If you were President, what would you do?

[shaunhillftw49]

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

-See what's good with those aliens in AREA 51
-Education reform
-Take measures to emphasize separation of church and state
-Welfare reform

. I'm pretty liberal, but this country's welfare system is a joke.

Because liberals think   it's perfect?

 

[bijald0331]

-Financial reform---> see Barry Ritholz's recent post on the Freakonomics blog
-Limit military spending---> military salaries have gone through the roof. Many of the most affluent communities are now on military bases. Don't get me started on the budget for weapons and all
-Liberal social policy---> gay rights, abortion, etc. all okay.
-Economy?--- Don't do anything right now. Let it play out some more. A lot of vitals are pointing up. Rosenberg is saying a double-dip recession could occur but that might happen even with government intervention.
-Attack political opponents strongly. Obama is too weak on this. He needs to hit back hard. See Olbermann Special Comment on Shirley Sherrod.
-Education reform- more programs like TFA that reward students with repayment of loans. We need to expand that a lot. That program shouldn't be super competitive

-Taxes? Focus on corporate taxes... it's a joke. How do these companies that needed bailouts get all of these damn tax breaks? Crazy.
-Immigration?- I haven't read too much about it but from what I've gathered the problem is pretty bad in AZ so I would definitely lead a crackdown. See, I'm ok with the profiling if it's effective, to be honest. It's the abuse of it that gets people into a lot of trouble.
-Obviously would legalize marijuana, heck legalize most hard drugs but that would be political suicide so idk. (See Milton Friedman video on drugs)
-I honestly don't know enough about the Healthcare debate as I was on vacation when all that was going down.
I would start with that. I'm definitely not in a position to properly outline a Presidential agenda (how many people really are?) but those would be some of my talking points. There's so many issues.

EDIT: Essential said a lot of good things. I agree with his immigration plan if it could work from a logistical standpoint.

 

[bijald0331]

-Financial reform---> see Barry Ritholz's recent post on the Freakonomics blog
-Limit military spending---> military salaries have gone through the roof. Many of the most affluent communities are now on military bases. Don't get me started on the budget for weapons and all
-Liberal social policy---> gay rights, abortion, etc. all okay.
-Economy?--- Don't do anything right now. Let it play out some more. A lot of vitals are pointing up. Rosenberg is saying a double-dip recession could occur but that might happen even with government intervention.
-Attack political opponents strongly. Obama is too weak on this. He needs to hit back hard. See Olbermann Special Comment on Shirley Sherrod.
-Education reform- more programs like TFA that reward students with repayment of loans. We need to expand that a lot. That program shouldn't be super competitive

-Taxes? Focus on corporate taxes... it's a joke. How do these companies that needed bailouts get all of these damn tax breaks? Crazy.
-Immigration?- I haven't read too much about it but from what I've gathered the problem is pretty bad in AZ so I would definitely lead a crackdown. See, I'm ok with the profiling if it's effective, to be honest. It's the abuse of it that gets people into a lot of trouble.
-Obviously would legalize marijuana, heck legalize most hard drugs but that would be political suicide so idk. (See Milton Friedman video on drugs)
-I honestly don't know enough about the Healthcare debate as I was on vacation when all that was going down.
I would start with that. I'm definitely not in a position to properly outline a Presidential agenda (how many people really are?) but those would be some of my talking points. There's so many issues.

EDIT: Essential said a lot of good things. I agree with his immigration plan if it could work from a logistical standpoint.

