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Got tired of waiting for someone new to take a swing at it, and the field is starting to fill up with the same old, same old, so I'm going to jump in. Only 3 more years so here's what I'm running on:
Campaign Platform:
War of Terror:
Publicly work towards a fair, honest, and final settlement of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Settlement of this issue will do more than any military action to tamp down the fire of Terrorism. The ignoring of this issue during the first year of George W. Bush’s Presidency has lead to a host of other problems that have only exasperated the effort against terrorism. As President I would set up an international commission of three neutral judges to settle the status of current and future settlements within the disputed territories. Member of each settlement would be allowed to plead its case as to which side, Israeli or Palestinian, it should be assigned. The three judges would then render a verdict. The entire proceeding would be televised around the world, being made available freely to satellite TV and would be called “Survivor: Middle East”. Audience voting would not be allowed.
War in Iraq
To facilitate our withdrawal from Iraq, UN Peacekeeping troops would to be swapped out on a one to one ratio. The US should retain a military presence as a member of that effort therefore some US troops would remain in country, albeit in vastly reduced numbers. Those current combat troops remaining would be swapped out, over time, with a specially trained cadre of soldiers consisting of the sons, daughters, nieces and nephews, of qualifying age, of all the neo-cons that made this requirement necessary.
War in Afghanistan
We must find, capture or kill Osama Ben Laden and the other terrorists’ leaders. Terrorism is a criminal act as well as a political statement. Distinguishing between the two is not hard; trespassing is not the same as blowing up people. Criminals should be dealt with as much law enforcement effort as possible as necessary to carry out the full measure of justice, therefore, as President; to personally find, capture or kill Osama Ben Laden I would send in Barbra Bush.
Military
I believe in a strong defense. The Untied States must have as many planes, ships and tank as necessary to defend its self. Manning those sinews of war is one thing, how they are used is another. America’s defensive options must range exist on many levels; from creating glass-topped parking lots of great size to taking out precision targets, so her response must always match any attack upon her with equal or greater force. With the growth of weapons technology, the computerization of military might, there is a need for fewer men and women under arms. Therefore, as President I would work to maintain a voluntary military, but supplement that force with a special drafted force of men and women of suitable age and fitness from the progeny of the members of Congress. We have great power in the world, and we should therefore insure its wise use.
The US military forces will be restricted to American territory as much as consistent with treaty obligations and while in US lands shall be used to improve the nation’s infrastructure as much as possible as training and readiness needs will allow. The taxpayers have been paying a large amount of money to have its troop build stuff for other countries, now it’s our turn.
Election/Campaign Reform/1st Amendment
I would cap individual campaign contributions and eliminate all others. Individual campaign contributions would be limited to the geographical location for which the candidate was running; only voters (voter as in the actual human casting the ballot) residing in the district, state, or nation can give a maximum of $50 to any candidate of their choice running for the House, Senate, and President. Only one contribution per voter per race is allowed. If in a land of 300 million you can’t convince 10 million of them to give you $50 bucks ($500 million), then you don’t deserve to be president, same goes for Representative and Senator.
All media; newspapers, magazines, broadcast (radio and TV), cable, satellite, and other means of communication with an American voter shall be required to provide free airtime, column inches or whatever to any candidate that has what will become known as a “Real Shot” of actually winning that race. A certificate of “Real Shot” shall be awarded to the candidate by a special subcommittee of the Federal Elections Commission comprised of Las Vegas bookies.
The Fairness Doctrine will be restored simply for its fairness.
All votes for any Federal office must have a paper trail. If there is one thing the Federal government is good at its creating paper. One more piece will not hurt.
Tax Reform
Individual Income Tax will be made simple. All single or married filers will take their gross income, subtract out state and local taxes, FICA and other federal payments along with a new income tax deduction created for the simplification. Called the Automatic Lessening Measure Stipend, these Federal ALMS would be considered by the government to be a cost of living expense for each citizen. The amount of ALMS would be set at $50,000 for a single filer, $75,000 for married, and an additional $15,000 per dependent. Once the filer had done that simple math - gross minus taxes minus your ALMS - was done, a 10% tax would be levied on the remaining amount. Those with a negative number would not have to pay any tax that year. Any lowing of the ALMS would require a prior raise in the corporate tax rate (see below), followed by a 2/3rd approval in both Houses of Congress.
