[luvtolean]

...or your Manifesto. Inspired by being called "right center" this morning.

I did this earlier and screwed BDA and Phobe who'd done long responses (I didn't see) when I deleted it. I guess we'll try again. Hopefully you guys will play again, I know this time around this is a bit better. I also know I'll miss lots.

Anyways, it's not really a question of right or wrong, just what do you think. I'm often called very conservative and liberal. (you should see what people have said to me on gun forums!) I take this as a compliment, as I'd like to think that I'm not partisan in my politics.

So, without further ado...

Abstract
Slash military. Figure out how to reduce health costs. Reduce police costs. Increase education. Don't violate the Constitution.

I am registered Republican. But I have plenty of very liberal ideas. I am closest to the libertarians in ideals.

I have belonged to the NRA, and probably should to the ACLU.

Infrastructure: The cornerstone and real purpose for government I think.

Education: the most important predictor of a person's career success is education. And our system SUCKS. Education should be funded by the government and spending determined by teachers. This should be through the university level. No affirmitive action handouts. Make it cheap for everyone, and let them decide. No more "no child left behind" bullshit. Some kids are smarter than others. Get over it, and let them learn that tough lesson when they're young. If they want to go to the smart kid's school, they'll do the work to go there. Some are better with their hands. Let there be public schools for smart kids that teach calculus, and are on their way to the university. Let their also be trade schools for kids that aren't interested in college. It takes all types. Tenure is immediately and permanently killed. Teachers will have a peer review system, and if they're no good, they're on the street looking for work. Increase education spending dramatically.

(and my pet peeve, practically no computers, and definately no calculators, for the first several years)

Energy: The infrastructure that powers the nation. I have a strong belief that infrastructure controlled by different groups ends up with no goal. This is what we have. Most energy is currently government controlled. But it all needs to be for cohesive policy. PG&E made billions with regulated energy. So can Chevron. This also allows for progressive energy policies allowing us to work on our foreign oil dependency. Brazil has a strong federal government policy focused on ethanol. They say within 20 years they will no longer import energy. I want to hear that come from Washington. And not by punching holes in a nature preserve. Without government regulation, this will never happen. After all, Chevron et al own much of that foreign oil, they don't want to see it stop flowing in. More nuclear power too.

Transport:

Roads, outside of pork like the bridge to nowhere, are always profit makers for the government. And kill the lame "lowest bidder" laws so we can get some quality roadwork.

Rail: Large federally integrated system. The patchwork local systems suck. They leave large blocks and mean it's tough to impossible to get somewhere of distance on a train. BART in the Bay Area, and the cheap dirt farmers in Santa Clara County voting against it (to avoid the small tax) has totally screwed up Bay Area commuting. Now they want to add it for BILLIONS more than it would've cost.

Airports: Quit closing them. If you move next to an existing airport (which they all are, we don't build new ones), you lose the right to complain about aircraft noise. Period.

Crime/Police force: We have a oversized police force that is overly aggressive, with too many people in jail. The war on drugs (thanks BDA), is a horrible legacy of the Reagans. It has failed. End it. Now. Too many dollars and too many lives are wasted on it. The good news is that our police force is relatively free of corruption, and pretty good at what they do. Clinton realized building more jails and creating tougher sentences reduced the crime rate. At the cost of the highest percentage of jailed citizens for industrialized nations in the world, our crime rates did come down (but are by no means world best). No more mandatory sentences. It is the job of a judge to make this decision, and to appropriately instruct the jury. If the judge screws it up, it can be worked out on appeal. I don't have any other answers other than Cuba has mandatory citizen policing. VERY interesting concept.

Environment: I am a conservationist. We must protect the environment. But it must be done by the numbers and science, not by emotion. For example, allow more mining permits, but make sure they are clean, and make them hold large bonds for disasters.

Judiciary/laws/social

Quit violating the Constitution. Geez. Why is this so tough? The first amendment, the second, the third...pretty much all of them are important and exist for a reason. End the Patriot act. Wanting privacy has nothing to do with hiding anything. No more spying on people without due cause and court orders. If the government fears it's people, it needs to figure out why they're pissed and lighting bombs. AND STOP DOING IT. If the terrorists are international, figure out how to quit pissing them off.

Lawsuits are killing this country. Take some of the money out of class action lawsuits for lawyers. Find a way to stop predatory lawsuits against companies. (Company X suing Company Y as a business tactic for example) This drives business overseas.

The Church and the State are separate. End of story. I don't want to pledge allegiance under Allah, and I don't blame a Muslim for not wanting to pledge to God.

Clinton had it right on homosexuality. No amendments for or against it. Leave it alone. We have real big, unadressed problems that effect everyone in this country.

Roe vs Wade is over. Let's quit talking about it. People don't want the state telling them they can't have babies, so the state shouldn't be able to tell people they must have babies either. Job done.

