The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 1, 2025
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
January 3rd, 83-year-old Vermonter Rick Hubbard and his Walking to Fix Our Democracy supporters walk the remaining 12 miles into Washington, DC, completing a more than 3,100 mile walk across the U.S. He wants to deliver this simple message to the new Congress: “Do Your Job.”
Hubbard started walking in Pasadena, CA in October 2022, suspending it when his life partner’s cancer returned. Resuming in late 2023, he walked an average of 10 miles a day during 300 days of walking.
Hubbard says that Americans of all political leanings know that our system is broken. He said they recognize that most elected representatives are more interested in satisfying their campaign donors and following party agendas than their oath to “provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States.”
“We CAN have an economy based on capitalism, that spreads its benefits broadly among us all,” Hubbard said. “Our elected representatives CAN, if they do their job, structure a healthcare system that provides high-quality healthcare to every one of us, at the lowest system-wide total cost, for the common good. But they don’t.”
Among the reforms Hubbard supports to make the political system fairer, more inclusive, more competitive and more representative, include open primaries, ranked choice voting and small donor funded-elections.
Details on joining the January 3rd walk can be found at FixOurDemocracy.Us, or linked at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Walking to Fix Our Democracy – Join Final Day’s Walk to U.S. Capitol
WCAX – Vermont man on journey ‘Walking to Fix our Democracy’
Walking to Fix Our Democracy – Podcast #4 – To enact a healthcare system where all 330+ million Americans can receive high quality health care at the lowest system-wide cost
Brennan Center for Justice – Small Donor Public Financing Explained
PBS NewsHour – How open primaries and ranked-choice voting can help break partisan gridlock
Groups Taking Action:
Walking to Fix Our Democracy, Common Cause, Represent.Us, Public Citizen, Declaration for American Democracy
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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