I just had knee surgery. I didn't want to, but I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, and it was getting so bad that I was really worried that I would get my state supplied health insurance yanked if Willard got into the White House. I did one knee, waited two months, Obamacare passed, I breathed a sigh of relief, but went ahead and did the other one, just in case, and have been following all of Romney's idiotic nonsense during my recovery (Don't do two knees in two months...it is brutal). I turned off my TV about three years ago, and have read SO many wonderful books, and even re-read Atlas Shrugged, which I read back in high school, was one of them. All of this recovery time, gave me a lot of time to think, about our country, about my daughter, just turned 21, and about what is actually important...to me, to my little family, to this country I love. I think our country has lost the vision of what is really important, not only for things in this country, but for the world. Peace, is so very important, but has become a cliche. A clean planet, one that is not going to melt itself into nothingness is vitally important. New cleaner forms of fuel have been critical for forty years, and we have done NOTHING. Our country's infrastructure is crumbling before our eyes and that is critical. I live in Minneapolis, and was listening to the radio when the bridge here collapsed. It was a boondoggle, but it was a bridge being fixed, just had too many big huge machines on it during rush hour. Nobody stopped to think. It is time to stop to think about a lot of things.
What is REALLY important to us? I believe we got into the disaster we are in because somehow it became more necessary to have a 52 inch plasma TV than to pay down your credit card bill, and to save for your children's college educations. I remember getting by just fine with a 13 inch black and white tv with 5 channels and NO REMOTE as I grew up. We kids thought it was cool to have any tv at all. Mom let us have one hour per night to watch tv, and with four kids, it was a big argument every night to decide what we would watch. Some nights were easy, some were hard. Laugh In, an easy night. Monkees or Gilligan's Island, hard. My Favorite Martian, I Dream of Genie, Mayberry RFD, all great shows, but we couldn't watch them all. Somehow, we have decided that we HAVE to watch them all. We don't. We can get by with an hour, and no new tv. Now, the typical Mom & Dad would just charge a tv on an already pretty maxed out card, but one where we have to keep up with the latest. We don't need to do that either. I for one, would be fine with my old black and white tv, but I am sadly in a very small minority.
So, using that though as the basis to decide on what we could do to fix some of the problems of this nation, I made this list of things that could fix a few things. Feel free to argue with me, change things and add to it. It is just my starting point. I care so very much about this country and I want us to come back stronger and more principled and way more intellectual, less worried about THINGS and more worried about our planet.
One: we bring back the WPA, and start fixing all of our infrastructure all over this country. All parts MUST be made in the U.S., and we will open steel plants, and glass plants and all other kinds of plants to revitalize our country, and part of this is job training to get people back to work and back to feeling good about themselves and their country. We WILL NOT give money to other nations until we have fixed ours (terrible tsunamis or catastrophies, notwithstanding). If anyone doesn't like it, don't speak evil of us, while we still give you money when we are back on our feet. Whomever made us the handout nation to the world has done us and everyone else a great disservice.
Two: Remove every single one of our overseas bases that are not on United States soil, or have a very strong strategic reason for being where they are. I have no idea how many bases we have in Germany, but it is a LOT and we do not need them anymore.
Three: Change the way we decide on the military and its bases. Somehow we decided to eliminate bases, but it never got done, because some congressperson who had some clout kept their base in nowhere Arkansas, because they could. Take that entire plan out of the hands of congress and give it to a group of retired generals who are brilliant, from all of the forces, and have them decide. We cannot keep spending money on things we cannot afford, nor do we need. Romney's idiotic idea of doubling or something like that, the size of our military so he can say he has a big military (makes me wonder what he is lacking that a big military is a huge issue with him...next thing you know he will have a big truck with double wheels in the back.) Anyway, once we are out of Iraq and Afghanistan, we need to send all the forces from the National Guard home FOREVER, and make sure they are all emotionally stable, and provide all the medical and mental help they need. PSTD is REAL, and we cannot ignore it for one single more minute. It is a disgrace. We need to ask former soldiers to help with counseling, maybe some of these men just need someone that understands the horror of war to talk with. There is much more, but anything would be a good start.
Four: Have every single state give a list to the government within six months (no bs'ing, just get it done. I am sure the Army Corps of Engineers could rattle off bridges and highways with problems within a few minutes) of the most important infrastructure issues in their state, and put them in order of their potential failure.
Five: Get rid of every single contractor that is "fighting" for an exorbitant rate overseas, and have those spots taken over by our own military. If we need more military to cover it, let's move some of them from Germany and Japan and all kinds of other crazy bases and make our military back to being OUR military. Nothing could possibly be more demoralizing than some yahoo overseas with a gun who is not military, but does not have to live by the rules or the pay of the real soldiers we have over there fighting. DUMP them today. They have been a boondoggle from the start. Any congressperson who wants to go over to see what is going on, can be taken around by one of our military personnel, but NEVER should we pay extra to keep them "safe". If they want to go, it is their responsibility to keep themselves safe. You have eyes. If you are afraid, do not go.
Six: To have the congress apply laws that are for their fundraising and the awful mess we are in today. There is NO WAY a republic should have billionaires buying elections. They need to be under the same umbrella as everyone else in this country. What is it $2,700? They all need to be noted as much as everyone else contributing to a campaign. Anton Scalia cannot take over this country, as much as he wants to. It is time for the REAL AMERICANS to stand up and say NO. We all carry the same weight. Just because you are rich doesn't mean you can buy an election. No more Koch brothers, and if they want to buy an ad, it must be under the limit. Why is this so hard. It needs to be done, NOW.
Seven: Taxes. Would it not make a whole lot of sense to have NO rediculous deductions that are only used by the extremely wealthy, and have a flat tax. 15% sounds fair. If you make a thousand dollars a year, or a billion, you pay 15%. No, you do not get a deduction for all your stock losses or wins or whatever. Let's make this fair. Oh, the billionaires are paying too much? Actually, I think they are paying too little, but it is a good start.
Eight: TERM LIMITS for congress. Two terms for the Senate, 3 for the house. Then GO HOME. This was supposed to be a house for the people of the country to run it. It has become a bedlam of bedbugs who take money from everyone and everyone. No more.
Nine: If you want to become a lobbyiest, you cannot become one for ten years after you have been out of the house or senate. That also means state house and senate too.
Ten: If you are running for public office, we want to see ten years of your tax returns. If you do not want to show them to us, there is something wrong with you or the way you did them, and we want to know that too. You will not be allowed to submit your application without them.
I'm going to have to have an Eleven, because it means so much to me: NEVER should someone be refused birth control, a wedding license, an abortion, or anything that is personal and should be readily available. If we don't have the money to cover it all, health insurance should step in and cover it all. No refusals because of religious persecution. That is personal, and this is what our country was based on. LGBT..you have as many rights as anyone else in this country, and should be able to marry, live, love and do the same as everyone else who is a citizen. No more of this, but I am a Christian. Great. Practice it in your own home.
OK, that's my beginning. I want a fair, fun, and caring America. I do not want us to eliminate help for the poor. There are just some people who are too sick to work, or who have a very sick child. Are we the country that walks away? God, I hope not. I want us to be there to lend a hand. Not forever, but when needed most. I want people to be able to say, I am in huge trouble and I don't know what to do, and have us as a country to be able to say, no worries, we have your back. Again, this is not a lifestyle, it is HELP.
Help me out here. I want our country fixed.