if I were in congress...

[whd507]

I have been thinking about what I would like to do if I were elected to congress. a committee is often the worst way to accomplish anything, but sits what we have to work with .

here are a few ideas I have, I want y'all to pick them apart to where I can get schooled into better ideas.


Energy<o:p></o:p>
Electrify everything that isn’t mobile, trains, homes, businesses etc.
Build enough nuclear power plants to eliminate coal and oil-fired power plants. Build Pumped storage hydroelectricity reservoirs across the <st1:country-region><st1:place>United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Allow tax free time periods to encourage building and operating these expensive plants. Fast-track permitting process for nuclear and hydroelectric power plants, include secure spent-fuel storage on-site.
Drill domestic oil for domestic use, import at market price, but fix a lower price for domestic oil for domestic use (IE $40/barrel) make drilling and pre-drilling expenses tax-free. Drill anywhere we have domestic supplies.
Create EPA waivers for electrifying railroads, allowing the expense of erecting infrastructure to be a 100% write-off.
Allow for railroads to own and operate nuclear power plants for their own use.
Locomotives are already electric, add overhead canterary to the existing diesel gensets, for mixed-use on and off the grid until rail routes are 100% electrified.
Save natural gas presently used for power production for automotive and trucking use. Enlarge tax breaks for LPG cars and other alternate fuels.
Allow 100% multi-year tax deduction for homeowners to insulate walls, floors and attics, replace non-insulated windows, and update HVAC systems.
Allow similar deduction for rental units and privately owned high-density housing.
Set aside remote areas for wind power, wave power and similar clean energy, allow generous tax credits for private energy production.
Encourage solar roof tiles on all new construction, and include generous tax credits for solar power and heating.
Use domestic coal to produce synthetic gasoline and aviation fuels.
Encourage all new electric lines to be buried (not transmission lines) and using rights of way under sidewalks/shoulders in a standardized manner. Mandate buried lines in hurricane/tornado prone areas.
Allow for EPA fast track permits and waivers for new refinery construction and tax free periods for rapid payoff. Allow the army corps of engineers to compete with oil companies and reclaim unused/underutilized oil leases and create infrastructure with dedicated oil-drilling and building teams.
Expand hydroelectric programs with on-demand reservoirs, and new dams.

[whd507]

Transportation/Infrastructure <o:p></o:p>
100% of federal fuel taxes go to interstates and related bridges and roads, eliminate mass transit from this funding source.
Local and states should plan for mass transit to be self-funding or local funding.
If infrastructure issues are eventually fixed to the point that fuel taxes can’t be fully spent, fuel taxes should drop accordingly to meet needs.
CAFÉ standards should not be levied on police vehicles or civilian vehicles based on the same platform. We need sturdy and powerful police vehicles, and the low numbers sold each year will not justify proper R&D for future vehicles. Vehicles such as the ford panther platform (Crown Vic/Grand Marquis/Town Car), the Chrysler RWD Magnum platform and the GM Impala and Tahoe platforms should be exempted from the fleet average to assure future stable numbers of suitable vehicles for government use, while allowing the public access to safe cars at the expense of fuel economy.
Railroads should re-assume the passenger and mail duties of Amtrak. The rights of way are granted to the railroads insomuch as they provide a service to the citizens of the <st1:country-region><st1:place>United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
Railroads once competed for passenger service, and with increased rider ship caused by reduced air travel it can again. Set minimum acceptable standards not to drop below current standards with goals rising in the future. Interurban rail travel should be re-established, as well as local and regional private light rail/interurban projects, and high-speed long-distance rail. Tax exemptions and fast-tracked or eliminated environmental impact studies would make private investment more likely.
Create incentives to build national water pipeline and storage system to reduce flooding in river basins, and to ship water to drought affected areas, pump excess filtered water into natural water tables, and additional artificial reservoirs for power production, recreational uses, and hydroelectric programs. Build aqueducts where appropriate, and allow for additional water transportation where possible.
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Air travel needs to be allowed to be profitable or go away. Eliminate guaranteed air travel to mid-sized towns that cannot support enough revenue, with an exception for medical flights. Eliminate subsidies for airlines, several airlines are running a profit, and prospering, allow the dead weight to die off or make changes to save themselves. Disallow dumping fuel from wing tanks upon landing except in emergencies; pump to center tanks would be preferable. For short trips air travel should be avoided allowing for surface travel. Allow for guaranteed routes when needed to fill planes to capacity and allow for profitable operations. Eliminate car pool lanes allowing for higher capacity per lane, allow for tax incentives for car pooling.

