People's Amendment - Peoples Amendment

THE PEOPLE'S AMENDMENT

PREAMBLE

We the People of the United States do hereby establish this People’s Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.

By this amendment, the Government of the United States shall serve only the people and the environment and have the authority to act, regulate, or legislate only for the security, safety, and welfare thereof, not to benefit itself, corporations, elected representatives, or the military.

By this People’s Amendment, the Government of the United States shall be empowered to act if and only if the action:

Is necessary.
Is morally right.
Benefits the health, security, and welfare of the people.
Preserves the environment and conserves natural resources.
Places the interests of the people and the environment ahead of those of corporations, elected representatives, the government, or military.

SECTION l: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

A. The Executive Branch.

1. The Executive Branch shall uphold the Constitution, laws of the United States, and international law in times of peace, in times of war, or during a national emergency and shall respect the Separation of Powers contained in the Constitution.

2. The Executive Branch shall not surreptitiously enhance the powers of the Executive Branch. Signing statements by the President intended to circumvent or subvert the letter or intent of the law signed shall be illegal and subject the President to removal from office.

3. The Executive Branch shall not escape oversight of Congress or the people of the United States.

4. Laws or bills that have increased presidential powers or eliminated oversight of the Executive Branch as contained in the Constitution shall be abolished.

5. The Executive Branch shall uphold the international law set forth in the Geneva Conventions and shall not authorize the torture of prisoners held by the U.S., whether such prisoners are foreign terrorists or U.S. citizens.

6. All Presidential papers shall become public eight (8) years after a President leaves office.

7. A President, Vice President, or member of the Executive Branch staff shall be subject to prosecution for criminal acts performed in office.

B. The Legislative Branch

1. The U.S. Congress shall give priority to laws and actions that benefit the people of the United States and create transparency in their decisions regarding the laws governing the United States.

2. Elected representatives shall not receive free medical coverage or other benefits until a National Health Care System is in place.

3. There shall be no "earmarks". There shall be no riders to bills. All bills must address one subject only.

C. The Judicial Branch

1. The Supreme Court and the Judicial Branch shall confine its actions to constitutional mandates.

2. The terms of Justices of the Supreme Court, iincluding the Chief Justice, shall be limited to a total of two seven-year terms.

D. Economics

1. The federal government shall not spend more than it takes in.

2. The Federal Reserve Bank shall be nationalized and run by the federal government.

3. The privatized Federal Reserve Bank shall restrict the creation of dollars to inhibit inflation.

4. The federal government shall close the income gap between the poor and middle class, and the wealthy by altering the tax structure so that the poor and middle class are taxed proportionately less.

5. The federal government shall act to reduce and eliminate inflation in the U.S. economy.

6. The federal government shall return to the gold standard.

7. Larger denominations of currency, such as $500 and $1000 bills, shall be returned to circulation. The penny shall be eliminated

8. The federal government shall provide negative incentives for any company that seeks to ship U.S. jobs overseas. The government shall reestablish tariffs on all goods imported into the United States. An additional 10 percent tax shall be imposed on goods from American corporations that have outsourced manufacturing jobs from the United States to other countries in the last 10 years

9. Federal, state, and local governments and the military shall not buy any foreign product if an American-made equivalent is available.

10. No branch of government, including regulatory agencies and the military, shall pay more than market value for goods or services.

11. Government accounting methods must meet the same standards as mandated for publicly traded corporations.

E. Military

1. The budget for military spending and the Pentagon shall be reduced to no more than double that of any other country. The military shall institute a bidding process for all contracts signed. “No-bidding” contracts are expressly forbidden

2. The US shall not maintain more than 200 military bases on foreign soil.

3. Reservists shall not be subject to multiple call-ups for service.

4. Posse Comitatus shall be restored.

F. Foreign Relations

1. The United States shall not invade or attack other countries unless attacked first.

2. The U.S. military and all government agencies are prohibited from entering a foreign nation for the purpose of drug interdiction.

3. There shall be no free trade agreements.

4. The federal government shall comply with all of the provisions of the Geneva Conventions.

G. Privatization

1. No branch of government, including the U.S. military, or regulatory or administrative bodies or agencies or part thereof, deemed responsible for the common good of the people of the United States shall be allowed to be privatized.

2. No public infrastructure shall be allowed to be sold to any private party or corporate interest. All such sales that have taken place in the last ten years shall revert to public ownership at the original price.

3. Private for-profit corporations, domestic or foreign, shall not be allowed to take over the duties of U.S. agencies. Government programs funded by taxpayer dollars shall not be administered by private, for-profit corporations.

H. Taxes

1. The tax code shall be simplified and readable by the average person.

2. Corporations that benefit from The Commons shall be taxed on the use of The Commons. Such taxes will be used to pay for a national health care system and for the protection and restoration of the environment. This amendment does not allow corporations to evade their responsibility to restore public lands after said corporation uses and exploits the land and its resources.

3. Tax codes shall be altered so that there shall be no state, federal, or local taxes imposed on commodities necessary for survival, including food, water, shelter, and energy.

4. Social Security income shall not be taxed.

5. The federal government shall help close the income gap between the poor and middle class and the wealthy by altering the tax structure so that proportionately less is spent on taxes by the poor and middle class.