Military

Slash and burn, shock and awe the organization. Figure out how to clean up what messes we've created and get our people out. The world hates us largely due to our large standing army, and our politician's penchant for using them in place of the state department. This is the worst of things. The Framers distrusted large professional armies and so do I. We went into WWII perfectly prepared to fight a war. Small government debts is one of the keys to fighting a war. (ask the Brits) We were developing advanced weapons and a small cadre of professional soldiers. We had a huge army with the latest equipment at the most important time in the war. Late in the war, most of Germany's equipment was inferior in design to ours. Keep the war colleges open. Keep the R&D going. Have contingency plans to train a large citizen army in time of need. But that's it. Close almost all of our bases. If our citizens and allies can't be convinced to fight when the government wants to, we shouldn't be fighting. (I'm sure parallels to Iraq will be drawn, but I thought and think we should be there, with the current way we're "set up".)

Budget:

As of now, taxes cannot be lowered. I'm for tax reform (use and money moving type taxes) once the next two items are addressed. Ultimately there should be a dramatic reduction in taxes. But this would take decades.

The trade defecit is killing the country. I'm all for free trade. But our companies need to be able to operate in a free trade environment. Unions don't allow this. When a union forces a company to overpay, they create massive pressure for domestic companies to offshore. Paying people appropriate wages for their job allows more jobs to stay at home. Killing unions also forces people to realize they need to keep their job skills current to stay employed.

Healthcare: This might be the biggest problem in the country. We cannot afford the perscription pill program, or medicaid for the baby boomers. Period. This is simple fact. I applaud Hillary's efforts at government medicine as I think she did at least recognize what a problem it is. (but her solution was clearly flawed) We have to make it cheaper, and we have to figure out how to get people more able to pay for it themselves. Most companies and the government are dying under the burden of our healthcare costs.

Welfare: Also fits under social. The best argument for the current system is cost, it is cheap. We need to spend more money on welfare, but turn it into mandatory job training and force people off. No more creating a subclass of Americans that have lost all ambition in life and just wait for the government teat to come around once a month. Make these people work. It will cost more, but we will get something for our money, so I think it's a good investment.

Your retirement is your problem. Give people options to social security.

Other pork to take on, non-profits. But that's another story.

[BDA116]

I feel I need to play along with LTL after swapping a few PMs earlier regarding his first attempt at this.
So, following the layout he's gone with:

Abstract
I'm not so sure about slashing the military. Reducing and/or eliminating many deployments - Absolutely.
Figure out how to reduce health costs. Reduce police costs. Increase education. Don't violate the Constitution. I completely agree with this

I am registered Republican. But I share most views with the conservative Libertarians and Constitutionalists. I abhor left wing extremists like Kennedy, Reid, Pelosi and their ilk.

I have belonged to the NRA, and think the ACLU is a domestic terror group

Infrastructure: For the most part - aside from providing common defense and establishing justice, I would agree that this is the government's true role

Education: the most important predictor of a person's career success is education. And our system SUCKS beyond comprehension. If we are to stick with a government funded school system, it needs to be headed by a non-government agency. The NEA should be dismantled and any and all union B.S. taken away - including as LTL mentioned tenure. However, there also needs to be a school choice system where parents can choose to put their children in the government school or a private school with a rebate in some form of their own tax money. Again, some kids are smarter than others, as well as the fact that different kids excel in different fields. Live with it. None of this fairness crap, an F is an F and an A is an A.
The schools already get an incredible amount of money. The problem is that the monies are wasted at the board, district and other administration levels. Not enough actually make it to the schools.

(and my pet peeve, practically no computers, and definitely no calculators, for the first several years) ---Agreed!!!

Energy: The infrastructure that powers the nation. Sure, we made it that way. I don't think the government should control any private sector business at all. We should be tapping all of our own resources to lower dependence on other nations, including the miniscule 1.5 million acres on Alaska's coastal plain that was set aside by Congress for drilling more than thirty years ago, and along the same coast we already are pumping oil. ANWR is over 19.6 million acres large, and the vast majority supports less life than any desert wasteland. The coastal plain looks nothing like the pictures the mass media propaganda machine has been shoving in our faces; rather it is a flat, frozen, mostly lifeless area. That said, I fully support other energy sources as well - as long as they actually produce more energy than they take to make. Nuclear energy is good, wind farms work as well.

Transport:

Roads, outside of pork like the bridge to nowhere, are always profit makers for the government. And kill the lame "lowest bidder" laws so we can get some quality roadwork. Absolutely. Also, make it easier for the private sector to get their toll roads in.


Rail: I've gotta disagree here. We are an automobile nation. We made ourselves that way decades ago. The AMTRAK system has proven that government run rail can not work. They haven't turned a profit. Not ever in their entire existence. Local light rail and commuter rail systems can work when implemented properly. The light rail system they put in here just before the Olympics has gained ridership faster than any model they ever used. It is a resounding success. But long distance rail just isn't popular for anything but freight.

Airports: Quit closing them. If you move next to an existing airport (which they all are, we don't build new ones), you lose the right to complain about aircraft noise. Period. Yes.

