How would YOU change the US

[mrblond]

If you had the power to implement change, what would you change and how would you do it?

I would start by Legalizing drugs. I know this is not popular,least among the non drug users but I think if they are legalized, regulated and taxed, it could bring our spending down, get rid of the DEA and chop the gangs and cartels off at the knees. along with this, I would raise the punishment of those importing drugs. super max prisons would no longer be for rehabilitation, but for punishment. no more weight rooms, TV, anything of that sort. you will simply be forgotten until you died. Those who do a minor crime would be given a chance, they repeat, they get sent to a super max.

I know some of my measures are a tad draconian but I never said i would be a good leader. what are some of your choices?

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[Burt Gummer]

Any action is too little too late for this Titanic.

 

[mrblond]

Any action is too little too late for this Titanic.

I have to agree with you Burt, I dont think any measures that would pass would be enough to right this ship. to much infighting between the major parties to get anything done.

 

[Swedish K]

CA took the weights out of the prisons over 10 years ago. Also, while taking the TVs away from inmates sounds like a good idea they did note a reduction in inmate violence when they have TVs. The correctional officer's union originally opposed inmates having TVs but changed their minds after seeing the reduction of inmate on staff violence. Another thing to note is that inmates have to buy their TVs and they are considered a privilege and is one of the first things taken away, along with canteen rights, when they become problem kids on the inside. Who would have thought that TVs are a great babysitter for inmates...

A few years back they tried a hard labor program for parole violators returning to custody, I don't recall all of the details that resulted in them ending the program but one of the reasons was complaints from cops that, like back when they had weight stacks on the yard, scrawny junkies would get sent to prison and come back out on the street in much better physical condition and weighing in a good 50 lb or more heavier with more ability to resist arrest.

Another thought regarding your idea of legalizing drugs - while I'm not a big fan of the idea, if we were to do this and be stuck with obamacare there should be a requirement that any and all medical treatment related to substance abuse should come out of the patient's own pocket. No need to make everyone pay for medical treatment just to keep junkies alive so they can rack up more visits to the ER for overdoses and future medical costs for things like liver transplants...

 

[longcolt]

I would eliminate all taxes and fees and create a fair tax system that was either a flat tax or a sales tax. No other tax methods would be allowed so that the fed, state and local governments would be required to disclose in total what % they are really collecting from all income levels. My wouldn't that be interesting to see?

I would create a judicial review to insure all judges at all levels really protected the Constitution or they could and would be removed if found to be "social activists!"

All of us would be entitled to receive the same pension and medical benefits that government workers receive. Not by setting up another government department or pulling medical personnel under government control but by simply having the government write a check to hospitals, individuals for their needs. If that requires a reduction in benefits to allow an across the board benefit that will work within budget constraints then so be it. The pension side might have to be geared to lifetime income but it would be cut off at a certain level. If you have millions you have no need for a gov pension.

Simplistic solutions but when you add in a third party, government, to control and administer a program the costs go through the roof. My solutions would be administered by competitive bid by private companies and the government would be the overseer and regulator.

We all have different opinions about how things should be run those are a couple of mine. I have hundreds more but will not bore you with them.

 

[clambo]

I agree with Burt. We're going down. 10 years tops, probably less.

But since you asked, here's the Clambo for prez plan. We immediately seize Iraq and their oil. There is a new sheriff in town. Us. Use some of their people to help pump oil, deport the rest. The oil goes nowhere but here. We sell gas to ourselves for $.29 gallon and everyone else for $15. If that's not enough oil we annex Kuwait, Saudi, whoever. Who cares ? I don't. If they don't like becoming U.S. territory, tell it to the Marines. If that's not good enough, nuke a medium size city and give them a little refresher course on whose boss now.

Next, call China and tell them we won't be paying them anything, ever. Tell them that they can suck it. Refer to nuclear object lesson if necessary.

Seal the Mexican border. I have a plan to have it sealed inside one week. We have lots and lots of National Guard and Reserves that do two weeks annual training. Rotate units in and out as border guards. Put an armed soldier about every 10 ft, backed up with whatever support, i.e. mortars, etc is necessary. Shoot illegal border crossers. You won't have to shoot too many. Word will spread quickly. The best part of that plan is..... is that we're already paying these soldiers so there shouldn't be any new expenses.