 

[Master Zik]

- A more serious focus on America before we go off policing the rest of the world. The policy of neutrality and isolationism wasn't a bad idea until the war.
- Prohibit cigarettes for two years for fun and to prove a point
- End the war on drugs and legalize all narcotics. Set up government dispensaries for recreational use.
- Use more hemp in our products.
- Legalize prostitution.
- Thorough education reform all the way on the collegiate level. Possibly set up gov't funded trade schools.
- Seriously consider and probably go through with a copy + paste plan of the health care policy Canada has in place.
- Set up a sonic pylon fence (see LOST) on the Mexican border.
- Okay and further pursue stem cell research.
- I might altogether shut down NASA or regulate them to satellites that'll benefit Americans and looking for meteors/asteroids that might hit the Earth. Other than that cut this life on other planets, look we found evidence of some water on Mars, alien malarkey. Too much money is wasted imo.
- I've already mentioned some things I'd do to help but serious economic reform, a fix sooner (10 years) rather than later. If there's no solution, force the countries we owe money to erase our death. Close the gap of upper and lower class and stop the middle class from decreasing, eliminate inflation, etc.
- Improve foreign policy. Specifically in nations of those who want to wipe us out.
- Switch the source of energy we use from oil to something nature friendly and more cost effective; wind, electricity w/e is the most doable and viable.
- Despite me lacking a moral compass I'd get America back on track with morality and the medias lack of it.
- Let the gays get married. It's not THAT important and it's a civil right.
- A more conscience effort and focus on pollution and the welfare of the Earth
- Removing the religious influence in gov't altogether and it's laws and policy
- Official apology to African Americans for slavery, everything after the abolishment of it, and the stubbornness during the Civil rights movement. Not sure it'll matter since I'm black. Plus reparations.
- Reform race relations.
- Do something productive about the war in Afghanistan. It's a cluster****. A less public presence in trying to capture terrorists
- Decrease the amount of national defense agencies that have top level clearance to top secret information.
- Create more jobs through the already mentioned plans and stop buying foreign. Look in to rebuilding Detroit and Cleveland
- Decrease the unemployment rate, murder rate, high school drop out rate, etc.
- Extend or just out right ignore the unwritten rule of a two term presidency. I need at least 12 years to complete and be successful at all this %!%% I wanna do.

I'd be ignoring plenty of rules and laws to get some of this done. Bush tactics for excuses then up the level to Nixon if I have to. Maybe some Ulysses and F.D.R.

EDIT

Almost forgot

- I don't like the voting process as it stands. I'd have a team set up a more efficient format better fitting and representative of what the American ppl want.
- No more free rides for the religious. Not only will their holy places of worshiped but so will those in charge of them no longer be exempt from taxation.

 

[Master Zik]

- A more serious focus on America before we go off policing the rest of the world. The policy of neutrality and isolationism wasn't a bad idea until the war.
- Prohibit cigarettes for two years for fun and to prove a point
- End the war on drugs and legalize all narcotics. Set up government dispensaries for recreational use.
- Use more hemp in our products.
- Legalize prostitution.
- Thorough education reform all the way on the collegiate level. Possibly set up gov't funded trade schools.
- Seriously consider and probably go through with a copy + paste plan of the health care policy Canada has in place.
- Set up a sonic pylon fence (see LOST) on the Mexican border.
- Okay and further pursue stem cell research.
- I might altogether shut down NASA or regulate them to satellites that'll benefit Americans and looking for meteors/asteroids that might hit the Earth. Other than that cut this life on other planets, look we found evidence of some water on Mars, alien malarkey. Too much money is wasted imo.
- I've already mentioned some things I'd do to help but serious economic reform, a fix sooner (10 years) rather than later. If there's no solution, force the countries we owe money to erase our death. Close the gap of upper and lower class and stop the middle class from decreasing, eliminate inflation, etc.
- Improve foreign policy. Specifically in nations of those who want to wipe us out.
- Switch the source of energy we use from oil to something nature friendly and more cost effective; wind, electricity w/e is the most doable and viable.
- Despite me lacking a moral compass I'd get America back on track with morality and the medias lack of it.
- Let the gays get married. It's not THAT important and it's a civil right.
- A more conscience effort and focus on pollution and the welfare of the Earth
- Removing the religious influence in gov't altogether and it's laws and policy
- Official apology to African Americans for slavery, everything after the abolishment of it, and the stubbornness during the Civil rights movement. Not sure it'll matter since I'm black. Plus reparations.
- Reform race relations.
- Do something productive about the war in Afghanistan. It's a cluster****. A less public presence in trying to capture terrorists
- Decrease the amount of national defense agencies that have top level clearance to top secret information.
- Create more jobs through the already mentioned plans and stop buying foreign. Look in to rebuilding Detroit and Cleveland
- Decrease the unemployment rate, murder rate, high school drop out rate, etc.
- Extend or just out right ignore the unwritten rule of a two term presidency. I need at least 12 years to complete and be successful at all this %!%% I wanna do.