Crime/Police force: I'm not so sure the police forces are oversized. I agree that the jails and prisons are overstuffed and building more would help. I also think many cells could be freed up by putting death row in the fast lane. No more endless appeals, I agree on no more mandatory minimums. That's what judges and juries are for. Guidelines yes, mandatories no.
Better training for the police forces and more community involvement are things I would like to see.

Environment: I agree that we should do our best to protect the environment, and agree that it should be done by the numbers and science, not by emotion. I was raised an outdoorsman and love spending time in the mountains - on foot, bicycle and OHV. Too many terror groups are trying to tie up public land for no reason other than emotion. There are plenty of ways to keep things protected while using the public lands for various activities and/or "infrastructure" uses - for lack of a better term.

I split out the "War on Drugs" as it is an area I think we would free up not only massive amounts of money, but jail cells as well. Lives could also be helped more by implementing some type of controlled sales/education system. Sell some of the "lesser" narcotics through state-run stores (like liquor stores that are already in place) and the "harsher" narcotics through a more controlled system. Prohibition only made people want alcohol more, making it legal again helped remove many of the ills the "street market" put in place. The same could be done with many narcotics.

Judiciary/laws/social

Quit violating the Constitution. Geez. Why is this so tough? The first amendment, the second, the third...pretty much all of them are important and exist for a reason. EDIT: Missed this part before. I completely wholeheartedly disagree with pacification of terrorists. They need to stop pissing us off as much as we need to do the same. Those types only understand one thing, and that is death. Attack the United States and your entire group will die. No more pussy footing around. Retalliate in a massive way and don't worry about them any more.
Reword the P.A. if needed, but I see no problem with giving the FBI the same access to things as local authorities in cases of national security and terrorism.

Lawsuits are killing this country. Take some of the money out of class action lawsuits for lawyers. Find a way to stop predatory lawsuits against companies. (Company X suing Company Y as a business tactic for example) This drives business overseas. I fully agree. Maybe we should implement the "loser pays" system would stop most frivolous lawsuits.

The Church and the State are separate. Agree only to a point. The way the current interpretation and especially the one pushed onus by anti-religious types is very much against the way the framers intended the way the simple line "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" has been distorted is sad. It actually violates the second half of their small mention of religion: "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". No, there should be no state-established religion that is used to govern the nation like the Church of England did, but our nation was founded with definite undertones of a belief in a higher power. The extent to which the ACLU is forcing their views on us is sad beyond words and is making many good men with signatures on important documents turn in their graves.

Homosexuality Amendment? There is a process for Amendments if Congress decides to go forward with the issue and it passes according to Constitutional standards, then so be it. If not, the same.

Roe vs. Wade is over. Let's quit talking about it. People don't want the state telling them they can't have babies, so the state shouldn't be able to tell people they must have babies either. Job done.
Many judicial decisions have "been over", yet rehashed over and over until the pusher got their way. It doesn't matter anyway, as if it were ever overturned you could rest assured that most all states would immediately amend their own Constitutions - which is where this jurisdiction should lie anyway.

Military

I disagree with destroying the military. It is there for a purpose. I also disagree with your pre-WWII assessment. Our military before WWII was a joke, and our equipment for the most part antiques. The training was worse than your average Boy Scout Troop. The small debt allowed us to go into production mode and we started making better equipment, but that was at the expense of private sector business. What our country had to do to make ourselves "war capable" back then would never fly today. We need to keep advanced arms and R&D. Someone is going to be the "big dog" in this world, I feel much better knowing it is us. As for reducing deployments, absolutely. We should close pretty much every base we have in Euroland. We don't need to be wasting any of our own money on their economy. They want to be big boys in the military arena, let them clean up and watch over their own backyards. Same goes for Korea and Japan. Let the region deal with it. We don't need to hold their hands. We need to have domestic bases if for no other reason than for places of training, storage and maintenance. Put most of the military into reserves, and let someone else do the dirty work when the world cries about wanting the U.S. to step in and fix things.

Budget:

Tax reform is absolutely necessary. The current system is horrible for the economy. It drives businesses away and punishes hard work. A use tax is the only fair tax. No more income taxes of any kind, only consumption taxes. Businesses will flock back to our shores and the economy will go gangbusters.

The trade deficit is killing the country. I'm all for free trade. But our companies need to be able to operate in a free trade environment. Unions don't allow this. When a union forces a company to overpay, they create massive pressure for domestic companies to offshore. Paying people appropriate wages for their job allows more jobs to stay at home. Killing unions also forces people to realize they need to keep their job skills current to stay employed. Agreed

Healthcare: This may be a problem, and I'm all for helping to reduce costs - one way would be to get rid of frivolous malpractice lawsuits, but health insurance is a personal responsibility and choice. Anyone can get basic health care at any time at any hospital, but keeping varying levels of insurances and care are one's own responsibility. Government should STFO and not turn it into a complete joke.

Welfare: I have some ideas in this area, but will keep them to myself as there are business models being looked at. That said, I see no problem with helping out at the basic level. However, those on the system should be actively looking for work or getting training. Giving people a free ride does nothing more than reinforce the behavior and keep them at the level they are. Add responsibility into the welfare mix and get people off it and into providing for themselves.

