Illegal immigration:
The problems are huge but only in volume, not complexity. 40% of illegal immigrants came here legally and have over stayed their visas. Why would be so hard to track them down and deport them?
14th amendment should be readdressed to reverse the anchor baby issue, which isn't a huge issue by volume, but is also not correct. Trump is correct that the USA is one of a handful of countries in the world that allow this inane act. It was originally targeted to native American's and ex-slaves, not women who come to the USA illegally to give birth in order to receive the plethora of government entitlements.
Finally, do we really not have enough immigration laws? How would we know, when we haven't bothered to enforce many of them for decades. How about we start enforcing them?
Fully implement E-Verify so that every employer cannot legally employ them. Prosecute the employers, both companies and individuals who may employ housekeepers or landscapers. Many will head back across the border on their own if they cannot find a job.
For the people who are left, I'd offer a 1 time chance for the following:
- To register as an illegal immigrant. You'd get a card and a court date.
- On the court date, if you can provide proof of employment (which would be unlikely given the above restrictions on employment), proof you are legitimately paying taxes and not receiving government benefits, your ID card will become a illegal immigrant green card.
- The illegal immigrant green card will provide them with a place in line behind all the immigrants legally applying.
- As long as the illegal immigrant maintains steady employment and pays taxes they can stay in the U.S.
- If for any reason the illegal immigrant cannot, they will be returned to their country of origin
- If the illegal immigrant doesn't show up for their court date, a warrant for arrest would be issued and they'd be permanently denied legal citizenship and once discovered they'd be deported.
- Any illegal immigrant with a criminal record (beyond being here illegally) will be denied citizenship.
- Once an illegal immigrant green card is received, they will not be allowed to receive government benefits or to vote.
- If they came here illegally and went through all this, then they can stay, but you will not be allowed to vote - ever. The legal children of illegal immigrants would be allowed to vote (i.e., 2nd generation)
- Finally, what is so difficult about building a wall where it makes sense and installing electronic monitoring everywhere else to tighten up the border? Just because it'd be a long wall? Who cares? If for no other reason, it should be built to keep out terrorists who aren't here already.
The U.S.A. has to be more engaged. The damage has been done by Obama's leading from behind. The evidence is everywhere. ISIS must be defeated and that will likely require troops be returned to the dessert again. I hate it, but anyone who says differently is naive, ignorant, lying, or some combination.
Israel:
It should be made blatantly clear to the entire world that any attack on Israel is an attack on the US and it's NATO partners. Mess with them and you'll pay a heavy price.
Russia:
Install missile defense systems in Poland (which Obama reneged on), provide weapons and training to Ukraine and engage in NATO military exercises in the Baltic Sea and the plains of the Baltic States to show Putin the USA is back and we're in charge.
China:
This is really handled through economic policy by allowing companies to repatriate their income if they return manufacturing to the US. China is not the low cost producer it was in the 80's & 90's. Once their manufacturing base begins to crumble, they'll be much more amenable to fair trade policies. Once there is a little chink in the armor we can turn the heat up on human rights issues, their support of N. Korea, and their environmental policy. We should also fight back (if we haven't already) on cyber terrorism. We need to rebuild our navy to ensure the free flow of goods & services all over the world, especially the Pacific Rim.
Foreign Aid:
Eliminate all cash foreign aid to countries unless they have signed a treaty of non-aggression to the USA. No government shall receive any foreign unless there are free elections allowed. This would be particularity applicable to African nations where the dictators receive aid in either cash, which they keep, or food which they promptly repackage so that it looks as if their own country is providing the aid to their population. In the case of the West African nations, we should encourage them to trade oil for food and insist the food be distributed through our own NGO's. Remaining countries who would like the protection of the USA, should be providing us with payment for such services (i.e., Japan, Philippines, Korea, et al.).
Entitlements:
Welfare state - Reinstate the requirement to be working to receive benefits that Obama suspended. You must also pass drug screening. Block grant states their benefits based on population with bonuses to those who put more people back to work in real careers. Provide childcare credits so parents can work and children can grow up seeing their parent go to work everyday in order to make a livelihood. Provide greater benefits to two parent households.
