My perspective is thus, I am a very successful entrepreneur and businessman and have a knack for finding opportunity where others may not. So despite all the back and forth and this and that about debt, there are some reasonable and sensible ways for the US to raise its revenues:
1. Bring the Troops Home…
Not necessarily the ones in Afghanistan or Iraq but the ones in South Korea, Germany and Japan. We would save billions by simply leaving a presence.
2. Add More States
That’s right, we are all strengthened by additions to the Union. Puerto Rico is the first and best candidate and could easily and swiftly become the ‘Hawaii’ of the Atlantic. It has the currency and all born there are already citizens. Some simple and minor investment in infrastructure and jobs would be the wisest choice possible for both the island and the Union. Another candidate might be Iceland which would serve as the Alaska of the East, without Palin presumably.
3. High Rail
It should be a top priority for us to create and integrate a high speed railway into the nation. Means jobs and jobs mean infrastructure.
4. Get Green
Get it straight already: it is no longer even an issue if global warming is real. Truth is the globe is headed to a better place with its planet and the FIRST country to provide the technology and services and solutions will benefit for the next 50-100 years in jobs and exports and power.
5. Dump the Tanks
The military budget is full of maintenance for old and useless weaponry. We must create a RDF (Rapid Deployment Force) to respond globally in a matter of hours in stead of keeping and holding old planes, tanks and copters that no longer fit a strategy attune to globalized military needs. A strike force.
As a matter of fact, we spend more on defense than all the other top ten spenders COMBINED. We need to return to the sentiments and actions of Eisenhower and put that money into infrastructure, not aging weaponry.
6. Legalize, Regulate and Tax
It is no coincidence that Prohibition ended in 1933. The benefits, medical and social and financial, of marijuana are too large to ignore anymore. It is already America’s largest cash cropx2. We would profit yes, but it also provides us opportunities to cut spending – in jails, for instance.
7. Dump Some States
Yeah, I said it. If we are to run this country like a business, as Republicans and myself would like, then we cut off all the unprofitable arms. That would mean just about any southern red state. Yeah, I said it. Blue states make us money while red states cost us a fortune to prop up and maintain. Look it up. Red has far more teen pregnancy, drug usage, domestic abuse, alcoholism and porn usage than its jackass counterparts. Perhaps that is why their color is ‘red.’
If we were smart we would at least give up Texas or Florida, even for the emotional break it would provide.
8. Healh Care Reform…idiots.
Let’s say I cut my toe and didn’t have insurance so I left it alone until it got worse and infected and made my diabetes act up and I had to go into the ER for what ended up costing the public around $25,000. Alternative is to insure them which then would cost around $1500/yr while penalizing those who, to save money, purposely do not seek coverage and thus cost us considerably more.
9. End the Drug War, Shore Up the Borders
By ending the three decade old War on Drugs, we free up resources to tackle larger issues that affect, even dictate large aspects of the drug war: illegal immigration and opportunity. Devote a quarter of the resources from the savings on the war to borders and illegal immigration. Devote another 50% to control and regulation and taxation of soft and prescription drugs.
10. National Gas Sales Tax
Times are tough and they call for drastic measures. The current average price of a gallon is $2.65, well below the four dollar range of a few years ago.
The idea would be to invoke a tax of $0.50-$0.75 per gallon. Users of Regular would pay $.50 and Premium would pay the top rate of $0.75. This tax could be excised for a trial period, say 3-6 months, with full reassessment upon conclusion.
The purpose of the tax would be, 1) to repay the debt based off the direct costs of the wars, 2) fund high level expansion of national high-speed rails 3) push the advancement of society towards greener pastures.
Any intellectual worth his weight cannot admit in good conscience that the wars of the decade were, or can ever be won – see “The Art of War.” They were far too much of a drain on the country and its resources, human and financial, it is the first rule of a successful campaign – prolonged warfare can never produce a victory.
One sure way to make sure the fight was not in total vain is to honor the future by not bestowing waves of debt and deficit on them as they are born.
Put up or shut up America, lots of ways for us to make money but it all starts with the will of the PEOPLE to sacrifice for the greater good.
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The National Enquirer, the mag with a knack for catching a tiger by the tail, is reporting that Tiger has moved from the sex to the drug card. I think momma told him, go to rehab and he said…
Slacker Friday
- Twins still look like a division winner, yes, but a one and done still.
- My source says Favre changed his mind and will announce dependent on what the Vikes do in the draft and free agency. From his end though, he’s good to go and the mere fact he hasn’t actually retired is a first and a sign he’ll be back.
- Who is the coach of the T-Wolves? Not that I care.
- Children of Men on USA Network? Good for them for haing the cajones to show a great but dark and heavy film.
- I could only watch the winter olympics (besides hockey) for like five minutes at a time. Do I really need instant replay for cross-country skiing? Commentary? “He’s going three miles an hour now.”
- Gm is firing back up 500 dealerships. Stay tuned, that’s your company ;o) Buy back is closer.
- People and cell phones and driving don’t mix. Most people are driving monkeys already without the phone. I’m all for heavy penalties for talking and txting and driving. Pretty much every accident I get into on a daily basis is with some monkey on their phone.
- I’m happy Canada won the gold hockey game. Love their national anthem.
- Final Note:
I have come full 180 degrees on holding the trial of Sheik Muhammed in NYC. At first I didn’t think it was a good idea but can now see why we MUST hold it there.
If we are to show the world, the terrorists, that we have won and been resilient and are not afraid – then we hold it in NY, where the crime occurred as normal. We must be defiant. Bad enough the space at ground zero is still vacant.
In fact, hold it right in the middle of ground zero, show all the SOBs that we are not afraid, unaffected. We cower to no one and the rule of law stands. No?
So while I originally disagreed with Obama’s decision, I have come full-circle and now find myself at odds with him as he considers moving the trials (although mostly because of pressure from NY. I would think they want justice and on their turf.)
Terrorists win when we alter our lives, our values (torture), our level of panic (Iraq) – it shows those back home (recruiters and recruits) that it does work. This trial is another great example.