what kind of changes do you want in the US Gov't?

Guzzo

quoted from the Barak and hillary running for president thread

We're due for a change.

So what are the changes you'd want in government here? I'm not talking about personel either I mean what would you want the next president/ current & future congress to do for this country?I'm all about: -a tax based on profit -Salary cap for CEO's -Univeral Healthcare-Direct Elections-welfare officers (assigned officers monitoring the status of those who are on welfare in the hopes of getting them off it)-televised disclosure of all tax dollar spending-banning of lobbyists-free education through the 2nd year of college-increased taxation of all oil, & weapons corporations with an express commitment of that money going to enviromental and education improvement.-improved sex education in schools beginning at the Jr. High level.-weekly review by the press of the president via a questin and answer session (televised live)What do you want?

HarveyCanal

Total annihilation.

Jonny_Paycheck

-a tax based on profit

as opposed to?

kala

salary cap for ceos is logical and needed but are you a commie or what?

just nuke DC and naturally the power goes back to the individual states

Guzzo

-a tax based on profit

as opposed to?

tax cuts based on annual financial worth

Jonny_Paycheck

Well, I think I understand what you're getting at, but the business tax system is currently structured to tax annual profits, which is one reason why businesses come up with elaborate ways of hiding them.

I think what you meant to say is "fewer tax giveaways for the richest percentile".

Guzzo

I'd also like the reintroduction of the electric car with a mandate that they should be 25% of all new cars on lots by 2008

it's not that hard

Guzzo

I think what you meant to say is "fewer tax giveaways for the richest percentile".

bingo.

sabadabada

private social security accounts. Even a small inheretance may allow a beneficiary to open a business, make a downpayment on a house, build some kind of private equity. The way the system is geared now, people who are unable to save have nothing to pass on to their children and each subsequent generation has to rely on the government for assistance.

CousinLarry

-welfare officers (assigned officers monitoring the status of those who are on welfare in the hopes of getting them off it)

This is kind of what the welfare reform act of 96 did. The problem is that it is more about getting people off of welfare than helping them succeed without it. The bottom line is most Americans have a very fucked up idea of how the welfare system works. Politicians play on this when they talk about welfare fraud and reform.

Read this book or at least browse through it if you are interested.

kidinquisitive

Man, I wouldn't even know where to start with this topic. I think my "things we should keep the same" list could be scribbled on a napkin with room leftover to wipe your mouth with.

the3rdstream

-Stop the "War on Drugs"

kitchenknight

I'll start with this:

Leaders who are motivated by the desire to serve the PUBLIC good. Not their own selfish interests and needs.

Leaders who will make the right decision, not the popular one.

Educated, eloquent leaders who are not an embarrassment to the world, nor embarrassed by education.

Leaders with a desire to do something larger and more important than serve the narrow interests of their party.

A public that is willing to hold elected officials accountable for their mistakes and poor decisions.

A public that is going to ask real questions of its elected officials; not, 'how do you feel about our brave troops?'

I could go on...

CousinLarry

-free education through the 2nd year of college

How about at least more grant money for education. The amount of grant money given by the federal government has not been going up, but the cost of going to college has.

Jonny_Paycheck

-Stop the "War on Drugs"

DJ_Enki

I think what you meant to say is "fewer tax giveaways for the richest percentile".

I agree. Also: tougher enforcement on corporate taxes. Corporations get away with murder come tax time--if they actually paid what they're supposed to be paying, a good chunk of the country's financial crunch would disappear.

kitchenknight

-Stop the "War on Drugs"

and the 'War on Terrorism'.

Jonny_Paycheck

Conversely, if corporations paid as much as you probably want them to we'd be sunk into a pretty serious recession.

There's a middle ground.

CousinLarry

There are a lot of relativly simple things that would make a huge difference to poor Americans. Here is another really good book on the subject.

sabadabada

-Stop the "War on Drugs"

and the 'War on Terrorism'.

and just wait around for the next "9/11"

kitchenknight

-Stop the "War on Drugs"

and the 'War on Terrorism'.

and just wait around for the next "9/11"

Not what I'm saying. What I am against is empty rhetoric backed up by irresponsible policy making and illegal actions that cost lives, waste money, and are ineffective.

I am not against fighting terrorism, or even the drug trade. I am against meaningless names.

DJ_Enki

Conversely, if corporations paid as much as you probably want them to we'd be sunk into a pretty serious recession.

There's a middle ground.

