If you had the opertunity to run the Country

I'm tempted to say that I would restore spelling and grammar to the core curriculum in our schools ...

 

Define carte blanche.

And while you're at it, why 4 years? Why not 8?

 

There would be no more Daylight Saving Time anywhere in the country. Pick one time and stick with it.
We would actually USE the freaking metric system.
Education would be one of the top priorities, and would be funded before the "defense" coffers were filled (which wouldn't leave us more vunerable because of the following point).
A real energy policy would be a top priority - we become net exporters of energy.
Cars that burned gasoline or diesel would be banned from core urban areas.
Stupidity and meanness would be illegal.
Cars would be sold in a "no-haggle" environment by people who know the product. Would be just like buying the perfect melon at Safeway.
Beer would become the national drink, while "American beer" would be banned.

If I have to describe the "why's" for any of these, then we need to get back to the education thing mentioned above!

 

i'd ensure cancer research received funding before war. this was my belief even before my current personal situation.
i'd quit paying all the bureaucrats and politicians overinflated salaries, myself included.
i'd try like hell to get everyone health insurance.
i'd invest in assistance for local governments to provide stronger child protection and advocacy.
i'd make education a real priority- all americans deserve to have the tools to understand and process the world around them.

the last 2 are mainly because children are the future and they deserve a significant investment as such. we become a greater, stronger country when our citizens are properly educated and able to understand the consequences of their actions and those of their country.

of course that's not all but a few ideas i have anyway.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusguy04 @ Aug 22 2006, 07:35 PM) [snapback]307921[/snapback]</div>

What would you change?
I would dump C.A.F.E. It pretends to punish "evil big bad business" and not the "little guy." But is really a cost of doing business that gets passed on and hidden.

It would be replaced by a tax on the purchase of a vehicle that is based on the vehible's estimated MPG. The most efficient vehicles would have a 0% tax and the worse gas guzzlers as high as 25-30%.

Why would you change it?
If the intent is to use taxes to direct personal decisions, it is the person who is making the buy decision that should be taxed.

What would the end result be?
Reduced demand for inefficient vehicles that will lead to reduced production of them. Money talks!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 22 2006, 10:32 PM) [snapback]308008[/snapback]</div>

Jimmy Carter

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Aug 22 2006, 11:09 PM) [snapback]308023[/snapback]</div>

I would make education also a priority. As a person surrounded by teachers (my wife, my mom, my cousins, aunts, etc) I would make the system accountable. Bring competition into it. Reward good teachers and stop protecting those that can't teach. Get rid of the teachers union or change the rules so it does not continue to place its members above their charges. Send money to the schools or systems that are successful. Adapt and change. Our school system adopted smartboard technology years ago and our kids are much better off with it. Invest in technology. Require teachers to maintain their credentials with continuing teachers educational requirements like physicians do. Require them to pass a certification test every 5 - 10 years or lose their license. Cut the waste - the pencil and paper pushers who add nothing - streamline the system.

Get businesses and the real world involved by giving them tax breaks if they "adopt" a school or send staff to teach or tutor.

The current system sucks - is a complete waste of hundreds of billions of $'s. We must do our best to make sure each dollar spent is spent on educating the children as best as possible. We must look forward and change and test competing systems of education.

Look at our secondary education system - how great it is. Make schools compete for students at the elementary level too. Reward good schools (defined by testing, etc) with more public money, etc.

I could go on - but I am done.

Got to teach today.

 

I'd definately make education a priority - like dberman, I'd make darn sure that every bit money that goes into education actually benefits the students. We need to look at what works and what doesn't, and realize that one centralized system and set of rules can't serve the whole country well - adaptations (but not lowering of standards) need to be made to suit localized environments. Waste (including wasted labor) needs to be cut drastically, and there needs to be real incentives for finding cost-cutting solutions.

Actually, I think most of what I would do domestically would be part of a big "Do More for Less" push. I'd ask every branch, department, and office, all down the line, to look for ways to cut expenses without a reduction in quality. Some significant portion of those savings needs to be distributed right back as an incentive.