Environmental <o:p></o:p>
We as Americans enjoy some of the cleanest air and water on earth, plus most cutting edge pollution controls originate here as well. Continued leadership in these areas must be continued full-speed, but not at the expense of American’s quality of life.
Greatly expanded nuclear power, conversion of coal to liquid fuel, and increased natural gas use in vehicles will go a long way in eliminating emissions.
We do need to address erosion issues, soil depletion, uncontrollable forest fires, and spills. Encouraging the planting of trees along erosion prone areas to stabilize the ground needs to be expanded greatly, the health of Americas forests similarly need to be addressed in ways that will be expensive, but allow for increased lumber production, and reduced fuel mass in fire-prone areas. Western forests that are fire prone need to be thinned. And when appropriate to provide protection for towns and homes, allow engineered and controlled clear cutting to prevent fire travel. Eastern forests need to be expanded but also have dead growth and overcrowded underbrush removed for the health of the existing trees in these more humid regions.
Re-population of native fish needs to be allowed to continue using farmed fish from native stocks, these fish should be considered native, and re-population needs to continue until a sustainable population is achieved. Clubbing spawning fish to death because they are from a hatchery is absurd, and should be eliminated entirely.
Environmental groups that cause harm to personal property should be treated as terrorist groups, and groups that encourage illegal behavior should be similarly liable.
Deposits on drink bottles needs to be nationwide and enough money to make people think twice about throwing away soda and water bottles. The deposit would be collected at the point of sale, and be redeemable at collection centers. We need multi-year tax exemptions for retrofit projects that save energy, and protect the environment and alternate energy sources, both for personal taxes and corporate. Eliminate one-sided “standing” granted to certain environmental groups allowing for counter suits against them.

Immigration <o:p></o:p>
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The borders need to be sealed off to undocumented aliens. However we also need to streamline legal immigration to make it much easier and quicker to assimilate into American society. We want motivated active people from wherever they come from. We need to set some goals for people wanting to be Americans. (Isn’t that great? People want to become Americans). Basic milestones like learning English within the first year or 18 months. Be able to show a marketable skill, deny welfare or other benefits for 10 years, no dual-citizenship. Current illegal aliens need to go home and re-apply. No anchor babies. Deport illegal aliens with gang connections and their families. Increase visas for highly skilled workers seeking to be citizens. Ban government involvement with groups whose basis for existing is based on race.
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Criminal justice <o:p></o:p>
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Enact Federal 3-strikes law. Create incentives for states to follow suit. Create 1 strike law for violent sex-crimes, and crimes against children requiring federal attention. Build low-cost and private prisons. Allow for long-term solitary for violent prisoners posing a threat to correctional officers. Greatly limit inmate interaction in secure facilities. Guard safety above prisoner comfort. Separate facilities for child molesters.
Non violent offenders should be given large fines and face property seizures instead of incarceration to save cell space and reduce costs. Make selling drugs to minors a federal crime requiring large fines and community service. Drug use = fine, drug sales = time.
Tort reform to include losing attorney pays all costs in suits considered frivolous. Reasonable limits on awards, no long-term waivers of right to quick trails. Limit endless appeals when evidence is clear cut. The Castle doctrine needs to be federally recognized.
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Military <o:p></o:p>
Increase pay across all pay scales, increase benefits and bonuses. No UN control of US troops ever. Allow relocated and eliminated government employees to lateral into appropriate positions. Encourage long term careers in military. All military armament to be made exclusively in <st1:country-region><st1:place>USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>, and enough manufacturing infrastructure kept in place for possible use in time of war. Either greatly improve VA medical services, or buy private insurance. Start government funded 401k-type accounts for young soldiers/sailors that they cannot cash out early (above and beyond private 401k)
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International affairs<o:p></o:p>
Free trade is the ideal, but if we get the short stick with a country, then we default to fair trade, enacting similar restrictions imposed on us, and imposing tariffs severe enough to get prompt attention.
I don’t have a use for the UN, if we stay with it, we need to play a much heavier hand.
If we have to send troops somewhere more than once, we should keep it.
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Healthcare <o:p></o:p>
I support the 300 million payer system.
Require itemized billing, easy access to lists of typical cost of services for consumers.
Encourage personal health insurance with tax credits. Limit insurance control on doctor’s decisions. Phase out government-controlled insurance programs replaced with subsidized group insurance policies. Limit
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Taxes <o:p></o:p>
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Flat tax option, phasing out current system, eliminate withholding, make people pay quarterly, until constitution can be amended to allow for fair tax.
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Government <o:p></o:p>
Eliminate pensions, convert to private savings.
Congress must prove constitutional basis for every proposed law.
Eliminate 40% of bureaucracy through retirement and reassignment to military/corps of engineers, and privatizing some government activities.
Pass a balanced budget amendment.
Allow for line-item veto.
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[rayjay]

I confess that I did not read the entire manifesto, but the part about pensions, I've been employed by the People of the State of New York for 32 years. I have not time left to grow my own retirement. You need to think long and hard on this one. I know many people who have the attitude, you toucha my pension, I breaka you face.

[Dr Caleb]

To run for public office, I would first have to have surgery to remove my sense of honour, decency and fairness.

I saw it described today on another site in the best terms yet.

Imagine you are sitting there, rolling dice. You keep rolling them in the hopes that instead of them showing you a number between 1 and 6, that instead they wash your car for you.

This is called an 'election'.

