rogue49 for President

• Reduce military by at least 10%, emphasizing a more flexible tactical philosophy, not the standard of fighting 2 major wars.
  Support

• Remove the Bush tax cuts, or let them go.
  I would keep the tax cuts on all except the top bracket (who, bwt, would still benefit because they would see lower taxes on their first $250K)

• Raise the Social Security age minimum to 70
  Oppose. I would means test instead.

• Reduce the amount compensated to medical re-imbursement to doctors and medical facilities. (they are paid too much now)
  If you're talking about Medicare, I would implement an"accountable care organization" model instead in which doctors and hospitals are incentized to lower costs and share in the savings.

• Attempt to stop all subsidies
  Not all subsidies are bad, particularly in a global economy where other nations heavily subsidize.

• Push the SEC to start criminally procecuting with more intent, and investigate more
  SEC cant criminally prosecute; it only has civil powers.

• Try to re-organize the government structure, reducing most redundancy.
  Support

• Close tax loopholes, make it more linear.
  Oppose flat tax. Closing loopholes is fine as long as the tax system remains progressive, with higher income paying higher rates on marginal income

• Refine the current healthcare system, start looking at Insurance "glut", allow cross-state carriers.
  Strongly oppose selling insurance across state lines where insurance companies would flock to the state with the least regulation. Healthy consumers might pay less, most would end up paying more.

• Emphasize a more Libertarian point of view on social policy
  Certain rights should be guaranteed by force of law - civil rights, (re: employment, housing, pubic accommodations, etc) women's right to choose, right to marry any consenting adult,...
• Legalize Pot
  Primarily a state issue.

 

I'll nominate Redux if he'll make a campaign promise to stop using red colored text.

 

I represent the Red Menace Party
--- merged: Jul 11, 2012 12:45 PM ---
Rogue:

On the Bush taxes, making those tax cuts permanent for the lower four brackets is a tax cut across the board and given how flat wages are for the middle class, I would suggest it makes s difference. And, as I noted, it lowers the rate for the top bracket as well on their first $250K, they would only see higher taxes on their marginal income.

On raising the age for SS, it would be highly regressive, given that those with higher income are generally healthier and live longer.

On ACOs, studies would suggest this model improves the quality of care because it encourages greater coordination of care between patient and all the doctors involved in the patient's care.

On subsidizes, we can ignore the fact that other countries heavily subsidize some industries, but that wont make the US more competitive. I am open to a better way for US companies to compete with those subsidized foreign companies.

On selling insurance across state lines, it would most likely undermine the states with the most comprehensive regulations in the consumers best interest. The result might be fine and make insurance more affordable....until you got sick or faced a health emergency and find out you arent covered. The ACA does allow states to form insurance compacts, but must meet the minimum coverage standards in the law. The law also requires at least two multi-state plans in the Insurance Exchanges that also have to meet the minimum standards.

Go Reds!

 

Where do you stand on the two questions every human asks him-/herself in their lives:

Blowjob while speeding down the motorway? Stop briefly on the side of the road for the "finish", or keep hitting the gas pedal?

 

I know people in low places in Hawaiian state government and could probably get you a fake birth certificate.

 

I agree with removing redundancies in the executive branch but I dont agree with your cabinet-level consolidation at all.

You're combining agencies that have disparate and potentially conflicting responsibilities in implementing the laws enacted by Congress and signed by the President.

I could envision chaos in the regulatory and policymaking process and that ignores the danger of combining DoD and DHS.

 

While I applaud your goal, I believe your proposed consolidation is frought with so many barriers, potholes and regulatory minutia as to be not only impractical but politically infeasible, requiring a level of bi-partisanship, the likes of which we probably have never seen.

It would not only require a reconciliation of thousands (upon thousands) of laws and regulations, but would also require more than a reconciliation act by Congress; something along the lines of of an unprecedented ceding of powers to a president.**

Obama sought that authority earlier this year and it was not well received at all by Congress, even among his own party.

I am all for pragmatic solutions, but throwing the baby out with the bath water is not one of them.

** Consolidation authority, which had been granted to the White House by Congress during the Great Depression but was taken away from Reagan after a sunset provision in the law kicked in, in 1984.
--- merged: Jul 15, 2012 at 11:05 AM ---
As an aside, despite the myths about Democrat "big government," the size of the federal civilian workforce is lower today than it was during the "small government" Reagan (and GHW Bush) administration, where it peaked.