Give Me A Year

Don’t get me wrong—I love democracy, but dammit, can’t we actually ever get anything DONE?

The midterm elections have done NOTHING to advance the agenda of this country. The Republicans are digging their heels in the sand to extend the Bush tax cuts. As such, they are planning to deny extending unemployment benefits, the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell”—and even refusing to sign the START Treaty, which has our national security at risk and has been endorsed by both parties in the past.

After initially standing up the President rudely on his invitation to meet at the White House (they were “busy” and couldn’t “make it”….huh? ), the long-awaited conference finally took place. What came out of it was conciliatory talk—for about 24 hours. Now, it’s back to the same old same old.

What the hell is going on?

I want to run for “Benevolent Dictator” for a term not to exceed one year. In that term, I will do the following—all without the fear of losing re-election, alienating a special interest group or a defense contractor:

1) EXIT IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN IMMEDIATELY- The weekly cost is about 2-3 BILLION dollars. The ongoing costs are depicted below. Our presence there does nothing to enhance our security—and there’s a good argument that it weakens it. We cannot become the policeman for the world. In addition, I would close many bases around the world and/or greatly diminish our military personnel globally. Most countries in the world hate or envy us; so let them solve their own issues. We are O-U-T.

See the numbers below—all the talk of “earmarks” is lunacy—they are pennies compared to the figures piling up below. I plan to finance some of my changes based on the savings from this huge waste of money—not to even mention HUMAN LIVES.

Click on this link to see the spinning tally of the Cost Of War:

http://costofwar.com/


At the time of writing this, the cost of Iraq was about $744 BILLION and for Afghanistan it was $371 BILLION. By the time you click the link, it will be MUCH higher--with no end in sight.



2) IMMIGRATION—Let’s be sensible here. There are two things we will never do (whether it makes sense or not)—one of them is to deport ALL illegal aliens. It just won’t happen. The other is to build a “wall” or “fence” across our border-this is also ludicrous (see “Maginot Line”). We must make it economically unattractive for illegals to be here. Namely, they must be prevented from finding work without being a U.S. Citizen. To accomplish this, I would institute a DAILY $1 million dollar fine for companies who employ illegals. The motivation to hire cheap labor goes away when that labor becomes prohibitively expensive.

With those already here, we may need to deport many, but we must also allow a path to citizenship for some, based on learning English and taking the necessary steps that any individual seeking U.S. citizenship would do. Messy? No doubt, but we need to attack established companies who are harboring illegals as a workforce to curb the desire to enter illegally. Economic opportunity is the reason they arrive. To allow illegal aliens access to social services and jobs is nothing short of crazy.

3) REPEAL “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL”—It is not news to any veteran of any era that gays have served in the military since the American Revolution. Somehow, we have survived as a nation. To deny committed and qualified people from service due to their sexual orientation is just plain stupid. It is a non-issue.

4) EXTEND MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUTS—I’ll raise the cutoff to $750,000. Everyone below it has the tax cut extended. Everyone ABOVE it has their tax cut repealed—and in fact, I would RAISE taxes for anyone making over a million dollars. Look at the tax rates for the rich in the 1950’s and 60’s. Some were over OVER 40%! This was the period of the greatest explosion of the middle class and economic growth ever. The Bush tax cuts did NOTHING to spur economic growth. Having the top 2% carry a bit more weight will not affect their lifestyle or their level of investment. It will, however, shift the burden off those least able to pay.

5) CREATE TIERED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS- Basic low-end benefits for the short-term and INCREASED levels for all those willing to WORK while they are looking. Whether volunteering for social service agencies or municipal cleanup projects, we could at least trade a higher benefit (perhaps the current standard benefit level) for those willing to work. These “employed” unemployed would be able to exit any temporary job to interview for a permanent job in the private sector.

6) FREE TRADE, BUT FAIR TRADE—If other countries will not open their markets to us, we will not accept their goods here. Period. If they apply tariffs on our goods, we will do likewise. Period.

7) EXPORT JOBS AT YOUR OWN RISK—If American companies move jobs overseas, I will tax them the difference of their savings. Instantly makes it unattractive. Next?

