RicoPez

"The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults." - Alexis de Tocqueville Nothing less than serious and meaningful reform is necessary to ensure our democracy can once again deliver for the people.

California needs more political competition—not just more candidates from the same two parties. Fusion voting and proportional representation would help new parties grow, give voters more choices, and make elected officials more accountable. @stano.bsky.social sfstandard.com/2026/10/18/c...

Minor parties shouldn’t have to choose between being spoilers & being ignored. @jefftimmer.bsky.social Fusion voting changes the equation: smaller parties can become force multipliers, not spoilers, while voters support both the candidates who can win and the parties that best reflect their values.

"The former would require “breaking the grip of the two-party system,” Achilles said, as well as implementing term limits, eliminating gerrymandering and “getting money out of our elections.” This is the kind of reform that any politician who is serious about making things better must support.

There's a strong conservative case for proportional representation -- in America, in Britain, and everywhere. thecritic.co.uk/the-conserva...

At a time when many Americans are frustrated by polarization, gridlock, and a lack of political choice, fusion voting offers a practical, time-tested alternative. It allows voters to support the candidates they prefer without being confined to a strict two-party framework. #FusionVoting

No one elected Elon Musk to oversee foreign policy. Yet he was able to unilaterally slow down Starlink in Ukraine — because his enormous wealth gave him enormous power. Now he’s using that enormous wealth to buy another election and amass even more power. See the problem here?

Our electoral system needs reform to break the strangle hold that the two parties have. Voters should expect every politician to propose reforms to make third parties actually viable to participate in governing.

"According to a recent Gallup poll, the percentage of Americans who say corruption in government is widespread has risen from 60 per cent in 2006 to 89 per cent today." We can do better.

"Italy’s resistance to criminalising the abuse of power among public officials, for example, and the Trump administration’s weakening of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act belong in the same basket of behaviour."

Trump opened a hotline to report people who defraud the government. Meanwhile, he's pardoned 70+ fraudsters — including a nursing home owner who stole $1.3B+ from Medicare and Medicaid. Many pardons only came after their family members gave to Trump's Super PAC. Hello?

Democrats have indicated they will investigate Musk and his businesses if the lawmakers are able to gain congressional power after next month’s midterm elections.

Elon Musk boosted the lie that James Talarico stayed at a mental hospital. Meta suspended No Kings’ Instagram account during nationwide actions. Staff at the Ellison-owned CBS News were reportedly told to tie Abdul El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood and 9/11. Democracy dies in billionaire hands.

Remember when everyone was supposed to get “DOGE dividends” and $2,000 tariff rebates? Now Elon Musk is promising to give every child a SpaceX share, while Trump is claiming he'll dole out $5,000 checks if Republicans win the midterms. Their desperation is showing. Don’t be fooled.

Elon Musk put $158 million into a Super PAC boosting Ken Paxton’s Senate run in Texas and funneled $7 million to other entities to help Ohio Sen. Jon Husted. Voters should decide elections, not billionaires.

In a 2026 national survey, 82% of Americans supported term limits for Congress. That includes 85% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats. Few other issues bring so many Americans on both sides together. Do you support term limits for Congress?

Term limits would help shift the focus in Congress back to the problems faced by our country rather than getting re-elected. Do you think so?

Many Americans have valuable skills to offer Congress but little interest in spending decades building seniority in Washington. Term limits could make public service more appealing to those who want to make a difference and then return to their communities. #termlimits #Congress #politics

Single-member districts—not gerrymandering—cause most partisan bias in the House. @sethwerfel.bsky.social and Devon Magliozzi in UnderReview underreviewmag.substack.com/p/should-the...

Something is missing from American politics — and it’s not a policy position or a charismatic leader. It’s a structural connection between the people who hold office and the communities they claim to represent. Read more: substack.com/home/post/p-...

The cost of moving homes in America discourages many from doing so, even when it would otherwise be worthwhile—for a better job, say, or to buy a bigger home for a growing family

Trump says if you report fraudsters, you'll get 1% of whatever they've grifted. If you want to report fraud, here's some advice: start with the family making billions off the presidency while working families can’t afford groceries.

