If I was President of the U.S (...Fill in your own top-ten list!)

[Teri Anne]

Politicians puzzle me.  I always gravitate towards those who are courageous enough to tell us what they really think.  As a kid, I once heard a politician promise to lower taxes and promise to push for all kinds of expensive bills.  It didn't make sense then and it doesn't now.

Here's your chance to effect change!  If you were President of the U.S., what would you do?  Please don't bother arguing against my or anyone else's list.  Just offer your own list.  I'll admit that some of my requests could not happen because the president doesn't have those powers.  But I can dream...

Here's my top-ten list (in no particular order):

1.  Get rid of all governmental discrimination against GLBT.  Make all GLBT eligible for marriage, Social Security, and ALL rights offered to others.  Get rid of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."  How this policy has withstood legal challenge is puzzling.  Equality is what this country is supposed to be about.

2.  Close U.S. military bases around the world.  Let's stop being the world's cop.  Germany doesn't need our help defending it.  We could use the money to fix our economy here.  Maybe, with the money we save, we could also help other economies create jobs so that out-of-work people won't turn themselves into suicide bombers.  Give them hope instead of bombing them from 50,000 feet.  Give peace a chance.

3.  End the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and do what the bad guys do:  Act more secretly (but don't, like in Chile or Iran, with the Shah, act immorally).  Remember how the British thought we were barbaric during our revolutionary war for shooting at their straight lines of redcoats, marching like toy soldiers to their deaths?  We're fighting enemies who act covertly, undercover.  The FBI just caught three terrorists in the U.S. by doing things secretively.  Let's do that, if we must fight at all.  My preference, though obviously altruistic, would be to end all war and serve as an example of peace for the world.  We could also use the money we save from wars to invest in new technologies to defend the U.S..  We're still, strangely enough, not investigating every container that gets shipped to the U.S. -- ridiculous!

4.  Establish more state and national parks around the country, especially near cities.  If an industrial area is history, plow it under and create places where people can get back to Nature....Where peace truly resides.

5.  Create job programs like in Franklin Roosevelt's time.  Most of the jobs created by the stimulus program require heavy training.  Help those of us who just want to get out there and build rock walls for some minimal wage.  Any job where you CREATE creates a good feeling within us.  We all want to feel useful and needed.

6.   Ban lobbyists from approaching legislators.  Make them write letters to the congressmen -- you know, just like us!  I think more bad has happened because of lobbyists than good.  And, unfortunately, the people and future generations pay for it.

7.   Create a public health plan but also use some of the Republican ideas of lowering costs of health care like:  Making it possible to apply for any insurance plan issued in another state.  Lower costs doctors have to pay for malpractice insurance by protecting them against frivolous lawsuits.

8.  Get rid of the Senate.  Jefferson didn't believe in it.  Why should a Senator in Idaho or Montana have immense power over states that have a lot of people like New York or California?

9.  Get rid of the electoral vote for President.  Presidents should only be elected by popular vote.

10.  Last, but probably the most important, start an INITIATIVE PROCESS on a national level so that we, the citizens, could vote up or down on important issues like whether we want to continue wars like Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.  Yes, there would be some turmoil but, in California, my old home-state, I found it to be quite helpful in combatting the status quo.

What's your top ten list?

Hugs, Teri

[Janet_Girl]

As the first TS President of the United States, my top ten list would be:

1. Do away with "Tax Exempt" status.  No more breaks for religious or non profit organizations.  If truly non-profit a special reduced tax would be allowed, but the organization would be under strict government overseeing.

2. Straight across the board income tax.  Everyone would have their fair share to pay.

3. Pay cuts for all Senators, Representatives Federal Judges and the Presidency.  Also all past or retiring legislators would not be given their current salaries, benefits or security.  If you are retiring or are fired ( aka Voted out of office ) then you have to do what every other American must do.

4. Reform Social Security.  If you wish to have a private retirement plan than you can, similar to the rules and regulations for 401K.

