Christmas has passed and we approach the New Year, so it is time for some resolutions.
Not for me. For Uncle Sam.
Mine are the same old ones: lose weight and avoid going broke.
Uncle Sam needs a lot more than that, so here goes with what I think they should be (in part):
1. BALANCE THE BUDGET!
Now. Not 10 years from now; not 5 years from now. Do it NOW!
How to do it? Cut spending. How about cutting the budget to where it was on September 1, 2008? That was before the bailouts started. A good start. But not enough.
Restore Federal employment to the level of September 1, 2008, then cut it 10% across the board, except for the uniformed military.
Taxes? Tax rates don't need to be raised. Just do away with all of the tax shelters that the very wealthy use to avoid paying taxes.
No more tax subsidies for anything. If it is not profitable without tax breaks, then let the resources go to something that is. (this would include the oil and gas depletion allowance, something dear to my heart, among other things).
Stop subsidies as well, for the same reason. (this would include farm subsidies, and the ethanol subsidy, also very dear to close friends).
If that has not insulted everyone, I could continue. The point is that nothing should be sacred except preserving our economy and our freedom. Everyone will have to pay up. It has to be an equal opportunity cutting contest, with no sacred cows. Everything must be on the table.
It has to be done, so get started..
2. Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution that would require a balanced budget every year unless a super majority of Congress and the President declared a national emergency. There needs to be teeth in it so the politicains can't ignore it. 'Nuff said.
3. Do away with Too Big to Fail.
If a financial institution or large corporation is that big, the law should require that they be broken up. Think Teddy Roosevelt.
A corollary to that would be to reenact the Glass-Steagall Act, or something that accomplishes the same thing.
The big banks and bankers are getting fatter and fatter, while our middle class shrinks.
Go back and strengthen the extraordinarily weak regulation of financial institutions that was passed last year. Congress let the perps write their own rules. Ridiculous!
With the above, outlaw bailouts of corporations (and states, and municipalities) that go broke.
4. Enact a Sunset Act which would subject every Federal agency and program to expiration if not renewed every 10 years. No exceptions.
Texas has one that is pretty good. Model it on theirs, but stronger.
5. Reform Social Security.
Gosh, where to start? Begin by extending the age of eligibility to 70 years gradually, like it was previously extended to 67. Then index the eligibility age to life expectancy in the US.
Remove the Social Security tax from the general revenue budget, and restore the trust fund ( really too late. That horse is out of the barn.).
Establish a way to begin changing Social Security to a defined contribution plan rather than a defined benefit plan, like the private sector is doing.
6. Reform Medicare and Medicaid.
I have to admit that I do not have a clue about these.
Obviously, the benefits will have to be reduced. There just have to be limits, particularly on end of life payments. Tough choices there, but they have to be made. It needs to be made the right way, by doctors, patients, and families, not bureaucrats. Although the right is critical of Medicare supporting end of life counselling, my view is that it is necessary to encourage families to plan ahead for that eventuality. My family has. We have medical powers of attorney, living wills, and the like. Everyone should.
Premiums and deductibles for Medicare will have to be raised. The same for Medicaid.
While we are on health care, Obamacare needs to be replaced with something less intrusive. Some reform was needed, but the bill went WAY too far.
Other suggestions are quite welcome.
7. Bring the boys (and girls) home.
No great power has ever pacified Afghanistan, and we can't do it now. If we did, what would we accomplish? There is nothing there that is worth the expenditure of lives and money that is required. Declare victory soon, and bring them home.
Keep the carrier strike groups in the Persian Gulf, however. We will need them when Iran makes their first nuclear weapons. That could be another resolution, but I will resist.
8. Secure the borders now.
When that is accomplished, and only then, we can make some strides on a humane way to deal with the illegal immigrants that have been here for a good while. But there should be no blanket amnesty.
We can also then reform our immigration policies to make immigration more available to other than those who come illegally. Our current rules are way too restrictive. We need to be a bit picky about who we let in as well, but based upon skills and education, not race.
Before anything else the borders must be well secured first. And soon.
This is just a few of many things that are needed. Both political parties have contributed to a terrible situation that is a real threat to our country in many ways.
They have both sold out to the big money folks and the big labor unions. Campaign contributions are far more important to our elected officials than doing the right thing.
The big banks, labor unions, and politicians are thriving, while the middle class and the lower class is suffering.
It is time for a change, but for the RIGHT change.
This is not a complete list of what I think should be done, and I am not married to all the details. But the overall resolutions are quite necessary, in my opinion.
Clearly, the economy is not singled out for a resolution. The government just needs to get out of the way of the economy, and the other resolutions will help that quite a bit.
Other suggestions are welcome, either on this site or on Facebook.
Fire away. Let the conversations begin.