Corporate Income Tax will be reformed too. All corporate loopholes will be eliminated. The corporation would be required to provide two numbers; the cost of doing its business, strictly defined and enforced, and the amount of money taken in, also strictly defined and enforced. The cost of doing business would be subtracted from the money taken in and any overage would be subject to a 50% tax. All businesses doing business in the US would be subject to this tax no matter where their headquarters might be. Any business that files negative numbers for three years in a row will be declared bankrupt and not allowed to do any further business in the United States. If you can’t make any money then we the American public, your customers, have spoken and if you do make money, we the American public, your customers, should be paid at least half just for putting up with your advertising.
Education
High Schools will require a graduation exam. The exam will have real-life relevancies such as checkbook balancing, recipe reading, and other practical life skills. Any student failing will not be allowed enter the work force and will continue until age of 21. At that point they will be assigned employment at the nearest fast-food establishment. This will both insure that no child is left behind and reduce the citizenry’s love for high cholesterol laden food.
Any myth masquerading as science will be banned from school. To determine what myth is and what is science, a board of Theologians will be established. The board will be comprised of strict fundamentalist Christian clerics. Any proposed scientific theory, proposed for education, that receives approval from this board will be banned.
Foreign Policy
I believe that this Nation should follow one principal in foreign policy; do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We should be sensitive to other counties cultures and they to our. This most especially would apply in the area of Trade. We should treat our trading partners as they treat us. Goods coming into this country should be governed in accordance with laws similar to that of the point of origin. If a country keeps our trade goods out because of a legalism, we should apply that same legalism that country’s goods.
No goods produced overseas by slave or child labor shall be sold in the United States. Any business found doing so will have its corporate tax rate doubled for that year.
We should work, via the United Nations, to ensure peace and prosperity throughout the world. Being good neighbors is not just essential it is also logical.
Energy/Environment
We must move at once away from a petroleum based energy nation into one that relies on renewal sources. The first step must be a requirement that all passenger vehicles get a minimum of 60 miles per gallon mileage. Trucks would be set at 30. Then the development, with federal aid, of electrical or hydrogen powered cars and trucks. Filling stations must be established for these vehicles and used to phase out gasoline/diesel filling stations. Petroleum powered vehicles should be considered as much a dinosaurs as their fuel source is.
Electrical power for other uses must be generated via other means. Nature itself, in many ways, provides power for our use; we just have become wise enough to use it. The immediate development of tidal, wind, geothermal, solar and other sources of non-polluting power is necessary. As one of these sources comes on line, an older, less efficient means of generation must be turned off. Pissing into your well, no matter what the level, is just not a good thing.
The reliable, efficient transmission of electrical power is critical also. It does this nation no good if any leaks out before it gets to the user. We need to start, and accelerate, the development of a superconductive energy grid throughout the land, connecting each source with each user. The more power to the people, the better off this nation will be. Let us remember that old adage; Waste not, Want not.
Everybody, individual or corporate, will be required to clean up after themselves. It’s just good manners.
Space Exploration
Mankind has to leave its cradle, the Earth, and America should lead the way. Any monies spent in this effort are not being spent in space, they are spent on this planet; there is no McDonalds on Mars (yet). Space exploration will develop our technology and lead to economic opportunities for all our citizens. America has always been a land of frontiers and its next one is out there; for just as development of the American West lead to economic opportunities for those that went as well as those that stayed behind, so too shall space. Besides, as far as we know, there aren’t any Space Indians to kick out this time.
Economy
Corporate subsides given by the Federal Government, our tax dollars, shall be limited solely to research and development and shall not be included in any corporation’s cost of doing business or amount taken in calculation for tax purposes (see above). Such R & D money will be approved annually only. The American tax payer will help you come up with something useful, but as since we’re a society demanding instant gratification, we’re not waiting for it.
Health Care
Universal health care will be made available to all citizens. The other grown up countries in the world do it, we should too. However more effort will be put towards preventive measures. Smoking cessation, diet and exercise, and early disease detection and treatment will be emphasized, with every citizen being required to undergo a physical annually. Physicians who perform these annual evaluations will be chosen based upon a “Mom” factor, for no one can nag you into doing something good for yourself like Mom can.
That's it, oh any other stuff or issues, I'll just make up as I go along like the rest of the pack does.
But that's my platform and I'm sticking to it....have at it folks.
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