6. Federal and state inheritance taxes shall be repealed. Corporate taxes shall be increased to cover the loss of same.

7. The Internal Revenue Service shall not audit anyone with a gross income of $50,000 or less.

8. The Internal Revenue Service shall give its highest auditing priority to large corporations.

9. Corporate taxation shall account for a minimum of 40 percent of Internal Revenue Service income.

10. Inflation must be taken into account on the sale of any real or depreciable asset to compute capital losses as well as capital gains.

11. Any and all medical expenses, including so-called "alternative treatments," shall be tax deductible, regardless of income bracket.

12. Any state that collects a state income tax shall do so as a percentage of the federal return and shall not require a separate return with different rules or exemptions.

13. The threshold for the Alternative Minimum Tax shall be adjusted annually for inflation, using the date of inception as a baseline.

14. No private debt agency or other corporate entity shall be allowed to collect taxes in the United States.

I. The Food and Drug Adminstration and Environmental Protection Agency

1. The FDA's mission shall be altered to encourage a non-pharmaceutical approach to medicine. Prevention of disease and safety and toxicity of food and drug products shall be its primary focus.

2. The FDA shall authorize all pharmaceuticals to be tested for efficacy, toxicity, and safety and shall test all natural substances and non-pharmaceutical products for toxicity and safety only. To determine toxicity and safety of a product, the FDA shall rely solely on the outcome of independent studies and not studies done by or paid for by the manufacturer or associated industry.

3. The FDA, the EPA, or the CPSC shall authorize independent testing to determine whether any drug or product is safe for human and domestic animal consumption, nontoxic, nonpolluting, and does not harm the environment or wild species. Any drug or product found to be harmful shall not be allowed to be produced, sold, or given away in the United States or exported to another country.

4. The FDA, the EPA, or the CSPC shall test all existing manufactured products and chemicals used externally or internally for toxicity and harm to the public, environment, or wild species. None of these products shall be tested on live animals. Any product found to be harmful shall not be allowed to be produced, sold, or given away in the United States or exported to another country.

5. The FDA shall not approve for distribution, sale, or marketing any product found to be toxic or unsafe.

6. The FDA shall test the toxicity of food, cosmetics, perfumes, and toiletries within 90 days of submission.

7. The FDA and other federal agencies shall be prohibited from regulating or exercising jurisdiction over products which are nontoxic or devices which are harmless. The FDA and other federal agencies shall be prohibited from pressing criminal charges against anyone for dispensing or using products that are nontoxic or harmless and are prohibited from confiscating products that are nontoxic or harmless.

8. The FDA shall have no jurisdiction over interstate commerce.

9. Products of nanotechnology shall be banned.

J. Social Security

1. The Social Security fund shall be protected in perpetuity.

2. Social Security shall not be privatized.

3. The legislature shall be forbidden from enacting any budgetary or other legislation that will take funds from Social Security for purposes other than those for which Social Security was intended.

4. The legislature shall be forbidden from enacting any budgetary or other legislation that will take funds from Social Security for purposes other than those for which Social Security was intended.

SECTION ll: ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT

A. Representatives

1. An elected, appointed, or hired representative of the federal government who protects or promotes corporate or political interests over that of U.S. citizens shall be charged with a felony.

2. An elected, appointed, or hired representative of the federal government who delays or blocks an investigation into the representative's activities or records, shall immediately be removed from office pending completion of the investigation.

3. An elected, appointed, or hired representative of the federal government who knowingly breaks the law may be subject to personal lawsuits by citizens of the United States.

4. There shall be no statute of limitations for any crime committed by a person while holding a public office, whether the person is elected, appointed, or hired.

5. Lobbying shall be made illegal.

6. Absent a ban on lobbying, no former president or vice president shall be allowed to work as a lobbyist or for a company that engages in lobbying or use his special position to unduly influence legislation.

7. Absent a ban on lobbying, no former senator or representative shall be allowed to work as or for a lobbyist or to seek to influence the workings of the federal government or legislation for a period of 12 years after leaving office.

8. Elected and appointed representatives of the United States, including the President and Vice President, shall be forbidden from accepting monetary or other gifts.

9. Any confidentiality agreement between a U.S. citizen and the government or a corporation shall be made void if the contract conflicts with the health, welfare, and well-being of the public or the environment.

10. Whistleblowers shall be protected from: losing their jobs, lawsuits, criminal charges, and other negative consequences of their actions in disclosing governmental or corporate wrong-doing.

B. Federal Agencies

1. No federal agency shall be so self-contained that its rulings cannot be outweighed by congressional action or a vote of the American people.

2. The federal government and its representatives, bureaus, agencies, and officials shall restore full transparency to their decision-making. The federal government will inform the public of the background and reasoning for regulations promulgated by its staff.

3. There shall be no revolving doors between regulatory agencies and the industries they regulate. No federal agency shall allow present or former employees or representatives from the industry it regulates to sit on any of the agency's committees or advisory panels.

4. Employees of any regulatory agency are prohibited from working for the regulated industry for a period of ten years after leaving the agency.

5. Government contracts shall not bilk taxpayers and shall be put out for competitive bid.

6. The government shall not experiment on people for any reason. The government shall not experiment for medical research, to test for toxicity, or to establish the vulnerability of individuals. This ban includes the use of bioweapons, microwaves, mind control, or radiology.

