political I am thinking of running for president. i Want Your Opinion
#1
10-05-2011, 03:33 AM
political I am thinking of running for president. i Want Your Opinion
I have been listening to the candidates for president and I am not hearing anything different and nothing that is going to fix our country. I think that the solutions to what is wrong with our country is going to be done by someone who doesn't have loyalties to any lobby group or political party.
I would like to start now exploring the posibility of running for the office of president of the United States in the 2016 race. I am an average guy that works full time. I am raising my children. I have a mortgage and a car payment. I am not certain how a guy like me can run for political office and still pay my bills and raise a family.
My views are as follows: first I believe that our economic problems stem from the many free trade agreements that have been signed. I don't think that the USA gets a fair shake on free trade. I would nullify every free trade agreement with every country except Canada and Mexico. I would set heavy tariffs on imports into the United States. I think this would start getting manufacturing jobs back into the US shores. This should stop the progression of middle class job losses and reverse this trend. For the last 100 years or so it was the middle class worker who paid the taxes that ran this country. With the loss of the middle class we also lost that tax base. The poor don't pay taxes. The rich use lots of loop holes and don't pay taxes either.
I would eliminate corporate welfare. We don't need to subsidize businesses that are making record profits.
I would also deal with the personal welfare system. I am not going to make anyone starve but I don't feel anyone should get a free lunch on the tax payers dime. If you need to be on welfare or unemployment then you should be working doing community service similar to the old WPA programs during the depression and or in school.
I would invest in education. Right now education is free for American citizens from K thru 12. I would add a four year college degree to this free education. One of the things that made this country great is that we invested in education. We need to do this again. In this program the time in which to finish school would be defined. No lifelong students on the tax payers dime. Educated people are not satisfied collecting welfare. This will also add to the American think tank that should help build business and innovation.
I would use the people collecting welfare by putting them to work rebuilding the American infrastructure. We are paying these people anyway, we may as well get something from the investment in a welfare check.
I want to shrink the size of the federal government. I want the states to start running themselves. I would start with the highway funding requirements. The states would get the federal dollars with out the strimgs attached. Examples are let the states set their own speed limits. No more federal seat belt law requirements. The states know best how to regulate themselves.
I want to restore personal freedoms that have been removed such as seat belt laws. Wearing a seatbelt should be a personal choice.
I would look at all the federal government departments and start cutting there size. One department that would be mostly eliminated would be the EPA. I believe in protecting the enviroment. The EPA has gotten too big and bureaucratic and isn't realistic in what it demands. The bans on refrigerants will be lifted. CAFE will be voided. Let the car companies build car people want to own.
For energy I would promote expanded use of hydro power, sloar power, wind power, and nuclear power. I would also allow domestic drilling for oil. I would also promote the expanded use of CNG for motor vehicle use. These efforts should decrease our dependence on foreign oil.
I believe these would also work to decrease the deficits this country faces.
I would invest in military and defense. The military to be returned to the numbers it was back in 1980. I. Would also work to eliminate politician entitlements. They shouldn't have all they have voted for themselves.
I will add to this later
I would like to start now exploring the posibility of running for the office of president of the United States in the 2016 race. I am an average guy that works full time. I am raising my children. I have a mortgage and a car payment. I am not certain how a guy like me can run for political office and still pay my bills and raise a family.
My views are as follows: first I believe that our economic problems stem from the many free trade agreements that have been signed. I don't think that the USA gets a fair shake on free trade. I would nullify every free trade agreement with every country except Canada and Mexico. I would set heavy tariffs on imports into the United States. I think this would start getting manufacturing jobs back into the US shores. This should stop the progression of middle class job losses and reverse this trend. For the last 100 years or so it was the middle class worker who paid the taxes that ran this country. With the loss of the middle class we also lost that tax base. The poor don't pay taxes. The rich use lots of loop holes and don't pay taxes either.
I would eliminate corporate welfare. We don't need to subsidize businesses that are making record profits.
I would also deal with the personal welfare system. I am not going to make anyone starve but I don't feel anyone should get a free lunch on the tax payers dime. If you need to be on welfare or unemployment then you should be working doing community service similar to the old WPA programs during the depression and or in school.
I would invest in education. Right now education is free for American citizens from K thru 12. I would add a four year college degree to this free education. One of the things that made this country great is that we invested in education. We need to do this again. In this program the time in which to finish school would be defined. No lifelong students on the tax payers dime. Educated people are not satisfied collecting welfare. This will also add to the American think tank that should help build business and innovation.