There is a middle ground. That's what I'd like to arrive at (I probably don't favor the putative corporate tax you're imagining I favor). But right now, corporate tax accountability is damn near nil, and that is not right.

Also, this ties in with Guzzo's point about CEO compensation, which is completely ludicrous at this point. If corporations would stop paying CEOs absolutely obscene amounts of money--to say nothing of $400 million severence packages--then they'd be able to absorb an extra tax hit, you know?

sabadabada

-Stop the "War on Drugs"

and the 'War on Terrorism'.

and just wait around for the next "9/11"

Not what I'm saying. What I am against is empty rhetoric backed up by irresponsible policy making and illegal actions that cost lives, waste money, and are ineffective.

I am not against fighting terrorism, or even the drug trade. I am against meaningless names.

me too

The_Non

quoted from the Barak and hillary running for president thread

We're due for a change.

So what are the changes you'd want in government here? I'm not talking about personel either I mean what would you want the next president/ current & future congress to do for this country?

I'm all about:
-a tax based on profit-yes,w/the amended stipulation[/b]
-Salary cap for CEO's-no salary cap. a formula based on how much a worker gets paid vis a vis their CEO that is agreed upon by corporations and members of Congress.[/b]
-Univeral Healthcare-yes[/b]
-Direct Elections-NO. This will render states with small populations who want a say in our government even more meaningless than they already are.[/b]
-welfare officers (assigned officers monitoring the status of those who are on welfare in the hopes of getting them off it)-already exists[/b]
-televised disclosure of all tax dollar spendingC-SPAN[/b]
-banning of lobbyistsNot going to happen under our current system of gov't[/b]
-free education through the 2nd year of collegeGood way to close universities[/b]
-increased taxation of all oil, & weapons corporations with an express commitment of that money going to enviromental and education improvement. No, this would lead to recession[/b]
-improved sex education in schools beginning at the Jr. High level.-sure, why not[/b]
-weekly review by the press of the president via a questin and answer session (televised live)yes[/b]

What do you want?

the3rdstream

I am not against fighting terrorism, or even the drug trade. I am against meaningless names.

I am against fighting the drug trade, let that shit be taxed, and watch the deficit drop like my balls when i was 12

spelunk

Tax the top 1%. Heavily.
Stricter environmental regulations.
Education funding, particularly lowering interest rates on Student Loans
A gigantic salary increase for K-12 teachers
End of U.S. miitarism abroad
Adherence to Kyoto treaty
Nuclear Self-disarmament
Massive buget cuts to the Pentagon
Coherent immigration policy, with an emphasis on Mexican economic independence
Stricter rules on corporations in many ways (outsourcing, audit rules, etc.)
Systematic dismantling of the prison-industrial complex
Ban on the death penalty in all circumstances, in all states.

Reynaldo

No inheritance/estate tax.

Guzzo

-Salary cap for CEO's-no salary cap. a formula based on how much a worker gets paid vis a vis their CEO that is agreed upon by corporations and members of Congress.[/b]
-Direct Elections-NO. This will render states with small populations who want a say in our government even more meaningless than they already are.[/b]
-welfare officers (assigned officers monitoring the status of those who are on welfare in the hopes of getting them off it)-already exists[/b]
-televised disclosure of all tax dollar spendingC-SPAN[/b]
-free education through the 2nd year of collegeGood way to close universities[/b]
-increased taxation of all oil, & weapons corporations with an express commitment of that money going to enviromental and education improvement. No, this would lead to recession[/b]

TN:[/b] I don't understand what your saying about free college education up to the 2nd year of college would close universities, community colleges are already incredibly cheap compared to 4 year universities, the government can more than pay for the education of those younger college students and also give many of those with no dream of going to college a more fair shake at entering the job market. Can you elaborate?

My CEO salary cap is based on the massive retirement packages I've heard so much about over the last 2 years, Jim Webb???s speech yesterday really pushed a lot of it into perspective with the mention that the average CEO makes 400 times what the average worker makes, you cut that CEO???s salary in half and distribute that wealth into your workforce they would probably not be struggling so much to get by and might just be happier (and possibly more productive)

C-Span is a cable network that only appeals to political potheads and senior citizens; we need a dedicated network that cover it all including pork barrel spending. I also think all things that our tax dollars should be spent on should be listed in the title of the bill or proposal. Guaranteed that the " 100 million dollar Bridge to nowhere" bill wouldn't have passed

and why would increased taxation of oil lead to recession. Oil companies have been having record quarter and after record quarter for some time now, if congress enforced that the taxes would come from earned profits rather than perceived profit cuts I think we would be alright

faux_rillz

Conversely, if corporations paid as much as you probably want them to we'd be sunk into a pretty serious recession.

