Empower District 1: Open Elections & People‑Powered Politics

 Has anyone else noticed? All around the world, countries are modernizing their cities—lifting citizens’ spirits and boosting future competitiveness. In Japan, innovative smart city projects like the experimental Woven City at Mount Fuji and Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City are integrating autonomous vehicles, AI, IoT, and 100% renewable energy to build safer, greener urban environments . China, meanwhile, is leading with over 500 smart city pilots, using big data and AI to improve public services in cities like Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou patentpc.com.

Contrast that with the U.S., which despite some progress—over 90 local smart city projects and a recent boost from federal infrastructure spending—still earns only a “C” grade for infrastructure, with billions needed to close the funding gap apnews.com+1patentpc.com+1.

Our competitors are setting the pace. China’s rapid deployment through centralized planning, and Japan’s Society 5.0 vision—blending physical and digital spaces—are propelling their citizens forward .

It’s time America caught up. We need bold federal investment in smart infrastructure, unified national standards, and consistent funding—not shifting every election cycle.

👉 Learn how Robert Beers plans to bring this vision to District 1 and beyond: www.robertbeers.com

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Global smart‑city roundup

theverge.com

Toyota's futuristic Woven City in Japan is ready for its first residents

Jan 6, 2025

apnews.com

US infrastructure improved with Biden-era spending but there's a long way to go

Mar 24, 2025

Ballot Access & Public Campaign Financing for Fair Elections

 

Why It Should Be Easier to Run for Office

Across the U.S., ballot access laws vary wildly—some require thousands of dollars in filing fees (like SC’s ~$3,480 for House, ~$20,000 for Prez), or tens of thousands of signatures in tight timeframes brennancenter.org+2uhero.hawaii.edu+2newyorker.com+2fjc.gov+3ballotpedia.org+3en.wikipedia.org+3. These barriers effectively exclude everyday citizens and favor the wealthy or party insiders.

Proposed reforms:

• Cap or eliminate filing fees for federal races.

• Allow lower signature thresholds.

• Give petitioners 90+ days to collect valid signatures.

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💵 Public Campaign Financing & Small-Donor Matching

Heavy reliance on wealthy donors creates imbalance. Public match systems (like NYC’s 1:7 matching on small $10 gifts) empower grassroots campaigns fec.govtimesunion.comcampaignlegal.org+6brennancenter.org+6timesunion.com+6. Reviews (e.g., Brennan Center, Campaign Legal Center) show public funding restores accountability to voters, not donors ngpvan.com+15campaignlegal.org+15brennancenter.org+15.

Our plan:

• Launch South Carolina pilot: small-donor matching (e.g., $50 → $300).

• Offer optional public financing to limit big-money influence.

• Set transparent spending caps.

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✅ Gov‑funded General Election Runoffs

For the final two candidates in federal/state races, public funds would finance general election advertising, evenly split. This ensures:

• Fair exposure without spending races.

• Accountability to voters—not wealthy contributors.

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✔️ Encouraging Broader Participation

These ballot and finance reforms would:

• Lower cost of entry—welcome genuine citizen candidates.

• Help non-rich individuals stay in races.

• Promote diverse, community-focused ideas.

Medicaid vs Tax Cuts: What’s Best for SC Families?

 

What’s in the Bill & Its Impacts

• This sweeping 940-page bill includes major tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, funded in part by significant reductions to Medicaid, SNAP, and other social programs politico.com+15fastcompany.com+15nypost.com+15.

• The CBO estimates it would increase the federal deficit by $2.4–3.3 trillion over the next decade, and leave approximately 10–12 million people uninsured en.wikipedia.org+1nypost.com+1.

• It also cuts green energy tax credits, while adding border and defense spending—doing little for middle-class families cbsnews.com+15wsj.com+15wsj.com+15.

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🩺 Medicaid Cuts & “Ponzi Scheme” Warning

• The legislation proposes Medicaid funding reductions and stricter work/eligibility requirements, even for families nypost.com+2wsj.com+2nypost.com+2.

• States like South Carolina depend on federal Medicaid support—cuts would hurt working families and rural hospitals the most.

• Senator Graham (SC) has warned similar schemes (like the CLASS Act) have functioned like “Ponzi schemes,” delaying benefits until deficit issues arise govinfo.gov+7lgraham.senate.gov+7nypost.com+7.

• Removing Medicaid support undermines healthcare access and worsens poverty.

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✅ What REALLY Helps the People

1. Expand Medicaid & healthcare funding
Invest in Medicaid, healthcare access, and community clinics—preventative care saves lives and cuts long-term costs.

2. Targeted tax relief for working families
Boost the Child Tax Credit, offer earned income credits, and provide rebates for essential expenses, rather than blanket breaks for the ultra‑wealthy.

3. Strengthen social safety nets
Rather than gutting SNAP or Medicaid, protect these programs and enhance benefits for those in need, including rural and disaster-prone areas.

4. Audit & oversight protections
Ensure transparency so taxpayer money goes directly to essential services, not budget skims or corporate giveaways.

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🔍 Final Take

While tax reform can be beneficial, balancing the deficit by slashing Medicaid or food assistance is counterproductive—it hurts vulnerable households, raises healthcare costs, and destabilizes communities.

True economic strength comes from empowering the working class, not enabling the wealthy at their expense. South Carolina families need health coverage, job training, and living-wage supports—not budget cuts disguised as reform.