Your retirement is your problem. Give people options to social security. One of my biggest beliefs and "personal agendas". I shouldn't be forced to put money into a government controlled losing venture that can be taken away at the whims of Congress. I should be allowed to provide for my own retirement the way I see fit with my own money. Again, government should STFO.


That took some time and could probably be added to, but I'll just keep it there for now.

[phobiaphobe]

Keep in mind... Canadian perspective here... way different set of issues, sooo.....

Abstract
Strong Libertarian. The government's role is to protect its citizens personal and property rights. Privatize (almost) everything except the Military. Drastically increase funding for military and RCMP.

I'll vote Conservative in the coming election, but I hate to affiliate myself with any party. Party politics, especially in our parliamentary system, don't work. I want to elect my representative to Ottawa, not Ottawa's representative to me. If there were a strong independent candidate in my riding I would vote for her / him. I want an elected senate and president.

I don't belong to anything, but I'd like to join the Canadian Taxpayers federation.

Infrastructure: The last damned place for government. With profit as a motive, private enterprise can operate more efficiently and effectively.

Education: A public system can not be effective or unbiased. THe only role I'd want government to play would be to set up a small department for standardized testing.... and make those standards high.

Energy: Open it right up. Competition should keep prices realistic.

Transport:

Toll roads built to federal safety standards, built with private investment.

Rail: If rail is the most cost-effective method of transport, the private sector will invest and it will expand. I'll take the Taggart Comet on some shiny new Rearden Metal rails.

Airports: Don't like them? Move to the country. It's the 21st goddamned century. We fly places now.

Crime/Police force: Give the RCMP the funding and the authority to take down organized crime for good. Keep organized crime under RCMP jurisdiction and leave the city cops to the petty (ish) ****. BAN PHOTO LAW-ENFORCEMENT... if you need more tax revenue then raise taxes the old fashioned way, don't disguise them as fines.

Environment: Don't touch any national parks. Not for oil, not for anything. Create some new ones... 90% of our land mass is uninhabited... keep it that way, protect it.

Judiciary/laws/social

New constitution. No more Charter of RIghts and Freedoms... or at least revise it. Since Trudeau created it, it's been used for the Liberal party to hide behind while they line their pockets. It's too open to interpretation.

Make our politicians accountable with a recall mechanism for all elected representatives.

Increase penalties for white-collar crime, or any grand theft for that matter. Why is it that a common crook can do hard time for robbing a service station while meanwhile an advertising executive steals millions in tax dollars and his punishment is.... a couple years of probation and he has to go around making speeches at universities. Theft is theft, it hurts people, no matter what level. Make grand theft equivalent in the eyes of the law to assault.

Scrap the stupid gun registry and drastically increase penalties for violent crime, while increasing the police's ability to catch violent criminals. Castration for convicted sex criminals. Deportation for terrorist activity / support. Toughen immigration policies.

Ya... no church and state.... not that that's been a problem here.

Homosexuals want to marry? That's their problem. Make it a provincial debate... quit wasting time on it in parliament.

Military

What military? We have a total of 40000 personnel... a few small ships of war, some CF18s, some busted helicopters, and some used diesel subs that the Brits palmed off on us. Give Canada an advanced military capable of defending our borders and protecting our interests abroad. An aircraft carrier on each coast. A couple nuke subs. Some fast transport ships and planes so we don't have to bum a ride from the Americans. Join the goddamned missile defense program, quit living in denial. A force that can quickly and effectively deal with natural disasters and violent uprisings. Become a world leader in defense technology... attract brains from around the world and create jobs. Become a leader in automated warfare and surveillance.

Budget:

Flat tax on individual and corporate revenue. Don't reward people for being poor, don't punish them for being successful.

Healthcare: Public health insurance for privatized services, held to government standards.

Welfare: No. Also no Employment Insurance or Canada Pension Plan. The baby boomers are gonna suck the fund dry anyway.




...not finished, but gotta go to the gym.

[Mattress]

If you guys could summarize that all into a paragraph or two, I'd be interested in politics

Nevermind, after breezing through some of it, you can summarize it up in two words, "common sense"

[ND4SPD]

Originally Posted by Mattress

If you guys could summarize that all into a paragraph or two, I'd be interested in politics

Nevermind, after breezing through some of it, you can summarize it up in two words, "common sense"

http://infohost.nmt.edu/~armiller/commonsen.htm

[sheepofblue]

Clearly outlined in the SSS manual with addendums in the SSS monthly newsletter

[FantasyGod]

Originally Posted by BDA116

Education: the most important predictor of a person's career success is education. And our system SUCKS beyond comprehension. If we are to stick with a government funded school system, it needs to be headed by a non-government agency. The NEA should be dismantled and any and all union B.S. taken away - including as LTL mentioned tenure. However, there also needs to be a school choice system where parents can choose to put their children in the government school or a private school with a rebate in some form of their own tax money. Again, some kids are smarter than others, as well as the fact that different kids excel in different fields. Live with it. None of this fairness crap, an F is an F and an A is an A.
The schools already get an incredible amount of money. The problem is that the monies are wasted at the board, district and other administration levels. Not enough actually make it to the schools.

