Everybody says the country is polarized. Really? It seems to me that we're pretty much in agreement on most things:
DEFENSE SPENDING:
*Our troops should be the best trained and best equipped
in the world.
*The various branches of our military should not
be competing against each other for resources but preparing instead to fight increasingly sophisticated threats to our
national security.
*Our allies should be paying their fair share of
the cost of defending freedom around the world.
DOMESTIC SPENDING:
*Social
Security? Good. But Warren Buffet should have to pay the same percentage
of his total income into Social Security as the rest of us. And if the
retirement age also has to go up a year or two in order to make the system
solvent over time, we’re fine with that.
*Medicare
and Medicaid? Also good. But each
needs to be run better---and by that we mean cheaper. As far as national
health care is concerned, let’s stop fooling around. Requiring businesses to
pay for health care is ridiculous. It’s a huge drag on their ability to grow
and to create new jobs. Basic health care (just like education) should be the birthright of every US citizen. Smart
and healthy citizens make for a stronger and more competitive country. Fear of
destitution from illness, on the other hand, makes us less entrepreneurial and
less productive. The best thing we can do for this economy is to take the cost
of health care off the backs of our job creators, and
instead everybody should chip in.
*Education?
Don’t get me started. Every kid in America—regardless of income---goes to
school. And that’s a good thing. So why stop at high school? If you’re smart
enough to cut it, the country needs you to go to
college. Period. But let’s face it. Colleges have been jacking up
tuitions on the back of government guaranteed student loans for way too long.
No college—public or private---should be eligible for any taxpayer funds of any
kind (direct or indirect) unless they can prove they have a needs blind
admission policy. That is, the kids they accept are allowed to attend---even if
their parents can’t afford the full freight. And when
colleges complain, the answer is simple. You’re supposed to be smart.
Figure it out!
PUBLIC TELEVISION:
*We get a much better bang for the buck from Big
Bird, than from Big Oil.
GOVERNMENT REFORM:
*How much longer are we going to put up with Fillabusters in the US Senate? Dump them. Elections are supposed to matter. The majority should
rule---especially there.
TAXES:
*Wealth should be taxed at the same rate as work. What’s wrong with that? Why
should a hedge fund manager get a tax break we won’t give to a bricklayer?
They both put their pants on one leg at time--only the bricklayer’s pants
actually get dirty every once in awhile.
*And speaking of taxes, let's pay
whatever the top rate was when Bill Clinton was president. Things were pretty
good back then. 23 million new jobs and a balance sheet
that was in the black. But whatever the top rate is---everybody at the top should pay it. No
exceptions.
*Finally, no profitable corporation should ever
be able to pay zero taxes. That’s just bullsh*t.
THE FISCAL CLIFF:
*Politicians need to stop driving
the government bus while drunk. The Simpson-Bowles approach makes sense. Pay
for the laws you pass---or don’t pass them.
*The "chatter
class" should stop calling these “tough choices.” A top tax rate at 39.5% instead of
35%? Capping the mortgage interest deduction? Making hedge fund managers pay the same tax rate as hospital workers? What’s so hard
about that?
*The only pledge a politician should sign is the
“Pledge of Allegiance”--especially the part about Justice for All.
On election day, when the
partisan pinheads are through wasting billions
of dollars demonizing each other, can we please finally
face the obvious truth? Everybody who can count realizes we’re not contributing enough to pay for
the programs we all want.
So the only question left
to decide is this:
When it comes to cutting spending compassionately—which must be
done; and raising taxes fairly---which
also must be done; who do you want making
those decisions for you?
If that’s a tough choice, God
help us all.
