What would your presidential platform be?

[David Munaretto]

OK - another political thread, bt with a twist.



if you were going to stand for something that mattered, what would it be? If you were running for president tomorrow, what would your platform be?



Here's mine - Full disclosure. My commitment would be to provide full disclosure to every american - what you actually pay in taxes across all levels of government. A real number, representing what we take of your income whether its income tax, fuel tax, sin tax, property tax, or other taxes. Every nickel and dime from federal, state, county, and local government. Down to the penny. Then, I'd work to reduce this number, and I'd ask you to hold me accountable to doing so. I'd implement policies to consolidate tiers of government, eliminate redundancies between federal, state, and municipal services, create policies that standardized operating models for municipal government based on best practices, and look for ways to eliminate inefficiecy. I'd ensure that your legislators used their constituents gross tax percent as a metric to make decisions - what will this decision cost my consituents? novel idea! I'd publish each legislators effectiveness in reducing the overall tax burden on their constituents. And I'd set specific goals for the whitehouse, congress, and other legislative bodies to meet to reduce the overall burden of administering government on individual tax payers.



That's my platform. Feel free to write me in on your ballet this year ;-)



What's your platform?

 

[Brian Ingersoll]

Personally, I would love to see all income taxes gone. Do away with the IRS and all the money that goes to employ those people. The wealthy cheat on their taxes with loopholes, and the poor cheat on their taxes because they don't care. The middle class ends up being screwed (as always).

Institute a sales tax to make up the needed money for government spending. Eliminate the sales tax on all food in grocery stores and minimize taxes on clothing (what everyone needs to survive, poor or rich). This accomplishes many things. First off, we will see on a daily basis how much goes to government and maybe do something about holding elected officials responsible. Second it will eliminate all 'cheating the system', if you spend your money on luxuries (TV's, cellphones, gas, vehicles - and these are luxuries), you will pay the taxes. Even if you don't pay taxes now, cash jobs, welfare checks, illegal activities, non-resident, you will under this system. Third, if you want to save your money for investments/retirement/inheritance you can.

 

[Bill McElroy]

put a standard flat 15-20% tax on GROSS income and elimate the filing part all together....if you have a SS# and a JOB....you pay that tax every month and you're done!

Legalize weed!!..LOL...the tax revenue alone on THAT would pay off the Nat'l debt in 5 yrs and put a BUNCH of criminals and drug lords out of business!!

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Mac for Prez!

Where's that lil' smokin' pimp emoticon?:lol:

 

[TritonGlenn]

 

[Mebassn]

Term Limits in Congress along with a mandatory retirement age of 70.

Increased retirement for military personnel (currently 50% at 20 yrs).

Decreased retirement for congress (way too much for their service).

No death row extended stays.

1 year appeal process from the court system (increase right to speedy trial with only one year for appeal process).

Death penalty for murder / terrorism, provided proof is overwhelming (DNA evidence and such).

Get rid of the welfare process, require work for money at government jobs, city/state level (road repair trash pickup and such).

Build a fence or some sort of National Guard deployment to secure southern US border.

Deport ALL imigrants who are here illegaly.

Drill all oil on our soil and pass laws requiring ALL autos to get a 35mpg combine fuel rating (city/highway) including all Trucks and Cars (except Semi's and large stake trucks.)



And all of the above posts. If we could change the way congress does business, we could change the country. Allowing members to stay for 20 years is crazy. Fresh ideas are required for change and also things to prosper. The President might be the head of one branch of our government, but we still have the other 2 branches to contend with.





Eric

 

[Mini]

1. outlaw career politicians and their retirement packages.

2. pay the men and women in the armed forces more money (and police, firemen, all first reponders)

3. eliminate all foreign aid until our economy improves.

4. stop immigration and force all illegals out.

5. make welfare people take drug tests.

6. legalize weed and make farmers that are govt subsidized grow it.

7. start drilling for oil and make all countries stop drilling within 200 miles of our coast.

8. fair and equal taxes for all income levels.

9. lower boat prices

10. give tax credits for all people that take other people fishing.

11. fine all polluters (business and private individuals)

12. keep and protect our borders from within with deadly force and allow private citizens to carry weapons and enforce siad laws.

13. TAX THE **** OUT OF FOREIGN IMPORTS!!!!!

14. eliminate wal-mart.

15. make michigan a theme park.