(and my pet peeve, practically no computers, and definitely no calculators, for the first several years) ---Agreed!!!

I find myself to share 90% of what LTL had posted but amazingly I also find myself to share quite a few of your ideas, especially when it came to the military and police spending. But back on topic, with proper reform, public school standards came be on par with the education systems with the rest of the industrialized countries. With that said, there wouldn't be a need for rebates for private schools. If the parent can afford private school and is willing to sacrifice luxuries to invest in their child, then more power to them. But for the people who aren't willing to invest in the private schooling for the children, and demand for free money, they don't deserve rebates. Simple.

Originally Posted by BDA116

Energy: The infrastructure that powers the nation. Sure, we made it that way. I don't think the government should control any private sector business at all. We should be tapping all of our own resources to lower dependence on other nations, including the miniscule 1.5 million acres on Alaska's coastal plain that was set aside by Congress for drilling more than thirty years ago, and along the same coast we already are pumping oil. ANWR is over 19.6 million acres large, and the vast majority supports less life than any desert wasteland. The coastal plain looks nothing like the pictures the mass media propaganda machine has been shoving in our faces; rather it is a flat, frozen, mostly lifeless area. That said, I fully support other energy sources as well - as long as they actually produce more energy than they take to make. Nuclear energy is good, wind farms work as well.

Wind farms may look really cool on the side of the highway and provide for an alternative to the inefficient usage of natural gas but their benefits don't outweigh their costs. But I'm glad you are in favor of alternative fuel sources. However, deregulation of energy without price gouging protection was a huge mistake. Energy providers are out to make money and they made quite a few dollars a few years back off of California. Our schools went from a getting new computers and T1 connections to not having enough paper for class handouts because of the energy price gouging of the state. I'm not saying that deregulation wouldn't be a good idea in theory but it didn't work out like it should have in theory because of some overzealous businesses.

Originally Posted by BDA116

Transport:


Rail: I've gotta disagree here. We are an automobile nation. We made ourselves that way decades ago. The AMTRAK system has proven that government run rail can not work. They haven't turned a profit. Not ever in their entire existence. Local light rail and commuter rail systems can work when implemented properly. The light rail system they put in here just before the Olympics has gained ridership faster than any model they ever used. It is a resounding success. But long distance rail just isn't popular for anything but freight.

I think LTL meant linking up our existing transportation system so it would be more efficient. Traffic congestion was the main reason why I purchase the 954. I can't stand driving in a car anymore. To stretch that thought, we need affordable high speed trains that can provide an alternative to our traffic-plagued highways and shrinking airports. For instance, bullet trains like what the Japanese have. I see what you mean by Amtrak as a failure. Amtrak runs on rails that cannot possibly support speeds faster than 40 mph? If I could get to LA from SF in 4 hours without all the TSA bullshit at the airport, I would ride a high speed train. Beats driving for 6-8 hours.

Originally Posted by BDA116

Crime/Police force: I'm not so sure the police forces are oversized. I agree that the jails and prisons are overstuffed and building more would help. I also think many cells could be freed up by putting death row in the fast lane. No more endless appeals, I agree on no more mandatory minimums. That's what judges and juries are for. Guidelines yes, mandatories no.
Better training for the police forces and more community involvement are things I would like to see.
I split out the "War on Drugs" as it is an area I think we would free up not only massive amounts of money, but jail cells as well. Lives could also be helped more by implementing some type of controlled sales/education system. Sell some of the "lesser" narcotics through state-run stores (like liquor stores that are already in place) and the "harsher" narcotics through a more controlled system. Prohibition only made people want alcohol more, making it legal again helped remove many of the ills the "street market" put in place. The same could be done with many narcotics.

Here is where I kinda broke away from LTL's point view and accepted yours. Immediate downsizing of the police forces would be a horrific mistake without from addressing the underlying issues of crime. Until we can have people away from the poverty line, there will always be crime, gangs, etc... These are social issues that develop because of the desperate hardships of breaking away from poverty. Also agree with doing away with bullshit appeals, as it should never take to 20+ years to execute a death row inmate. I especially love the state-controlled substance distribution system. The "war on drugs" is a failed policy, we should be learning from the Dutch when it comes to drugs and prostitution. There shouldn't be any waste of police or jail funding for this.

Originally Posted by BDA116

Healthcare: This may be a problem, and I'm all for helping to reduce costs - one way would be to get rid of frivolous malpractice lawsuits, but health insurance is a personal responsibility and choice. Anyone can get basic health care at any time at any hospital, but keeping varying levels of insurances and care are one's own responsibility. Government should STFO and not turn it into a complete joke.