I would use the people collecting welfare by putting them to work rebuilding the American infrastructure. We are paying these people anyway, we may as well get something from the investment in a welfare check.
I want to shrink the size of the federal government. I want the states to start running themselves. I would start with the highway funding requirements. The states would get the federal dollars with out the strimgs attached. Examples are let the states set their own speed limits. No more federal seat belt law requirements. The states know best how to regulate themselves.
I want to restore personal freedoms that have been removed such as seat belt laws. Wearing a seatbelt should be a personal choice.
I would look at all the federal government departments and start cutting there size. One department that would be mostly eliminated would be the EPA. I believe in protecting the enviroment. The EPA has gotten too big and bureaucratic and isn't realistic in what it demands. The bans on refrigerants will be lifted. CAFE will be voided. Let the car companies build car people want to own.
For energy I would promote expanded use of hydro power, sloar power, wind power, and nuclear power. I would also allow domestic drilling for oil. I would also promote the expanded use of CNG for motor vehicle use. These efforts should decrease our dependence on foreign oil.
I believe these would also work to decrease the deficits this country faces.
I would invest in military and defense. The military to be returned to the numbers it was back in 1980. I. Would also work to eliminate politician entitlements. They shouldn't have all they have voted for themselves.
I will add to this later
#2
10-05-2011, 06:10 AM
1) When you set high tariffs, other countries start setting high tariffs on you. Good idea in principle, bad idea in execution. Short term gain, long term loss. Trade does not make us worse off. If you spend $4 and get a burger, do you consider yourself ripped off? Almost all economists, liberal and conservative, all agree that trade does not make us worse off.
2) You're speaking of a complete reform of hte tax system, something like Herman Cain is saying with his 9-9-9 plan, no loop holes, just a low, fixed tax rate.
3) The reason they went away from that welfare plan is actually cost more than to just let people ride on it i think. Good idea in principle, but the idea is that it would end up costing you more money to try to keep people honest than it should.
4) I'm going into education, and it sounds like a good idea, but the probelm is, you and I both know a bunch of people who have no business going to college and need to just be in the work force. When you offer people the chance to go to college on the governments dime, then people who really don't need it will take advantage of it. I see your point, but I just think that the increase in people with college degrees would decrease the prestige of having one, and decrease the likelihood that going to college will advance your career.
5) Agree with the welfare working system. Basically what FDR did.
6) Federal Government is out of control, and needs a complete rebuilding to do away with all its crap.
7) Do personal liberties to marijuana, LGBT rights, etc? If so, I'm for it.
8) EPA falls into your FEderal Government is out of control platform.
9) This is kind of the Palin/McCain "all of the above" energy solution. I like it though
10) 1980 military figures, I guess I can go along with that. The problem is, about 60% of our budget is social security, medicare, and defense. The Republicans talk about cutting deficits, but they're tlaking a lot of talk unless they're admitting they will raise taxes on someone, cut military and at least some form or another, cut a social security/medicare benefit. You say you want to invest in military and defense, now do you mean on top of the trillion or so we already invest? You can also start by getting us out of the 80-90 coutnries we spend billions a year maintaining bases in.
You say you want to run for President, just saying, you going to get some criticism, and I figured I owuld try to be first.
I look forward to seeing how this thread goes. This forum has been pretty good abotu regulating itself and being respectful of other opinions lately though.
2) You're speaking of a complete reform of hte tax system, something like Herman Cain is saying with his 9-9-9 plan, no loop holes, just a low, fixed tax rate.
3) The reason they went away from that welfare plan is actually cost more than to just let people ride on it i think. Good idea in principle, but the idea is that it would end up costing you more money to try to keep people honest than it should.
4) I'm going into education, and it sounds like a good idea, but the probelm is, you and I both know a bunch of people who have no business going to college and need to just be in the work force. When you offer people the chance to go to college on the governments dime, then people who really don't need it will take advantage of it. I see your point, but I just think that the increase in people with college degrees would decrease the prestige of having one, and decrease the likelihood that going to college will advance your career.
5) Agree with the welfare working system. Basically what FDR did.
6) Federal Government is out of control, and needs a complete rebuilding to do away with all its crap.
7) Do personal liberties to marijuana, LGBT rights, etc? If so, I'm for it.
8) EPA falls into your FEderal Government is out of control platform.
