Fix the government to revive the US. Assume you have complete contol for 1 year

[Lonestar]

I'd make Ozzy a day-care administrator

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Asher
PLATO: I'm not sure he understands basic economics. Earlier he was arguing that unions drive up everyone's wages, and this was a good thing. No nuances.

Oh! I missed this one.

So true, however....so true!

[Imran Siddiqui]

I can just imagine when there is some sort of crisis that causes interest rates to climb... then they hit the 12% mark and all of a sudden banks are refusing to lend to just about anyone aside from those with very, very credit scores.... well, that worked out well .

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I can just imagine when there is some sort of crisis that causes interest rates to climb... then they hit the 12% mark and all of a sudden banks are refusing to lend to just about anyone aside from those with very, very credit scores.... well, that worked out well .

Actually it did. It allowed the markets to clear a lot of excesses and made the expansion that followed possible. Very similar to what is happening now, but without the fed interventions. Can't expect you lawyerly types to know everything though.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by PLATO
Actually it did. It allowed the markets to clear a lot of excesses and made the expansion that followed possible. Very similar to what is happening now, but without the fed interventions. Can't expect you lawyerly types to know everything though.

Well, you non-lawyer types may have trouble following arguments . What I was saying is a situation where 12% isn't high enough. And rates need to go higher according to market dictates, but can't.

[Blake]

Why am I about the only person who focused on fixing the government rather than the country .

[Colon™]

Does that smiley correspond to your Buddhist beliefs?

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


Well, you non-lawyer types may have trouble following arguments . What I was saying is a situation where 12% isn't high enough. And rates need to go higher according to market dictates, but can't.

ahh! okay...I reread your post and get ya now.

Still...."very, very credit scores" did take a minute to translate from lawyerese.

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Blake
Why am I about the only person who focused on fixing the government rather than the country .

Hmmm....thought I was focused on the government...

Originally posted by PLATO
I would repeal every law that was not covered by a strict constructionist view of the Constitution.

I would recognize the inherent rights of the States

I would fire most of the government buracracy

I would install a strict constructionist litmus test for all SCOTUS justices and remind Congress that it was their job (andt the American people's) to change the Constitution and remind the courts that it was NOT their job.

[chequita guevara]

abolish capitalism

shoot Wiglaf

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Blake
Why am I about the only person who focused on fixing the government rather than the country .

Think about it, after you are out of office the country will just **** everything up if you don't fix it too.

[Arrian]

Hmm.

Fiscal sanity would be a nice start. I'd make a bunch of
budget cuts. A lot of those cuts would be in military (procurement, mostly). Others would have to come from the butter side of the ledger. Federal government jobs would be lost. Everyone will hate President Arrian

Iraq poses a financial problem, since it's sucking up huge amounts of money... tempting to simply withdraw. There are reasons to not be so hasty, however. I'd probably set a secret timetable for withdrawl, so we're not still there in 4 years, having just turned another corner. I'd also make damn sure not to get involved in any overseas military adventures. The "war on terror" would become a law enforcement/intelligence affair. Afganistan... my goal would be a country that will not harbor/train people who want to kill Americans, not a liberal democracy in the Western tradition. The former may be attainable now. The latter may be attainable... several generations from now, from within.

The budget cuts will go hand in hand with allowing Bush's tax cuts to expire. I'd also fundamentally alter the estate tax. The tax would be shifted from estates to inheritances. The goal is to spread the wealth - if a large estate is given out to a large group of inheritors, that goal is accomplished and there is no need for it to be taxed. I'd probably make it a progressive tax instead of a flat one (33% on inheritances of $100k-$250k, 50% on 250K-1mil, 75% above 1mil or somesuch). There would be exemptions for businesses so that paying the tax wouldn't force family businesses to shut down (double plus ungood, that).

I'd make the changes necessary to ensure that Warren Buffet pays a higher tax rate than his secretary

At first, the goal wil be a balanced budget. Having achieved that, I'd go for surpluses with the aim of paying down the national debt.

I would stop fighting the "war" on marijuana (though the "driving high" problem still vexes me). I'd legalize it and tax it, and structure the taxation such that it is cheaper to buy baked goods than smokable product (for health reasons). I would continue to fight harder drugs.

I'd close the prison at Gitmo. Try them or let 'em go. I'd change the rules regarding interrogation techniques, because I think the current ones permit torture.

Right, so assuming I've not yet been assassinated...

Public financing of elections (get enough signatures, get funding), more restrictions on lobbying... perhaps I would add one new government agency - internal affairs I'd make some examples out of corrupt pols.

I would also tighten environmental regulations. Cleaner air and water would be my goals. If that also reduced greenhouse emissions, fine, but that's not my crusade.