[wishfulthinkin]

The one thing you left out, which has caused alot of problems in this
country, put GOD back. Back in the schools for sure. Get most of
the disgusting smut off TV etc. You know what I mean?

[TiTo35]

Congress is right across the street from me right now...want me to tell them that you are coming? I dont know your "stats" but hey...why not TRY to get into congress? Hold...NO dont do that because most politicians dont hold thier word...

[whd507]

Education<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Merit pay scales for government school teachers. Standardized tests for each grade level, but keep test secret until day of test to be downloaded on location, on same day nationwide. Greatly downsize dept of education to be primarily standards and to administer tri-yearly tests.
Make it a felony to release excerpts of standardized test. Allow for parents to sue for malpractice when schools fail on wholesale basis.
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Send federal attendance money with the students regardless of where they live, make government schools compete with each other. When a percentage of government schools fail, allow for private education to compete for students. Encourage technical education in government schools, and allow for increased job training in high school. Allow schools to re-establish non co-ed classes when appropriate.
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[whd507]

I confess that I did not read the entire manifesto, but the part about pensions, I've been employed by the People of the State of New York for 32 years. I have not time left to grow my own retirement. You need to think long and hard on this one. I know many people who have the attitude, you toucha my pension, I breaka you face.


sorry, I obviously would transition to savings style retirement systems. pensions in their current state are a huge drain, but its extremely important to honor our commitments. same with social security which I would also want to phase out for younger people.

[Eric-Blk2004]

Coming from a family of educators this is totally rediculous. Public schools do not fail children. The funding and the parents fail children. Public schools in the city and urban areas are under funded. In addition, the social network and family unit from these areas are equally disturbing. Single parents, addiction, abuse. You can not even pray to hold urban schools to the same level as rich suburb schools. I have been reading your thoughts, and have to say I soundly disagree with this one. It is totally illogical and would never succeed.

The private sector will fail at the education of our children, because they seek profit. Private schools charge more for nothing more gained. Private schools are designed for niche partents/families who want their child to be taught a certain way, ie religious schools, trade schools. Public schools are designed to generate good citizens so that democracy can function. I find it ironic that a country that trots aroundas democratic and trying to spread it to the world has a failing grade in public education.

Teachers are underpaid, schools are underfunded. The majority of a school's budget will be going to gas for the bus this year and not into hiring new teachers or supplies. Seriously take look at the urban school system from a realistic standpoint. Even Milton Freidman states that their needs to be a publically provided education system.

Merit pay for teachers would only work if the playing field was level across all boards. The best teachers can not fix the worst homes. Note I said homes, and not children. It is not the childs fault for his poor grades (up to a point) but the enviroment in which he lives and works.



Education<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Merit pay scales for government school teachers. Standardized tests for each grade level, but keep test secret until day of test to be downloaded on location, on same day nationwide. Greatly downsize dept of education to be primarily standards and to administer tri-yearly tests.
Make it a felony to release excerpts of standardized test. Allow for parents to sue for malpractice when schools fail on wholesale basis.
<o:p></o:p>
Send federal attendance money with the students regardless of where they live, make government schools compete with each other. When a percentage of government schools fail, allow for private education to compete for students. Encourage technical education in government schools, and allow for increased job training in high school. Allow schools to re-establish non co-ed classes when appropriate.
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[sd8683]

As far as making all rails electrified it would cost billions upon billions to do so. Senator Kerry (mass) is trying to pass a bill that would fix all bridges and whatnot to allow the "accela" to reach its full speed of 150MPH throughout its whole trip from Boston to New York, it only reaches top speed for 11 minutes of the trip! The cost to make this happen, 1 billion dollars!!

[Pops]

As far as making all rails electrified it would cost billions upon billions to do so. Senator Kerry (mass) is trying to pass a bill that would fix all bridges and whatnot to allow the "accela" to reach its full speed of 150MPH throughout its whole trip from Boston to New York, it only reaches top speed for 11 minutes of the trip! The cost to make this happen, 1 billion dollars!!

Thats a play to create more jobs funded by the goverment! :flamer:

[Bluerauder]

You need to trim your list some. Only gonna be there for two years, ya know. ;)

[whd507]

Coming from a family of educators this is totally rediculous. Public schools do not fail children. The funding and the parents fail children. Public schools in the city and urban areas are under funded. In addition, the social network and family unit from these areas are equally disturbing. Single parents, addiction, abuse. You can not even pray to hold urban schools to the same level as rich suburb schools. I have been reading your thoughts, and have to say I soundly disagree with this one. It is totally illogical and would never succeed.

The private sector will fail at the education of our children, because they seek profit. Private schools charge more for nothing more gained. Private schools are designed for niche partents/families who want their child to be taught a certain way, ie religious schools, trade schools. Public schools are designed to generate good citizens so that democracy can function. I find it ironic that a country that trots aroundas democratic and trying to spread it to the world has a failing grade in public education.

Teachers are underpaid, schools are underfunded. The majority of a school's budget will be going to gas for the bus this year and not into hiring new teachers or supplies. Seriously take look at the urban school system from a realistic standpoint. Even Milton Freidman states that their needs to be a publically provided education system.

