After seeing the possible presidential wannabes, Republican and Democrat, I find myself wanting someone completely different from all of them. On the Republican side, most have not even a whisper of a chance to be the party candidate much less successful in winning next November. On the Democratic side we have a woman who is saying nothing very interesting and a socialist who is, but only because his ideas are so far to the left.
None appears ready to take on some of the real issues facing our country.
While the Republicans are against illegal immigration, none was saying that we must seal our border, tighten our VISA system, and immediately deport those caught sneaking in, instead of releasing them with hopes of future court dates, until Mr. Trump did. But he went on to say that all here now should be deported and their American born children should not be citizens. The Democratic candidates want full citizenship for those who flouted so many U.S. laws. I would like a candidate who will on one hand secure our border and visa system, require employers to use the EVerify system on all employees, immediately repatriate those caught recently crossing illegally, but on the other, let those who have established roots here stay with legal status but no path to citizenship. I have not heard one candidate suggest we develop a Marshall Plan for Mexico and Central America so that their citizens will want to stay and prosper in their own lands and that some already here might even want to return to their beloved homeland.
None has expressed a desire to reduce our military footprint in the world by closing many of our 700+ foreign bases and for being fully reimbursed by the host countries in which our bases remain. This could save us almost $100 billion a year and make America seem less like an imperialist nation which seeks to control the world. We would also be less likely to be the 911 of the world.
No hopeful is talking about dramatically reforming the federal income tax code to make it much more simple, fair, verifiable and revenue producing. The GOP candidates want to simplify the code but do it to make the rich pay less. The Democrats want the rich to pay for everything. I would like to see a tax code that considers all sources of income equally taxable, that has no itemized deductions or credits, replaced by a standardized deduction, and that has only five or six tax brackets and a lower top tax rate but one that would apply to one’s total income, not just the reduced net after all the itemized deductions and credits currently in place.
We hear no mention of making government more effective in providing services while preventing the massive fraud as we have seen in the Earned Income Credit, unemployment insurance and medical service charges. Not one has suggested eliminating the penny and even the nickel, coins we never need and which cost more to produce than their worth.
I have heard only one presidential hopeful mention changes in Social Security to make sure it remains solvent, but his idea is to increase benefits threatening its solvency. I have heard none say that we must crack down on fraudulent payments to recipients no longer with us. None has suggested we raise the contribution from 6.2% to 6.5% while raising the income ceiling from $118,500 to $200,000 nor that we change the way we tax the benefits so that all benefit payments are fully taxable not just 85% subject to tax. Taxes on Social Security benefits go right back into the fund.
And while many have concerns about the Affordable Care Act because of its mandatory individual enrollment, the penalties for non-compliance and the subsidies to healthcare organizations allowing them to charge more, none has recommended changes that would make enrollment voluntary, eliminating penalties. If insurers were able to reject any applicant, it would not have to be mandatory. If applicants are rejected by insurers, they could then get the “public option” which would be government-run like Medicare and Medicaid are now. There would be a share of cost. Rates would decline and subsidies might be unnecessary.
Neither the liberal Democrats nor the conservative Republicans promised to right a century-old wrong and decriminalize marijuana, until Bernie Sanders did just now, finally..
And there is nothing but silence about ending poverty in our rich land affecting tens of millions of people, including half a million homeless, while much talk is heard about saving the middle class which can barely spend $600 billion on Christmas presents that nobody needs each year and contributes $400 billion to charities.
No candidate mentions reforming high school curricula to better tailor coursework to student talents and inclinations, substituting courses that are not relevant to many students some that would be.
I have heard no candidate promise to ensure that the U.S. military will stay out of the Middle East conflicts which have no future prospect of being resolved as the countries there are currently configured. I have heard none say that these countries, many of whom were created last century by Western powers after the fall of the Ottoman empire, should be reconstructed to be either Shiite or Sunni but not both. None has called for an independent state for the Kurds.