5. Nationalized health care.  With the top three it would be paid for.

6. Banned Lobbyists and Special Interest Groups.

7. End Discrimination in housing, employment and health care.  No DOM, DADT.  ENDA would become law.

8. Recall all troops!  Let the world fight it own battles.  We are not the police force.  Sell of all exterior military bases back to the host country.  The monies can be used for black OPS in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.

9. National ID system.  Close the borders.  Arrest and deport all illegal aliens.  Absolutely no benefits if you are not native-born or nationalized American.

10. Reestablish the WPA and create jobs for unemployed Americans.

It is time for America to be for Americans.  And yes it may seem Prejudicial, but maybe it is time for Isolationism.


Janet

[Teri Anne]

Hi Janet,

Love your ideas!  I may have to make my top ten list a top twenty.  It's gonna be a busy time for me as President, lol.  Can't imagine how I forgot fixing the tax system.  A flat-tax is so logical and would mean that I wouldn't have to drag boxes of receipts around for seven years.  And, maybe the creative minds in top accounting firms could spend their time more productively than trying to figure out ways around the thousand-page-plus current tax system.

Hugs, Teri

[DarkLady]

Repeal the REAL ID act.
Repeal Selective service registration.
Repeal DOMA.

[juliekins]

Push for the public option which would, of course, pay for hormones, BA, SRS, FFS, and any gender related surgeries! I would also set up a program to help parents of young gender variant kids get early interdiction so that they  wouldn't have the hardships later in life like we do!

[DarkLady]

And goverment pays BA or FFS. I do not support. There is a serious lack of money everywhere.

[juliekins]

Yes, in my bank account! Then again, there's no money shortage if you work for Goldman Sachs. I heard the average bonus for their 31,000 employees was an astounding $700,000 apiece. Probably works out to more like $10,000 for the janitor and workers, and $75 million for the CEO!

[AmySmiles]

1. Cut costs and pay down the national debt.  This is the most dangerous thing our country faces currently, because if the foreign governments pull the plug on our cash flow we are screwed.

2. Reform and eventually phase out the 2 biggest in-the-red programs (social security and medicare, if what I read is correct, have a combined total of about 60 trillion dollars promised out with no way to pay for it).

3. End the wars, bring the troops home.  Let the world pay its fair share for their own defense.

4. Make it illegal to get political contributions from lobbyists and/or put a cap on the amount that can be received from a single donor.  Big business' self-interested lawmaking will destroy the lower class and already has made it ridiculously hard to enter the market as a new company.

5. No more government pensions, cut government salaries to a reasonable level.

6. Across the board tax cuts to a reasonable level.  Simplify the tax code so the IRS can be abolished.  The more money in people's pockets, the more choice they have on where to spend it.  It might even become reasonable to save money for big purchases rather than getting loans from banks for everything (from cars to houses) which just lines the banks' pockets.

7. Stop taking a national position on everything.  I think it would be much more beneficial if things like abortion, gay marriage, et al were state or county-level issues.  The minds of the strictly-religious right will never be changed.  Let them live in their own communities and outlaw it there if they want, but the discourse on these things at a national level causes so much strife that I think people are missing the more important problems in the country.

8. End the Federal Reserve.  Price controls on interest rates = price controls on money.  Newly (printed) inflated money goes to the banks and politicians first while it is worth the old amount and trickles down to the poor when it is worth the new amount.  The most sinister tax on the poor because it is hidden.  If we need more money, let CONGRESS do it through a bill so there is actually accountability.

Ran out of ideas here.  Anything else I could say is just a derivative effect of what I've already said!  Either way, I sincerely believe special interest groups, lobbyists, and investment banks are the root of most problems in our country... followed closely by our massive deficit spending.  We need to take a big look at the real role of government and do away with things that fall outside its realm of responsibility.

[juliekins]

Certain civil rights, like right to marry the person you love regardless of gender, I believe are inalienable rights. I don't believe these should be subject to the whim of the local voters. I think the state referendum process cannot or should not  be used to minimize the rights of others. The Constitution grants these rights on a national basis-"that all me are created equal". It doesn't say, except if they are gay or transgendered.