Anyway, you get the point. I could go on but I don't wish to bore you with the obvious. Yes, it's a little....harsh, but frankly if it's us or them, I'm fine with it being them. My life, my standard of living, and that of my family and friends mean a lot to me. I want my kid and grandkid to have it better than me and I don't really care about the rest of the world much.

Good day !

 

[Kimber Custom]

I liken the US to a cat whose climbed too high up in a tree and can't figure out how to get down. It sure seemed like a good idea at the time.

I like the foundation of our government. 3 branches with checks and balances. I like the concept that politicians were public servants who made the sacrifice to serve a term or two. A constitution that we agree to measure everything against and we have the options to adjust it as we the people see fit. I like that the governments job is to do things that no individual or state can do like national defense or creating trade agreements.

I'm sad we have become a nanny state. I'm sorry we have taken personal responsibility out of the equation. It angers me that we prey upon one another. But like the cat I'm not sure how we come down and like clambo I think our time is limited.

In my America v. 2.0:
- Drug testing and means testing for all government aid
- Flat federal sales tax on all non food purchases; states may create their own sales tax
- Mandatory federal government budget not to exceed 12% of GDP
- Cap all federal salaries at 2x national average income
- Cap all government benefits for individuals at 2x national poverty level (exception of military service 2x national average income)
- Cap liability damages for litigation and create penalties for 'nuisance suits'
- If military force is to be used, it will be used fully and harshly. Don't wake the sleeping dragon.
- Immigration should be done in a reasonable time and includes a 5 year probationary period where annual checks ensure the immigrant is a productive member of society. Job, tax paying etc before given a right to vote.
- Incentives for voting. 90+% voter participation should be the goal

 

[Father of four]

I would help the Citizens of the United States of America to make the government once again work for the interests of the Citizens and not for the governments own interests.

I would start by placing civilian citizen groups in power in every government aspect of Our Country. They would have hands on to ALL of the information the government has. The civilian body would make public their findings on how Our government is running. Then the citizens would start voting on how the government should run things, how much money it should spend on which things, change laws, rules and regulations that fit what the civilians want and then keep a close watch on the government to make sure the Untied States Citizens never loose control again.

 

[Dunerunner]

I'm surprised (not really) to hear all the negative comments on America. She didn't go down during WWII, probably one of the most trying times for the US, only because of the resilience, determination and optimism of the people in this country. Why surrender to meritocracy when you can endeavor to succeed?

To address the question:

1. Make congress balance a budget
2. Cut taxes across the board
3. Make 3 years of Military Service Mandatory for every citizen
4. Institute Term Limits for The Senate
5. Discontinue all foreign aid
6. Drop out of, quit funding the UN and kick them out of the country
7. Make English the official language of the United States and quit printing any official documents in any language other than English
8. End All programs designed to even the playing field based on age, race, gender, etc. Instead, base selections on education, performance and qualifying experience

 

[Father of four]

I'm surprised (not really) to hear all the negative comments on America. She didn't go down during WWII, probably one of the most trying times for the US, only because of the resilience, determination and optimism of the people in this country. Why surrender to meritocracy when you can endeavor to succeed?

Its not America. I love my Country and Our people. It is that far to many people that we have hired and intrusted to help run Our Country seems to care much more about their own selves, their own power and their own pocket books instead of the will and rights of the United States Citizens.

 

[Burt Gummer]

There is a big difference between "America" and its people, and land mass, vs the corporation otherwise known as the United States of America. A wholly owned subsidiary/corp of the London banks controlled by foreign Oligarchs otherwise known as the 'financial elite'. Study up on the Act of 1871 and exactly what the District of Columbia represents. Also the monetary policy fraud perpetuated by foreign bankers that control the USA via the private "Federal" Reserve without any oversight or audit. Free reign to rob the people blind.

Like any corporation 'we' have a President, Vice President, Treasurer, etc; but those are are figure heads and puppets. The REAL decisions are made by the Oligarchs, or 'the Board of Directors", the real powers that be, ones who's names or faces you will never see. All of our courts, law, system were all put in place by them post-Independence (which is a sad joke, we are not, nor have ever been).

To acknowledge that this nation is economically doomed and morally bankrupt is not "anti-American" or unpatriotic. We are simply a tool and when a tool is no longer of use (when we have beaten all countries that resist the global banksters into submission), we will be discarded. What you so the Fed doing in terms of no interest money printing is just to buy more time and keep us on temporary life support before they eventually pull the plug.

