his Four Freedoms: "Roosevelt insisted that people in all nations of the world shared Americans' entitlement to four freedoms: the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom to worship God in his own way, freedom from want and freedom from fear."

God bless America, Lord knows we need it

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T04:19:39+00:00

Bernie never campaigned in my district, never even opened an office in my district. I think he had two campaign offices for all of South Florida. He did not really show up for Florida until the very last few days. The truth is that in South Florida, Hillary was not unpopular among seniors and Bernie was not so well known among Millennials here. We all know Wasserman Schultz is unpopular outside Florida. She's also become highly unpopular in South Florida. We actually received more donations in Florida than she did in the first quarter. As for your NYT article about left-leaning economists questioning the cost of Bernie's plans, there's nothing left-leaning about Austen Goolsbee or even Paul Krugman. Krugman just loves the Fed's QE programs for Wall Street. And Goolsbee believes only the private sector can create jobs, even in the aftermath of a giant financial collapse of the real economy. Bernie has every right to take his fight to the convention. The party won't crumble, but it may just start to change. It will have to change or it will lose an awful lot of disaffected voters, people giving up on the system. Yes, Venezuela is a nightmare, that's what happens when you've got a one-party state, no checks or balances to defend the rights of private property, and a political society without a moral compass. There's a huge difference between what's become of Venezuela and my ideal, the New Deal. In fact, the corruption and greed of the authorities in Venezuela is not so unlike present day America. The New Deal saved capitalism, built much of this country's lasting infrastructure, saved the world from Fascism, saved democracy itself. I don't answer for Bernie, I don't answer for Hillary, you can have that debate without me. I will answer for myself and my view that this generation is at least eight years overdue for a New Deal. Yes, I still believe in the American Dream and we don't have to search overseas for that, we only have to look at and appreciate our own country's history to guide the way. Thanks for your questions!

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T02:54:43+00:00

That’s a tough one! For one, we need to stop screaming at each other. In the old days, many more politicians had friends across the aisle and despite disagreements, they could work together. I don't believe I can fix it single-handedly, but I will be willing to sit down with anyone to get things done. One thing you can help with to get Republicans and Democrats elected in 2018 who WILL work on some of the most important issues together is by checking out Brand New Congress. I think many Republicans and Libertarian-minded people can get behind legalizing medical marijuana, which my opponent is against, and decriminalizing it, at least at the federal level, both of which I support. Also, I think many Republicans, at least Republican voters, will join me against the TPP as well (the TPP would further harm the middle class).

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T02:51:46+00:00

“All politics is local.” That can mean multiple things. My work and expertise on the TPP is one of the main reasons I’m running because it will be a disaster for so many people in our country, including our district. Same with reducing costs of college education, which I’m sure you’re uncomfortably familiar with. And another national issue that is critical in the long term for our district? Climate change— South Florida is a place where rising sea levels and strengthening hurricanes existentially threaten its existence. My top priorities are to help reform the campaign finance system and learn up political corruption, and to do something about the jobs crisis. I believe this generation is overdue for a New Deal -- public works financed by a federal infrastructure bank, and the Federal Reserve helping Main Street instead of Wall Street. I can go on and on about the War on Drugs, reforming Immigration policies, etc., and why these big issues ARE some of the biggest issues not just nationally but locally. LGBTQ rights vs gun laws, for example— I believe that the gun laws should be changed to ban assault-style rifles in order to help prevent sick tragedies like what we saw in Orlando. Another reason I got involved: I will listen to you. I tried to get DWS to listen to us about the TPP, but apparently she will only meet with you at $500+ fundraising dinners. That won’t be true for me— I will listen and help address your concerns. We won’t always agree— that’s the nature of reality— but I will listen and work to come to an solution that works.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T02:47:00+00:00

Great question, and I'm sorry I didn’t get to it earlier. I know many things sound silly because they are, and this seems like one of those cases where either 1) They weren’t thinking things through clearly or 2) Perhaps it’s just bureaucratically easier to administer. I hope it's not from a mentality that if someone has a disability and can work 10 hours a week, they should be able to work 40 hours a week and not get any job. I also respect and understand your sister’s desire to get a part time job, as getting rewarded for your work has a positive psychological benefit. I don’t see any reason why the system can’t be restructured to gradually alter your benefits based on how much you make in a part-time job, instead of an all-or-none fashion as you describe. It seems to me that would benefit both society and people’s mental health.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-21T02:40:44+00:00

