Peter Peckarsky

PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY

Donald Trump's attacks on democracy were unprecedented - and Ron Johnson and the GOP went lockstep to strip voting rights and overturn the will of the voters.

Peter Peckarsky supports the effort to remove big money from politics, prevent partisan gerrymandering, and ensure voters can cast a ballot and have that ballot accurately counted as happened in the 2020 Presidential election. But more work must be done to ensure our voting systems are secure and trustworthy.

The 2020 election was NOT stolen - but lack of faith in the results threatens our very democracy. We must ensure voting in this country is secure and that all voters can cast a ballot without any difficulty or obstruction from anyone at any time.

We are a long way from the hand counted, hand marked paper ballots by which people in many states exercised their absolute right to control our democracy until about 1960 (and which are still in use for about 8% of Wisconsin’s votes). This technology is understood by essentially everyone and can with sufficient effort be made secure.

To understand and secure the election systems currently in use, it is useful and almost essential to have an understanding of, among other things, various aspects of computer hardware and software, cryptography, electrical circuits and signals, internet communications, internet devices, microprocessors, semiconductor design, semiconductor processing , statistics, and telecommunications.

Mr. Peckarsky has the necessary understanding of and familiarity with the above fields. He has actively and successfully participated in election and voter protection efforts in Wisconsin and other states since 2002. He looks forward to supporting such legislation as is necessary to protect each American’s right to vote without difficulty and to have that vote counted as cast.

UNIVERSAL BROADBAND

The pandemic exposed how in a 21st century economy, reliable broadband connection is critical. But for too long, poor and working class people have struggled to get online. The problem is especially dire for Wisconsinites in rural communities.

That's why Peter Peckarsky supports univeral broadband. He'll fight in the U.S. Senate to bring home funding so every home can connect online - because our very way of life, from work to school to shopping, exists online.

AFFORDABLE EDUCATION & STUDENT DEBT

Peter Peckarsky believes deeply in the "Wisconsin Idea" - that all Wisconsinites, and all Americans, should be guaranteed the right to a good education without debilitating debt. Every $1 billion spent on endless war could have paid full tuition at current rates for a year for about 100,000 students in the University of Wisconsin system.

It is time to fix our nation's priorities. Student debt has become one of the biggest drivers of economic inequality, stopping almost an entire generation from buying a home and raising a family. It's time to invest in education and forgive student loan debt on a basis which is equitable for those who did not have post high school education.

PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT

Whether it's severe rainfall or drought, tornados, severe heat, polar vortexes, agricultural destruction, or rising seashores, scientists agree that we can't afford NOT to take action.

Peter Peckarsky supports taking bold action on climate, steering our country and economy toward renewable energy and away from carbon pollution and nuclear energy. Peter also believes that climate change represents an opportunity to reimagine our economy, transform our energy systems and infrastructure, and create millions of good-paying union jobs.

LGBTQ+ RIGHTS

Members of the LGBTQ+ community have been denied equal protections under the law for far too long. In 1982, Wisconsin passed the country's first law preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation, but that didn't include gender identity. 40 years later, there is still no federal law preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In 27 states, there are no explicit laws at all protecting people from discrimination of this type in employment, housing, or public accommodations. The Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects gay and transgender workers, but there needs to be specific legislation protecting LGBTQ+ individuals. We need to do better.

This is why Peter supports the Equality Act, one that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. In the Senate, Peter will fight to get this act passed and expand protections for those in the LGBTQ+ community, because no one should be punished for being themselves.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Peter has always believed that everyone deserves the right to make decisions about what happens to their bodies, and that sometimes this decision is abortion. In fact, most Wisconsinites believe that abortion should be legal too. Yet, Ron Johnson and the rest of the Republican party have been seeking to deny this autonomy for years. If elected, I will fight to codify Roe v. Wade to stop these efforts and protect individuals' autonomy.

Reproductive care as a whole also needs to be accessible and affordable, and I will work to keep Planned Parenthood well funded so they can continue to provide such important services as cancer screenings, birth control, and general health care.

SUPPORTING WORKERS & UNION JOBS

Unions built the middle class in this nation - and especially in Wisconsin. All workers deserve the right to join a union and to bargain collectively for and obtain healthy and safe working conditions along with family supporting wages for each worker.

That's why Peter Peckarsky supports the PRO Act, which will allow more workers - including contract and gig workers - to be represented by a union, and will allow the federal government to punish illegal union-busting tactics.

END SYSTEMIC RACISM

Peter Peckarsky understands that racism in the United States goes beyond police violence. Systemic racism has plagued every part of our history - from housing policy to environmental policy to banking policy and wages. The result is a deeply unequal nation: by some metrics, Milwaukee is one of the nation's most segregated cities, and Wisconsin shamefully bears one of the nation's worst Black-white wealth gaps and achievement gaps.

Peter Peckarsky is committed to legislating an end to structural racism and will vote to bring resources away from undeclared endless war and into communities (BIPOC and others) that need it most.

STOP ECONOMIC INEQUALITY

Peter Peckarsky understands that economic inequality powers political inequality. The poor and working class have intentionally been left behind since, to pick a random date, about January 20, 1981. This has created, in the 21st century, a two-tiered economy that works to provide what may be close to riskless profits for the rich while working people foot the bill and accept the risks.