Merit pay for teachers would only work if the playing field was level across all boards. The best teachers can not fix the worst homes. Note I said homes, and not children. It is not the childs fault for his poor grades (up to a point) but the enviroment in which he lives and works.


I admit I'm biased on this one, I taught high school in a private school for five years. we had 1/10th the budget per student of our government school rivals, and had few certified teachers, yet we outscored the much better funded schools by quite a margin. its not our parents being the whole difference either, we had many bad/absent parents as well. in fact we had kids that the state paid the tuition because they had been kicked out of government schools. we were able to turn most of those kids around too.

its not the money, its the mindset.

the government school I went to had a great system that worked great and served me well. In fact the bus barn actually turned a profit working on other district's buses, had a thriving tech/farm curriculum, had great discipline, and talented and caring teachers. the schools my kids went to were not the same story. the bus barn was torn down to build a $8 million performing arts building that sits unused, and all the Ag/Tech classes were replaced by college prep classes. the new buses cost 4x as much to run as the old buses, and must be shipped out for repairs.
My kids had to move to Missouri to be taught history. My oldest was taught in 4th grade that Abe Lincoln was a democrat, That the emancipation proclamation instantly freed the slaves,and that reconstruction never happened. In fact nothing happened between the civil war and the civil rights movement. it was a complete politically correct fabrication designed to shape a specific perception of American history. public eduction had a long history of great success, the past 20 years isn't it. can you tell me a good reason why a textbook, say Prentice Hall World Geography "building a world perspective" should cost schools well over $100 per book? aside from 30 addition pages of global warming hype, its textually identical to another PH geography book from 10 years ago, even shares most of the same pictures. textbooks produced fro private schools cost around $25 each or the Glencoe World Geography teacher wraparound edition that costs $180. it reads like an endorsement for the UN, and generally demeans anything done by the United States, and celebrates the sheer joy and bliss that is the third world. oh yeah, its endorsed by National Geographic, that must be worth the extra cash.

have you seen the ATT wireless commercial with the guy from A&E standing in front of Amelia Airheart's crashed plane? a poll last week showed that only 14% of people polled under 25 could identify the significance of the plane. 86% had no idea why it was there.

5 years ago we became guardians of a wild ferule 13yr old street kid from a non existent upbringing. it was so bad even the state of California had to step in and take him out of it. he had been failed by 8 years of government schools that just passed him along from one grade to the next, with no regard for what he had or hadn't learned. now he's 17, still writes like a kindergardener, but is finally catching up with his peers although he's two years behind.
why are inner city kids so dumb that they are incapable of learning? I don't think they are, I think too much crap is tolerated in the name of not offending the street culture.

California spends around $10k per student, yet have some of the worst schools, Wyoming spends much less yet does very well. one of my high school teachers retired making over $100k, and is guaranteed 90% of that for life, plus free medical. where do I sign up for being underpaid like that?
one of my kids teachers in California is on track to do the same, yet reads the paper at his desk each day while he waits for retirement. he had a 1/5 of booze in his desk for years, until a stink was raised, the school tolerates this non-teaching behavior, and is likely powerless to do much even if it wanted to. or the middle school in Roseville CA, that has a un-supervised study period each day that has resulted in a huge pregnancy problem (7th-8th grade) yet they are at a loss as to how it happened, or what to do about it. (their entire office staff had their kids in our school)

I'm not saying there aren't good government schools, I'm saying that where there aren't any good choices, there needs to be a better return on our tax money.
in fact if there i going to be a federal education system, the money needs to be equal everywhere. last time I looked, 44% of our nations teachers sent their kids to private school. it was more than 60% in California, we had quite a few ourselves.

[sd8683]

Another major problem in schools is the teacher to student ratio, I went to Boston public schools and there was 30-35 students in each classroom

[whd507]

As far as making all rails electrified it would cost billions upon billions to do so. Senator Kerry (mass) is trying to pass a bill that would fix all bridges and whatnot to allow the "accela" to reach its full speed of 150MPH throughout its whole trip from Boston to New York, it only reaches top speed for 11 minutes of the trip! The cost to make this happen, 1 billion dollars!!

funny how the Pennsy was able to do it with GG1s in the 1940s over the same routes. hell they ran over 100 mph with steam.

back in the 1980s the now defunct Southern Pacific wanted to electrify all its mountain routes, and extend the snow sheds over Donner pass. It was told that it would have to submit a separate 1000 page Environmental Impact Study for each pole sunk for overhead lines. I would bet that is a large part of why it costs billions to put up poles, and string overhead grids.

