Let's Implement The Following Five Solutions To The Issues Confronting America.
It is Time To Bring Change To Congress!
1) Healthcare Reform
We could setup a program similar to "Welfare Reform" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Responsibility_and_Work_Opportunity_Act) in that the federal government distributes a block grant to the 50 states for the sole purpose of healthcare. Each state could then determine how many services should be offered companies/individuals. Consequently, bureaucracy may be reduced as a result.
Our federal government should not offer a "One-Payer" system, nor should they eliminate the "Doctor-Patient" model.
My recommendation for each state:
Let's require all corporations/organizations domiciled within them to set aside a certain percentage of their revenue and provide healthcare for all citizens. In other words, any entity would have to set aside an exact percentage of its revenue in a given year for healthcare. The money would be paid into a special fund regardless if they went over/under that percentage. As a result, companies could plan and account for healthcare expenses rather than play a guessing game that they are doing right now. In the last eight years, healthcare costs alone have risen 150%. The corporate tax percentage currently being incurred by a company would then be reduced by that exact percentage. Therefore, there would not be any negative impact to a company if this plan were implemented (Our Corporate tax is currently the second highest in the world among industrialized nations). All healthcare expenses above that percentage would be covered by the state government (For the most part they are doing it now). Our government could be able to afford this expense by having a 1 or 1 1/2% federal tax on anything sold in the US (Similar to what is being done in Great Britain in order to offset all of the products being made in China and elsewhere and exported for sale in the US). This particular plan would protect the "Doctor-Patient" relationship and keep government from intruding in our lives and mandating a "One-Payer" system that decides "who-gets-what-and-when".
By establishing this type of plan, corporations would discriminate less of people aged 50 and older.
In addition, with should also have "Lawsuit Medical Tort Reform" to prevent skyrocketing costs from being injected into our Healthcare system and prevent it from "Delaying" or "Denying" service to a citizen.
2) National I.D. Card – Immigration
In order to offer a Health Care plan, every citizen in the US would have to be issued a National I.D. Card. When you enroll in a college, join a company, or enroll in an AARP Supplemental Medicare Insurance Plan you are currently required to have an I.D. card. On each card, the citizen's picture and fingerprint should appear. Not only would this system help government in planning and managing our resources, but it is necessary for actuarial purposes so that we know exactly what to do with Social Security, Medicare, and Immigration. It will also be required in order for the federal government to avoid making unnecessary and wasteful payments.
Furthermore, it will make it easier for our government to reduce crime and manage our borders (20% of prison inmates are illegal aliens). This type of card (Without the fingerprint) is currently being offered in Michigan. However, there will have to be three requirements to implementing such a plan:
a) In order to be recognized as a citizen, certain requirements will have to be placed on an individual, such as a time-period of residency.
b) If a person is found not to be a citizen, a panel of township citizens closest to them will decide on a case-by-case basis what should be done with that individual. Not only will this make sure that all illegal immigrants abide by our laws, but it will also mainstream them into our American society (i.e. Speaking English), and put a lot of people to work.
c) A review of all police departments nationwide will be undertaken to make sure they are following best practices, policies and procedures, and to ensure they are using the best technology available. This review will enhance community safety and reduce the number of innocent people from being prosecuted.
3) Capping Corporate CEO Pay
The SEC and all of our corporation's shareholders have to establish a set of guidelines for Company Executive Pay. Today, CEOs are being overly compensated and in too many cases are rewarded by keeping their corporate payroll to a minimum. As a result, people in many instances are being laid off not because of their productivity, but because of poor Senior Management Decisions and potential health care liability. I recommend that a CEO be compensated more in company stock options than with a multi-million dollar salary and bonus. If we do that, executives will be paid for performance, the public will start to trust the stock market again, invest in it, and value the role of a CEO from what it is now – a glorified PR Spokesperson for the company.
4) School Choice
Because of failing schools like we have seen in Kansas City and other areas it is evident that our education system has to change. We also need to make everyone more accountable for a better education system (School Officials & Teachers, Parents, and Students). We can begin by issuing a voucher to children in each grade so that they can attend a school of their choice (Including Home-Schooling).
If "Religious groups performing work connected to the group's activities, including associated education institutions" are covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, then why can't our government provide funding for Charter and/or Religious Schools? Although this idea appears to be insurmountable, it will actually be very easy to achieve, keep class sizes to a reasonable number, and have children attend class five days a week (So Parents Can Work A Full Week).
By also having a National ID card in place, we will know how many students have to be educated. We could then establish criteria of what has to be learned – and at what age. In this way, we can make sure our economy is producing the necessary number of doctors, engineers, and whatever profession you would like to name to fulfill our society requirements. It will also give everyone a "Seat-At-The-Table" so that a person does not have to move into a rich neighborhood in order to get a quality education. In some areas of the country, such as Washington, DC we're paying way too much to educate a student – $16,000 and getting very poor results as a consequence. By offering School Choice we would actually make our public school system stronger. Schools will also be granted the authority to decline an individual from attending their school if they know that person is disruptive.
In addition, to keep American citizens from accumulating massive debt that will take a generation to pay, funds should be provided to everyone of our citizens to attend a college or vocational training school if they so desire. (The reasoning for this is simple – if our government is willing to pay for a child if they fail a grade and have to repeat it, we should also be willing to invest in and advance a person's career.) Government would then work with Colleges/Universities to set tuition and not have it exceed more than 10% of a family's total earned income per year so that tuition costs remain manageable and student bodies will continue to be diversified (i.e. what is currently being proposed at Harvard University).
This plan will instill hope in every American and enable each one of us to pursue our own happiness, dream, and to "contribute long-term" to our country.
5) Energy Independence
We should make massive investments in all energy sources available today, such as Nuclear, Wind, Clean-Coal, Solar, and fuel - that is not derived from oil. Obviously, oil will have to be used until we develop alternatives to it (Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less!).
I am also in favor of offering an incentive for an individual or group to come up with an alternative energy source so that we can stop the transfer of our wealth to OPEC. ("The total domestic economic loss in America due to oil import purchases was in the range of 4.5 TRILLION for just 2008 alone!") If we can offer someone $25 Million for the capture of Osama Bin Laden, surely we can offer that same amount to an individual to come up with the right formula for a synthetic oil to propel an engine or a machine.
Let's encourage more individuals to be like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.
What is also important to know is the "Waxman-Markey Bill" also known as "Cap-&-Trade" currently in our Senate does not provide any Blueprint of what America is specifically going to do to make our country Energy Independent and reduce CO2 emissions. So, we need to know what "Green" jobs are definitely going to be created as a result of this bill that has a title, job description, and a base salary.
In addition, to make sure gas is more affordable today, I would impose restrictions on the trading of oil futures and only allow fuel stations to change their prices once a week (Like NJ).
Let America Be America:...Life, Liberty, & The Pursuit of Happiness!
Mark Memoly
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