I don't have much experience with any governmental groups other than schools, but I get the impression that the same basic problems occur everywhere. My high school spent more for paper than I could get down at the office depot, but the school system had an agreement with a copy center three states away. I'm confidant that they could have saved even more (not to mention the non-monetary costs of the transportation) if they'd made a deal with a local copy shop and/or a local manufacturer. Our lunchrooms had similar agreements with food service corporations - and I assure you, it was not worth whatever they paid. Incandescent bulbs were still being used in many rooms at my university, even though CFLS cost less to operate and need replacement less often. Air conditioner settings could not be changed locally, and noone cared when we mentioned that it was just plain stupid to air condition the place all night. School system employees who were issued cars were all given SUVs, and instead of retaining mechanics for the fleet, they were reimbursed for local maintenance.

I'm POSITIVE that these same bits of waste and stupidity occur all over the country. I don't complain too much when businesses try to cool the whole neighborhood, or use gas guzzlers to run errands, or fill their dumpsters with waste - but if I had any real say in the matter, our tax dollars wouldn't be burnt up like that.

 

#1 I would incorporate True Cost Pricing

#2 Work with WTO negotiations to end subsidies to fleet fishing and agriculture and use that money to cultivate better agricultural practices and make it profitable for the small family farmer to stay in business.

#3 Enact and enforce transparancy laws for corporations.

#4 bring back the majority of the environmental laws the current admin abolished or weakened.

#5 Cut back excess defense spending and focus on health care, education reforms, infectious disease research, and increase foreign aid when it can be used and directed in a manner so as to actually help people and not be sequestered by war lords.

ok was gonna keep it at 5 but:

#6 create new law governing the research and development of nanotechnology. That is some truely scary stuff.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusguy04 @ Aug 23 2006, 12:01 PM) [snapback]308251[/snapback]</div>

I'ts an incompetent government if it has to resort to giving homeless people tents. It is the governments job to take care of its citizens and that includes housing, a good job that can pay for said housing, and healthcare, cheap energy and food.

We have so far managed to lose everything we had in the past, except cheap food, but that will go too as more farmland has to start growing corn for ethanol.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusguy04 @ Aug 23 2006, 12:01 PM) [snapback]308251[/snapback]</div>

Easy:

Social Security - means testing, privitization at least 10% of it, stop flow through to current govt spending, raise age limit gradually to 72; one day hopefully let people or their heirs keep what was put into it by the person.

welfare: cont reforms - prevent people from becoming dependant on the govt is the key. tax benefits to companies hiring former welfare recipients, etc

socialized medicine: none - even canada is going private now. true market forces would play here - govt totally out. change med mal laws to no-fault. close hospitals that are not full or lose money. tax breaks for citizens in good health or innovations that promote health and well being.

homeless - cant do anything but offer them the help they need - they are free to be homeless unfortunately.

govt - shrink it. get it out of everyday lives as much as possible. flat tax.

english - would make that the official language of this country - speak any other you want but everyone here needs to speak english and get rid of ESL - english immersion. if kids dont speak it they have less of a chance of reaping the rewards this country offers.

UN - change it or stop funding it.

foreign aid - none to any country that oppresses its citizens or supports terror. in fact if we do aid others hit by disasters like tsunami's - send them a bill -- why should the US taxpayer get stuck with it? Again this would be up to our discretion. If people want to be against us - let them know we will not necessarily take it lying down (votes in the UN or actions like supplying those that wish us harm -- france, etc)

 

I like some of those dbermanmd

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusguy04 @ Aug 23 2006, 11:01 AM) [snapback]308251[/snapback]</div>

1. I would rethink the national energy policy. Something beyond basic market forces needs help drive the oil companies toward legitimately becoming energy companies. I get tired of the feel good commercials they put out about how hard they are working on alternative energy sources. Blah, blah, blah. Also, there has to be a way to get people to conserve.

2. I would divert the troops from Iraq to Canada. It's time to annex all the Canadian provinces. Set our phasers to "extra crispy," and vaporize any insurgents with an affinity for Labatt Blue.

