Like some other recent posters I'm pissed off at the subversion of our interests that takes place in our Congress. The wheeling and dealing, that says never you mind, take what we give you and shut up.
I'm really angry about the ability of special interests like those represented by Stupak and Nelson, to totally undermine everything we stand for. The idea that we should continue to work to get people elected who don't serve us well sticks in my craw. My reaction to that is to look for ways we can exercise some checks and balances over our Congress and the special interests that control them.
I propose that one solution might be to push for a change in our Tax Forms to add more check off boxes and create fewer places for Congress to divert our taxes to their own pet projects. I wonder if we might be able in this way to develop a set of reins to control the direction we are going in and rid ourselves of the Republicans and the less than progressive "moderate", "liberal", "centrist", bi-partisin" Democrats tendenecy to leave the path to go feed on the lobbiests treats.
On most of the tax packages going out right about now there are two pie charts. One shows spending and another shows funding. Suppose you had the right to determine where the money comes from and where it goes and within those percentages Congress critters could still have control of the details of disbursement.
What I like about this scheme is that it allowes us to make common cause with our anti government "I'm mad as hell and I'm just not gonna take it any more" Town Hall storming, stop giving my tax money to all these rip off special interests neighbors. The attached poll should give us an idea how this would work out if we were in charge of the investments in our future Congress makes with our money.
1.) Your first check off box would determine the percentage coming from social security, medicare, unemployment and other retirement taxes, presently 32%.
2.) Your second check off box would determine the percentage coming from personal income taxes presently 43 %.
3.) Your third check off box would determine the percentage coming from corporate income taxes presently 13%.
4.) Your fourth check off box would determine the percentage coming from excise, customs, estate, gift and miscellaneous sales taxes, and value added taxes presently 5%.
5.) Your fifth check off box would determine the percentage coming from borrowing to cover the deficit presently 6%.
Your second set of check off boxes would determine the outlays.
1.) Your first check off box would determine the percentage of your money going to social security, medicare and other retirement entitlements presently 38%.
2.) Your second check off box would determine the percentage of your money going to National Defense, Veterans and foreign affairs presently 23%
3.) Your third check off box would determine the percentage of your money going to Your third check off box would determine the amount of your money going to paying off the national debt and the interest on it presently 9%
4.) Your fourth check off box would determine the percentage of your money going to Physical, human and community development presentyly 9%
5.) Your fifth check off box would determine the percentage of your money going to social programs, presently 19%
6.) Your sixth check off box would determine the percentage of your money going to law enforcement and general government, presently 2%
Every year you would get an opportunity to exercise true democracy and the power of your check book and to make your public servants work for you and not the lobbiests.
Just as in the future in order to deal with climate change and global warming there may be the necessity of some redistributions of wealth and the ability to control resources globally ; It would not upset ne to see a maximum wage tied to the minimum wage nationally. Factor in a cost of living adjustment so that a rising tide lifts all the boats the same amount.
I'll allow that in the future what we do in the United States might have to be considered from a global perspective. We aren't alone on this planet and resource wars that end up viewed by others as the equivalent of some joker throwing M80's in the portolet and blowing up shit aren't good for anybody and just make us look like yahoos.
Getting our house in order first would be necessary to set an example so that when we get to the point of international treaties regarding climate change we might have something to show how we could work things out so one nation wouldn't be disadvantaged as regards wages and taxes and their economy in comparison to others.