I'd be ignoring plenty of rules and laws to get some of this done. Bush tactics for excuses then up the level to Nixon if I have to. Maybe some Ulysses and F.D.R.

EDIT

Almost forgot

- I don't like the voting process as it stands. I'd have a team set up a more efficient format better fitting and representative of what the American ppl want.
- No more free rides for the religious. Not only will their holy places of worshiped but so will those in charge of them no longer be exempt from taxation.

 

[Master Zik]

Yuku

 

[Master Zik]

Yuku

 

[rexanglorum]

cguy610 wrote:

---

What would you do about unemployment and the housing market? 

I would extend unemployment. Unemployment benefits can increase unemployment but in this case with so few jobs, such modest payments and an American cultural ethic that stigmatized public assistance, the US in 2010 cannot blame unemployment insurance for the high unemployment.

The short to mid run term solution to unemployment is to increase the demand for labor and you do that by reducing all of the non wage costs of employing someone. The long run solution to unemploymen tand low wages is to encouarge the buying of more capital and the way you do that is by getting credit flowing to businesses that want to expand and/or modernize their capital stock and you do that by eliminating government policies that divert too much capital into housing and by allowing banks to fail instead of becoming zombie banks that borrow at zero percent and buy treasury securities.

As far as the housing market is concerned, I might try to get a one time round of "cram downs" for underwater home owner and from their draw down government involvement in the housin gsector. Homes are supposed to be where you live and should be passive and long term investment, not a short term investment. Because homes became risky short term investments, it became a crisis, for many home owners, when home prices dropped. It should not be that way, most Americans are not home owners but would like to be some day and as long as the government props up home prices, it blocks out generation from bein gable to own a home. As president I am supposed to act in the inetrest of all Americans, not just the minority of Americans who currently own homes and feel entitled to a automatic 25% appreciation in their home value every year.


What taxes specifically and how will they increase productivity, profits, income or GDP.

I would try to compromise. While I dislike all tax increasing including tax hikes on a minority (high income earners) and/or policially powerless groups (smokers, drinkers, poor people who pay sales taxes ect.), in this time of soaring deficites, I would be comfortable raiing taxes on those making over a million a year or so and keeping the tax cuts on the small business owners and professionals who are in that 250 to 1 million range.

Iraq and the huge defense budget? 

I would have ended all conventional military operations and nation building operations immediately. If I were in charge, The US government would not send young people to fight and die to prop up Hamid Karzai's kleptocracy.

I would opt for a policy of CIA operations, special forces and air strikes so that we can selectively damage and harrass terrorist groups. I would sned agents to ingratiation themselves with and to bribe local warlords and then use quick, special ops attacks and.or air and missle strikes to eliminate warlords who are hostile. 


Healthcare?  The number 1 or number 2 cause of bankruptcy.

I could go on and on about this issue but I will keep it short. I would largely reduce the role of third party payers, I would incentivize (and for the poor) subsidize high deductible, catastrophic insurance coverage in conjunction with tax free (and for poor people government funded) health savings accounts.

That way consumers of health care are exposed to the costs and will not over consume but there would still be market competition and high quality (in terms of advanced medical care quality the US is the best in the world) and with catastrophic insurance health care related bankruptcies would cease to be a problem.


