Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Dunedan
Cut medicare.
Cut SS.
Cut the military budget with a bloody machete.
Stop foreign aid...that means you too, Israel.
Go through the budget with a fine-toothed comb and a scalpel. Anything not specifically authorized by the Constitution gets cut and left to the States or People.
Congressional salaries cut to the national average. Likewise the President's salary and that of any person being paid from the Treasury.
Totally de-fund all unConstitutional or redundant agencies.
That'll do for a start.
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I could agree to those.
I have stated many times that a Rep. and Senator should make the average income of the district/state they represent.... thus they would fight harder for jobs and the people of their district to make more.
I think a strict tariff on imports should be applied and that money should go to the respective industries in this country to develop better and more competitive product. The tariffs would have a time limit and in doing such there would no longer be tax abatements or writeoffs for the companies.
I also believe that ANY company doing business in the US should abide by US employment laws and safety regulations, regardless of country the factory or business is in.
I believe government needs to reduce redundancy, bureaucracy, and red tape for their programs.
I believe if a person works 40 hours a week, they should be able to make a wage they can afford to live on. If a company "outsources" to temp agencies, either the temp agency or the company should pay benefits to those workers.
As for healthcare, I have to disagree with you. I believe that it should be provided for all citizens but on a sliding scale fee. At a certain point, the sliding scale is cut off and private insurance is needed. But no one should ever have to lose everything they worked for because they got sick and couldn't pay the bills.
I believe the federal government's primary purposes are to protect the people and to provide services to help those in need with the condition that that help be for a limited time. No lifetime on welfare. Protecting the people includes watchdogs such as the EPA, FDA, Employment law enforcement, transportation, etc. These are funded by our taxes and only enforce national standards (as some states probably would not abide by those standards). These agencies would be minimal. The FCC would not be needed along with others. The
Education should never be denied any one and all schools/universities and colleges funded by government (state or local) should be forced to help a person regardless of income the ability to attend. If that person flunks out.... and wants to go back, that person then has to wait 5-10 years or pay their way by their own means. States should be forced to enforce this, however, federal should oversee this and make sure states abide by the rules.
I believe that we are not responsible for Illegal immigrants healthcare and well being. If they present to a hospital, the hospital treats them ONLY in life emergencies. If illegals are caught, they are deported immediately from our country at their country's expense. If they commit a crime here they are tried as citizens and face prison here with their country footing the bill. If Mexico wants to tell their people how to get here illegally, then they can pay when we send them back.
Prisons should be prisons, it is not the tax payers responsibility to pay for cable tv and amenities many who have jobs can barely afford. If you commit a crime and are tried and convicted, you should be housed and put to work on a self sustaining prison farm. It should not be the tax payers paying for your crimes. I also believe that public defense lawyers should come from a pool and that no one should ever be denied the best legal representation possible.
I believe government should be accountable to the people and that politicians should face the same laws and punishments the people do.
Finally, I believe Reps should be required to have monthly or at most bi-monthly town hall meetings and spend no less than a week in their district office meeting with those they represent. Senators should be obligated to the same only with a 3 or 6 month time frame to have the town hall and 2 weeks at their office in the state they represent. During those office times, NO LOBBYISTS should be allowed, only constituents.
Laws such as abortion, gun control, gay marriage/rights, drug legalization, etc..... should be given the states and the federal government should have no right to impose any law except in the case of interstate disputes.
I do not believe any of the things I asked for are impossible for government to achieve.