SECTION III: ELECTIONS

A. Voting

1. Every U.S. citizen shall have the right to vote. Citizens who are in prison will not lose their right to vote but may temporarily lose access to voting.

2. Voting shall be mandatory. Every U.S. Citizen has an obligation to vote. A U.S. citizen who does not vote in an election shall be fined $25. Funds collected from such fines shall be applied towards campaign financing.

3. To increase voter turnout, Election Day in any county, state, or federal election shall be a holiday.

4. The Electoral College shall be eliminated to give the proper one-person, one-vote representation for presidential elections.

5. Exit polling shall be mandated in every election with an automatic recount if there is a two-percent discrepancy from official results. Exit poll results shall be withheld until all polling stations are closed.

6. U.S. citizens shall be allowed to monitor elections. Citizens shall be given access to election records, including but not limited to the right to view ballot counting. Access to records must be made in a timely manner, before elections are certified and shall be free to the public. (partial credit: BlackBoxVoting.org.)

7. Identification shall not be required for an election. Equal and nondiscriminatory access to voting shall be assured for all voters.

8. Voting shall be private. There shall be no chance that others will ascertain how a citizen has voted. Bar codes on mail-in ballots shall be prohibited because they may expose a citizen's voting choices to polling officials or others.

9. No person or entity shall be allowed to interfere with, stop, or intimidate a registered voter from casting a ballot. Anyone found guilty of intimidating voters, interfering with an election, or tampering with votes shall be sentenced to a minimum of 5 years in prison.

10. A national party, the members of which are convicted of tampering with elections, intimidating voters, or obstructing voting, shall lose all the votes in the county of occurrence. If tampering occurs statewide, the party will be forbidden from soliciting votes in the state in the next similar election.

11. The President, Vice President, and every appointee of the President, including Supreme Court Justices, shall be immediately removed from their positions if it is found the President, Vice President, or members of their party committed fraud in the election of the President.

12. All ballots for city, county, state, or federal elections must be preserved and available for recount for a period of five years.

13. Private companies shall not manage or operate elections, vote counts, or election information. (An alternative: If election information is handled by a private company, the company shall be subject to the same Freedom of Information Act requirements of public agencies and to citizen oversight and monitoring of election records and ballot counting. Such a private company shall be prohibited from doing business in the United States if it is found that an officer, director, employee, or representative of the company is convicted of vote tampering.)

14. The U.S. Elections Assistance Commission shall be eliminated.

15. City, county, state, and federal elections shall incorporate an Instant Runoff Election system if one candidate does not get more than 50 percent of the vote. (credit: fairvote)

16. Voters shall be allowed to express their dissatisfaction with a slate of candidates or choices. "None of the Above" shall appear on ballots that do not require a simple "Yes" or "No" vote. These votes shall be tallied. (Credit: Joel S. Hirschhorn)

B. Campaigns

1. Financing for elections for the President and Vice President shall come from the U.S. treasury. Financing for U.S. Congressional campaigns shall come from the treasury of the state in which the candidate resides. States, counties, and cities shall mandate public financing for those running for elected office. Public monies shall be divided equally among all qualified candidates. Qualified candidates may come from any party with more than 100,000 voting members across the United States, not just from the Democratic or Republican parties.

2. Money or support shall not be allowed to be contributed to any political campaign. Political action committees, corporations, Section 527 organizations, and lobbyists - absent a ban on lobbying - shall be banned from giving money, seed money, soft money, gifts, or in-kind contributions to a qualified candidate or campaign on an election issue and also shall be banned from supporting or working on behalf of or against a qualified candidate. U.S. citizens may make a maximum contribution of $50 in seed money to a candidate or to a campaign for an election issue.

3. A qualified candidate for President must collect 100,000 signatures to run for office. A qualified candidate for any other office is a citizen who can raise a to-be-determined threshold amount of seed money or signatures on a petition.

4. Television and radio stations shall give free and equal campaign air time to all qualified candidates.

5. The nonprofit Commission on Presidential Debates, controlled by the Democrats and Republicans, shall be replaced. The federal government shall establish a commission on debates comprised of all qualified parties. Qualified parties are those that have more than 100,000 voting members in the United States.

SECTION lV. CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

A. Denial of Constitutional Freedoms

1. Any constitutional right or freedom lost through legislation, presidential order or directive, shall immediately be restored.

2. A denial of constitutional freedoms shall be a federal felony, whether such denial stems from Executive Order of the President, actions of the U.S. Congress, or an officer of the law.

B. First Amendment

1. Freedom of speech is a constitutional right and shall be guranteed. No one shall be arrested or sued for expressing a point of view.

2. "Free-speech zones" intended to stifle dissent of government policies or actions shall be declared unlawful.

3. No one shall be arrested or put on "no-fly" lists for speaking out against the government or disagreeing with or participating in protests against the President, Vice President, or elected representatives of the United States or their policies. No-fly lists shall cease to exist.

4. The U.S. government and its agencies and state governments shall be forbidden from identifying, profiling, scanning with facial recognition software, listing in a database, detaining, or attacking any protestor for exercising the Constitutional right of free speech and peaceful assembly.

