How would YOU change the US

[bernoulli0912]

This is what Warren Buffet suggested for Congress:

1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the
Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the
American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

********************
Sounds good to me

I would add:

Reverse Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward and Pembina Consolidated Silver Mining Co. v. Pennsylvania

Abolish the Electoral College. One Citizen one Vote.

 

[Jamie6.5]

I generally agree with what you're getting at here.... I wonder how you feel about estate taxing?

This "social Darwinism" scheme gets skewed when children of largely hard-working, rich people get a free pass from their ancestors success. What does a meritocracy mean when your rich parents can afford you tutors, private schools, opportunities and social/professional networking that other individuals aren't privy to due to their parents level of success or failure?

In other words, in your fantasy, would the children of the rich get rewarded for their birth? Or would they have to "earn it"?

So basically, what you are asking me is that if I am extremely successful, through hard work and/or good fortune, should I be able to pass that on to my children, unfettered and unburdened by the dotgov?

Of course! Didn't the government already tax every dollar I made along the way?
Of course they did.
How many times should they be allowed to tax my money?
How many times should they be allowed to tax anyone's money?
Isn't once enough?
Are you advocating for a sliding scale that increases the number of times a dollar can be taxed, based on how many dollars someone has?

Who are they to tell me, on my deathbed, who I give my money (that they've already taxed) to?

Look, just because someone dies with a lot of money, why should society (READ: government) be entitled to any additional portion of what they earned during their lifetime? Much less the ridiculous percentage that constitutes inheritance tax!?!

The estate tax is the epitome of 'the politics of envy,' and it should be abolished, pure and simple.

Or are you another one of those "You didn't build that" people?

Who is to say that the children of the rich won't go on to do great things with that money?
Why do you guys always insist that they aren't deserving?
The Kennedy family was worth a few million when John F., and Bobby were born.
Does that mean that they didn't deserve their education and/or station?
How about Lincoln, or Eisenhower, or Thomas Sowell or George Washington Carver? They were from poor families, mostly dirt farmers.
Did the "rich kids" they competed with hold them back?
Overshadow their accomplishments?
Prevent them from greatness?

Do I tell you what you can give your children? Their children?
NO!
Please explain any/all grounds you feel justify the government taking roughly 1/2 of a person's estate (like the State of Oregon does), either rich or poor.

 

[jib]

How would YOU change the US

I would start by making this Country prosperous again, the current policies are leading US to third world status. If we are strong we can fix things, if we are weak we can do nothing but watch it all fall apart.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Money means nothing without morals and honor

 

[Sling Blade]

I would create a new country out of Idaho, one that stands alone and is free of US govenrment suppression and taxation. All you guys that complain about things here could go there and create the type of place you envision. The suggested name for the new Idaho would be Redneckistan (or perhaps, Little Somalia) but you can pick whatever you want. See how no taxes and no government interferance would work for you in a real life setting.

As long as this is an exercise in day dreaming, I'd also insist the former slave states finally secede - other than oranges and peanuts they are mostly a drain on the US anyways.

 

[davemata]

Why Idaho? We need those potatoes. Utah on the other hand, they can have it!

 

[Jamie6.5]

Idaho?
That would never work.

For it to be "Redneckistan," it would need a NASCAR track!

 

[Sling Blade]

Why Idaho? We need those potatoes. Utah on the other hand, they can have it!

It's already filled with militia types, and has enough agriculture and natural resources to support itself as a stand alone country. They can export potatoes same as now or we can get the spuds from Maine and Wisconsin. I thought of Utah, but didn't figure there was enough liquor there to start a new country.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Check out the northwest front . org they have already been promoting a new separatist nation in the PNW

It's really nothing new, several attempts have been made even by one of the founding fathers who was a president, Jefferson I believe

 

[davemata]

Nothing good about separatism. IMO.

I don't why those groups don't just leave.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Another great one would be to end Property Taxes.

It just isn't right for a person to pay off their property and home but have to continue to pay taxes on it for many years later.

That is pretty much because you never own real estate or land/property; the state is the real owner. You were just granted permission to make payments to a bank, to pay back on a RE loan that they created out of thin air.

You are still listed as the 'tenant' on your land deed even once the mortgage is paid. Same goes for any real property. With the stroke of a pen you can be removed from the property if the state wishes to reclaim it.

All freedoms we believe we have are in fact illusions.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Nothing good about separatism. IMO.

I don't why those groups don't just leave.

Seems the USA was created by separatists. And where would you tell those people to go?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

That is pretty much because you never own real estate or land/property; the state is the real owner. You were just granted permission to make payments to a bank, to pay back on a RE loan that they created out of thin air.

You are still listed as the 'tenant' on your land deed even once the mortgage is paid. Same goes for any real property. With the stroke of a pen you can be removed from the property if the state wishes to reclaim it.

All freedoms we believe we have are in fact illusions.

I liken the awakening to these truths like the red pill in the Matrix

 

[Father of four]

That is pretty much because you never own real estate or land/property; the state is the real owner. You were just granted permission to make payments to a bank, to pay back on a RE loan that they created out of thin air.

You are still listed as the 'tenant' on your land deed even once the mortgage is paid. Same goes for any real property. With the stroke of a pen you can be removed from the property if the state wishes to reclaim it.

All freedoms we believe we have are in fact illusions.

Why did/do The People let this happen?

 

[davemata]

Seems the USA was created by separatists. And where would you tell those people to go?

Away, they can cross the ocean. Go north. Go south. IDGAF, just get out.

 

[davemata]

Why did/do The People let this happen?

Maintaining the status quo is easy. Stopping it is hard.