Patrick Mosolf on the Issues
DEMOCRATIC REFORM Our democracy is currently under threat on multiple fronts. The Trump administration seeks to impose election procedures on the states, gerrymander to hold onto control of the House and coerce the media and our society’s institutions to cater to him. He is smoothing the way for a third term, ordered the national guard into multiple states, and told the military to use American cities as training grounds, as “we’re under invasion from within”. Yet even before the Trump administration, US democracy faced several systemic challenges. Cooperation between the parties has fallen to a new low, with government shutdowns becoming more frequent. Congress has failed to pass legislation that responds to the challenges our country is facing. The electoral college has resulted in the election of several Presidents who did not win the majority of the vote. I propose to use my term in Congress to immediately stop Trump’s incursion on our democracy, while promoting medium term solutions to the underlying causes of our democratic malaise.
HEALTHCARE REFORM Americans are paying more and more for healthcare, and it's impacting their budget, savings and quality of life. I support extending the Obamacare subsidies to start off, but in the longer term, we may need to look for additional solutions. The US spends a huge part of our GDP on healthcare. I propose to make healthcare more affordable by more effectively regulating the insurance and pharmaceutical industry, potentially allowing middle class families to buy into government provided plans, and placing more focus on longer term improved health outcomes through preventive care.
LOWERING THE COST OF HOUSING The US needs a combination of market and political interventions to lower the cost of housing. I will encourage a review of local regulations to make it easier for developers to build, and use leadership to build community approval for new housing. Regulations may need to be changed to enable more shared housing options. The government needs to look at housing finance to promote development, while creating disincentives to leave housing stock idle.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) Despite its purported benefits, Artificial Intelligence has the potential to cause significant harm by replacing human workers, and even coming to dominate our societies as it surpasses human intelligence. Yet so far there has been insufficient response from government. Corporations are rushing to develop AI to get ahead of their competitors, leaving little time to make careful consideration. The US is competing with other countries to ensure the US has the competitive edge. In this context, international agreements similar to nuclear non-proliferation treaties may be part of the solution, followed by laws in each respective country. The U.S. government needs to be more proactive to prevent AI from leading to widespread unemployment and a further decline in the standard of living. I will use my leadership, experience, and problem solving skills to develop an adaptive response to the evolving technological landscape.
ECONOMY AND INEQUALITY The US economy is simply not serving the American people well at this time. Prices of many key items affecting people’s livelihoods have increased, while salaries and wages have not kept up. Corporations are extremely profitable, but the wealth is not being widely shared. Economic growth is increasingly driven by the consumption of the wealthiest 10% of Americans. I support a more rational tariff policy than the current one that is driving price increases. I’ll explore an increase to the minimum wage, and review the corporate tax structure to see how it affects wealth distribution. I continue to use my economic knowledge to search for solutions that will benefit working and middle class Americans.
SOCIAL SECURITY Social Security continues to face challenges to its solvency, with decreasing funds to begin to affect benefits starting in 2033. Yet Congress and the President have failed to take action to guarantee the security of current and future beneficiaries. I will prioritize finding and implementing solutions to ensure that Social Security continues to benefit Americans into the distant future.