There's a middle ground.

There is a middle ground. That's what I'd like to arrive at (I probably don't favor the putative corporate tax you're imagining I favor). But right now, corporate tax accountability is damn near nil, and that is not right.

Also, this ties in with Guzzo's point about CEO compensation, which is completely ludicrous at this point. If corporations would stop paying CEOs absolutely obscene amounts of money--to say nothing of $400 million severence packages--then they'd be able to absorb an extra tax hit, you know?

Can anyone think of any other professions where the government has imposed a salary cap (aside from government employees)?

Just wondering.

The_Non

-Eliminate riders on bills in Congress.

-Allow Pentagon spending to be audited by an Independent outside of government firm.

-Eliminate the war on marijuana. Cocaine, meth and heroin,etc are fair game.

-Public funding ONLY of election campaigns for government officials, from US President, Congress, etc all the way down to State government level.

-Active recruiting in PUBLIC school systems of QUALIFIED TALENTED teachers, with increased pay levels for proved student success.

-Elimination of No-Child Left Behind testing, and substitute it with a National
Test of bare minimum student aptitude.

-Active recruitment of Arabic speaking CIA agents from around the globe, rewards for good service, stiff penalties for treason.

-Elimination of support for and friendly diplomatic ties with totalitarian/brutal regimes around the world (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China, Sudan, Russia, etc)

-Immediate removal of illegal immigrants from the US and crackdown on corrupt visa systems for getting into the US around the world, changing it to a meritocracy, no matter who the illegal is, or what country they are from.

-The elimination of using mercenary based companies in fighting foreign wars.

-Eliminate privatizing the United States Armed Forces and their contracts. I'm looking at you Halliburton.

-Heavy investment in ethanol and alternative clean burning fuel sources, as well as the investigation of feasibility of putting windmills and solar cells on uninhabited Federally held land across the US, as long as it doesn't majorly impact the local flora and fauna.

-Elimination of government tax breaks to oil and gas companies.

-Ban commercial fishing within 200 miles of all American shores. Pole and small net fishing only. NO trawling.

-Increase farm subsidies for farmers across the United States. Eliminate reliance on foreign countries for foodstuffs. Encourage local farmers and agricultural companies to grow local foodstuffs and distribute them locally, be it co-ops or local supermarkets.

-Removal of all armed forces in Europe.

-Fund and arm a youth rebellion in Iran.

-Find Osama Bin Laden and imprison him for life.

-Reparations to American Indians and African Americans in the form of free college tuition assistance for the first 2 years of college.

-Increase the level of proficiency in high school for the subjects of Reading, Writing, Math, Sciences, and Social Studies.

-Companies that outsource jobs have all tax breaks and perks provided by the United States eliminated.

-Devalue the dollar.

The_Non

-Salary cap for CEO's-no salary cap. a formula based on how much a worker gets paid vis a vis their CEO that is agreed upon by corporations and members of Congress.[/b]
-Direct Elections-NO. This will render states with small populations who want a say in our government even more meaningless than they already are.[/b]
-welfare officers (assigned officers monitoring the status of those who are on welfare in the hopes of getting them off it)-already exists[/b]
-televised disclosure of all tax dollar spendingC-SPAN[/b]
-free education through the 2nd year of collegeGood way to close universities[/b]
-increased taxation of all oil, & weapons corporations with an express commitment of that money going to enviromental and education improvement. No, this would lead to recession[/b]

TN:[/b] I don't understand what your saying about free college education up to the 2nd year of college would close universities, community colleges are already incredibly cheap compared to 4 year universities, the government can more than pay for the education of those younger college students and also give many of those with no dream of going to college a more fair shake at entering the job market. Can you elaborate?

and why would increased taxation of oil lead to recession. Oil companies have been having record quarter and after record quarter for some time now, if congress enforced that the taxes would come from earned profits rather than perceived profit cuts I think we would be alright

4 Year Schools are hemorrhaging money already. Cutting money spent by the student would put many schools out of business. The Government isn't gonna pay for it.

Oil companies would raise their prices to record levels to pass the economic damage such things would cause on to their customers. If gas goes to $5 a gallon, we're fucked. Recession guaranteed.