3. I would promote "Mix in A Salad" month, to encourage people to stop pouring lard into their gullets, thereby creating a future bow wave of medical expenses. Less time in the drive through will save fuel too.

4. Finally, I second galaxee's motion to substantially bolster cancer research. It's the plague our times, and kills more Americans by far over anything else. Mix in a Salad month will help in the cause...

 

Okay. I'll take the penal system.

I'll declare a "War on Crime" from the back end. Prison reform.

The penal system of this country is worse than the welfare system. The Penal system sucks a bigger and bigger percentage of budgets year after year. This country has never decided what kind of penal system it has. Do we punish? Do we reform? Do we just keep them locked up and away from society for safety? What? We flip flop on the death penalty too.

I would start by revising three strikes with a better definition of what a strike is. First...a traffic ticket or misdemeanor is not a strike. Then I'd institute three strikes and you're dead. These repeat offenders are a danger to society and have demonstrated that not only can they NOT live a reformed life in society, they are also stupid enough to get caught and convicted three times. Time for a Darwin Award. That will save big bucks right there.

And none of this "years on death row" stuff. Maximum time on death row should be no more than a week. Death penalty not a deterrant? Well....I DON'T CARE. I'm not instituting this to deterr crime. It's to save money. Less bodies....less money. Simple. And these losers are a waste of tax dollars.

Appeals. While it's in the system fine. But once the final verdict and sentence has come down that's it. You want to appeal, you pay BOTH sides of it. That's right. You pay the cost of both defense and prosecution. Can't afford it? Find some bleeding heart charity pro bono organization that will swallow your sob story.

Lawsuits while incarcerated. None. Nope. Criminals can't vote, so they also can't sue. You lost your rights when you commited that crime. Your mashed potatoes had lumps or the gravy was cold? Too bad. No more frivolous lawsuits to suck the budget.

There is no reason a prison should have a more complete and up to date law library than a law firm. So....scratch that. Books yes. But no prison should have a better library than the worst school in the state. Get books donated from library and school discards. You're not going to have that much time to read outside of class anyway.

Flat screen color TV? Cable? Satellite? Forget it. You don't need TV. Because you're going to be working or attending class most of your waking hours.

Now for the ones that survive.

Everyone goes to class. You don't read? You'll read by the time you get out. Don't have a High School Diploma? You will by the time you get out. Everyone learns a trade of some kind, be it plumbing, electrical, construction or typing and filing. If you've already got a High School Diploma or a trade ...you'll take college classes. Everyone leaves prison with a diploma or degree and a trade.

Everyone does community service of some kind. Whether it is repairing computers for use in schools and charities, landscaping freeways or taking dogs from the animal shelters and training them to be service dogs....everyone contributes. Prisons can double as recycling centers, where trash is separated and processed.

Keep them too busy to watch TV or spend hours working out to build up enough muscle mass to mug people when they get out. I'd take away the free weights too. Substitute physical fitness that does not involve freeweights or machines. Nothing wrong with staying fit. Everyone wrong with bulking up to be Mr. Universe.

Those that can be reformed will be with a vengance. Forget that early parole. And you better demonstrate both a change in attitude and a saleable skill or you're not getting out. Oh, and they'll have to have a job ready and waiting when they get out. No job, no release. Lose the job within a year? You're back in. So the penal system will have to add job placement for it's "graduates". An acceptable trade-off considering the other "reforms".

Those that can't be reformed are sucking the system dry. Why should my tax dollars go to feeding, clothing and housing these losers for the rest of their lives? Why should their life be better than the working poor? So if you can't contribute....you're history. No more "life" sentences. Unless life is less than a week.

Let's put the punishment back in penal. No more furloughs, conjugal visits, tennis courts or "special" camps. Everyone gets the same treatment, whether you're a thief, a CEO or a politician. Ooops, sorry, redundancy there.

 

While I'm not sure how some of those could be properly implimented I'm all for it. Go Godiva! lol