C. Fourth Amendment

1. U.S. citizens shall be guaranteed the right to privacy, as implied by the Fourth Amendment.

2. There shall be no warrantless searches or electronic surveillance of people's homes, property, communications, computers, or medical or financial records. U.S. citizens shall be secure in their financial, banking, personal, legal, physical, mental, medical, and Internet activity.

3. The government, corporations, or agents thereof shall not spy on nor accumulate data on a U.S. citizen, absent a current warrant. All data accumulated in violation of Fourth Amendment and privacy rights shall be destroyed.

4. There shall be no sharing of personal data for any American citizen by the government, corporations, or other entity unless a citizen deliberately chooses to allow personal data to be shared.

5. No government agency shall monitor financial transactions in any amount absent a current warrant.

6. Internet privacy shall be inviolate.

7. "No-knock" practices by police departments and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall be banned, absent a current warrant.

8. U.S. citizens shall not be mandated to carry a national identity card, with or without electronic chips. Microchips shall not be implanted in the body of any U.S. citizen for any reason.

D. Unconstitutional Legislation and Presidential Orders and Directives.

1. The Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, the 2007 National Security Presidential Directive 51, and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20 shall be revoked.

2. Any Constitutional right or freedom taken away by the PATRIOT Act, the Military Commissions Act, or other legislation or presidential order or directive shall be immediately restored.

E. Fifth Amendment

1. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

2. There shall be no confiscation of assets without a trial and conviction.

F. Eminent Domain

1. Property taken by eminent domain shall be used only for public infrastructure and not in support of commercial or private development.

2. Federal, state, and local governments are prohibited from using eminent domain, expropriation, or condemnation to take private property away from a landowner to give to another person, entity, or corporation without the landowner's consent.

G. Eighth Amendment

1. Cruel and unusual punishment shall be prohibited.

2. No person, whether a U.S. citizen, foreign national or enemy combatant, shall be subject to excessive punishment or torture, which is here defined as punishment.

3. Capital punishment shall be prohibited, as it is excessive punishment.

H. Habeas Corpus

1. The right to Habeas Corpus under Section 9, Article I of the U.S. Constitution shall be guaranteed for every U.S. citizen, enemy combatant, or citizen from other countries.

I. Citizens' Right to Enact and Veto Legislation

1. Citizens shall have the right to enact legislation and the right to veto legislation that has been signed into law. Citizens shall enact this right by first petitioning then voting on the action or legislation.

J. Citizens' Right to Recall President and Vice President

1. Citizens shall have the right to recall and remove the President or Vice President from office by a 60-percent majority of voters. If the President or Vice President is removed, a replacement shall be appointed according to the articles of succession contained in the U.S. Constitution.

2. In any election, voters shall have the opportunity to recall their elected representative by a 60-percent majority of voters. If the elected representative is removed from office with a 60-percent majority vote, then the appropriate state legislature may appoint a replacement until an election can be held.

3. U.S. citizens shall have the right to remove any federally appointed official by a 60-percent majority of voters, including members of the Cabinet, heads of federal agencies, or U.S. Supreme Court Justices.

K. Corporations shall not possess constitutional rights.

1. Corporate entities shall no longer be granted constitutional rights possessed by U.S. citizens.

SECTION V: RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITIZENS

A. Laws

1. There shall be no prosecution of victimless crimes This amendment shall not apply to traffic violations, including drunk driving.

2. Marijuana shall be legalized and the war on soft drugs shall cease immediately. There shall be an immediate pardon and release of those in prison for the use, sale and growing of marijuana.

3. No sexual act between consenting adults shall be illegal.

4. Gay marriage shall be legalized. All rights allowed to heterosexual domestic partners and married couples shall extend to gay and lesbian domestic partners and married couples.

5. Fines for misdemeanor violations shall be minimal.

B. Citizens' Rights

1. Every U.S. citizen shall have the right to a decent home. The government shall provide housing for homeless people.

2. Every U.S. citizen shall have the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment. (See Inconvenient Documents: FDR Bill of Rights)

3. Upon reaching the age of 18, everyone shall engage in one year of public service, and shall be paid at least the minimum wage for such work.

C. Consumer Bill of Rights

1. Interest charged on credit card debt or loans in any form shall be capped at prime plus 10 percent, regardless of the term of the loan. There shall be no variable-rate loans or point charges.

2. Late fees or penalties on any debt shall be prohibited if interest continues to be compounded on a debt. Hidden fees shall be prohibited.

3. Bankruptcy shall be permitted for debt incurred for medical expenses.

4. Airlines shall be regulated as per pre-deregulation rules. Refundable and changeable tickets without penalties shall be mandatory practice on airlines. Reimbursement for lost luggage shall be based on actual cost.

5. There shall be no limitations on corporate liability, including but not limited to the pharmaceutical and medical industries.

6. Products and packaging shall not contain toxic. This prohibition includes a ban on any substance known to cause cancer or other disease or disorder or affects the development of a fetus. Absent a ban on toxic chemicals, manufacturers shall list on the package in bold, red type all ingredients in food, drug, cosmetics, perfume, and toiletry products that are toxic to humans or animals.

7. Absence a ban on toxic chemicals, manufacturers shall list on the package of consumer products the type and weight of toxic substances used in processing and manufacture of the product and the amount of greenhouse gases created.