Social Security: Adjust the retirement age up. 60% benefits for those who retire between 62-65. 75% benefits for those who retire between 65-70. 90% for those who retire between 71-73. 100% for those who retire at 74 and over. Same goes for income. Anyone receiving retirement income, including union pensions, and tax-free income from muni's, annuities, trusts, etc.. would have their benefits reduced accordingly. Benefits reduced by 25% for those whose income exceeds 200% of median household income, 50% over 300%, 75% over 400% and 100% over 500%.
The young should be able to opt out with proof of personal retirement investments equal to at least 10% of their pretax income annually. This would be phases in over the 15-20 years.
Tax Simplification:
Phase 1 (1st term): Simple tax. Eliminate all deductions, including those for home mortgages. 0% tax on first $50,000, 15% from $50,001 to $100,000, 20% from $100,001 to $300,000, $25% from $300,000-$500,000 and 30% on anything over $500,000. All investment income taxed at this rate (i.e., eliminate capital gains tax, death tax, etc...) The income in this example could be adjust to some percent of median income from previous tax year.
Eliminate income tax on repatriated profits of U.S. companies.
Eliminate all subsidies to industries (i.e. "corporate welfare') including all farm subsidies.
Allow companies instant depreciation on capital expenditures.
No special carve-outs for any company, industry or person.
Phase 2 (2nd term): Replace the simple tax with a consumption tax. See: Fair Tax .
Abortion:
Abortion was made legal in all 50 states 1973 by 12 men in black robes. Period. All that is left for discussion are two things:
- What is the proper age in which a child may be murdered by their mother?
- Who is responsible to pay for said murders?
End of discussion.
Healthcare Reform:
Repeal Obamacare. Replace with simple reforms:
- Allow insurance companies to sell benefits across state lines.
- Remove bundling of insurance (i.e., if you are a single man you should not be forced to pay for maternity coverage.)
- Create a safety net pool for those with pre-existing conditions and for the unemployable.
- Increase HSA usage - require it for all newborns and partially fund some HSA's for younger workers. This money must be portable. Some portion of you the HSA investment should be inheritable, with the balance going to fund the safety net for the indigent. For example, if you've been contributing your entire life and you suddenly pass away at age 65 with a balance of $750,000 in your HSA, 75% is inheritable, while 25% goes into a fund (i.e., "lock-box) to fund healthcare for the indigent.
- No deductions for healthcare expenses, but would provide for lifetime cap, probably based on a multiple of your income.
- This system would eventually phase out Medicare.
- Every attempt should be made to encourage patients to directly pay the doctor, especially for routine visits such as check-ups and simple items to dispense prescriptions for cold,etc..
- Allow drug companies to off-set future earnings by supplying prescriptions to the indigent for free or at a greatly reduced rate.
Cabinet/Department Consolidations:
Combine Departments of Labor, Commerce, Transportation and Agriculture, putting them under the Department of the Interior. Department of Energy would be put under Defense.
Eliminate Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development
So the Departments would be as follows:
- Department of Defense
- Department of State
- Department of Justice
- Department of Interior
- Department of Health and Human Services (I'd rename it: Department of Social Welfare - so no one would lose sight of it's real purpose.)
- Department of Veterans Affairs (renamed: Department of Veterans Recovery)
- Department of Homeland Security
Term-limits:
Every politician seems to run on term limits only to drop the subject once elected. The POTUS should use his/her bully pulpit to urge the GOP controlled congress to pass the following term limits and reduction of pensions for congressmen & senators:
Congressmen: 3 terms. Unless you complete all 3 terms no pension. If you do, your pension would consist of $25,000 for life and be subject to a phase out similar to the Social Security means testing described above.
Senators: 2 terms, unless you served for any amount of time as a congressman, then 1 term and out. Same pension as Congressmen.
Congress should also eliminate all of the sweet benefits they receive, like free haircuts, free gym, etc...
Congress should be subject to Obamacare until it is repealed.
Veterans Healthcare:
Much like education, the money should follow the soldier, regardless of the provider. If a vet needs common healthcare they should be allowed to go to any provider. Vets with special needs such as PTSD therapy should be provided that care quickly and completely at Veterans Hospitals nationwide. In the rare case where the care isn't quickly and easily available, they should be allowed to seek care where they can and have the costs covered.
No comments:
Post a Comment