www.votenader.org/

Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, lawyer, author, and has been named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Americans in the Twentieth Century. For over four decades Ralph Nader has exposed problems and organized millions of citizens into more than 100 public interest groups to advocate for solutions. His groups were instrumental in enacting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. In the past decade, Nader has dedicated himself to putting people back in charge of America’s democracy, launching three major presidential campaigns. Because of Ralph Nader we drive safer cars, eat healthier food, breathe better air, drink cleaner water, and work in safer environments.

Ralph is running for president to draw attention to issues that have been ignored by the two mainstream political parties. Corporations have wrested control of government, causing wasteful spending and sweetheart deals while disenfranchising average Americans. Power must be returned to the people, whose needs should be met before corporations: We must adopt a national, single-payer health care system to cover all citizens, provide free college education, and repair the crumbling infrastructure of our cities and schools, increasing both jobs and quality of life. Repeal the WTO and NAFTA, which drains jobs, and provide a living wage for workers - $10 minimum. Tax the things we like the least such as pollution, Wall Street securities speculation, and excessive corporate executive pay, instead of taxing labor. Eliminate all payroll taxes up to $50,000. We need to crack down on corporate crime. Cut the bloated military budget, affect a total corporate and military withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, and employ a sensible two-state Middle East solution. Get all money out of politics with full public financing of elections. Defend voter and candidate rights by making Election Day a federal holiday, enacting nationwide same-day voter registration, and halting ballot obstructionism. To solve the energy crisis, we must invest in renewable energies, like wind and solar, and adopt a carbon pollution tax, while halting subsidies for fossil fuels. End attacks on civil liberties like the PATRIOT act and the “war on drugs.” Abolish the death penalty and end the private prison system. A free society must ensure that all Americans enjoy full and equal rights, socially, legally, and politically.

Accomplishment of which you are most proud:One of the proudest accomplishments to date of Ralph Nader is fighting for auto safety standards. Mr. Nader was instrumental in establishing many of auto safety features we take for granted today such as seatbelts and airbags.

Public-service goal you have yet to achieve: Reforming our electoral system is a high priority for Mr. Nader; the United States currently has one of the lowest voter turnouts in the Western hemisphere. For a country the champions democracy there needs to be reform to get frustrated voters excited and voting again, or for the first time. Such issues as statehood of the District of Columbia, Instant run-off voting, lowering the voting age to 16, and oversight for paperless electronic voting are important reforms for reinvigorating our democracy.

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