I'm all for severe limitations on malpractice or any other lawsuit for the matter but healthcare as a personal resposibility... This one is really tough because someone came become homeless within a few short months due to medical bills. Even if you have personal insurance, insurance coverage has a cap. Personally, I recently had a mishap on the 954 last month and I never saw in coming. I don't remember the accident because of a concussion but I'm sure from later assessment that I hit a slick spot in the rain and I didn't crash into anything. I went down on Sharp Park Road in Pacifica and they shipped me all the way to SF General Hospital 15 miles away. My exit bill came out to $12,000 and I didn't even break anything or even bleed much, I just landed on my face pretty hard. If I didn't work a full-time job that provided health coverage, I would be homeless by the end of the month (Keep in mind that I go to school full-time and most full-time students only work part time). But my situation is peanuts compared to a family where a working parent is diagnosed with cancer or a complicated heart condition. This family is going to lose their house when can no longer keep up with the mortgage and could possibly be relocated from the suburbs to the projects. This was commonplace during that Reagan's tenure. I know this because one of my english professors assigned a bit of mandatory reading on homelessness.

[oldfogey]

One thing I'm intrigued about is a productive approach to welfare. On the one hand, I think individuals whether young or old who are genuinely unable to manage financially shouldn't be put on the streets. Charity in this case is socially effective as well as morally appropriate.

On the other, able-bodied adults should be motivated and appropriately educated to work.

Our social security system ends up creating effective tax rates much higher for the "poor" on social security benefits as they start working and lose part or all of their benefits than any marginal rate of income tax. (Which, by the way, I agree should be replaced by consumption tax, but that doesn't help this issue:the truly poor spend 100% of their income.) Integration of social security benefits and the tax system is essential to make sure the financial motivation to work is retained.

Oh, by the way, in case anyone was in doubt, I'm a C19th liberal (sort of libertarian in US terms) and a paid-up member of the UK Conservative party. I'm in favour of free markets, small government that only sets rules and standards, doesn't supply any good other than those politically chosen as state monopolies (with which I disagree, but assume some idiot will vote for occasionally).

[Proto]

Originally Posted by oldfogey

..................(with which I disagree, but assume some idiot will vote for occasionally).

Well this idiot would vote for re-nationalising the railway system, if nothing else !

[Baketech]

Post a manifesto that would only deny one the pleasure of arguing either side of an argument just for the sheer amusement of it all....

Ha, surely you jest...

[oldfogey]

Originally Posted by Proto

Well this idiot would vote for re-nationalising the railway system, if nothing else !

You think it's been more successful post 1948?

[Mojave954]

Abstract
Slash military. Figure out how to reduce health costs. Reduce police costs. Increase education. Don't violate the Constitution.

I am registered Republican. But I have plenty of very liberal ideas. I am closest to the libertarians in ideals.

I have belonged to the NRA, and probably should to the ACLU.

Infrastructure: The cornerstone and real purpose for government I think.

Education: the most important predictor of a person's career success is education. And our system SUCKS. Education should be funded by the government and spending determined by teachers. This should be through the university level. No affirmitive action handouts. Make it cheap for everyone, and let them decide. No more "no child left behind" bullshit. Some kids are smarter than others. Get over it, and let them learn that tough lesson when they're young. If they want to go to the smart kid's school, they'll do the work to go there. Some are better with their hands. Let there be public schools for smart kids that teach calculus, and are on their way to the university. Let their also be trade schools for kids that aren't interested in college. It takes all types. Tenure is immediately and permanently killed. Teachers will have a peer review system, and if they're no good, they're on the street looking for work. Increase education spending dramatically.

(and my pet peeve, practically no computers, and definately no calculators, for the first several years)


Okay, with this I mostly agree. See too many get "tenure" then go on retirement early. Get rid of the "no child left behind". Your dumb kid is messing up my smart kids learning. As for computers, sure, let them learn the long, hard way first. Brings home the "ya gotta earn the priveledge" concept. Affirmative Action needs to be killed in its entirety. The concept was good for its time, now it needs to die. You are promoted on your merits. If you don't get the promotion/position, get over it, stop playing the "race/sex" card. We all see people in positions they don't deserve and wonder, "WTF?"




Energy: The infrastructure that powers the nation. I have a strong belief that infrastructure controlled by different groups ends up with no goal. This is what we have. Most energy is currently government controlled. But it all needs to be for cohesive policy. PG&E made billions with regulated energy. So can Chevron. This also allows for progressive energy policies allowing us to work on our foreign oil dependency. Brazil has a strong federal government policy focused on ethanol. They say within 20 years they will no longer import energy. I want to hear that come from Washington. And not by punching holes in a nature preserve. Without government regulation, this will never happen. After all, Chevron et al own much of that foreign oil, they don't want to see it stop flowing in. More nuclear power too.

Nuclear power is safer and cleaner. We have plenty of land to build them and dispose of the waste. As for the protesters of this energy. Find out who they are and cut the power to their house, they will stop whining soon enough.

Transport:

Roads, outside of pork like the bridge to nowhere, are always profit makers for the government. And kill the lame "lowest bidder" laws so we can get some quality roadwork.