Peter Peckarsky supports taking bold action on the economy, including finally raising the minimum wage to at LEAST $15 an hour (this is not to say or accept that $15 an hour for 2,000 hours a year is sufficient to support a family today).

He will also hold large corporations accountable and vote for them to pay their fair share. In addition, Peter Peckarsky supports a wealth tax (a reasonable starting point may be Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s proposal) to ensure that the super-wealthy cannot continue to buy our democracy.

In the Senate, Peter will also fight for a reasonable Economic Bill of Rights, which would introduce supports that will help Americans become, and stay, more financially stable.

ANTI-CORRUPTION

Donald Trump's assaults against our democracy's checks and balances were terrifying and unprecedented. Peter Peckarsky believes in protecting democracy by laying a foundation so no President or public servant can assault our institutions again with impunity and little or no personal consequence.

Peter Peckarsky will honor the Constitutional power of Congressional oversight of the Presidency by fighting for legislation that checks conflicts-of-interest of elected officials, their relatives performing government functions, appointees, and nominees especially in the Executive Branch. He will also work to remove big money's influence from politics.

Peter Peckarsky also recognizes that because he who pays the piper calls the tune, it is necessary to find a way for the people of our nation who are supposed to be calling the tune to actually do so. We must build the infrastructure for public financing of federal campaigns - and Peter Peckarsky is committed to doing that in the U.S. Senate.

UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE

The United States remains the only industrialized democracy that does not guarantee universal healthcare for its people. In the richest country on Earth, that is an insult to working people.

Peter Peckarsky supports universal access to healthcare as a basic right and supports taking immediate steps to expand access, including lowering the Medicare eligibility age, ensuring that Medicare covers hearing, dental, and eye health, and making certain that such coverage is available to all as a basic right. That right may be met by the government or it may be met by the health care for which workers have already negotiated through their unions in the event the workers who gave up part of their salary to obtain the coverage prefer such coverage to whatever is provided by the government.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE & OUR FARMERS

Peter Peckarsky believes the federal government has an obligation to protect our farmers and their land. We must enforce our antitrust laws to stop big corporate agricultural interests from ripping off family farmers. We must also stop food-processing middle men from taking money from family farmers and consumers, all while sacrificing the nutritious quality of our food.

Peter Peckarsky also supports enforcing the Packers and Stockyards Act to benefit family farmers and supports bolstering the USDA to provide more aid with appropriate goals to farmers.

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

It is long past time to legalize recreational marijuana. The black community has been disproportionately targeted for non-violent drug offenses, many involving marijuana. Wisconsin ranks 14th in the nation for largest racial disparities in arrests for marijuana possession. Keeping marijuana illegal just adds fuel to the fire of racial injustice, and this cannot be allowed to continue.

Legalizing marijuana would also provide tax revenue to support infrastructure- roads, schools, human services, public health; things that will help our communities flourish. In Wisconsin, we are losing money to our neighboring states, Illinois and Michigan, who have already taken this important step.

In the Senate, Peter will fight to not only legalize marijuana, but also overturn convictions for federal cannabis offenses.

JUSTICE FOR VETERANS

We have a moral and civic obligation to care for our veterans. To the extent they need medical care or counseling or rehabilitation of any type as a result of their service to our country, we have an obligation to attend to their needs and provide for them on a timely basis just as they provided for our entire nation during their time in uniform. We have an obligation to see that they receive the educational and other assistance provided for veterans by law. We have an obligation to see to it that veterans and their families receive the compensation and other services to which they are entitled on time.

Peter Peckarsky is committed to ensuring that the Department of Veterans Affairs must make certain that our nation meets these obligations. In the event the Department does not meet our obligations, Peter Peckarsky as a Senator will advocate for and seek in the Senate and elsewhere such prompt changes in the funding, operations, and management of the Department, starting with the Secretary, as are required to fulfill our nation’s obligations to our veterans.

END FOREVER WARS

For our state and nation, national security must come first to make sure we have a state and a nation in which we can have a democracy. But for too long, the United State's bipartisan foreign policy establishment has wasted trillions of dollars and countless lives on unwinnable undeclared and therefore arguably unconstitutional forever wars in places that pose no military threat to the United States. Far too many Americans have lost their lives​ and limbs. Trillions of dollars that could have been spent rebuilding our infrastructure as Pres. Biden is attempting to do now was instead spent on undeclared military ventures in arguable violation of our Constitution and our obligations under the United Nations Treaty which has avoided a World War for the 76 years since 1945.

Peter Peckarsky supports President Biden's decision to bring home troops from Afghanistan. But for too long, the U.S. Congress has surrendered its authority to declare wars. Peter Peckarsky will take an active role in foreign policy and seek to ensure that the United States does not waste billions (or trillions) more of taxpayer money on unwinnable forever wars in places that pose no military threat to our national security.

The next time someone proposes spending even a billion dollars of our money, one must ask: Do we want to spend the billion as proposed or do we want to pay full tuition for a year for about 100,000 students at the University of Wisconsin? Do we want to spend the billion as proposed or do we want to spend $20,000 apiece to decrease the debt owed by 50,000 students who have already graduated from 2 year colleges, 4 year universities, or medical school?^[2]