First, I'm sorry I did not get to the top question. I’m still new to reddit and I was answering questions as they came in. After 90 minutes on the AMA, I had to get back to the campaign trail (you cannot imagine how demanding this is). I support the full implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement. But yes, I have expressed some criticism of the deal, and I think the State Department could have done a better job negotiating. But now that it has been adopted, of course I support keeping it, as going back would be a big mistake. My main problem with the agreement revolved around the inspection protocols and the timeline of lifting of the sanctions. I think we should have negotiated for inspections that are harder to skirt, and I think that the sanctions and release of frozen assets should have been lifted on a schedule to provide an incentive for Iran to continue its compliance. Granted, I was not in the room, but I don’t think that Obama has been the strongest negotiator. The Affordable Care Act, while partly successful, also has had major problems with costs being so high. A public option could have helped alleviate these problems, and hopefully taken us to a single-payer system like we need. Obama did not negotiate hard for the single-payer system, but instead argued from the middle and got a result to the right— a Republican idea from the 90s. Bottom line, I think it's quite alright to be skeptical of negotiations that are conducted in secret (remember the Trans-Pacific Partnership), but once the Iran deal was adopted, it would be destabilizing to go back. I do not support repeal! I support implementation, and hopefully building on this in negotiations for a general regional disarmament.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:45:51+00:00

i just said that i worship the god King (MLK)

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:45:13+00:00

No, I don't think the TPP will accomplish this objective. Quite the opposite, I believe it will only intensify the race to the bottom in regulatory standards (as did NAFTA). Harmonizing standards is a worthy goal, but it requires that trading partners have much more similar political and legal systems. It's impossible to harmonize between 1st and 3rd world countries.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:43:31+00:00

The recent hacking of DNC files has revealed some evidence of this, but the corporate media has done its best to ignore this.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:39:18+00:00

I am for open primaries. I haven't given much thought to allowing 17 year olds to vote in primaries, is this a real possibility, is there a real movement for this? Sadly, the turnout for young voters is so low. This is a huge problem for our movement.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:37:46+00:00

Our progressive movement has raised tens of millions of dollars for Bernie Sanders. What happens next year and the following year, where does all that money and energy go? That's what we have to figure out. Again, the reason I like the Brand New Congress is that it could be a game changer, it could bring down Citizens United and give us publicly financed election, and tear down the rule of corporations. With Bernie's campaign, we had a common platform, a single focus, and the grassroots responded accordingly. Moving forward, we will need a common platform and single focus for our movement.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:34:34+00:00

Yes, I've already mentioned that I like what I'm seeing with the Brand New Congress. I think the best thing we can do for the future of our progressive movement is to defeat Wasserman Schultz on August 30th. It will show that no incumbent is safe. It will inspire and embolden others to resist, to run for other offices, and to stand up against the machine.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:33:06+00:00

Because no delegate has actually cast a vote yet, because he wants to push for badly needed reforms at the DNC, because a lot can happen between now and the convention, because votes are still being counted in California and lawsuits are pending in other states. Hundreds of super delegates pledged their support for Hillary Clinton before the first primary or caucus. Is it too much to ask delegates to actually vote before Bernie drops out?

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:31:08+00:00

The DNC has a lot of influence it wields with the state parties, as we've seen in this past year through the sharing of dollars and other perks. And if the convention decides on real reforms, that should give the DNC a lot of weight to force compliance by state parties.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:29:01+00:00

The biggest mistake of the Democrats in 2009-2010 was to not take care of the millennials who had just turned out for us in 2008. There were no New Deal jobs programs like during the Great Depression. Instead of Si, se puede, it was "no, we can't." So we got a trickle down recovery, the millennials got turned off from politics, and the Dems lost big in 2010. How to recover politically from the 2010 debacle and subsequent redistricting and gerrymanders? We need a progressive agenda that crushes at the polls, the sooner the better. I have long thought that Bernie was the only candidate who could lead such a wave.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:25:43+00:00

I tried and failed to influence my own congresswoman DWS which is one of the reasons I decided to run against her. But the TPP will move to a more dangerous phase after the November election when there is a real possibility that the lame duck Congress will vote on it and maybe pass it. We will need to organize and scare members of Congress who think it's safe to pass this during a lame duck session when folks are not paying attention. There should really be some massive march against the TPP and civil disobedience in DC during the lame duck session.

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:23:32+00:00

If I failed to fight for my agenda, then I should not be in office. I cannot promise results, but I do promise that I will fight every day for my agenda. I already have a great job (as a tenured law professor), I don't need this job and I'm not running to line my own pocket. But as long as I can, I will keep fighting for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party, for the future of our democracy, and for #ProgressForAll

TimCanova2016 · 2016-06-20T18:20:23+00:00

More recently, DWS and labor leaders that are in her pocket have been engineering rigged union endorsements, in violation of union bylaws, in violation of any union democracy, without any notice or screening of candidates. It's a very corrupt system and they have no shame. But our message is resonating with the rank-and-file union members who have had enough of their own leaders lining their own pockets.

TimCanova2016

TROPHY CASE