Comparing current 'America' to the Great Depression era or post WWII in terms of possible recovery is misguided. We have nothing to 'recover' with; all of our means to dig ourselves out is gone; we are lazy entitlement slobs.

There will be no recovery. Just a global planned shift to equalize everyone under one new Ponzi currency and one level living standard. Horrendous for us, since we are the 5% that enjoy 50% of the toys currently.

Many suffer from Normalcy Bias and false patriotism apparently.

You can ignore reality but not the consequences of ignoring reality.

 

[longcolt]

I like the way most of you think and like your suggestions.

To fix this mess I would have to have the power of a King, absolute authority and I would promote you-all to my court to run things.

Now this is a bit rash but we might have to send all the lawyers to the guillotine to clean out the place.

 

[oknow]

I'm surprised (not really) to hear all the negative comments on America. She didn't go down during WWII, probably one of the most trying times for the US, only because of the resilience, determination and optimism of the people in this country. Why surrender to meritocracy when you can endeavor to succeed?

To address the question:

1. Make congress balance a budget
2. Cut taxes across the board
3. Make 3 years of Military Service Mandatory for every citizen
4. Institute Term Limits for The Senate
5. Discontinue all foreign aid
6. Drop out of, quit funding the UN and kick them out of the country
7. Make English the official language of the United States and quit printing any official documents in any language other than English
8. End All programs designed to even the playing field based on age, race, gender, etc. Instead, base selections on education, performance and qualifying experience

#4 also add term limits for supreme court justices why give anyone a lifetime job no matter on how they do there job

 

[Stomper]

I would start by rounding up all socialist, communists, and other "collective minded" political brands (that would impose their ideology on the rest of us), and drop them on an isolated land mass of their very own.

After that I would round up everyone involved with the Federal Reserve, have them beaten with rubber hoses and dropped off on aforementioned isolated land mass.

Eliminate constituent voting of Federal Senators, and return it to the original version of gubernatorial appointment... No more emptying the treasury for votes!

Mandate some form of National Service (minimum 2yrs. military or 3yrs. civil) to gain a voting franchise, that way EVERYONE has something PERSONALLY INVESTED other than the "happy accident" of your birth within our borders. BONUS-We wouldn't have a conscript military... You are free to choose service to vote, or no service and no vote.

No more jacking around our veterans affairs with endless forms, ever changing case workers, etc.


There is much more, but I have to leave for work... SOMEBODY has to pay income taxes to buy them Obama Phones.

 

[mrblond]

I'm surprised (not really) to hear all the negative comments on America. She didn't go down during WWII, probably one of the most trying times for the US, only because of the resilience, determination and optimism of the people in this country. Why surrender to meritocracy when you can endeavor to succeed?

To address the question:

1. Make congress balance a budget
2. Cut taxes across the board
3. Make 3 years of Military Service Mandatory for every citizen
4. Institute Term Limits for The Senate
5. Discontinue all foreign aid
6. Drop out of, quit funding the UN and kick them out of the country
7. Make English the official language of the United States and quit printing any official documents in any language other than English
8. End All programs designed to even the playing field based on age, race, gender, etc. Instead, base selections on education, performance and qualifying experience

I think its to late for #7. This should have been done years ago before the southern invasion. The Hispanic vote is now to important and soon, there may be enough here to implement Spanish as the national language in a few decades.

 

[dmancornell]

3. Make 3 years of Military Service Mandatory for every citizen

HAHAHAHAHAHA.... no.

 

[Stomper]

HAHAHAHAHAHA.... no.

Then you don't get to vote, beatch!

 

[dmancornell]

Then you don't get to vote, beatch!

Newsflash: the military is the ultimate expression of government. So your idea is to force everyone to serve the criminal regime that is the root cause all the country's problems. Brilliant!

Also implying casting a vote for ruling class overseer A or B makes a damn difference whatsoever.

 

[oldbrass]

annex California back to Mexico, WA,OR,ID and Montana succeed from the union

 

[Stomper]

Newsflash: the military is the ultimate expression of government. So your idea is to force everyone to serve the criminal regime that is the root cause all the country's problems. Brilliant!

Also implying casting a vote for ruling class overseer A or B makes a damn difference whatsoever.

Methinks you're not READING WHAT IS WRITTEN.... Hmmm?