Shannel Pittman for Congress

Thanks for stopping by,

My name is Shannel Pittman and I am the Green Candidate running here in California’s 34^th Congressional District. I know I am not what you think of when think congressperson but I am issue oriented and business as usual isn’t working those most in need, I would like to work with you to change that.

How do you know my interest are in line with yours? Well, I am right there with most of you. As a MediCal recipient I’ve had to beg insurance to cover something that will improve my quality for years and not get it. To give you a snap shot, I am twenty-eight years old. I have been begging my insurance company allow the sedation required to remove my impacted wisdom teeth the cause of multiple infections and chronic pain for twelve years, my dentist has been begging my insurance to cover the initial cost of braces for even longer, since I was eight, insurance refuses cover any oral surgery no matter how many hoops we jump through, and don’t get me started on the wheelchair I need for long distances. The insurance lobby currently have the ear of both major parties, do you truly believe any party so heavily funded by insurance companies will allow its members to do the right thing by the people? I don’t.

This campaign is 100% volunteer and people powered, I can only go so far as your generosity and trust will allow, let me earn it from you.

Trusting me to represent you in Congress means you’ll get a young woman who will fight to ensure the ethical implementation of:

The Green New Deal, a radical shift in the priorities of our government adopted for the Green Party of the United States in 2009, the robust and detailed plan calls for an Economic and Voter Bill of Rights (including AUTOMATIC AND PERMANENT Voter Registration), Free, Expanded, Accessible Public Transportation, Locally Controlled Public Banking, The Closing of Foreign Military Bases, and renewed commitment to Nuclear disarmament, among many other things. Everything listed in this snapshot is informed by the Original Green New Deal by The Green Party of United States in 2009 and my own lived experience as an EcoSocialist living and organizing in disenfranchised communities.

Universal Single Payer Healthcare, because we recognize that healthcare issues have cost people their jobs, dwellings, and ability to seek education. Healthcare is necessary for life and must be all-inclusive coverage from cradle to grave for everyone.

Guaranteed Housing, Universal Rent Control, housing is requirement for human survival, guaranteed housing ensures that implied constitutional promise is kept; rent control in both rental and small business contexts is necessary to ensure that people aren’t pushed out of their neighborhoods or state due to the sudden drastic upticks in rental cost, at least until we’re able to provide people with cooperative ownership of housing and businesses.

A Federal Living Wage beginning at $30 per hour with fulltime defined at the 30 hours a week and closing anti worker loopholes because in 2019 $15 per hour isn’t enough to live and everyone should be able to afford to spend quality time with their families, the 30-hour work week will provide that obviously. Furthermore, persons with disabilities and workers who work in tipped work shouldn’t be subject to sub-minimum wages, this isn’t right. All workers deserve the same protections and respect under the law, companies need to suffer meaningfully for their labor and privacy law violations.

Debt-Free College, A Federal Jobs Guarantee, & Just Compensation for Our Pillars. All of forms of higher education including trade school are part a long term investment in a functioning country, people learning these skills are already paying in time away from their families, sleep disruptions, in academia stress, no one should have to go into debt on top of that. Everyone who desires to have a job should be provided one, it is not like there will ever be a shortage of things to do to keep society moving, happy, and well cared for.

Commitment to 100% Clean Renewable Energy with Full and Just Transition by 2030, the Green Party’s National Platform has called for a Just Transition, meaning a transition to renewables in a way that doesn’t disenfranchise workers, by 2030. This means working with the rest of the world to ensure that all forms of fracking, natural gas extraction are banned starting here with a ban on new fossil fuel infrastructure.

Removing Corporate Money from Politics, this the big cause that began my official political activism, Corporate Personhood must end, when corporate money is allowed to follow unchecked into political campaigns and projects the will of the people is ignored. If we want a representative government, candidates must be accountable to their voters not corporate donors who don’t care what the people need from the people they voted for. I will be the most open and transparent congressperson you’ll ever have the pleasure of working with, but first I have to win this primary.

Thank you for your time and thank you for letting me earn your trust.