Energy policy - I'd have a good look at nuclear, as well as proposals for a lot more solar (in the Southwest) and windfarms. But ultimately I would prefer to leave that stuff to the free market. Nuclear might require government backing to happen given the startup cost and risk. Solar and Wind shouldn't (especially with my tighter regulations making coal power cost more).

I would work on streamlining our immigration process - making it easier for people to immigrate legally. I want immigrants, but I want 'em on the grid. I'd reach out to the government of Mexico in particular to see if we can cooperate more.

edit: a lot of this stuff is actually Congress' job. Lancer says we're to have total control, but I'm not a fan of that, so I guess I would be suggesting these things to Congress. Strongly suggesting. See also: begging, browbeating, preaching, bartering...

Much like PLATO, I would prefer that many issues be handled by the individual states (abortion for instance - I've come 'round on this... Roe was a mistake). If Kansas wants to do something I think is silly, fine, let 'em. If CT wants to do something that people in Kansas think is nuts, go for it (it's probably a good idea ). This includes education, even if I sometimes think a national curriculum would be good (it's only good if the curriculum is good, see. If the curriculum is stupid, then you've just ****ed up across 50 states).

-Arrian

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
abolish capitalism

shoot Wiglaf

Viva la revolucia!

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by Blake
Why am I about the only person who focused on fixing the government rather than the country .

Cuz its the people that need fixin?

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by Arrian
Hmm.

Fiscal sanity would be a nice start. I'd make a bunch of
budget cuts. A lot of those cuts would be in military (procurement, mostly). Others would have to come from the butter side of the ledger. Federal government jobs would be lost. Everyone will hate President Arrian

Iraq poses a financial problem, since it's sucking up huge amounts of money... tempting to simply withdraw. There are reasons to not be so hasty, however. I'd probably set a secret timetable for withdrawl, so we're not still there in 4 years, having just turned another corner. I'd also make damn sure not to get involved in any overseas military adventures. The "war on terror" would become a law enforcement/intelligence affair. Afganistan... my goal would be a country that will not harbor/train people who want to kill Americans, not a liberal democracy in the Western tradition. The former may be attainable now. The latter may be attainable... several generations from now, from within.

The budget cuts will go hand in hand with allowing Bush's tax cuts to expire. I'd also fundamentally alter the estate tax. The tax would be shifted from estates to inheritances. The goal is to spread the wealth - if a large estate is given out to a large group of inheritors, that goal is accomplished and there is no need for it to be taxed. I'd probably make it a progressive tax instead of a flat one (33% on inheritances of $100k-$250k, 50% on 250K-1mil, 75% above 1mil or somesuch). There would be exemptions for businesses so that paying the tax wouldn't force family businesses to shut down (double plus ungood, that).

I'd make the changes necessary to ensure that Warren Buffet pays a higher tax rate than his secretary

At first, the goal wil be a balanced budget. Having achieved that, I'd go for surpluses with the aim of paying down the national debt.

I would stop fighting the "war" on marijuana (though the "driving high" problem still vexes me). I'd legalize it and tax it, and structure the taxation such that it is cheaper to buy baked goods than smokable product (for health reasons). I would continue to fight harder drugs.

I'd close the prison at Gitmo. Try them or let 'em go. I'd change the rules regarding interrogation techniques, because I think the current ones permit torture.

Right, so assuming I've not yet been assassinated...

Public financing of elections (get enough signatures, get funding), more restrictions on lobbying... perhaps I would add one new government agency - internal affairs I'd make some examples out of corrupt pols.

I would also tighten environmental regulations. Cleaner air and water would be my goals. If that also reduced greenhouse emissions, fine, but that's not my crusade.

Energy policy - I'd have a good look at nuclear, as well as proposals for a lot more solar (in the Southwest) and windfarms. But ultimately I would prefer to leave that stuff to the free market. Nuclear might require government backing to happen given the startup cost and risk. Solar and Wind shouldn't (especially with my tighter regulations making coal power cost more).

I would work on streamlining our immigration process - making it easier for people to immigrate legally. I want immigrants, but I want 'em on the grid. I'd reach out to the government of Mexico in particular to see if we can cooperate more.

edit: a lot of this stuff is actually Congress' job. Lancer says we're to have total control, but I'm not a fan of that, so I guess I would be suggesting these things to Congress. Strongly suggesting. See also: begging, browbeating, preaching, bartering...

Much like PLATO, I would prefer that many issues be handled by the individual states (abortion for instance - I've come 'round on this... Roe was a mistake). If Kansas wants to do something I think is silly, fine, let 'em. If CT wants to do something that people in Kansas think is nuts, go for it (it's probably a good idea ). This includes education, even if I sometimes think a national curriculum would be good (it's only good if the curriculum is good, see. If the curriculum is stupid, then you've just ****ed up across 50 states).

-Arrian

Arrian 08