I think that we need a moderate party with a candidate who is neither just liberal nor just conservative but finds a middle path between both extremes. I believe that we need it very much and very soon.
None appears ready to take on some of the real issues facing our country.
While the Republicans are against illegal immigration, none was saying that we must seal our border, tighten our VISA system, and immediately deport those caught sneaking in, instead of releasing them with hopes of future court dates, until Mr. Trump did. But he went on to say that all here now should be deported and their American born children should not be citizens. The Democratic candidates want full citizenship for those who flouted so many U.S. laws. I would like a candidate who will on one hand secure our border and visa system, require employers to use the EVerify system on all employees, immediately repatriate those caught recently crossing illegally, but on the other, let those who have established roots here stay with legal status but no path to citizenship. I have not heard one candidate suggest we develop a Marshall Plan for Mexico and Central America so that their citizens will want to stay and prosper in their own lands and that some already here might even want to return to their beloved homeland.
None has expressed a desire to reduce our military footprint in the world by closing many of our 700+ foreign bases and for being fully reimbursed by the host countries in which our bases remain. This could save us almost $100 billion a year and make America seem less like an imperialist nation which seeks to control the world. We would also be less likely to be the 911 of the world.
No hopeful is talking about dramatically reforming the federal income tax code to make it much more simple, fair, verifiable and revenue producing. The GOP candidates want to simplify the code but do it to make the rich pay less. The Democrats want the rich to pay for everything. I would like to see a tax code that considers all sources of income equally taxable, that has no itemized deductions or credits, replaced by a standardized deduction, and that has only five or six tax brackets and a lower top tax rate but one that would apply to one’s total income, not just the reduced net after all the itemized deductions and credits currently in place.
We hear no mention of making government more effective in providing services while preventing the massive fraud as we have seen in the Earned Income Credit, unemployment insurance and medical service charges. Not one has suggested eliminating the penny and even the nickel, coins we never need and which cost more to produce than their worth.
I have heard only one presidential hopeful mention changes in Social Security to make sure it remains solvent, but his idea is to increase benefits threatening its solvency. I have heard none say that we must crack down on fraudulent payments to recipients no longer with us. None has suggested we raise the contribution from 6.2% to 6.5% while raising the income ceiling from $118,500 to $200,000 nor that we change the way we tax the benefits so that all benefit payments are fully taxable not just 85% subject to tax. Taxes on Social Security benefits go right back into the fund.
And while many have concerns about the Affordable Care Act because of its mandatory individual enrollment, the penalties for non-compliance and the subsidies to healthcare organizations allowing them to charge more, none has recommended changes that would make enrollment voluntary, eliminating penalties. If insurers were able to reject any applicant, it would not have to be mandatory. If applicants are rejected by insurers, they could then get the “public option” which would be government-run like Medicare and Medicaid are now. There would be a share of cost. Rates would decline and subsidies might be unnecessary.
Neither the liberal Democrats nor the conservative Republicans promised to right a century-old wrong and decriminalize marijuana, until Bernie Sanders did just now, finally..
And there is nothing but silence about ending poverty in our rich land affecting tens of millions of people, including half a million homeless, while much talk is heard about saving the middle class which can barely spend $600 billion on Christmas presents that nobody needs each year and contributes $400 billion to charities.
No candidate mentions reforming high school curricula to better tailor coursework to student talents and inclinations, substituting courses that are not relevant to many students some that would be.
I have heard no candidate promise to ensure that the U.S. military will stay out of the Middle East conflicts which have no future prospect of being resolved as the countries there are currently configured. I have heard none say that these countries, many of whom were created last century by Western powers after the fall of the Ottoman empire, should be reconstructed to be either Shiite or Sunni but not both. None has called for an independent state for the Kurds.
I think that we need a moderate party with a candidate who is neither just liberal nor just conservative but finds a middle path between both extremes. I believe that we need it very much and very soon.
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