"My First Act as President..."
There is basis for the argument that the American voting process is a display in vicarious politics. The thinking is that you vote for the politician who is most likely to do what YOU would do, after all. This takes representation one step further. Political pundits, authors and comedians get to play "if I were president" all the time, why not us? So, just for shits and giggles, finish this sentence.
"My first act as your President is to..."
Doesn't have to be logical, require legal-weight supportive evidence or pass the Senate. In fact, assume anything requiring a Senate or House vote will sail through. Does have to be something reserved to a defined presidential power (no sending Dan Rather or Rush Limbaugh to a gulag). List more than one "first act" if you must, but limit yourself to three at the most.
Re: "My First Act as President..."
...impose a veto threat for any spending bill (omnibus or straight appropriation) that exceeds 4% year-over-year growth in discretionary and non-discretionary spending alike.
Hey, I go to strip clubs, so I've already proven a man can dream...
:D
Re: "My First Act as President..."
Casual, that's an excellent one. I can't top that.
Re: "My First Act as President..."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilith
TDoes have to be something reserved to a defined presidential power (no sending Dan Rather or Rush Limbaugh to a gulag).
Aww, well that takes the fun out of it.
I'll think of some policy specific ideas when I'm not so deprived of sleep. I'll leave my favorite George Bernard Shaw quote in the meantime.
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround him... The unreasonable man adapts surrounding conditions to himself... All progress depends on the unreasonable man."
If that doesn't make it obvious, my proposed ideas are probably going to be somewhat extra-constitutional.
Re: "My First Act as President..."
Get rid of the Political Correctness police. They want to outlaw the Pledge of Allegiance some places because it offends the athiests. No Halloween for some because it might offend the Wiccans. Certain Christmas carols are banned because of reference to Jesus. C'mon now people!
Re: "My First Act as President..."
Make sustainability a national policy. Everything our government does from that point on must be fiscally sustainable (not 12 years out, when no one that voted for it is around, but NOW), environmentally and socially sustainable, and ethical. Yes, the works.
More, we would not trade with any nation that does business another way. Corporations that make profits in the US would be required (if they wish to continue trading with the largest market in the world) must live up to (or prove they are working toward in a reasonable "less than forever" timeline) reasonable policies of sustainability - including good pay and good working conditions.
Finally, we would no longer "skip tax" things made overseas. US companies that produce stuff overseas aren't taxed on that overseas income, even if the products are sold in the US. Sorry, that's wrong, 'cause the company can over-charge itself for foreign operations and hide almost all the money.
Energy sustainability (getting off the oil teat for vehicles, heating, fertilizer, roofing, etc.) would be a key part of this.
It's not pie in the sky...i can prove each of these policies will work now. It's just building a society that can survive forever (be sustainable)....instead of eating itself away the way we're doing now.
Re: "My First Act as President..."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Casual Observer
...impose a veto threat for any spending bill (omnibus or straight appropriation) that exceeds 4% year-over-year growth in discretionary and non-discretionary spending alike...
/:Owsjebfgiushkdtlh is all I got out of that...Call me uninformed I guess/:O
Re: "My First Act as President..."
K, my first act as president would be to immediately make legal all consensual crimes between adults.
Re: "My First Act as President..."
Have an orgy in the oval office and broadcast it live on the web. Starting the first four years in office with a BANG.
Seriously, whatever it takes to send out a clear message: "Enough of this repressed bullshit, people."
Re: "My First Act as President..."
You know the more I think about this, it really isn't so much our national policy which gets me in a tizzy, but a lot of state and local ones. Maybe we could rename the thread "My first act as Mayor or Governor".
Anyways, I think one thing that needs to be put to a stop in this country is eminent domain abuse. If you want to demolish someone's house/business for a new school or a freeway then fine, but no more of this giving the condemned property to another private party just because they can produce more tax revenue. That is utter bullshit. We had a case here in Kansas where they declared ED on a car dealership, just so an even richer car dealership could take that space, and then there's that damned NASCAR track they built.
Oh, and I'd abolish the FCC, or at least put them out of the moral arbitration business.
Re: "My First Act as President..."
Work with Congress to eliminate the tax code as it exists, in favor of a combination of flat income tax rate with no deductions (exemption for poverty-level citizens) and national sales tax with no exemptions.
Re: "My First Act as President..."
Eminent Domain Abuse.. I like that. I have a great example:
in the 60's, a local water company gpt some land in ED. GOod use of the service, especially since it's prime watershed land (nature's water filter) and wouldn't be developed. Move to the new millenium, and the watershed land is sold off by the water company at $15 per acre to "the highest bidder" (former owners were not informed).
A developer bought it, and was offering it for sale, until the State was pressured into buying the land at a HUGE (counted in millions) of profit for the developer.
Abuse defined. Land "stolen" from landowners, sold at a huge discount and resold at a HUGE profit...with the original landowners left cold.