“Americans have suffered from the uncertainty and higher prices brought on by the president’s on-again, off-again tariff policies,” writes a former ally of Donald Trump. Register for free to read Marc Short’s guest essay bit.ly/4e8bXzN Illustration: Dan Williams

"So far, he’s spent some $366 million in pro-GOP midterm TV spots and other campaign efforts, with $276 million donated since July alone." Musk is making the case for raising taxes on the ultra wealthy.

The president's outright betrayal of Ukraine shows the U.S. is in a precarious position.

Today, we launched our Unrig Washington campaign, a bold new standard for Democrats to show voters that as a party we're serious about cleaning up Washington. So far, 83 Democratic candidates and Members of Congress have joined this campaign.

Early voting has begun, folks. No excuses. Go vote. NOW.

From the war in Ukraine to how we receive daily services, our government is handing over the power to determine our future to a few superwealthy techno-oligarchs.

"Do you remember what the scarecrow needed? A brain. And then what did the Tin Man need? The heart. And what did the Cowardly Lion need? Courage," Hamilton tells crowds. "This is what's missing in the United States Senate right now."

"Anonymous U.S. officials told Reuters last week the Pentagon received a message from inside the White House, saying Starshield speed should be limited for the Ukrainian military."

"Beyond irresponsible," GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said of the president's latest move, calling it "unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day."

Should anyone wonder why other countries no longer trust the US?

"President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to a new career low of 31% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Oct. 19, 2026, marking the lowest level recorded in either term"

"Only the top 1% of earners will pay less: $12,560 less, according to the report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a left-leaning think tank."

"A typical American consumer, someone in the middle 20% by income, will pay about $1,700 more in taxes and other costs in 2026 because of Trump’s policies, the report found. The poorest 20% will pay about $750 more. "

"Russia has been helping Iran the entire time....And Donald Trump’s response is to beg Putin to accept American money in exchange for a few thousand barrels of diesel....This is the most stunning display of submission and weakness from an American president ever."

Retiring Republicans bash Trump’s sanctions pullback politi.co/4hSE0p7

US business leaders are waking up to the perils of plutopopulism ft.trib.al/0slK2Mm

Collusion.

America has never had a king. All it’s had was us. Still, some will tell you that showing up on No Kings Day means you hate this country, but they have it exactly backwards. Nobody gets up to march on a Saturday for a country they’ve given up on. You do that for a country you love. (link below)

Shouldn't the man who asked Georgia to "find" 10,000 ballots that didn't exist go to jail, too?

Donald Trump is threatening to cripple Ukraine in its survival—and to expose Europe to Russian aggression—seemingly for the pitiful prize of minimising his losses in next month’s midterm elections

"Friday's report offers fresh evidence of how the U.S.'s fast-growing debt pile has dragged on the nation's overall financial health. The rising debt bill has helped exacerbate angst among bond traders, who sent the 10-year and 30-year U.S. Treasury yields to 24-year highs last week."

"If this was a case of insider trading—and there are some beet-red flags to suggest it was—it would not be a victimless crime. There were losers on the other side of those bets, the chumps whom the insiders got to steal money from by virtue of having an inside line to the White House."

Tariffs cannot reduce the price of a good below its pre-tariff level. Prices may rise and then fall, but they won't go lower than where they used to be. | John R. Puri https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/tariffs-still-raise-prices-even-if-they-fall/

Donald Trump’s Truth Social is hemorrhaging users, with daily traffic plunging more than 30 percent in a year despite the president’s relentless stream of posts.

If the goal is a less polarized politics, primary reform may not be enough. More voices, more parties, and more pathways to representation matter too. That's why reforms like fusion voting deserve a place in the conversation about strengthening democracy. www.washingtonpost.com/ripple/2026/...

No one knows exactly when such a window will open. If and when one does, reformers on Team Democracy should not squander it by then spending precious time debating among themselves. @spencer-overton.bsky.social @msifry.bsky.social

"The limitations came days after a new crisis erupted between the U.S. and Ukraine over Trump's agreement to lift sanctions on Russian oil sales. Zelensky criticized the move, then Trump called for Ukraine to elect a new president."

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