Immigration and Arizona?

I would try to liberalize the immigration process and that way, people could cross in from Mexico through controlled and designated places. That way we could check for terrorist, criminals and people with infectious diseases and then let workers come in. If people pass through designated places, the problems of violence and filth caused by human traffic in southern Arizona would be very much alleviated.

 

[rexanglorum]

cguy610 wrote:

---

What would you do about unemployment and the housing market? 

I would extend unemployment. Unemployment benefits can increase unemployment but in this case with so few jobs, such modest payments and an American cultural ethic that stigmatized public assistance, the US in 2010 cannot blame unemployment insurance for the high unemployment.

The short to mid run term solution to unemployment is to increase the demand for labor and you do that by reducing all of the non wage costs of employing someone. The long run solution to unemploymen tand low wages is to encouarge the buying of more capital and the way you do that is by getting credit flowing to businesses that want to expand and/or modernize their capital stock and you do that by eliminating government policies that divert too much capital into housing and by allowing banks to fail instead of becoming zombie banks that borrow at zero percent and buy treasury securities.

As far as the housing market is concerned, I might try to get a one time round of "cram downs" for underwater home owner and from their draw down government involvement in the housin gsector. Homes are supposed to be where you live and should be passive and long term investment, not a short term investment. Because homes became risky short term investments, it became a crisis, for many home owners, when home prices dropped. It should not be that way, most Americans are not home owners but would like to be some day and as long as the government props up home prices, it blocks out generation from bein gable to own a home. As president I am supposed to act in the inetrest of all Americans, not just the minority of Americans who currently own homes and feel entitled to a automatic 25% appreciation in their home value every year.


What taxes specifically and how will they increase productivity, profits, income or GDP.

I would try to compromise. While I dislike all tax increasing including tax hikes on a minority (high income earners) and/or policially powerless groups (smokers, drinkers, poor people who pay sales taxes ect.), in this time of soaring deficites, I would be comfortable raiing taxes on those making over a million a year or so and keeping the tax cuts on the small business owners and professionals who are in that 250 to 1 million range.

Iraq and the huge defense budget? 

I would have ended all conventional military operations and nation building operations immediately. If I were in charge, The US government would not send young people to fight and die to prop up Hamid Karzai's kleptocracy.

I would opt for a policy of CIA operations, special forces and air strikes so that we can selectively damage and harrass terrorist groups. I would sned agents to ingratiation themselves with and to bribe local warlords and then use quick, special ops attacks and.or air and missle strikes to eliminate warlords who are hostile. 


Healthcare?  The number 1 or number 2 cause of bankruptcy.

I could go on and on about this issue but I will keep it short. I would largely reduce the role of third party payers, I would incentivize (and for the poor) subsidize high deductible, catastrophic insurance coverage in conjunction with tax free (and for poor people government funded) health savings accounts.

That way consumers of health care are exposed to the costs and will not over consume but there would still be market competition and high quality (in terms of advanced medical care quality the US is the best in the world) and with catastrophic insurance health care related bankruptcies would cease to be a problem.


Immigration and Arizona?

I would try to liberalize the immigration process and that way, people could cross in from Mexico through controlled and designated places. That way we could check for terrorist, criminals and people with infectious diseases and then let workers come in. If people pass through designated places, the problems of violence and filth caused by human traffic in southern Arizona would be very much alleviated.

 

[bijald0331]

Reform race relations in even 12 years? Reparations for slavery? Finding a new energy source? Decrease the unemployment rate while eliminating inflation? Close the gap from upper and lower?

I think it was actually do, not dream Zik.

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

-See what's good with those aliens in AREA 51
-Education reform
-Take measures to emphasize separation of church and state
-Welfare reform

. I'm pretty liberal, but this country's welfare system is a joke.

Because liberals think   it's perfect?

  

-Oh another big one, lift certain restrictions on stem cell research.