8) RAISE THE RETIREMENT AGE---Make it 70. Social Security/Medicare and other entitlements are doing us in. End “double-dipping”of wealthy Americans into the Social Security pool---when they don’t need the money. My taxes support welfare, but I don’t get food stamps—because I don’t NEED them (yet!) Social Security needs to be re-framed as the safety net it was intended to be—and not a “retirement plan”

9) INVEST IN NEW ENERGY ALTERNATIVES---Like the 1950’s investment in the Interstate Highway System or the 1960’s space program, projects with a huge scope cannot be left to the private sector. To do so is to be left in the dust, as China has formed 16 separate companies with the focus and objective to rid themselves of dependence on foreign oil.

We are behind in this race. The country that leads the revolution to an energy alternative to oil will lead the world for decades to come. There is no limit to the investment boundaries that make this unattractive. As the space program became the catalyst for an explosion in technology development for consumer markets, so too will this endeavor. Right now, China has the mentality of the Manhattan Project, where the development of the atomic bomb during WWII became a race against time. There was no limit to the government’s commitment then—and China is committed to controlling the world’s energy future. Will the U.S. allow this—or will we summon up the will to focus like a laser beam here and get it done first?

10) SECURITY BEGINS AT HOME—We need to invest some of the billions being squandered daily overseas here in the U.S.---devising comprehensive strategies to protect our electrical grid, our water supplies and our mass transportation systems (beyond just airlines)

11) MANUFACTURING RESURGANCE-- Many American manufacturing jobs
sailed overseas due to the cheap labor available in other countries. In a global
marketplace, most economists will say it adequately creates efficiencies.
Unfortunately, economists tend to ignore the political realities of prospective
enemies. During WWII, our victory hinged on being able to quickly retool the
vast American manufacturing machine to produce the tools of war. What happens
when we import the bulk of our steel, say, from a country that will end up going
to war with?

Therefore, it is a matter of national security to maintain a manufacturing base. Jobs are created and maintained—and we are not vulnerable in the event of war. Hell, the government pays farmers NOT to grow crops in order to keep global prices stabilized. Dollar for dollar, subsidizing critical manufacturing processes makes a lot more sense.

12) PUBLIC HEALTH OPTION---I know this won’t be popular with the free market capitalists, but there is nothing in the healthcare marketplace that even resembles free market capitalism. Most people—if they are covered at all—are at the mercy of their employer’s healthcare plan and the medical community is not known for efficiencies of cost. After all, their plush offices, facilities and procedures are borne by you and me, no?
I was all for the overhaul that President Obama accomplished—with one
GLARING exception: to NOT have a public option delivered at cost or modest
profit (to keep health insurance companies solvent) allows these same health
insurance firms to charge exorbitant premiums. Covering everyone, including
those with pre-existing conditions and young people at an extended age under
their parent’s policy is a positive thing. To have ZERO cost control is crazy.

13) COLLEGE TUITION COMPLETELY TAX DEDUCTABLE- Paying for
higher education is like purchasing a Lexus yearly (maybe two or three, depending on the number of kids) There is no greater investment than in the education of our young people. Those with no assets get need-based scholarship help. Those who are wealthy don’t need it. The middle class gets hammered.


OK, that’s enough for one year. The government saves billions daily, invests it wisely and we see a resurgence in jobs and economic opportunity. College education becomes affordable, as does health care. The deficit gets reduced and the economy booms.

Has common sense vanished?

Strict capitalism unfettered is as bad as it’s evil opposite—government control of everything. The plain and simple fact is that we are moving towards social democracy, where the public and private sectors each participate in the structure of capitalism—the private sector providing the capital and jobs—and the public sector there to prevent abuses and to be the advocate for the least fortunate in our society. It’s a ying-yang dynamic, but one where each side at least VALUES the role of the other. I’m afraid that today’s political climate has created “sides” that detest the very existence of the other.

This short-sided stupidity is the reason for the current vacuum of leadership.

At times like this, a benevolent dictatorship sounds like a good idea---and that in itself is scary.

If you’d like my blog in your box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com