The city of Sacramento had a nuclear power plant Rancho Seco. It was staffed by law with a correct representation of the local population, 49% women, 17% black, 31% Hispanic etc.(or whatever it was) they couldn't find enough diversified talent that had experience in running a power plant, so they went to the unemployment office. they had drug raids out there,spilled cokes on the control panels, and generally scared the crap out of the general public. and thankfully the safety's worked, but as a result it rarely produced power. the people got tired of paying for this, and voted to close the plant. SP wanted to buy the plant, and run it to power trains. a train descending the grade could use dynamic braking to assist a train coming back up, instead of just creating heat.
A 100 car train going up donner, or up through the Tehapachi loop has upwards of 10 locomotives per train, there are at least 6 trains per day out of Roseville up the pass, another 6 up to Oregon, and likely twice that down south. how much diesel fuel would have been saved in the past 20 years? I don't know for sure how much nuclear fuel costs, but I bet it would have paid for itself by now.

[whd507]

and thank you all for responding, I'm looking for answers, even if it sounds like I've already made up my mind on stuff. I don't mind political squabbles if they produce some results. I can learn new stuff if presented with a good argument. I figured that people smart enough to buy a real car, would have a better grasp of reality than the typical congresscritter...

[whd507]

I added this to my "manifesto"



Members of Congress should spend at least 60% of their time in their home district, I would even suggest that they should be in Washington only 2 days a week, spending the other three at home communicating electronically. the constitution only requires one day per year in Washington after all. they get elected decrying how Washington is a cesspool, yet when they get there, it transforms into a hottub...

[Bluerauder]

:laugh:

Members of Congress should spend at least 60% of their time in their home district, I would even suggest that they should be in Washington only 2 days a week, ...
Ha, Ha. They can't even get the business of the people completed in the time that Congress is in session now. When is the last time a Budget was approved by 1 October? They shifted the Fiscal Year 3 months back in 1976 to give them an extra 3 months and they still can't get it done. I can't even remember when the last time was that the government didn't start the FY under a temporary Continuining Resolution to fund the operation of the entire Defense Department and other agencies.

Two days a week .... :rolleyes: Heck most of 'em would need to be retrained if they were gone that long.

Congressional approval rating is down to about 9% of people who think that Congress is doing a good or very good job. So only 1 in 10 think they are doing OK. My question is "Who is that person?" :D

[whd507]

indeed.who is that guy?

its when they are in session, that all the damage is done, if they are there less, they cant screw us up as much. I want them to do less not more, and get out of our way...

[Aren Jay]

For you to get to congress is like walking across the street on a normal rainy day and not getting hit once.

Personally I just want my city to do a few things, maybe all of Alberta, but trying to get them to do anything reguardless of whether it is a good idea or bad is next to impossible.

All though as reguards your committee comment. King Ralph, not the movie, did once setup a committee to determine if he was setting up too many committee's. I don't know if they ever reported.

[Leadfoot281]

if I were in congress....

Wow, If only I had a dollar for every hour I've thought about this!

First off, what do these idiots make? Isn't it like $160,000/year? That's about 7x what I currently make. Theoretically I could do one year there and spend seven years goofing off. That does sound like a great gig!

With that in mind, here's what Congressman Leadfoot would do as your duly elected representive;

1. Steal Russ Feingolds stapler...everyday.

2. Gay Marriage. I'm with noobie Sen. Obama on this issue. There is, in his words, "too much discrimination". Therefore in my first 100 days in office I vow to marry his car and have 'relations' with it. If he says ONE word I'll file a civil rights discrimination lawsuit. No one likes an auto-phobe.

3. Dress code. I hear the people and they want change! This shall be my dailly outfit; ratty old Ted Nugent concert t-shirt, tore-up blue jeans, Red Wing steel toe boots, and a thick cloud of Camel Light smoke. This will be real change for some of you but not me. Remember, you elect the person NOT the campaign commercial. Beer commercials look great too but when you open the can all you get is some fermenting (rotting) hops and water. Go open a can of beer. Look at it. Turn on the TV. Compare the two and you'll see what I'm getting at. I sure hope you can tell the difference between an ad and real life. This stuff is important.

4. Environmentalism. In an effort to save water and 'bridge the differences' with my anti-drilling co-workers, I vow to never flush the toilet...under any circumstance.

5. Speaking of drilling....SEX! Lot's and lot's of sex! I'll be drilling like Black and Decker! Who's gonna stop me? Hillary Clinton? Yeah right! Americans want full "disclosure and honesty" from their elected officials so I'll post vids on my congressional website. This behavior didn't hurt Bill Clinton, any of the Kennedys or even Barney Frank. Hey, when in Rome....

6. The ability to recognize problems is important. Therefore I shall name an insane asylum after Maxine 'Nationalize Big Oil' Waters.

7. Oversight. I vow to tear through the IRS building on my trusty '81 Yamaha 175DT dirt bike every April 15th as part of my annual "Congressional over sight tour". Alice Cooper will head line this tour.

8. Work ethics. I'll go to work only when I feel like it. Does anyone actually notice if a senator or congress person takes a few months off? I don't. It doesn't save you any money if they sit at home anyway.

9. Illiteracy. I vow to cure all illiteracy. I'll begin (and end) this campaign by sending copys of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights to the Supreme Court and teaching them to read it. Also, another change will be much more colorfull language while I'm in office. C-Span will have more 'bleeps' than an episode of American Chopper. Where's the passion? Doesn't anyone care? Speak your f^$%ing mind people!