9) This is kind of the Palin/McCain "all of the above" energy solution. I like it though
10) 1980 military figures, I guess I can go along with that. The problem is, about 60% of our budget is social security, medicare, and defense. The Republicans talk about cutting deficits, but they're tlaking a lot of talk unless they're admitting they will raise taxes on someone, cut military and at least some form or another, cut a social security/medicare benefit. You say you want to invest in military and defense, now do you mean on top of the trillion or so we already invest? You can also start by getting us out of the 80-90 coutnries we spend billions a year maintaining bases in.
You say you want to run for President, just saying, you going to get some criticism, and I figured I owuld try to be first.
I look forward to seeing how this thread goes. This forum has been pretty good abotu regulating itself and being respectful of other opinions lately though.
#3
10-05-2011, 09:33 AM
"According to Cocteau's plan, I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think, I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech, and freedom of choice. I'm the kinda guy that likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecue ribs with the side-order of gravy fries?" I want high cholesterol! I wanna eat bacon, and butter, and buckets of cheese, okay?! I wanna smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section! I wanna run naked through the street, with green Jell-O all over my body, reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly may feel the need to, okay, pal?"
I can also see the future portrayed in the movie Idiocracy coming to pass also lol.
#4
10-05-2011, 09:48 AM
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Wauconda, IL
Posts: 13,335
You also should think about health insurance - I am sooo pissed off by that subject I can't even type! Small businesses can't afford to offer their employees insurance cause of the cost. Someone like me with a pre-existing condition can't get individual health insurance. We have state run insurance called iChip. It's very good insurance but it is soooooo expensive.
#5
10-05-2011, 12:37 PM
You also should think about health insurance - I am sooo pissed off by that subject I can't even type! Small businesses can't afford to offer their employees insurance cause of the cost. Someone like me with a pre-existing condition can't get individual health insurance. We have state run insurance called iChip. It's very good insurance but it is soooooo expensive.
#6
10-05-2011, 12:48 PM
I agree that we are losing some personal freedoms that we should not be. If you've seen the future that was portrayed in the movie Demolition Man, it really does seem we are heading that way, although that is a very extreme example. I always enjoyed that Dennis Leary line from the movie.
"According to Cocteau's plan, I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think, I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech, and freedom of choice. I'm the kinda guy that likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecue ribs with the side-order of gravy fries?" I want high cholesterol! I wanna eat bacon, and butter, and buckets of cheese, okay?! I wanna smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section! I wanna run naked through the street, with green Jell-O all over my body, reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly may feel the need to, okay, pal?"
I can also see the future portrayed in the movie Idiocracy coming to pass also lol.
"According to Cocteau's plan, I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think, I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech, and freedom of choice. I'm the kinda guy that likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecue ribs with the side-order of gravy fries?" I want high cholesterol! I wanna eat bacon, and butter, and buckets of cheese, okay?! I wanna smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section! I wanna run naked through the street, with green Jell-O all over my body, reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly may feel the need to, okay, pal?"
I can also see the future portrayed in the movie Idiocracy coming to pass also lol.
As far as personal freedoms are concerned, I agree with you right up to the cigar. You personal freedoms should not and can not infringe upon the rights and freedoms of others. If you want your cigar, smoke it at home or in your car. I need my fresh air. Spoken by an ex smoker and asthma sufferer. If I have to inhale your smoke you have taken away my right to breath.
#7
10-05-2011, 01:24 PM
1) When you set high tariffs, other countries start setting high tariffs on you. Good idea in principle, bad idea in execution. Short term gain, long term loss. Trade does not make us worse off. If you spend $4 and get a burger, do you consider yourself ripped off? Almost all economists, liberal and conservative, all agree that trade does not make us worse off.
#9
10-05-2011, 05:47 PM
My issue with this statement is we're one of the few countries in the world (and the only MAJOR nation) that doesn't use tariffs. The rest of the world protects their own industries. We cannot survive as a country without manufacturing. And we won't have manufacturing as long as someone can make something halfway around the world for pennies on the dollar, ship it halfway around the world here for pretty cheap, and still sell it for the same price, despite manufacturing costs and labor costs being lower. We cannot survive as a service economy. There are not enough decent paying jobs and as we can see now, the middle class is going away and being integrated into the poor category.
#10
10-05-2011, 07:03 PM
1) When you set high tariffs, other countries start setting high tariffs on you. Good idea in principle, bad idea in execution. Short term gain, long term loss. Trade does not make us worse off. If you spend $4 and get a burger, do you consider yourself ripped off? Almost all economists, liberal and conservative, all agree that trade does not make us worse off.