8. The federal government shall establish and rigorously enforce "Do Not Junk Mail," "Do Not Junk Fax," "Do Not Phone," and "Do Not Spam" lists.

D. Employment Bill of Rights

1. Every employee, including those who work in private homes, shall be entitled to an annually recalculated and realistic minimum wage set by Congress, regardless of the location and job.

2. Corporate whistleblowers shall be protected from losing their jobs; lawsuits; criminal charges; and other negative consequences of their actions in disclosing governmental or corporate wrong-doing.

E. Medical Bill of Rights

1. The federal government shall create a national health care program and provide free medical care to all U.S. citizens.

2. Until a national health care system is in place, all hospitals and health insurance companies shall revert to nonprofit status.

3. Alternative healing modalities shall be legal in the United States. Unlicensed practitioners shall provide consumers with disclosures.

4. Doctors shall have the right and obligation to advise patients about alternative or natural therapies, substances, or procedures.

5. Patients shall be given access to all health care information, services, treatments, and products they deem beneficial to their health and survival. (credit: National Health Freedom Action)

6. Patients shall have access to any and all nontoxic substances, drugs, or homeopathic remedies intended for healing or treatment of any disease or health condition.

7. No federal, state, or local government shall mandate vaccinations, procedures, medicine, or treatment for children or adults. Parents shall have the right to determine the appropriate treatment for their children and shall not be subject to prosecution for selecting an unconventional medical course of action.

8. Individuals shall have the right to make all decisions about their health care..

9. Assisted suicide shall be legal; however, counseling must be provided to anyone who seeks to take his or her own life.

10. Licensed, practicing doctors and alternative practitioners shall not be allowed to accept gifts, money, or marketing materials from pharmaceutical or drug companies. Doctors who have in the past received compensation from a pharmaceutical or drug company shall disclose such information to their patients.

11. Until a national health care system is in place, no patient shall be charged more than an insurance company or Medicare would pay for a medical service, procedure, or drug.

F. Educational Bill of Rights

1. The right of U.S. citizens to a high-quality education is hereby established.

2. The financing of education shall have the third highest federal and state priorities, after health care and the environment.

3. Starting at the middle school level, the school curriculum shall include mandatory classes in environmental science; renewable energy production; alternative health modalities and nutrition;, organic gardening and farming; survival and self defense skills; yoga and meditation; personal finance; and green construction.

4. Interest on student loans shall be capped at 2 percent with no hidden fees or additional charges.

G. Prison Reform and Prisoners' Bill of Rights

1. Every prisoner shall receive training in green-collar jobs. At least 25 percent of prison labor shall be devoted to ecological restoration and growing organic food for local schools, hospitals, and the prison system.

2. State universities shall develop and administer college courses for prisoners. Educational credits earned by a prisoner shall be transferrable to an accredited university. College credits earned by prisoners shall allow prisoners to earn time off their sentences.

3. Prisons shall not be allowed to be privatized or run for profit. All privately owned or operated prisons shall be transferred to, and owned and operated by, municipal, state or federal governments.

4. Private for-profit corporations shall not be allowed to use prison labor in the course of their business, unless prisoners agree and volunteer to work for the corporation. Minimum wage or higher shall be paid to prisoners for such service.

5. Shackling of prison mothers during birth shall be banned.

6. Prisoners shall have the right to health care and have access to health care that they deem beneficial, including alternative therapies.

SECTION Vl: ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS AND DUTIES

A. Citizens and the Environment

1. It shall be illegal to produce, sell or use toxic household products or chemical pesticides, herbicides or fungicides for the home, yard, or garden,.

2. Every person in the United States shall act to reduce home and office energy use.

3. It shall be forbidden to dump a toxic chemical into sewers, drains, or toilets, including chemicals meant to unclog drains or toilets, hazardous household products, and pharmaceutical drugs.

4. Chemical and hazardous waste shall be properly disposed of at a hazardous waste facility.

B. Business and the Environment

1. Industries shall not pollute the environment - the air, water, oceans, or land - with chemicals known to harm people, wildlife, or the environment. If the toxicity or carcinogenicity of a chemical is unknown, the chemical shall be banned until its safety is determined. The government shall collect and make available a list of chemicals produced by manufacturers in this country. The list shall include the chemical, tons produced, and the impact of the chemical on human health and the environment.

2. Research and testing done by the industry or industry-paid consultants shall not be considered in determining whether a chemical is safe, nontoxic, and nonpolluting.

3. The government shall be charged with publishing the total amount of toxic waste emitted into the environment and where the waste has been emitted. Local community residents shall be notified if any toxic waste of more than 100 lbs has been emitted into a community's environment. Until industries and corporations stop polluting the environment, they will disclose all toxic materials and hazardous waste they emit into the air, water, oceans, and land and publish this disclosure in their annual reports, as well as report the amount and types of toxic chemicals to the government. There shall be no minimum reporting requirements, as is the case with the current Toxics Release Inventory.

4. The cost for cleanup of any industrial spills or pollution will be borne in full by the industry that caused it, not by the American people. Any corporation or subsidiary thereof judged to be the responsible party for polluting the air, water, or soil shall pay the costs of all outstanding environmental cleanups immediately and in full, and shall be barred from bidding on government contracts until such cleanup is complete and paid for.