10. Deficit spending will end. No, not government deficit spending...my deficit spending. I'll do this by using time tested methods; Book deals and lecture circuits. Once I'm thrown from office I'll write a 'tell all book' that really does 'tell all'. I'll slander the next president at colleges from coast to coast for $200k/speech. How do you think the Clintons ended up with $25,000,000.00 after just 8 years in office and a few years as senator? Public service pays!

[Mike Poore]

While we're at it, let's resurrect and institute my demand for term limits, excepting Congressmen Leadfoot289 and Congressmen whd507, of course. :D

[Eric-Blk2004]

I have an issue with gay marriage which is actually very simple and easy to understand. The State and the Government do not marry people. The Justice of the Peace can preform a civil union and in the eyes of the government you are "married" for lack of a better term.

Marriage is something performed by the chruch or religious institutions. God has no place in the Government and the Government has no place in God.

Done deal. The problem is they are addressing this "issue" which is not an issue, using the term marriage. Get off the term and call it what it is a union. If the church changes its rules then get married.

For pete's sake it is pathetic.

[Bluerauder]

God has no place in the Government and the Government has no place in God.
How sad. :( These guys \/\/\/\/\/ didn't agree.



IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

[Accused transgressions of King George III of Great Britain]

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

[Aren Jay]

To be elected for anything, become popular amoungst the locals. Get out there and get known. Be the peoples person, they will elect you. You can do that by following the civic route or by getting rich and helping the community. Just be popular in your little area. People vote for the guy they know and somewhat like no-one likes change unless they are fed up. And even then only if necessary. Being a hero or local celebraty is also a good route into power. Just don't show your dark side until you have been elected twice. And even dark sided people who succeed know who to please and who not too.

[wishfulthinkin]

Have you looked at our currency lately? In GOD we trust????????

[rayjay]

Is it asking to much to have a "NONE OF THE ABOVE" line on all ballots, local, state and federal offices? Go back and find someone to run who has a clue.

They've screwed everything up so bad that we should vote all incumbents in the house and senate out of office. Obama and Mccain, please don't get me started... This time both ends of the stick have s*&t on it.

[Dr Caleb]

Just don't show your dark side until you have been elected twice. And even dark sided people who succeed know who to please and who not too.

Exactly. You must remove all sense of decency and honour from your psyche in order to be a successful politician. The successful politician will do what is right for the party at the expense of the people they are elected to represent.

Many examples through history show what happens next. Best the flawed party system is removed, before Really Bad Things(tm) start happening. Or, that might be the only way to remove the party system.

Joe Clark was the last honest politician I can remember (except perhaps Romeo Delaire - but he's a Senator so that doesn't count). Mulroney 'stabbed' Clark in the back to become party leader. Peter McKay begat Mulroney via whats-her-name. And David Orchard still has Peter's knife in his back.

If I were a Senator, I'd abolish the party system. Everyone would have to be a member of the Rhino Party, and only the Rhino Party. I'd also add 'move to Mexico and buy a big ranch and never show my face again in the Senate but still collect my $150k a year in tax free pay' to Leadfoot's list . . . because oddly enough - that has happened.

[Mike Poore]

There was a congressmen from one of the districts in New York, perhaps Harlem. In any case he flat out said he was a crook and wasn't going to do anything except get as much pork for his district as possible. He drove 'em crazy for a lot of years, and they finally got enough on him to be expelled. I loved the guy, he rubbed their noses in the same pee they were doing to the House carpet, only he was honest about it.

Sorry, I can't remember his name.

[whd507]

yeah, thats funny, If I were to run, and win, I couldn't be that way, it just ain't in me.

I suspect I would tell off a few idiots during open floor speeches, and it would be fun to startle a TV reporter/interviewer during an interview once in a while...

I would promise to not bring pork home, and promise not to move to DC. I'd stay at the extended stay America or some such motel to prove I'm not planning to stay there forever, but I'd likely buy a second Marauder so I could fly home (see my 2 day a week proposal)

[Leadfoot281]

Is it asking to much to have a "NONE OF THE ABOVE" line on all ballots, local, state and federal offices? Go back and find someone to run who has a clue.

They've screwed everything up so bad that we should vote all incumbents in the house and senate out of office. Obama and Mccain, please don't get me started... This time both ends of the stick have s*&t on it.

Agreed 100%.

http://getdrunkandvoteformccain.com

As far as gay marriage goes, If the California State supreme court can ammend the bible so that same sex couples can marry, when are they going to mess with the Koran? It hardly seems fair that Muslims can't eat pork. They should change that one too. :rolleyes:

Too much discrimination.... :shake:

Once that happens I'll be sure to send Osama Bin Laden a coupon for a free Mc Rib sandwich at Mc Donalds (with extra bacon of course).