Free trade is good for a global economy. It is not good for the USA. When we sold this bill of goods they promised cheap quality goods. We never got them. What we got was same priced goods at the same or lower quality. We got j
Manufacturing jobs that went overseas and American workers out of work or taking lesser paying service jobs. Our products that are exported have not done nearly as well overseas as the products we import. Our exports may not be monetarily tarriffed but there is more than one way to sabotage our goods. I don't care about the global economy. I do care about the American economy.
2) You're speaking of a complete reform of the tax system, something like Herman Cain is saying with his 9-9-9 plan, no loop holes, just a low, fixed tax rate.
I would agree with that. Everybody should pay there fair share. The rich complain about double taxation and it not being fair. Our government excels in double taxation. Look at sales taxes on real estate or a motor vehicle. The government collects every time it changes hands. They got paid the first time it sold as a new item. It should stop there.
3) The reason they went away from that welfare plan is actually cost more than to just let people ride on it i think. Good idea in principle, but the idea is that it would end up costing you more money to try to keep people honest than it should.
It costs more on the front end, less on the back end. When you require a welfare recipient to work 30 or 40 hours a week to get their welfare check and then point out they are working below minimum wage they will find work on their own that pays more. If they have to work anyway they will want the most pay for work done. In that we would also retrain and teach skills to be able to get these people off welfare. I would also want to revamp welfare. Right now the system pretty much works so that you are either on welfare or off welfare. No in between. For those that don't have the intellect to work a job that pays high wages, I would not have an issue suplementing those wages thru welfare, food stamps and substidised housing. I understand my ideas need some polishing but I think the concepts are solid.
4) I'm going into education, and it sounds like a good idea, but the problem is, you and I both know a bunch of people who have no business going to college and need to just be in the work force. When you offer people the chance to go to college on the governments dime, then people who really don't need it will take advantage of it. I see your point, but I just think that the increase in people with college degrees would decrease the prestige of having one, and decrease the likelihood that going to college will advance your career.
I don't agree with you here. There are some people who don't belong in high school either but we don't eliminate that opportunity to anyone. We offer free elementary and high school education to every American citizen and the rich and the elite continue to pay for private schools. I think the same would happen with college. I don't care about the prestige factor of a four year college degree. A masters or doctorate would not be free. The added intelligence in the market place would far outweigh the negatives.
5) Agree with the welfare working system. Basically what FDR did.
This is where the idea came from. Got to give credit where credit is due.
6) Federal Government is out of control, and needs a complete rebuilding to do away with all its crap.
7) Do personal liberties to marijuana, LGBT rights, etc? If so, I'm for it.
What is LGBT? As far as marijuana is concerned I don't see much difference between it alcohol and cigarettes. They are heavily taxed and regulated. I suppose the same thing could be done here with the same penalties as is imposed with alcohol abuse. Just as with alcohol and cigarettes, they shouldn't impose of the rights and safety of others.
8) EPA falls into your FEderal Government is out of control platform.
9) This is kind of the Palin/McCain "all of the above" energy solution. I like it though
10) 1980 military figures, I guess I can go along with that. The problem is, about 60% of our budget is social security, medicare, and defense. The Republicans talk about cutting deficits, but they're talking a lot of talk unless they're admitting they will raise taxes on someone, cut military and at least some form or another, cut a social security/medicare benefit. You say you want to invest in military and defense, now do you mean on top of the trillion or so we already invest? You can also start by getting us out of the 80-90 countries we spend billions a year maintaining bases in.
As far as the US military in other countries, I think those countries can start paying for those services rendered. I would increase defense spending for a few reasons. I think that a big military doesn't get challenged. Teddy Roosevelts carry a big stick metality. Defense spending is also good for putting Americans to work and it adds to the creation of new technology. Putting Americans back to work and taxing wages as we already do will eventually take care of deficits. Also this country has forgiven many debts in the past. It is time for some of that forgiveness to be returned.
As far as social security is concerned: one point the politicians fail to bring up is that the social security fund was huge and they kept borrowing from it and never repaid those borrowed funds. Return what was taken with interest and see where we stand from there.
As far as medicare is concerned: if we take care of health care in general this will fix itself. I think the biggest problem with health care are insurance companies. Let's remove insurance companies from the mix and see what we get.
You say you want to run for President, just saying, you going to get some criticism, and I figured I would try to be first. I look forward to seeing how this thread goes. This forum has been pretty good about regulating itself and being respectful of other opinions lately though.
