Minimum wage is number one, but there other items too. But first - I can't shut up when I hear some Republican skunk say that raising the minimum wage is a disaster for small business. You puke - like the business is more important than the people. Those workers are human beings, not "labor" not "fixed cost" not some meaningless word they teach you in business college. People, humans, are the most important part of our society. Not our businesses, not our economy, not our markets. Humans is what it is all about. Republicans don't understand this. They don't see labor as similar to them.
Business exists to serve people. Commerce is a function of the human society, not the other way around. That message has to be screamed in front of every stupid Republican until it starts to sink in. We don't work for you - we work for our selves, our family, our interests. Maybe you run the company, but you it won't run without us. We are not slaves scheissing our pants every time the big boss walks by. How well the business runs, how well we make it run, depends on how well you treat us. Give us a living wage, a good working environment, and some common ordinary respect - and we'll give you a successful money-making business.
Every idiot who runs a company, corporation, Army, or any other large group of humans always says - our most important component is our people. Then having said that, they completely forget about it, ignore it, dismiss it entirely. I've always made the point that all those above listed groups, treat their fleet cars with more care than they do their workforce. Why? Why is it so important to check the oil, the tires, the odometer; and never say - "hey Fred, how's your battery, how're your wheels feeling, how'd you like some time everyday to participate in televised college study programs to further your own climb up the workforce ladder?"
Union! I scream at the top of my lungs every time I get the chance. It was unions that brought Al Gore to victory in 2000 (well Jeb and K.Harris screwed us out of that one). But if any employer wants to avoid union takeover of his company or country, then he better start treating the human worker with the dignity that we deserve.
As for earmarks and all things appropriated - I don't want health clinics, science, municipalities, and education to depend on hogwash pork. Let every component of our government and those who depend on government funds, be initially appropriated to cover the cost of salaries. Then let each of the thousands of components submit supplemental requests - with detailed facts and figures - for any additional funding.