The idea that we should then just pick up and move to another place or state is not only expensive but it's wrong. If my roots and that of my family are here, I shouldn't have to move in order to not lose my job just because I'm trans and work for a biased employer. I believe that ENDA needs to pass to protect us all on a national basis, and that DOMA should also be eliminated as inherently unconstitutional. Just my opinion....

[Miniar]

1. Resign...

Seriously. There are a million things I'd "want" to do, but I don't know enough about the american system to be able to do a good job and quite frankly, I know that since I've no idea what I'm doing it'd probably make a worse mess of things than there is currently. Way Way WAY worse.

[FairyGirl]

1. I would have had to be dragged kicking and screaming into office with a look of abject horror on my face. There's not enough money in the world to pay me to want that job. No one that wants to be elected ever should be.

[DarkLady]

The politicians have more power than it is generally believed. But you have to work in the limit of your position. For example as U.S. president I would promise never to reinstitute the draft. I would work active with congress to end selective service registration. I would promise to do everything  to cancel the National ID Card-project, I would veto FEMA if approved by the congress. I would nominate judges that are pro-civil rights. I would increase the presence of the USA. I would not start ideological empire-building wars.

[Julie Marie]

General stuff, not necessarily within the presidential powers:

1. Let the Constitution be the defining factor in all matters, legal and civil.

2. Eliminate the exchange of cash, perks or gifts when dealing with lobbyists.

3. Eliminate campaign donations.

4. Allow for the simple majority of a politician's voting block be all that's required to throw them out of office.

5. Stop sticking our noses in other country's business.

6. Change our direction from a country built for war to a country built for the good of all.

7. Stop blowing our tax dollars on unnecessary things.

8. Change the public school system so that parents have a say-so in their child's education.

9. Dilute the power of powerhouse politicians - eg: control the money

10. Truly make this country the land of the free.

In other words, do what the people want, not what the politicians want.

Julie

[childofwinter]

I'm not American, so these will be somewhat generic.

1. Order all American troops out of the Middle East to go back to the US. Close all US bases not in American territory and leave NATO. Adopt a neutral stance.

2. Nationalise the health care system.

3. Cut military spending by at least half, and use the money saved for the benefit of the poor.

4. Raise taxes for the richest members of society, raise the minimum wage as much as feasible, introduce a maximum wage of around twice the average per annum income.

5. Ratify the Kyoto Treaty and do everything possible to cut America's contribution to global pollution.

6. Abolish the death penalty where possible. I don't know if the President can do that, but it would be great to see legalised murder finally consigned to the history books.

7. Ensure that as much of America's power supply is created by renewable energy as possible.

8. Safely dismantle most of the nuclear warheads.

9. Disband the CIA. Give the FBI whatever domestic powers the CIA has.

10. Push for more equality in society for people. The President should be using all their powers to encourage positive and progressive change in society.

[Alyssa M.]

If I was were President of the U.S. I would make misuse of the subjunctive punishable by death. 

I agree with FairyGirl and Miniar. I would make a terrible president. Thank God I'm still too young to serve in that office.

[heatherrose]

As benevolent dictator, I feel it would be my duty
and divine right, to push the big red reset button.

[DarkLady]

The president is not a dictator (expect that Bush jr. tried to be).
Some platforms here iclude things that need a substantially larger political will. But as the president of the USA I would promise 1) never to declare martial law 2) never to activate the selective service system 3) never to sign any execution under my jurisdication. I would also work hard to 4) disband the REAL ID Act, 5) to nominate pro-civil right judges, 6) get the DOMA modificated or repealled, 7) end the selective service registry, 8)make the patriot act more reasonable, 9) encourage cooperation with the other world leaders, 10) do not start unnecessery wars. 

I would be a democrat - mostly because I belive in the small and limited goverment, letting people live free.

[Miniar]

I'd rather be Evil Overlord of Earth.

[finewine]

I'd rather be Evil Overlord of Earth.

Excuse me?  Get your hairy arse out of my chair!     I shall offer you the position of "Evil Overlord of Earth's Minion"...hmm, minion...Miniar...yes, works for me!

thpptppt! hehe