Other than the interstates, this is done at the state level. We feel your pain out here having two of the deadliest highways in America. Projects won't get started until 2010. In the mean time, slowdown. Just one more Darwinism of weeding out the weak/stupid. Sad part is the innocents they take with them.

Rail: Large federally integrated system. The patchwork local systems suck. They leave large blocks and mean it's tough to impossible to get somewhere of distance on a train. BART in the Bay Area, and the cheap dirt farmers in Santa Clara County voting against it (to avoid the small tax) has totally screwed up Bay Area commuting. Now they want to add it for BILLIONS more than it would've cost.

No comment.

Airports: Quit closing them. If you move next to an existing airport (which they all are, we don't build new ones), you lose the right to complain about aircraft noise. Period.

This goes for any environment that creates noise, plants, TRACKS, etc. You knew it was there when ya bought the house, suck it up or leave.

Crime/Police force: We have a oversized police force that is overly aggressive, with too many people in jail. The war on drugs (thanks BDA), is a horrible legacy of the Reagans. It has failed. End it. Now. Too many dollars and too many lives are wasted on it. The good news is that our police force is relatively free of corruption, and pretty good at what they do. Clinton realized building more jails and creating tougher sentences reduced the crime rate. At the cost of the highest percentage of jailed citizens for industrialized nations in the world, our crime rates did come down (but are by no means world best). No more mandatory sentences. It is the job of a judge to make this decision, and to appropriately instruct the jury. If the judge screws it up, it can be worked out on appeal. I don't have any other answers other than Cuba has mandatory citizen policing. VERY interesting concept.

Make the drugs legal and take away the appeal of it all. As for aggressive police, that I am for. Grant it, don't want to be capped for a speeding ticket but, they need to have respect on the street. Having a "paper tiger" police force will not work and the next thing you know, we have armed citizens.

Environment: I am a conservationist. We must protect the environment. But it must be done by the numbers and science, not by emotion. For example, allow more mining permits, but make sure they are clean, and make them hold large bonds for disasters.

Drilling has been halted off of Santa Barbara because of the "green peace" activist. While these are the same people that burn Humvee dealerships and release toxins into our air. I am for the conservation of land in some situtations as stated.

Judiciary/laws/social

Quit violating the Constitution. Geez. Why is this so tough? The first amendment, the second, the third...pretty much all of them are important and exist for a reason. End the Patriot act. Wanting privacy has nothing to do with hiding anything. No more spying on people without due cause and court orders. If the government fears it's people, it needs to figure out why they're pissed and lighting bombs. AND STOP DOING IT. If the terrorists are international, figure out how to quit pissing them off.

Pacifist action here. "figure out how to quit pissing them off". Okay, then what is it they are mad at with us? Hmmm???? They hate our open ways, quality of life, blah, blah, blah. F*ck them. This would be like tip toeing around your children cause you don't want to piss them off. Ummm, NO! This is us, get over it. Too much of having to worry about making someone else mad/upset cause of the way we are. Have it work, out in public and other places. My attitude, "you don't like what I am saying or the way I act, LEAVE". Don't impede my freedoms cause you have "issues".

As for the "spying" get over it. Up to your statement of a reduced military. How is the gov't suppose to protect people if they don't know what is going on with John/Jane Q. Public? Then you would have people wanking,"the gov't isn't protecting us." Suck it up people, you cannot and will not have your cake and eat it too.

Wanna wank about spying, wank about the cookies placed on your computer by websited that track you all over the internet. Now, that is spying, IMHO.

Freedom isn't free. Since before the beginning of this great country, people have been making the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE to ensure democracy continues.


Lawsuits are killing this country. Take some of the money out of class action lawsuits for lawyers. Find a way to stop predatory lawsuits against companies. (Company X suing Company Y as a business tactic for example) This drives business overseas.



The Church and the State are separate. End of story. I don't want to pledge allegiance under Allah, and I don't blame a Muslim for not wanting to pledge to God.



Clinton had it right on homosexuality. No amendments for or against it. Leave it alone. We have real big, unadressed problems that effect everyone in this country.



Roe vs Wade is over. Let's quit talking about it. People don't want the state telling them they can't have babies, so the state shouldn't be able to tell people they must have babies either. Job done.



Military

Slash and burn, shock and awe the organization. Figure out how to clean up what messes we've created and get our people out. The world hates us largely due to our large standing army, and our politician's penchant for using them in place of the state department. This is the worst of things. The Framers distrusted large professional armies and so do I. We went into WWII perfectly prepared to fight a war. Small government debts is one of the keys to fighting a war. (ask the Brits) We were developing advanced weapons and a small cadre of professional soldiers. We had a huge army with the latest equipment at the most important time in the war. Late in the war, most of Germany's equipment was inferior in design to ours. Keep the war colleges open. Keep the R&D going. Have contingency plans to train a large citizen army in time of need. But that's it. Close almost all of our bases. If our citizens and allies can't be convinced to fight when the government wants to, we shouldn't be fighting. (I'm sure parallels to Iraq will be drawn, but I thought and think we should be there, with the current way we're "set up".)