5. Industry and corporations shall be fully liable for the cost of disease, illness, or death caused by their actions, products, or emissions.

6. Unused pharmaceuticals and byproducts shall be treated as hazardous waste.

C. The Commons and the Ecosystems

1. Watersheds and airsheds shall be protected. This protection shall be in effect no matter who owns the land.

2. Corporate use of the Commons is a privilege for which the people of the United States shall be reimbursed at fair market value for the resources. The Commons include airwaves and natural resources on or over public lands. Natural resources include but are not limited to oil; gas; air; minerals; groundwater; lakes, streams, rivers and other waterways; and trees or forests. Such reimbursement shall reflect the true value of the resource and shall be used to restore the environment and fund a national health program.

3. Any corporation that uses the Commons shall fully mitigate all environmental impacts to the air, water, and land.

4. Mining, logging, and other economic activity that destroys the environment shall be prohibited in national parks and areas of environmental concern.

5. There shall be no clear-cutting of public forests nor mountain-top removal of resources on public lands.

D. Oceans

1. The U.S. national ocean policy shall focus on prevention of runoff of point and nonpoint sources of pollution; restoration of fisheries and marine species; and restoration of kelp, seagrass, mangrove, reef, salt marsh and coastal communities and environments, and other areas that provide habitat for fish and marine species. The policy will mandate laws to prohibit plastic and trash from flowing into the ocean and address a plan to clean up ocean garbage patches. U.S. policy shall also address dead zones off U.S. coastal areas.

2. By 2012, the federal government shall designate coastal marine sanctuaries wherever fish stocks have plummeted to less than 20 percent of historic levels. Fishing, mining, or extraction of resources shall not be allowed in these sanctuaries.

3. The federal government shall work with fishermen to assure sustainable fisheries and fish populations.

4. The federal government shall ban fishing for any species that is at 25 percent or less of its historic levels.

5. Destructive fishing practices that damage marine habitats or are responsible for significant incidental catch shall be banned. These fishing practices include but are not limited to dragnets, bottom trawling, and long-lines.

6. Fish farms shall be managed so as to have no impact on natural ocean habitat or pose a threat to ocean fish, marine species, or public health.

7. Ships shall be forbidden from dumping any material into the ocean, including untreated sewage or gray water. Treated sewage and grey water will be allowed providing it has not been treated with toxic substances.

8. Fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides from farms, and chemicals from factories, shall be prohibited from entering the ocean.

9. Mining shall be prohibited on the ocean floor or in the oceans.

10. Cities shall be prohibited from dumping untreated sewage or untreated gray water into the ocean or tributaries. All sewage and gray water shall be processed to standards that do not harm public health.

11. All development along the ocean shall be prohibited within 100 feet of the high water mark.

12. The military shall be prohibited from using sonar or other technologies that disturb marine mammals and disrupt their behaviors.

E. Energy

1. The federal government shall immediately and with all available resources reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2012 and 90 percent by 2015.

2. The federal government shall undertake a massive project for the development of nonpolluting, carbon-neutral, and renewable sources of energy, such as solar, wind, and mechanical power. The highest priority shall be placed on developing renewable energy and mechanical sources located on residential homes and other buildings.

3. The project shall also encourage the development of carbon-neutral, renewable energy sources, including fuel sources for automobiles, through tax incentives and subsidies.

4. The development of biofuels shall be discouraged.

5. The federal government will establish a carbon tax on nonrenewable fuels for any entity, corporation, or person that extracts and sells fuels from the earth. The tax shall be based on the carbon content of the nonrenewable resource. Funds from the tax shall be used to fund research into alternative and sustainable energy development. The tax should be high enough to discourage the extraction of nonrenewable fuels.

6. There shall be no program that mandates carbon credits. Instead, there shall be carbon emission limits placed on all industries.

7. Gas mileage and emissions standards in all motorized vehicles must equal the most stringent existing standards worldwide by 2012. Priority shall be given to the development of alternative sources such as electric or compressed air vehicles.

8. Government shall mandate stringent energy and fuel efficiency, pollution controls,, and noise suppression standards. This mandate shall apply to all electric and combustion appliances, equipment, and devices, including such items as shop vacuums, leaf blowers, jet engines, and marine diesels.

9. By 2012, the government shall mandate that electric filters be placed on all electric appliances, equipment and computers to limit the intrusion and impact of electromagnetic fields into homes and offices.

10. Government and industry shall reduce electromagnetic field emissions and radiation by 60 percent by 2012.

11. Conventional light bulbs shall be phased out by 2012.

F. Environmental Law and Policy

1. The federal government shall develop a program to replace toxic chemicals with substances that have little or no environmental or health impacts. The federal government shall initiate a "green chemistry" program to develop nontoxic replacements for toxic chemicals.

2. The government shall ban all emissions of toxic chemicals into the environment within eight years.

3. The U.S. Government shall adopt the "Precautionary Principle." No action shall be taken to approve a technology or chemical until it is proven safe.

