Fixing America II

It took a while but I wanted to comment on all of your suggestions for Fixing America.

First up is JenE's comments in this post:

Her first suggestion was to end the war on drugs. Bravo JenE, I couldn't agree more. Not only is it a waste of time or resources, it just plain doesn't work. Social stigma is the way to reduce drug use.

Next she said, "Secondly, reduce the amount of money our public legislators receive in salary and benefits."

Sure, they get paid too much but reducing their pay isn't going to do much to fix thing. Let's fry the bigger fish first.

JenE goes down in flames by saying, "Next, we'll quit allowing American corporations to set up offshore accounts to avoid paying American taxes. I call that aiding and abetting a felony. Tax evasion is a felony offense, isn't it?"

Corporations don't pay taxes, the costs simply get passed on to the consumers of their goods and services. Furthermore, tax evasion and tax avoidance are two different things. It is the moral duty of every citizen to avoid paying taxes as much as legally possible. Setting up off shore companies is a very legitimate method of asset protection and ultimately reduces what we pay for goods and services. You've got to thing these things through JenE.

She steps it back up a notch. Thus quoth the JenE: "Fourthly, quit dumping so much money into the mating rituals of the North American Pink Polka-dotted Bumblebee and other such [un]worthy causes."

Pork, pork, pork. Cut it, slash it, burn it. House Majority Leader, Tom DeLay doesn't think there is any more pork to cut though. It is my personal belief that FedGov could be cut by about 90%.

JenE crashes and burns again by saying, "Step Five would be to go back to the paper voting system. And ditch the electoral college. Popular vote wins the game."

Jen, Jen, Jen. Without an electoral college, our entire Federal election system would be controlled by New York and California. Please go pick up a copy of The Federalist Papers and see why the founders loathed the idea of direct democracy. We do need some election reform and we should have verifiable ballots but getting rid of the electoral college is a bad idea unless you just want to eliminate all state boundaries and have FedGov run everything. I realize we're headed that direction but it's wrong. We need to get back to the days of more state sovereignty and local control. FedGov needs to step back.

Back and forth JenE, make up your mind. Do you want to be a mindless liberal or a sensible libertarian? You said, "Step Six, border control. I won't beat that dead horse."

Seal the border. Enough said.

Slipping in to irrelevancy you said, "I think one of the job requirements for becoming President of our fair land should be military experience."

Didn't I say something earlier about having bigger fish to fry?

Addressing parental responsibility JenE says, "Step Eight: let us spank our kids, again! I know some of us still do (shh! don't tell), and I'll bet those kids fear their parents."

Spank early, spank often! Seriously though, I think many parents have given up on the idea of parenting because they expect that the schools, day care centers etc. will do that job for them. In many cases parents have just given up hope. They spend so little time with their children and then express dismay when they don't turn out to be decent people. Parental and personal responsibility is the larger issue and spanking is just a component of that but you nailed it Jen.

JenE ends on a high note. "Speaking of repeat offenders...Number Nine. We're going back to the penal system, here. Criminals- hardened criminals- also no longer know any fear. Cable television, cuisine, high-tech weight training systems- all things that need to go."

Not only do we coddle criminals, we let them back out on to the street too early. This is mostly the result of the Democrats that JenE has been voting for. Prison is about justice and punishment, not rehabilitation. On the other hand, we have far too many laws. So many things are illegal that shouldn't be. Every law should have a sunset provision of 10 years maximum. If it is not specifically re-enacted, it goes away and anyone currently under punishment as a result of breaking that law is released (probation, prision, what ever).

That's all for now. I'll address MikeT's comments next time.