[whd507]

if it were me, I'd have been crop dusting the middle east with bacon grease, and whatever they cant put in sausage for the past 7 yrs. as I understand it they must purify themselves for 90 days after coming in contact with something "unclean" I think since they cant go to heaven during that 90 days, they would be less likely to fight or blow themselves up.

[Eric-Blk2004]

The declaration of Independence states God as a reference for a great good. Not a diety. The problem is people today equate God and Religion off the bat. Religion has no place in government and no place in public institutions. Why? Because it is too diverse and too subject to debate. When I go to school and want to learn science I want know about gravity, I want to learn new theories that push the envelope further and expand our mind. Not co op out and say "Oh god made it that way" If thats the case we would of stopped in science a long time ago. We need to understand that God is nothing more then an ideal of greater good. And has nothing to do with any religion or religious text. Once you start pushing religion into government you get Fanatical Islam. Go watch the "Jesus Camp" movies about the Evangelicals and their mindset and how it is very similar to these so called religious extremists in the Middle East. Its all the same we just think ours is better because we own it, just like the other people.

Government is suppose to blind in justice and serve the people equally through out its populace. Religion will only divide us and seperate us into classes and labels. Instead leave it out all together and speak to the truth of doing good toward man. The God on the bill, the God in the pledge, the God in the constitution/declaration of independence having nothing to do with Jesus, Allah, Buddha, or whom ever. If it did - they would of explicitly stated such. The faith of the men and the work they write have nothing to do with one and other. That is what makes the Declaration on of the most sacred articles in human history. They speak the truth in that document, and make no mention whatsoever to religious dogma, creed, or any other label.

Oddly enough the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and several of the "Founding Fathers" works are directly taken from the Native Americans - in particulary the Iroquoi nations of upstate New York/Canada regions. The concept of the Noble Savage, and the American Identity are very interesting if one takes the time to read it. We a lot of to the people whose land we are currently using.

[Bluerauder]

When I go to school and want to learn science I want know about gravity, I want to learn new theories that push the envelope further and expand our mind. Not co op out and say "Oh god made it that way" If thats the case we would of stopped in science a long time ago.
You have no clue about what you are talking about do you? :rolleyes: The concepts are not as incompatible as you think. . :D BTW -- It's "would have" not "would of". QED.

[Dr Caleb]

You have no clue about what you are talking about do you? :rolleyes: I put my school background against yours any day. :D BTW -- It's "would have" not "would of". QED.

His grammar may need some work, but his logic is sound.

There is a very strict separation of church and state in first world countries for a reason.

Example:
These countries have a very strict separation between church and state. ie: 'Democracies'

Australia
Germany
United Kingdom
United States

These countries have a very strict integration between church and state: ie: 'Theocracies'

Iraq
Iran
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan

Where would you rather live?

[Eric-Blk2004]

Sorry my grammar is not 100% for an interest car sight blog. I do apologize.

Grammar Nazi's aside. The seperation of religion from public sectors is key for a country's development. I am not saying to be faithless and have no spirituality. That is fine, but as an intelligent logical person you have to understand that the subjects of faith and religion are too diverse to met by the public sector -schools, government, public anything. This is why we seperate them so that everyone has a just, fair, and unbias system. The only system in which we fail at this is National Holidays - but no one complains on that for the most part.

Voting on faith or family values is wrong. Its no different then voting on TV commericals and ads.

Once you look past the superficial unimportant qualities of the running person you will see that no one is qualified to run. You have one that wants to throw the entire insurance and welfare system to the private market - works for 4 years and then the price floor is reached and you have mergers and take overs raising the price and removing competition. Then you have the other that wants to push everything onto the tax payer and spend like money grows on trees.

You can apply to every candidate ever running if you take the time to read their statements. No one has figured out its a balance and you need to assume both roles. 401k's backed with pensions, welfare backed with charity, universal health care backed with PPO's. Its not rocket science, the government should provide the basic needs of the people, social security did that but needs more funding to support the growing population, we need a basic health care system so that when you have to go to the ER you pay 800 a night. ER's are the Ritz. Welfare/Unemployment is needed to deal with the swings of the business cycle.

Enough for me its time for lunch.

[rayjay]

"Welfare/Unemployment is needed to deal with the swings of the business cycle."


Is that what is going on with my POS, sit around drinking beer everyday, hillbilly music blasting all night, human waste product neighbor that our taxes go to support??? The excrement doesn't work because he's 2nd generation welfare rat that copulated and created 3 more vermen for us to support...

Some people may be down on their luck and need help to get back on their feet, but WTF is going on allowing the kind of crap I have to look at and listen to everyday until the snow falls.

[Eric-Blk2004]

I never once stated that the public system was not corrupt or inefficent it is after in the hands of men.

I am approaching this from a logic standpoint. Of course all this up in the air and ideals when tried to apply to the real world. You have fear and weakness, the staple of human emotion. This leads to corruption and inefficent governments, private markets, and overall everything else that is wrong with this world.