Free trade is good for a global economy. It is not good for the USA. When we sold this bill of goods they promised cheap quality goods. We never got them. What we got was same priced goods at the same or lower quality. We got j
Manufacturing jobs that went overseas and American workers out of work or taking lesser paying service jobs. Our products that are exported have not done nearly as well overseas as the products we import. Our exports may not be monetarily tarriffed but there is more than one way to sabotage our goods. I don't care about the global economy. I do care about the American economy.
2) You're speaking of a complete reform of the tax system, something like Herman Cain is saying with his 9-9-9 plan, no loop holes, just a low, fixed tax rate.
I would agree with that. Everybody should pay there fair share. The rich complain about double taxation and it not being fair. Our government excels in double taxation. Look at sales taxes on real estate or a motor vehicle. The government collects every time it changes hands. They got paid the first time it sold as a new item. It should stop there.
3) The reason they went away from that welfare plan is actually cost more than to just let people ride on it i think. Good idea in principle, but the idea is that it would end up costing you more money to try to keep people honest than it should.
It costs more on the front end, less on the back end. When you require a welfare recipient to work 30 or 40 hours a week to get their welfare check and then point out they are working below minimum wage they will find work on their own that pays more. If they have to work anyway they will want the most pay for work done. In that we would also retrain and teach skills to be able to get these people off welfare. I would also want to revamp welfare. Right now the system pretty much works so that you are either on welfare or off welfare. No in between. For those that don't have the intellect to work a job that pays high wages, I would not have an issue suplementing those wages thru welfare, food stamps and substidised housing. I understand my ideas need some polishing but I think the concepts are solid.
4) I'm going into education, and it sounds like a good idea, but the problem is, you and I both know a bunch of people who have no business going to college and need to just be in the work force. When you offer people the chance to go to college on the governments dime, then people who really don't need it will take advantage of it. I see your point, but I just think that the increase in people with college degrees would decrease the prestige of having one, and decrease the likelihood that going to college will advance your career.
I don't agree with you here. There are some people who don't belong in high school either but we don't eliminate that opportunity to anyone. We offer free elementary and high school education to every American citizen and the rich and the elite continue to pay for private schools. I think the same would happen with college. I don't care about the prestige factor of a four year college degree. A masters or doctorate would not be free. The added intelligence in the market place would far outweigh the negatives.
5) Agree with the welfare working system. Basically what FDR did.
This is where the idea came from. Got to give credit where credit is due.
6) Federal Government is out of control, and needs a complete rebuilding to do away with all its crap.
7) Do personal liberties to marijuana, LGBT rights, etc? If so, I'm for it.
What is LGBT? As far as marijuana is concerned I don't see much difference between it alcohol and cigarettes. They are heavily taxed and regulated. I suppose the same thing could be done here with the same penalties as is imposed with alcohol abuse. Just as with alcohol and cigarettes, they shouldn't impose of the rights and safety of others.
8) EPA falls into your FEderal Government is out of control platform.
9) This is kind of the Palin/McCain "all of the above" energy solution. I like it though
10) 1980 military figures, I guess I can go along with that. The problem is, about 60% of our budget is social security, medicare, and defense. The Republicans talk about cutting deficits, but they're talking a lot of talk unless they're admitting they will raise taxes on someone, cut military and at least some form or another, cut a social security/medicare benefit. You say you want to invest in military and defense, now do you mean on top of the trillion or so we already invest? You can also start by getting us out of the 80-90 countries we spend billions a year maintaining bases in.
As far as the US military in other countries, I think those countries can start paying for those services rendered. I would increase defense spending for a few reasons. I think that a big military doesn't get challenged. Teddy Roosevelts carry a big stick metality. Defense spending is also good for putting Americans to work and it adds to the creation of new technology. Putting Americans back to work and taxing wages as we already do will eventually take care of deficits. Also this country has forgiven many debts in the past. It is time for some of that forgiveness to be returned.
As far as social security is concerned: one point the politicians fail to bring up is that the social security fund was huge and they kept borrowing from it and never repaid those borrowed funds. Return what was taken with interest and see where we stand from there.
As far as medicare is concerned: if we take care of health care in general this will fix itself. I think the biggest problem with health care are insurance companies. Let's remove insurance companies from the mix and see what we get.
You say you want to run for President, just saying, you going to get some criticism, and I figured I would try to be first.
I look forward to seeing how this thread goes. This forum has been pretty good about regulating itself and being respectful of other opinions lately though.