Yes, not only must immigration laws must be changed, but our economic system which turns a blind eye to the exploitation of undocumented labor must be changed.  I support standards of living wages, equal pay for equal work, and workplace safety, none of which are possible in industries reliant on undocumented workers.  In the workplace and in the community, these workers have no voice and no rights.  They cannot seek law enforcement or emergency services in fear of deportation or retaliation.  They pay taxes but cannot file tax returns.  They pay Social Security but can never receive Social Security at retirement.  I will seek to address the underlying employment issues of these industries, to increase enforcement of labor laws, and to protect hard-working, law-abiding American families from being torn apart due to immigration technicalities.  The United States of America is a nation of immigrants, and our current practices in enforcing archaic immigration laws with inadequate facilities and understaffed legal processes, are barbaric.  The costs -- to our taxpayers and in human suffering -- are unacceptable.

The most constructive step to reducing partisanship in government is to end our pay-to-play political process and get money out of politics. As long as "representatives" sell influence for campaign contributions, they will represent campaign donors instead of the people, and the gridlock between greed and the public good will continue. The wisest solutions are to reinstate the protections we used to have -- campaign limits, conflict of interest laws, media regulation, the Fairness Doctrine --- and to move to publicly funded elections. In many countries, self-government is a collaborative, cooperative process. In America, we have lost sight of what self-governance is supposed to be, and we have replaced it with a perpetual competitive reality show that distracts us from the real issues. I will work to restore governance by and for the people by getting money out of politics and moving toward publicly funded elections. But you may ask, "How will you get that done in this atmosphere of intractable partisanship?" Periodically in American history we have had to hit the reset button, and "throw the bums out". I believe that 2016 is going to be one of those times, and I assume that not only will the Democratic Party regain majority control in the federal government, but that the Democrats elected will be progressives and not neo-liberals. In my campaign I see Americans from far-right Tea Partiers to far-left Berners agreeing that Congress doesn't represent us. Americans agree on over 80% of social issues. America faces serious challenges and Americans want our government to focus on solutions. Americans seem ready for a change, and I think the gridlock is about to end.

I support a strong military, in defense as well as in strategic alliance offensive action, and an important component of that commitment is our commitment to our veterans.  I do not, however, support the use of United States military forces for private goals, such as takeover of natural resources, or regime change for banking interests, etc.  Our nation's greatest security arises when we approach the world with respect, and compassionate economic cooperation instead of imperialism and destructive interference.  Terrorism usually stems from bitter hatred and a desire for retaliation, and it will not end if we act entitled to what rightfully belongs to them. 

That said, our national security in 2016 is as much a cyber-world as it is a physical world, and strong technological development must continue in order to secure our computer-operated power, transportation, and communication networks.  I support investment in technology and infrastructure that constantly improves our ability to withstand terrorist attacks.

I will promote legislation and budget priorities that prioritize human needs for water, protect clean water supplies, invest into water technologies and delivery infrastructure, incentivize modernization of agricultural technologies, and reduce the wasteful uses of water including for-profit uses that do not fairly reimburse taxpayers.  In light of our growing population and changing weather patterns, we must advance our water usage beyond 19th Century ways of thinking.