 

[bijald0331]

Reform race relations in even 12 years? Reparations for slavery? Finding a new energy source? Decrease the unemployment rate while eliminating inflation? Close the gap from upper and lower?

I think it was actually do, not dream Zik.

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

-See what's good with those aliens in AREA 51
-Education reform
-Take measures to emphasize separation of church and state
-Welfare reform

. I'm pretty liberal, but this country's welfare system is a joke.

Because liberals think   it's perfect?

  

-Oh another big one, lift certain restrictions on stem cell research.

 

[torgriffith]

Find Architect Colonel Sanders and tell him to end the Matrix

 

[torgriffith]

Find Architect Colonel Sanders and tell him to end the Matrix

 

[elcubanodel510]

Whip it out?

 

[elcubanodel510]

Whip it out?

 

[callhimar]

I'm a little surprised that a few of you haven't mentioned the issue of lobbying in Washington and campaign finance reform. These two issues are the reason we allow huge corporations and industries tax breaks, it's is why we send billions in aid to Israel and it's why everyone in the Senate looks out for their biggest campaign contributers and not their constituents. 

 

[callhimar]

I'm a little surprised that a few of you haven't mentioned the issue of lobbying in Washington and campaign finance reform. These two issues are the reason we allow huge corporations and industries tax breaks, it's is why we send billions in aid to Israel and it's why everyone in the Senate looks out for their biggest campaign contributers and not their constituents. 

 

[shaunhillftw49]

Originally Posted by bijald0331

Reform race relations in even 12 years? Reparations for slavery? Finding a new energy source? Decrease the unemployment rate while eliminating inflation? Close the gap from upper and lower?

I think it was actually do, not dream Zik.

 And I believe there was an apology earlier this year.

 

[shaunhillftw49]

Originally Posted by bijald0331

Reform race relations in even 12 years? Reparations for slavery? Finding a new energy source? Decrease the unemployment rate while eliminating inflation? Close the gap from upper and lower?

I think it was actually do, not dream Zik.

 And I believe there was an apology earlier this year.

 

[Master Zik]

Originally Posted by bijald0331

Reform race relations in even 12 years? Reparations for slavery? Finding a new energy source? Decrease the unemployment rate while eliminating inflation? Close the gap from upper and lower?

I think it was actually do, not dream Zik.

I didn't say I'd get all done in 12 years. I said at least 12 years. I mean if I complete each one as I go on I'd be able to keep extending my terms.

Also there are already alternative energy sources. We're just not using it. You should look in to what some have done with the electric car since it just got ditched. The money we'd be getting from hemp, the billion dollar drug industry, would create more jobs and go to reparations.

I think you're ignoring or underestimating how much money America could make off of the things I just suggested. Marijuana alone is a multi billion dollar business. It's like you read some of my list and the last one and just assumed I thought I could do it all in just 12 years

 

[Master Zik]

Originally Posted by bijald0331

Reform race relations in even 12 years? Reparations for slavery? Finding a new energy source? Decrease the unemployment rate while eliminating inflation? Close the gap from upper and lower?

I think it was actually do, not dream Zik.

I didn't say I'd get all done in 12 years. I said at least 12 years. I mean if I complete each one as I go on I'd be able to keep extending my terms.

Also there are already alternative energy sources. We're just not using it. You should look in to what some have done with the electric car since it just got ditched. The money we'd be getting from hemp, the billion dollar drug industry, would create more jobs and go to reparations.

I think you're ignoring or underestimating how much money America could make off of the things I just suggested. Marijuana alone is a multi billion dollar business. It's like you read some of my list and the last one and just assumed I thought I could do it all in just 12 years

 

[bijald0331]

^I just don't know how to tackle that to be honest. I'd love to hear an answer. I know about Mccain-Feingold.

 

[bijald0331]

^I just don't know how to tackle that to be honest. I'd love to hear an answer. I know about Mccain-Feingold.