This country is sadly beyond saving. The politics are so corrupt, the media owns the American mind, IPODs keep our youth closed minded and oblivious. Movies enterain and distract. There are no more hard ships to face - nothing like WW2 or the trails of the depression. What this country needs is conflict on epic scales across all classes. To snap people awake and to revive what America was founded. That does not happen with an election, a senator, a president, or an episode of House.

It happens with pain, suffering, and war. We are WAY to comfortable here and this allows for distractions, corruption, greed, and a lot of other terrible things. Funny isnt it?

[whd507]

have you read the danbury Baptist's letter?

To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.
Gentlemen
The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.
Th Jefferson
Jan. 1. 1802.




I see where the government cannot establish a religion, where does it say that religion has no part in government?



http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danbury.html

"...he deleted the entire section about thanksgivings and fasts in the Danbury draft, noting in the left margin that the "paragraph was omitted on the suggestion that it might give uneasiness to some of our republican friends in the eastern states where the proclamation of thanksgivings etc. by their Executives is an antient habit & is respected." Removed in the process of revision was the designation of the president's duties as "merely temporal"; "eternal" was dropped as a modifier of "wall." Jefferson apparently made these changes because he thought the original phrases would sound too antireligious to pious New England ears.
In gutting his draft was Jefferson playing the hypocrite, sacrificing his principles to political expediency, as his Federalist opponents never tired of charging? By no means, for the Danbury Baptist letter was never conceived by Jefferson to be a statement of fundamental principles; it was meant to be a political manifesto, nothing more.
Withholding from the public the rationale for his policy on thanksgivings and fasts did not solve Jefferson's problem, for his refusal to proclaim them would not escape the attention of the Federalists and would create a continuing vulnerability to accusations of irreligion. Jefferson found a solution to this problem even as he wrestled with the wording of the Danbury Baptist letter, a solution in the person of the famous Baptist preacher John Leland, who appeared at the White House on Jan. 1, 1802, to give the president a mammoth, 1,235-pound cheese, produced by Leland's parishioners in Cheshire, Mass.
One of the nation's best known advocates of religious liberty, Leland had accepted an invitation to preach in the House of Representatives on Sunday, Jan. 3, and Jefferson evidently concluded that, if Leland found nothing objectionable about officiating at worship on public property, he could not be criticized for attending a service at which his friend was preaching. Consequently, "contrary to all former practice," Jefferson appeared at church services in the House on Sunday, Jan. 3, two days after recommending in his reply to the Danbury Baptists "a wall of separation between church and state"; during the remainder of his two administrations he attended these services "constantly."
Jefferson's participation in House church services and his granting of permission to various denominations to worship in executive office buildings, where four-hour communion services were held, cannot be discussed here; these activities are fully illustrated in the forthcoming exhibition. What can be said is that going to church solved Jefferson's public relations problems, for he correctly anticipated that his participation in public worship would be reported in newspapers throughout the country. A Philadelphia newspaper, for example, informed its readers on Jan. 23, 1802, that "Mr. Jefferson has been seen at church, and has assisted in singing the hundredth psalm." In presenting Jefferson to the nation as a churchgoer, this publicity offset whatever negative impressions might be created by his refusal to proclaim thanksgiving and fasts and prevented the erosion of his political base in God-fearing areas like New England.
Jefferson's public support for religion appears, however, to have been more than a cynical political gesture. Scholars have recently argued that in the 1790s Jefferson developed a more favorable view of Christianity that led him to endorse the position of his fellow Founders that religion was necessary for the welfare of a republican government, that it was, as Washington proclaimed in his Farewell Address, indispensable for the happiness and prosperity of the people. Jefferson had, in fact, said as much in his First Inaugural Address. His attendance at church services in the House was, then, his way of offering symbolic support for religious faith and for its beneficent role in republican government.
It seems likely that in modifying the draft of the Danbury Baptist letter by eliminating words like "eternal" and "merely temporal," which sounded so uncompromisingly secular, Jefferson was motivated not merely by political considerations but by a realization that these words, written in haste to make a political statement, did not accurately reflect the conviction he had reached by the beginning of 1802 on the role of government in religion. Jefferson would never compromise his views that there were things government could not do in the religious sphere -- legally establish one creed as official truth and support it with its full financial and coercive powers. But by 1802, he seems to have come around to something close to the views of New England Baptist leaders such as Isaac Backus and Caleb Blood, who believed that, provided the state kept within its well-appointed limits, it could provide "friendly aids" to the churches, including putting at their disposal public property that even a stickler like John Leland was comfortable using.
Analyzed with the help of the latest technology, the Danbury Baptist letter has yielded significant new information. Using it to fix the intent of constitutional documents is limited, however, by well established rules of statutory construction: the meaning of a document cannot be determined by what a drafter deleted or by what he did concurrently with the drafting of a document. But it will be of considerable interest in assessing the credibility of the Danbury Baptist letter as a tool of constitutional interpretation to know, as we now do, that it was written as a partisan counterpunch, aimed by Jefferson below the belt at enemies who were tormenting him more than a decade after the First Amendment was composed."


Mr. Hutson is chief of the Manuscript Division. (library of congress)



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