My overview of Bernie Sanders "Agenda for America"

Here is my overview of Bernie Sanders "Agenda for America" as put forth at: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/agenda/.  I hope to review it politely, and with consideration.

1.Rebuilding Our Crumbling Infrastructure
Infrastructure is an important component in any industrialized nation.  In our case keeping it in top shape is very important.  Sending money to Washington DC and back to the states is not prudent, or Constitutional.  Let the states deal with the states, and the Interstate infrastructure be maintained by the Feds.

2.Reversing Climate Change
Climate Change is not a closed science regardless of what pundits on the left say.  It is a political football to advance a leftist agenda in it's present depiction.  Being good stewards of the earth and it's resources is also a critical agenda to pursue.  Ignoring proven advancements like clean coal, and other sources of energy that can improve the environment is irresponsible.  There is a balance that can be had that advances the living standards of Americans and makes us more responsible citizens.  Following a globalist anti free-market agenda disguised as "Climate Change" is not.

3.Creating Worker Co-ops
This is a construct where central government gets their hands in the private sector economic engine, and need not be.  The best thing for our government to do at this time is get out of the entrepreneur's way and let business build and proliferate.  If anything, building constructs with government regulation will be a recipe to repeat government efficiency.

4.Growing the Trade Union Movement
Nothing wrong with having trade unions, so long as they are at the worker's discretion.  The individual knows far better than government their needs and requirements.  Forcing people do do anything breeds resentment.  If industry proliferates, there effectively is no need for unions as the competition for workers will drive higher wages.  To force higher wages where there is no market kills industry and jobs.

5. Raising the Minimum Wage
No one in the real world expects anyone to live on minimum wages.  The reason the wages are stagnated and low, are we have a vastly understated unemployment rate and a higher than reported lack of job participation.  Again, increase industry, and wages will rise with demand for workers.  Forcing more money from markets that are stagnated as well is a sure fire way to lose employment and depress the markets even further.

6.Pay Equity for Women Workers
This is a highly publicized and dicey subject.  There are some industries that pay women more as they are suited for it more than men, conversely there are industries the do the opposite.  The problem is not as wide spread as we are led to believe, but still exists in some cases, and a blanket policy is not the answer.  Again this is a case of Federal government over stepping it's Constitutional boundaries, and an issue that should be left to the states as they are much closer to the problem as it differs from state to state.

7.Trade Policies that Benefit American Workers
I agree as stated.

8. Making College Affordable for All
Greater focus on trade schooling would be a welcome alternative to full blown university accreditation's replete with prerequisites that aren't necessary for many people.  Hate to beat a dead horse, but if our economy were booming we wouldn't be having this discussion.  We could focus on the poor and under funded enrollment in college.

9.Taking on Wall Street
As Ronald Reagan said "In this present economy, government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem."  The Wall Street power brokerage is deeply ingrained in our Federal government.  Before we can ever hope to clean up Wall Street, we must eliminate the tie to government that exists.  This is an epidemic that is  the crux of our economic dependence on Wall Street.  We need more private industry, less dependence on printed money supported Wall Street.

10.Health Care as a Right for All
Almost a carbon copy of the above, with the caveat that this too is not an area Federal government should be dabbling in.  This should be left to the States and getting the Feds out of our medicine.  If we had the discipline to remove government from regulating medicine, it would become more affordable as it was in the mid 1900's.

11.Protecting the Most Vulnerable Americans
All societies have the poor to contend with.  In the USA prior to government over reach, private sector benevolence surpassed anything the government does today, and with much more efficiency, and efficacy.  Government intrusion is the problem.  We can address benevolence in a much more accurate way at a local level in the private sector if we can break the bonds of big government.

12.Real Tax Reform
Without decrying "income inequality" or what ever personal belief one may have of the evils of their perception of our economy, one fact is accurate, and true, our method of taxation is a mess.  Again it has been authored by...you know who? And in similar fashion to anything else that government gets involved in.  A flat tax, or use (sales) tax, or anything that is a proportionate form of taxation that favors or gives no exceptions to anyone via cronyism is a welcome alternative.

The overarching theme you can see here is that with government trying to provide and force it's edicts on us, would be much more efficiently, and exponentially less expensive and offensive if done locally by the citizenry of America.  That is precisely what made America great in the first place.  Bottom line: we must preserve individuality and individual liberty if we are to bring our country back online and not commit the same mistakes history has taught us of the deaths of republics having been witnessed so many times over.