Formal
Statement |
|
What I Would do for Single and Unmarried Americans by John Hagelin |
|
| John Hagelin will appear as a candidate for president on the ballot in 41 states. In some states he will be listed as candidate of the Natural Law Party, in three states under the Reform Party, and in others under the Independent Party or as a write-in candidate. As a nonpartisan organization, AASP does not endorse specific candidates. However, we do attempt to educate voters about where various candidates stand on the issues. AASP will publish a formal statement from any presidential candidate who is willing to address the specific concerns of single and unmarried voters. No others have issued such a statement -- so far. |
|
Single and unmarried voters have been ignored by Al Gore, George W. Bush and the parties they represent. Their rhetoric, and their extravagant campaign promises, focus almost exclusively on "working middle class families," and bypass the rights and concerns of more than 80 million single and unmarried Americans. Such marital status discrimination is wrong. It should be prohibited by law,as is other discrimination based on race, religion, gender, and disability. Single people should be treated fairly as employees, as tenants, as consumers and as taxpayers. As president, I would: * Introduce legislation in Congress to Add the term "marital status" to federal civil rights laws regulating employment, housing, and other business transactions; Eliminate marital status discrimination from our tax laws, including the areas of income taxes and estate taxes. (My flat tax policy is "marriage blind"); Expand the definition of "family" in the Family and Medical Leave Act so that unpaid leave is available to workers who have an unmarried partner or dependent living in their household who is seriously ill and needs their care, regardless of whether the worker and household member are related by blood or marriage; * Direct the Office of Personnel Management to Recommend ways in which marital status discrimination can be eliminated from employee benefits programs for federal workers, including legislation to make the principles of "equal pay for equal work" and "respect for diversity" realities in the federal workforce; * Ask the Attorney General to convene a civil rights summit on marital status discrimination, inviting state and federal civil rights agencies, as well as nonprofit human rights organizations, to develop strategies designed to eliminate such discrimination from the workplace and marketplace, as well as in federal, state, and local government programs. -
- - - |
|