4. No corporate welfare, tax breaks, depletion allowances, or subsidies in any form from the federal, state, or local governments shall be paid or allowed to any for-profit corporation, business, or industry that produces toxic chemicals, depletes natural resources, engages in the extraction of nonrenewable resources, or produces energy from the consumption of nonrenewable resources.

5. Absent a ban on nanotechnology products, the government shall conduct research to ensure such products are safe for consumption, nontoxic, and will not endanger people or the environment. The government shall not rely on tests or research conducted by the industry that produces the products, or by industry consultants.

6. No branch or department of government, including the Department of Homeland Security or the military, shall be exempt from any environmental law in the United States.

7. The federal government shall encourage family planning to address the growing population problem.

8. American corporations operating abroad shall be subject to all U.S. environmental and health regulations.

9. The Endangered Species Act shall not be altered, in fact, law, or policy, to benefit corporations. The United States has the highest number of endangered and extinct species in the world and shall act so that no other species becomes endangered. No more species shall be allowed to become extinct.

G. Sustainability

1. In all of their decisions, federal, state, and local governments shall consider environmental sustainability and sustainability of all species under their jurisdiction.

2. Federal, state, and local governments shall develop economies that are based on the sustainability of ecosystems.

3. Cities shall not allow land within their borders to be developed into new suburban sprawl.

H. Green Building

1. By 2015, all new residential and commercial construction shall meet or exceed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, shall use nontoxic and recycled building materials, be hypoallergenic, and comply with standards for low water and energy use.

2. Refitting or rehabilitation of any government building shall incorporate green building techniques and materials, and alternative energy sources.

3. Material from all large deconstruction projects shall be recycled. All major construction projects shall use as much recycled material as possible.

4. Any traditional construction method that has a demonstrable history and track record shall be permitted for residential and light industrial application. (Examples of traditional methods include cob, straw bale, wattle and daub, rammed earth, adobe, light straw, earth bag, and others.)

5. All new construction shall incorporate grey water recycling, purification and storage systems.

SECTION VII: FOOD, NUTRITION, AND AGRICULTURE

A. Food, Water, and Beverages

1. Strict food safety laws and stringent standards for pesticide, herbicide, fungicide, and chemical fertilizer content in food shall be established and enforced. The federal government shall ensure that all food, water, and beverages are nontoxic.

2. The United States shall not participate in the Codex Alimentarius.

3. Genetically modified organisms, and nanotechnologically engineered organisms, shall be banned in the food supply of the United States and shall not be fed to livestock or farm animals.

4. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), transfats, artificial coloring, artificial flavoring, artificial preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup shall be banned in food products imported, sold, or manufactured in the United States.

5. No food, substance, or device banned in the United States shall be produced for export to other countries.

6. All food served in school cafeterias and hospitals shall be locally produced, as available, and organic.

7. There shall be no junk food, fast food, candy, or soft drinks sold in any school or within 300 yards of any school.

8. Fast food advertising shall be subject to the same restrictions as tobacco advertising. There shall be no television advertising of junk food or to lure children to a location where it is advertised or sold.

9. There shall be no fast food outlets in any government or public building, military installation or prison.

10. All food bearing the "Organic" label shall be 100-percent organic and non-GMO. Absent a ban on toxic packaging, all organic food must be in nontoxic packaging or containers from production to point of sale.

11. Manufacturers of natural supplements and foods may make research-supported claims of health and nutrition.

12. Absent a ban on pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and genetically modified food, all domestic and imported food shall bear a label identifying the specific pesticide, herbicide, or fungicide used to grow the crop and whether the food is genetically modified.

13. Imported food shall be prominently labeled with the country of origin and the country where it was packaged.

B. Organic Farming and Agricultural Chemicals

1. All pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and fungicides shall be tested for toxicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, effects on infant development and mortality in humans and animals before they shall be allowed to be used on crops. Any pesticide or herbicide that is toxic, carcinogenic, or causes birth defects in people or animals shall not be allowed to be manufactured or used in the United States or exported to or imported from another country.

2. The mission of the U.S. Department of Agriculture shall be altered to encourage and promote organic farming and ranching, nontoxic production of food, and water efficient irrigation systems.

3. The Government shall make no law impeding organic farming or nontoxic production of food, nor block the proper labeling and marketing of these products.

4. Subsidies or tax breaks shall not be allowed to any large corporate agribusiness farm or any farming or ranching operation that uses nonorganic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or fertilizers, or engages in unsustainable farming practices. Subsidies or tax breaks shall not be allowed for growing crop such as tobacco, sugar, or corn that have adverse health or environmental impacts.

5. Fish, livestock, or any animal used to feed humans shall be raised under nontoxic, humane, and uncrowded conditions. Mistreatment or abuse of farm animals or fish shall be punishable by law.

6. Waste and by-products from farm animals and fish shall be treated or recycled to have no or very low environmental impact.

7. Antibiotics or hormones, including growth hormones, shall be prohibited for use on animals meant for human consumption. Antibiotics may only be given to an animal that is sick or diseased.

8. Sick and diseased animals shall not be sold for human consumption. The USDA must notify the public if meat from sick animals has gone into the market place and where the meat has been sold.

9. The USDA shall draw up rules to mandate the testing for all animals in the foodchain -- including all domestic livestock (cattle, sheep, etc.) and all game animals (deer, elk, etc.) – for spongiform diseases (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy -- known as Mad Cow Disease -- scrapie, etc.). One hundred percent of the test results shall be made public immediately.

