What major changes would you make to improve the country, both fiscally and socially

[gwennie]

Some things that I would do:

Fiscally:
....tax reform: $0-$35k/year 5% tax; $36-60k/year 8% tax; $61-80k/year 10% tax; $81-100k/year 15% tax; $101-250k/year 25% tax; $251+ 30% tax......everyone is allowed $20k worth of tax deductions.
....tax rates are the same regardless of whether you are married or single; tax rates are based on what each individual makes
....congressional members are given a salary only for the time they are in office; they will no longer receive a lifetime salary or benefits
....term limits; Congress and the president can only serve for a total of 8 years, after which they are ineligible to serve further time
....all congressional members must take part in SS, Medicare, and health insurance that the public must participate in; their retirement and health care would no longer be separate from the rest of the population
....welfare reform in that all people who receive welfare MUST particpate in some type of work to receive benefits unless they are completely disabled
....corporate welfare completely stops; major corporations either make it on their own or they go under
.....healthcare reform in that everone is provided basic health insurance but EVERYONE has to pay some sort of premium; private companies can provide extra coverage but must accept all people who apply for coverage; thse insurance rates must be affordable even for those with incomes making $30k/year
....DO NOT TOUCH SS and Medicare; these benefits have been earned and should not be used as bargaining chips for political purposes
....provide campaigns with a set amount of money; no more PACs or other ways to obtain funding for election/re-election campaigns

Socially:
....legalize gay marriage; the govt needs to get out of the private lives of everyone
....keep abortion legal but at the same time not allow it to be utilized as a form of birth control for those who are too irresponsible to take precautions against pregnancy (middle of the road approach)
....provide major funding for mental health treatment; change laws to protect potential victims
....make all states RTW; if individual states do not want be RTW, then they can vote on it; unions are no longer allowed to hold companies/states hostage

There are many changes that could be made, and many I deliberately left out in order to get input about what people think would set this country on a balanced course.

 

[WillowTree]

deport all liberals.

 

[gwennie]

deport all liberals.

LOL..... I can't disagree with you

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Abolish the party system and make people get elected on their own ideas and track record. Without the party label and funds democrats like Reid and Waters would be toast.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

....congressional members are given a salary only for the time they are in office; they will no longer receive a lifetime salary or benefits
....term limits; Congress and the president can only serve for a total of 8 years, after which they are ineligible to serve further time
....all congressional members must take part in SS, Medicare, and health insurance that all others must participate in; their retirement and health care would no longer be separate from the rest of the population

We already have term limits, they’re called elections.

These other punitive measures concerning members of Congress are silly and pointless.

....welfare reform in that all people who receive welfare MUST particpate in some type of work to receive benefits unless they are completely disabled

This is already in place.

.....healthcare reform in that everone is provided basic health insurance but EVERYONE has to pay some sort of premium; private companies can provide extra coverage but must accept all people who apply for coverage; thse insurance rates must be affordable even for those with incomes making $30k/year

You’re on the right track, but not quite…

A single-payer system, most definitely. Simply create Medicare for all, with one’s ‘premiums’ coming from his share of payroll taxes.

But not everyone should be eligible for supplemental insurance, whether it be for health reasons or lack of resources; we want health insurance companies to be as profitable as possible so they can be taxed to contribute to the single payer system.

....keep abortion legal but at the same time not allow it to be utilized as a form of birth control for those who are too irresponsible to take precautions against pregnancy (middle of the road approach)

There’s no way to ‘police’ such a provision, this would be far too burdensome; citizens are allowed to exercise their fundamental rights – such as the right to privacy – free from government interference, including not being required to justify the exercising of that right.

 

[gwennie]

....congressional members are given a salary only for the time they are in office; they will no longer receive a lifetime salary or benefits
....term limits; Congress and the president can only serve for a total of 8 years, after which they are ineligible to serve further time
....all congressional members must take part in SS, Medicare, and health insurance that all others must participate in; their retirement and health care would no longer be separate from the rest of the population

We already have term limits, they’re called elections.

These other punitive measures concerning members of Congress are silly and pointless.

....welfare reform in that all people who receive welfare MUST particpate in some type of work to receive benefits unless they are completely disabled

This is already in place.

.....healthcare reform in that everone is provided basic health insurance but EVERYONE has to pay some sort of premium; private companies can provide extra coverage but must accept all people who apply for coverage; thse insurance rates must be affordable even for those with incomes making $30k/year

You’re on the right track, but not quite…

A single-payer system, most definitely. Simply create Medicare for all, with one’s ‘premiums’ coming from his share of payroll taxes.

But not everyone should be eligible for supplemental insurance, whether it be for health reasons or lack of resources; we want health insurance companies to be as profitable as possible so they can be taxed to contribute to the single payer system.

....keep abortion legal but at the same time not allow it to be utilized as a form of birth control for those who are too irresponsible to take precautions against pregnancy (middle of the road approach)

There’s no way to ‘police’ such a provision, this would be far too burdensome; citizens are allowed to exercise their fundamental rights – such as the right to privacy – free from government interference, including not being required to justify the exercising of that right.

Elections are not term limits......people can keep running even if they've already served 20+years. Term limits state that no one can serve more than a pre-determined amount of time, no matter what. You're ducking the real issue. And it's hardly silly to force congress to use SS/Medicare and other healthcare systems that they force upon the publc, as well as take away their lifetime paychecks.....eliminating this form of welfare would create a vast amount of money to fund other worthy programs. No one in congress deserves lifetimes paychecks and benefits.

Welfare reform is NOT in place.....most people on welfare are not working in any way, shape, or form. Quit lying....

If you prevent anyone with illness from taking part in supplemental insurance, then what's the point?? Why have it at all? You are either deliberately making silly comments or are part of a liberal agenda to force insurance companies out of business.....neither one is helpful.

If you truly want freedom from the govt, then liberals would not be pushing the whole contraception mandate or the govt funding of planned parenthood......if anything the govt is forcing companies to go against their religious beliefs to provide contraception and abortion. Once someone is pregnant, their body doesn't belong to just themselves anymore.....just the way it is. There is a way to "police" this, however, liberals have no interest in that.....they believe that abortion is perfectly acceptable, but whine and cry that the death penalty is "cruel and unusual punishment". Hypocrites, all of you....

 

[gwennie]

Abolish the party system and make people get elected on their own ideas and track record. Without the party label and funds democrats like Reid and Waters would be toast.

This.