Socialists' Offer to Voters in the Northeast Constituency

The Socialist Party's Message in the Althingi Elections on September 25, 2021 The Socialist Party's Offer to Voters in the Northeast ConstituencyLET'S BUILD UP THE SETTLEMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION

Let's fight against privatization and for social solutions Let's begin a period of reconstruction with public interest as our guiding principle and rebuild our society from the bottom up instead of inflating the blue top that burdens the entire society.

Let's use social solutions to solve problems, not just patch up existing problems. The neglect of infrastructure development has reached a very serious stage, and we completely reject the privatization that is underway. Building the healthcare system in a social way is the only solution that can fix the severe shortage of doctors and nurses, which is a huge problem in many parts of the constituency.

Let's equalize and improve living standards with a social initiative in housing and equalize disparities in commerce and services. Let's save Icelandic agriculture from becoming a few large farms more or less owned by the banks.

Let's lighten the tax burden on wage earners and benefit recipients. Let's raise taxes on the rich Icelandic governments have set a world record in benefit cuts. The lowest wages were tax-free before 1990 but now bear a heavy tax.

On the other hand, there is pure indulgence for the wealthy, which manifests itself, for example, in the fact that inflation can now be deducted from the capital gains tax base, regulatory bodies are constantly weakened, and the tax system is used to distribute benefits not available to wage earners.

Let's lighten the tax burden of the poor and general wage earners, but tax the rich in a normal way and cut down their privileges, whether it concerns 'sea barons' or the political class.

No privatization in the healthcare system. Let's build a social healthcare system in the constituency A tragic example of the private operation of the Hlíð nursing home in Akureyri is a warning. It is clear that if the current government, along with other right-wing parties, gains ground in the upcoming elections, a massive privatization attack on the healthcare system is imminent.

Only by building a socially run healthcare system that covers the entire country can the service that all its citizens deserve be ensured. We had such a healthcare system and can rebuild it by uniting against governments that have dismantled it in recent decades.

A severe shortage of doctors and nurses plagues scattered settlements, and we solve that problem in this way.

The Socialist Party wants free healthcare services in Iceland, funded by citizens' taxes.

See more: Socialist Policy on Healthcare

Toll-free Vaðlaheiðargöng! Let's continue the policy that the road network is a public good The road network in Iceland, with the exception of Vaðlaheiðargöng, is a public good. That is to say, it has been financed by state expenditures, and all Icelanders are free to travel on it without paying special fees. Therefore, we need to reclaim Vaðlaheiðargöng.

A massive attack on these public amenities is planned. Private operation plans with tolls and loans from private entities are the methods that will be used for all major projects planned. It's only a matter of time until these methods reach Northeast Iceland. Framsókn and VG are the leading parties for this policy in the government.

This must be fought tooth and nail.

There is a great need for tunnel construction in the Northeast Constituency, both in Austurland and in Fjallabyggð. We fight for these tunnels to be toll-free, just as other tunnels in the constituency are, with the exception of Vaðlaheiðargöng.

The Socialist Party wants transport infrastructure and its operation to be owned by the nation. That tunnels, bridges, and roads be accessible to all without charge, and tolls be completely rejected.

See more: Socialist Policy on Transport

No salmon farming or wind power plants on the terms of the wealthy. Let's stop the wealthy from buying up land Narrow and sheltered fjords are rare natural treasures in the world. Governments hand over these treasures to the wealthy free of charge for outdated and polluting food production methods. This is happening in Seyðisfjörður against the will of local residents, and Eyjafjörður could be next.

At Þelamörk in Hörgárdalur, a foreign company is going to build a large wind farm against the will of local residents, and a huge number of wind turbines are planned for areas between Langanes and Vopnafjörður. There is no shortage of electricity in the Icelandic system; there is about 7% overproduction, and less than 2% of that is needed to electrify the entire car fleet of the country.

The buying up of land by the wealthy, foreign and domestic, must be stopped by enacting effective laws. That the utilization of land, farms, and agriculture be subject to conditions and for a specific period at a time, and that no individual or company can accumulate land.

The Socialist Party wants permits for resource utilization or the utilization of other public goods to be granted only after a strict environmental assessment and with public interest and sustainability always as a guiding principle.

See more: Socialist Policy on Resources

Bring the quota home. Let's build up and strengthen the settlements We reject the privatization of the marine resource that has occurred and want to reintroduce diversity and decentralization in the utilization of fishing grounds.

This is accompanied by increased power for the settlements. Thus, they stand financially strong to undertake the projects that municipalities are currently struggling with, and this ensures their true independence.

The socialists' resource offer provides for a resource rent that flows into common funds. This fee will be collected at the harbor, is a fee for the use of the resource, and goes towards community development.

In addition, we propose free handline fishing and support for small businesses, the development of fish markets, and the development of infrastructure that serves smaller entities, improving utilization, quality, and price. But the main proposal is to transfer control over the quota to the settlements, which will then seek different ways to best utilize the resource for the community. This will then yield many times more funds into common funds than the fishing fee does today.

See more: Resources for the Public

30,000 apartments in 10 years. Let's begin a massive development of social housing in the constituency The Socialist Party proposes a real solution to the housing problem. Instead of the housing market being tailored to the needs of capital owners and contractors, a major effort will be made to produce affordable and good residential housing under social operation. Such plans have been successfully implemented abroad.

Socialists in Northeast Iceland will fight for municipalities in the constituency to actively participate in this idea and secure plots for housing cooperatives and other non-profit organizations that would undertake construction.

See more: The Great Housing Revolution: 30 Thousand Apartments in Ten Years

Equalization of oil price costs. Let's equalize living standards throughout the country People outside the largest urban areas pay a higher price for gasoline and oil products. This is an intolerable discrimination, and although the Transport Equalization Fund exists, it does not seem to work to equalize prices, and its role is therefore mysterious. Measures must be taken to equalize prices and ensure that state contributions to oil companies yield the desired results.

In many other areas, the situation is the same, such as in commerce and services, and food prices can become very high. Let's equalize living standards with social solutions so that as many people as possible can enjoy them.

Let's strengthen agriculture and the farmers' economy The economic situation of farmers has been severely constrained. License and inspection fees and inputs have increased without incomes following suit. It is clear that all cowsheds in the country must be converted to free-stall barns, and it is then expected that farms will decrease in number and significantly increase in size. In the Northeast constituency, there are many smaller dairy farms that are on the verge of ceasing operations if nothing is done. Sheep farming is in a situation where almost no sheep farm is run without farmers seeking income outside the farm. These farms are the rural areas of the country.

Support for this operation, so that it can flourish and also pave new paths, is not only a matter for farmers but also for the entire public, as it is important to keep the entire country populated, and farmers play a key role there.

The Socialist Party wants farmers to be guaranteed decent living and working conditions.

See more: Socialist Policy on Agriculture and Food