 

[Pierre Voisine]

Glenn,





Why would you want to shoot Canadians ? Remember if you fence yourself in you should be allowed out either.....

 

[Mebassn]

If you follow the rules, why not, sure, come and go as you please

 

[Bill McElroy]

Pierre.......I don't think he meant "Shoot to Kill" Canadians.............I think it's more of a "Stun'em and steal their BEER" thing. :wub:

 

[Dan J.]

Mac - +1

 

[TritonGlenn]

 

[Pierre Voisine]

No worries, just throwing some bait...



Imagine that Triton Glenn an Acadian, boat people!!! Now that's a story.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Value Added Tax when someone buys something, doing away with 'Income Taxes and Filing'. Sorry, all those bureaucrats and CPA's will have to find something else to do. Goes for Corporate purchasing also. You buy, you pay.



Term limits.



President - 1 Six Year Term

Senator - 2 Six Year Terms

Congress - 2 Four year Terms

And any money raised for re-election that is not spent after the election is called, must be returned or donated to charity. Period!



Judges - cannot be appointed for life. 1 eight year term and then have to be re-nominated and go through approval again. Same for Supreme Court.



Foreign Aid - Limited simply to health services and agriculture development (includes water) for developing countries only.



Trade Policies - if you have a closed market - so do we. Period.



Military - They need to get adequate pay and health services, as is expected. No one is sent to defend our country without the proper equipment, that they do not have to pay for. Period.



Welfare - (this is for those that are physically and mentally able) - If you are on it, you have 2 years to get job training of some type while on the goverment's nickel. Then, you get a job. And, if you are on welfare and you have another child, you are DONE!



Social Security - Boy, I wish I had a simple answer for this. Got to have some type of transition to privatization, while the country honors the plan for those that have put into the plan for such a long time.



How's that?



Tex

 

[Bill McElroy]

Pretty Good Tex!!...Smart folks on this board. Hey..we shouldn't alienate Pierre though,.........So, Pierre....what whould your "Prime Minister" platform be??

 

[Pierre Voisine]

Good question.



1) Stop exporting our oil reserves and reduce production to Canadian requirements. (thus reducing its cost).

1.a) Hire Mac and Mini to be ministers of Public Affairs

2) Resolve the soft woods lumber issue with the US.

3) Allow caribean countries (as many as possible, including CUBA)to enter the Canadian constitution. (Many have requested this).

3.a) Make Rich Stern Deputy Prime Minister.

5) Sell Quebec to the US.

4) Invest heavily in the tourism of the caribean provinces, supply beer and Alberta AAA Beef to these locations.

4.a) Promote Hammer to Minister of Environment

5) Bring our troops back and resolve internal issues, before attempting to resolve others. Heck they'd rather be with their families anyways.

6) Increase health care and education funding.

7) Move to Sweden.

 

[TritonGlenn]

 

[Brian Ingersoll]

Texas Transplant might get a write-in

 

[Mini]

LOL @ Pierre! What makes you think we WANT Quebec?

 

[Pierre Voisine]

You already have most of them in Hollywood FLA,....

 

[TrepMan]

Pierre - OH NO YOU don't with taking over the Caribean! While I really like Canadian beer how about this:



1) anything north of the hard-freeze line in north america becomes part of Candada, including Alaska.

2) anything south of the hard freeze line is USA, we'll take Mexico, Cuba, Caribean Hawaii and the other near Islands.

3) free trade agreements between Canada and the US, we'll come north in the summer to fish, you come south in the winter to fish.

4) Tax dedections for those who BRING large quantities of adult beverages between Canada and the US to help you guys in the COLD winters when you can't get south to fish, and for us in the hot summers when we need cold drinks after fishing!



Trep

 

[Jim C]

Soooooo many good platforms covered already. I LOVE the immigration stances! :wub: :wub:



The core of my platform would be to legislatively eliminate the party system from our government, or open it up to a multitude of parties by leveling the campaign finance field! Each party operates on a mandated budget in the primaries, if any party captures 10% or more of the primary vote, they are each allotted the EXACT same amount of money for campaign finance funded by tax $$$, set initially to a moderate amount, then it increases every year by the rate of inflation, just like the rest of us live. No swiftboat ads, no individual candidate ads. All ads must be submitted by the general election candidates, then their 30-second blurbs run one after another in one comprehensive TV or radio ad featuring ALL candidates at once.