Best defense is a strong offense. I am for bringing the troops home and that is to include our brothers and sisters stationed overseas. We will always have forward deployed bases and they are a necessary evil for whatever reasons. But, downsizing isn't the answer either. Do some reallignment, get the apples with the apples and oranges with the oranges. A lot of "SAC" bases were closed by this nature since the threat of inter-continental nuclear missiles has bascially deminished from Russia. The people we are at conflict with now only understand the "heavy hand" approach to things. Sending in tomahawks to a few select targets is not the answer. Terrorist don't care about that stuff, actually use it against us in propaganda to further demonstrate how, "the great Satan is weak and ineffective".

Here is a poop stirrer, "bring back the draft". It is my belief that part of what is going on in the civilian community is that people don't have a clue and, their country pride is lost. The general public has no idea what the Soldier, Sailor, Marine, (ahem), Airman(person), goes through on a daily or career basis. And, not just for the men, draft the women as well. Want equal rights, then take equal responsibilty for protection of your country and its people. The military has a way of instilling core values of Honor, Courage and, Commitment, into a person that is really diminishing in this country.


Honor: When we say “bear true faith and allegiance,” we are promising to:

• Conduct ourselves in the highest ethical manner in all relationships
• Deal honestly and truthfully with others
• Make honest recommendations and accept those of those junior to us
• Encourage new ideas and deliver the bad news, even when it is unpopular
• Abide by an uncompromising code of integrity, taking responsibility for our actions and keeping our word
• Fulfill or exceed our legal and ethical responsibilities in our public and personal lives 24 hours a day
• Be mindful of the privilege to serve our fellow Americans

Courage: When we say “support and defend,” we are promising to:

• Meet the demands of our profession and the mission when it is hazardous, demanding or otherwise difficult
• Make decisions in the best interest of the Navy and the nation, without regard to personal consequences
• Meet all challenges while adhering to a higher standard of personal conduct and decency
• Be loyal to our nation, ensuring the resources entrusted to us are used in an honest, careful and efficient way
• Have the moral and mental strength to do what is right, even in the face of personal or professional adversity

Commitment: When we say “obey the orders,” we are promising to:

• Demand respect up and down the chain of command
• Care for the safety, professional, personal, and spiritual well-being of the people entrusted to us
• Show respect toward all people without regard to race, religion or gender
• Treat each individual with human dignity
• Be committed to positive change and constant improvement
• Exhibit the highest degree of moral character, technical excellence, quality, and competence in what we have been trained to do
• Work together as a team to improve the quality of our work, our people, and ourselves

Budget:

As of now, taxes cannot be lowered. I'm for tax reform (use and money moving type taxes) once the next two items are addressed. Ultimately there should be a dramatic reduction in taxes. But this would take decades.

The trade defecit is killing the country. I'm all for free trade. But our companies need to be able to operate in a free trade environment. Unions don't allow this. When a union forces a company to overpay, they create massive pressure for domestic companies to offshore. Paying people appropriate wages for their job allows more jobs to stay at home. Killing unions also forces people to realize they need to keep their job skills current to stay employed.

This is funny only cause I said almost the samething to my father (union worker/pride for 30 yrs) last night. Unions had their place and time but that time is mostly gone for now. We can always bring them back if need be. Most of the people in unions care only about their own pockets and not the economies. (it's the economy stupid). They end up pricing themselves out of work and sending the work overseas. People are in business to make money. It is America damn it, get over it or get out.

Healthcare: This might be the biggest problem in the country. We cannot afford the perscription pill program, or medicaid for the baby boomers. Period. This is simple fact. I applaud Hillary's efforts at government medicine as I think she did at least recognize what a problem it is. (but her solution was clearly flawed) We have to make it cheaper, and we have to figure out how to get people more able to pay for it themselves. Most companies and the government are dying under the burden of our healthcare costs.

Bring the cost of care and medicines down. How to do this??? No clear answer. Health care costs are up cause of the lawsuits, lawsuits are necessary to keep the Dr.'s in check of some kind. Do pills need to be that expensive???? I don't think so. Too many people on prozac like substances as well. Fix the problem, don't milk it along.

Welfare: Also fits under social. The best argument for the current system is cost, it is cheap. We need to spend more money on welfare, but turn it into mandatory job training and force people off. No more creating a subclass of Americans that have lost all ambition in life and just wait for the government teat to come around once a month. Make these people work. It will cost more, but we will get something for our money, so I think it's a good investment.

Six months of welfare with mandatory job training. Don't want the training, no money for you. Get harder on food stamps and other dependcy programs.

Your retirement is your problem. Give people options to social security.

Ha, another funny thing talking with my father last night. Wish I had the money I pour into SS every month to invest. My pop goes, "well there are a lot people that wouldn't do that". My response, "F*ck em for being stupid". People need to learn to take care of themselves. Most companies are bailing out on the retirement plans and forcing people to 401k's. Military included.

Other pork to take on, non-profits. But that's another story.