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Originally Posted by August
While you guys are redrawing the Constitution here are a few things i'll want written in...
1. An elected official must either resign or finish his present term of office before he can run for another office. They ain't doing their job if they are out campaigning for another one and I dislike being used as someones stepping stone.
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Okay.
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2. If Social Security is going to be abolished then every dollar of social security taxes collected must be paid back to it's contributors, with interest. I'll take mine in land.
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No. We can't afford to pay the entitlements we already have. If you draw SS benefits within 20 years, or do so currently, you'll get them. If not, you don't. It sucks, but we have to draw the line somewhere. Be glad that it is now and not a few years from now when you'll just lose everything.
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3. All elected officials at all levels of government must wear the logo or name of all their major political sponsors on their clothing and their vehicles whenever they are in public. Think nascar driver gaudy. I want to be able to tell at a glance who owns them.
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I actually love that idea, though I wouldn't write it into the constitution. Besides, corporations won't support a legislator that has virtually no power.
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4. "None of the Above" is a valid choice in all political elections. If it gets more than half of the vote it forces a new election to be held immediately with a new crop of candidates, and yes that means the incumbent becomes a lame duck.
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Okay.
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5. Federal income taxes are limited to 25% of state income taxes. I support the common good but i'd rather see the majority of my contribution spent more locally where I have better control over it.
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Maybe. I'd prefer a GDP-based limit, though. I think it is more representative of national needs. After all, the conservative states would have the lowest tax rates and the most economic growth. We might end up hamstringing the Federal government more than necessary.
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6. National political parties are to be outlawed. When "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" I want him going there to represent the people of his district, not the damn Democrat or Republican parties.
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No, because you'd also eliminate single-issue parties. No worries, though. Under my plan, Washington won't be able to bankroll his agendas. You'll have to see your state legislature about that.
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7. Foreign manufactured goods will have a tariff placed on their importation if the nation or nations that produced the product do not meet or exceed US environmental, minimum wage or workplace safety standards, equal to the difference in the cost of compliance. If we're gonna compete globally lets do it fairly.
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Absolutely not. Not ever. I could go on about the "exports are better than imports" fallacy for pages, but to be brief, the point is that we stand to gain a lot more by exporting dollars and receiving goods.
Under my plan, business would flock to the U.S. like never before, espescially in today's socialistic world. Just imagine if we could replicate the tremendous growth of the Tiger markets here in the U.S.! It would be unprecedented.
Tariffs only hurt the consumer, namely us. They just make goods more expensive than they should be. Putting tariffs or even embargoes on nations we do not agree with will not help their citizens. Quite the contrary, we'll actually harm them. The less wealth there is in a nation, the more power an abusive statist government can wield.
There is nothing but benefit to be gained from completely free trade.