10. Genetically modified plants and organisms, and nanotechnologically engineered organisms, shall be banned from commercial use. There shall be no genetic engineering or cloning of any living organism. There shall be no testing of genetically modified plants or organisms in any location, except with the express written permission of the neighbors within a 10-mile area surrounding the testing site and with the approval of the city, county, and state governments in which the testing is to occur, and with approval by the federal government.

11. Patents for seeds, plants, living organisms, or genes shall be banned. Existing patents for seeds, plants, living organisms, or genes shall be declared null and void.

12. "Terminator technology" and "terminator seeds" shall be prohibited for use in the United States or exported to, sold, or given away to other countries.

SECTION VIII: SCIENCE AND THE PUBLIC

A. Research

1. No person or agency in the federal government shall interfere with, re-interpret, misinterpret, or tamper with scientific or medical investigations, conclusions, or results.

2. No study funded by a vested interest shall be published as fact and cited over impartial studies.

3. Research and science paid for in whole or in part by tax dollars shall belong to the American people. The results of such research may either be placed in the public domain or be licensed to the highest bidder for fair market value with fees to fund a national health care system.

4. It shall be illegal to withhold from the public or the government results from research funded in part or in whole by taxpayers or nonprofit organizations.

5. Findings of harm to humans or the environment regardless of the source of funding, shall not be altered or withheld from the public. This applies to negative results of any research on the effects of drugs, chemicals, toxins, or medical or other devices on human health or the environment.

6. No corporation or industry shall profit from any drug, technology, or patent developed with taxpayer funding without payment of substantial royalties. Any such drug, technology, or patent shall be considered a part of the commons and licensing fees based on fair market value shall be paid into the U.S. Treasury.

SECTION IX: CORPORATE AND INDUSTRY RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Corporate Ethics

1. Absent a total ban on lobbying, corporations shall be prohibited from lobbying or hiring lobbyists to influence legislation, regulation, federal agencies, federal agents, or elected representatives.

2. Corporations and industries shall bear ful financial responsibility for their actions and impact on health and the environment, with no limitation on their liability.

3. Corporations shall guarantee their products are as represented in their advertising and marketing materials.

4. Corporations shall guarantee their products are not mutagenic, teratogenic, toxic, nor contain toxic chemicals or components.

5. It shall be a crime, with penalties of life in prison without parole, for a corporation's Chief Executive Officer, other officer, any director, or the head of any regulatory agency with prior knowledge, to allow a product on the market that causes harm to humans or the environment.

6. Corporate criminals shall be barred from doing business with the federal government.

7. U.S. companies shall not subcontract domestic contractual service obligations to offshore subcontractors without advising their customers and obtaining their approval.

8. Computer phone answering systems shall be prohibited. Corporations doing business in the United States shall hire U.S. citizens residing in the United States to answer phones, and shall be prohibited from hiring people in other countries to answer phones.

9. Corporations shall pay consumers twice the minimum wage for wait times on the telephone exceeding five minutes, and for time lost by consumers on missed service appointments.

10. Corporations or government contractors paid in whole or in part by tax dollars shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The FOIA shall apply only to work done under contract to the government.

B. Financial

1. U.S. Corporations shall be forbidden from transferring profits to off-shore or foreign subsidiaries for the purpose of avoiding payment of taxes.

2. Corporate tax records shall be made public.

3. Any foreign company with more than $20 million in sales a year in the U.S. shall form a domestic corporation and be subject to all of the rules, regulations, and taxation of U.S. companies.

4. U.S. companies shall not exploit foreign labor.

5. Any corporation with government contracts must have its headquarters and a majority of its employees and corporate officers located in the United States, be registered in the United States, and pay appropriate Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, and other taxes. Government contracts shall not be awarded to any company with headquarters outside the United States or its protectorates.

SECTION X: MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS, AND THE INTERNET

A. Media

1. Anti-trust regulations shall be enforced in the media and communications industry. Laws and regulations regarding media ownership shall revert to pre-1970 rules.

2. There shall be no censorship of communications or the news.

3. The media shall not refuse progressive advertising.

4. If any broadcast news network or subsidiary is found to have deliberately and consistently falsified news, the network shall lose its right to broadcast on the public airwaves for one year.

5. Libel and slander laws equal to those in the United Kingdom shall be established and enforced.

6. Laws protecting and preserving the rights of reporters to protect their sources shall be upheld. No journalist shall be subject to a penalty for protecting a source of a news story.

7. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) shall be fully restored. Federal agencies shall not charge reporters in the United States or U.S. citizens for information requested under FOIA.

8. The advertising and marketing of drugs and pharmaceutical products shall be subject to the same restrictions as tobacco advertising.

B. Internet
Internet neutrality shall be inviolate. There shall be no taxes on the use of the Internet.

1. Government shall not block, delay, or interfere with Internet traffic. The Government shall not levy taxes on the Internet. Access to the Internet shall not be restricted in any way.

2. Telephone, cellular, and cable companies and Internet service providers (ISPs) shall not block, delay, or interfere with any internet traffic or content except for obvious spam.

3. Government shall not use the internet for collecting data on citizens.