| Author | Message | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Advanced Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 3456 Registered: 2-2001 |
In my criminal law class the Prof told us that housing 1 prisoner for 1 year in FLA costs about $25k, a lot more if he's on death row cus of legal fees. Now I went to a prep boarding school in CT that now costs a little over $20k to house a student for almost a year & give him a first class education. Why cant take the $25k we are using on sending people to prison for petty offenses & use it to educate them so they can get a job & dont have to resort to petty theft ? I agree the liberals have coddled prisoners & made US prisons too nice from what I have seen on TV, Seems living in prison is better than living in a lot of poor neighborhoods in the US. But if prison conditions are too harsh you create monsters who 1 day will be back out on the streets & they will be PO'd and they'll be coming after us for revenge. Doesnt sound good | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Advanced Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 3455 Registered: 2-2001 |
Ernie, Singapore is close to a fascist dictatorship, Nazi Germany was really clean before the war started also. I doubt you'd want to live in Singapore, you cant smoke tabacco, chew gum, read Playboy, probably cant even drive a Ferrari there, That cant be much fun living in a place that strict. I think education is the key to dropping crime, improving peoples lives, improving society etc. & if you can educate & improve society by taking control away from drug lords then legally restricting & taxing the drug, whats the downside ? | ||
| Ernie (Ernie)
Member Username: Ernie Post Number: 882 Registered: 11-2001 |
What really needs to be done to keep people out of prison is what they do in Singapore. Whip their butts with a rittan cain. I have had many people tell me that Singapore is the cleanest and safest place they have ever been. The problem is that the prison system in this country isn't set up for rehabilitation. It is just set up to house people. The more people they have in there, the more money they get from the Feds. I know this because my neighbor is a prison guard at Chino state prison. He has told me that, if the families of the victims saw how well the convicts live, they would scream. It is just too easy in there. Yes you live amoung the worst people taken out of society, but it is not a hard life behind the wall. The prisons are all about making money, not about turning people around. We have all seen the spoiled brat kids in the store screeming at the top of their lungs, only to have the partent do nothing to correct the problem but say "tisk, tisk, now your not being nice". Whip that butt. Each one of my children have tried that one time when they were little, and one time only. Spare the rod and spoil the child. Same goes for the adults. The problem is than they never get the rod. They just get put in a building (the corner) and nothing is done to change the action. Make it so that they never want to return to prison ever again. Prison needs to be a hard experiance, it needs to be a place that they never want to go back to. Then they need a place that helps the convict become a better person, a pace they go to after prison. They need to have hard stern disipline, then guidance to become better, and no choice about it. It doesn't need to be cruel, just very stern. But I can talk all about how the prison system can be fixxed and it won't be. Why because this country has become too soft, too liberal. | ||
| Telson (Pitbull_trader)
Junior Member Username: Pitbull_trader Post Number: 212 Registered: 8-2003 |
"The reason I'm for legalizing pot is so that the US can release millions of people in prisons who are there for non violent offenses. housing people in prisons is very expensive & bad for society if they are petty non violent criminals. Also by legalizing it you can tax it like cigarettes & use the tax $ to educate people not to use drugs. Amsterdam has legalized heroin I believe but they control it so people dont die of overdoses, they give people just enough so addicts dont go into withdrawal but they dont blow their minds either. Also by legalizing pot armed crimes will go down & you take control away from drug lords. I dont understand how our society can have cigarettes when they kill many more people than pot + pot can be used as medicine for alzheimers & arthritis, cant do that with Tabacco" And alcohol, I would like to add to tabacco. Otherwise I agree with every single point you made! While soft drugs like marijuana are semi legalized in most West European states provided its only for private consumption, I believe that several states also have programs for hard drugs, but its only severe addicts that get access. The idea is, as William said, to reduce crime and disease, crime because they don't have to steal etc to get money for their addictions, and disease because you dont get whole groups all sharing the same syringes and getting the same disease, all this while simultaneously reducing the role drug gangs play. Best, | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Advanced Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 3452 Registered: 2-2001 |
Ernie. I'm sorry to hear about your friends. The reason I'm for legalizing pot is so that the US can release millions of people in prisons who are there for non violent offenses. housing people in prisons is very expensive & bad for society if they are petty non violent criminals. Also by legalizing it you can tax it like cigarettes & use the tax $ to educate people not to use drugs. Amsterdam has legalized heroin I believe but they control it so people dont die of overdoses, they give people just enough so addicts dont go into withdrawal but they dont blow their minds either. Also by legalizing pot armed crimes will go down & you take control away from drug lords. I dont understand how our society can have cigarettes when they kill many more people than pot + pot can be used as medicine for alzheimers & arthritis, cant do that with Tabacco Ive tried pot a few times, I'm not really interested in it, it makes me fall asleep and I have zero desire to try anything harder, I dont even drink beer | ||
| Ernie (Ernie)
Member Username: Ernie Post Number: 879 Registered: 11-2001 |
You tell 'em Jon! William, As far as legalizing marijuna, that is a very ignortant thing to say! Weed is the introductory drug to harder drugs. I have had three friends of mine, and my wifes uncle, die because of drugs, and one friend loose his mind. They all started "just" smoking pot. The first friend of mind died scuba diving after he got high. The other one died from a heroin over dose. Another friend died after he took some GHB (the date rape drug). My wifes uncle also died from a drug over dose after everyone around him did everything they could to help him. My other friend started trying out everything under the sun, shrooms, acids, cocaine, free basing herion, extacy, crystal meth, you name it he tried it. He eventually got taken to a mental health hospital. All of them at the time said "pot isn't bad", "weed isn't addictive", "it's natural". Marijuana alters your state of mind, and your brain isn't able to function properly. Legalizing maijuana is a stupid, stupid, idiotic idea. I hope you come to your sences. | ||
| Jon P. Kofod (95f355c)
Intermediate Member Username: 95f355c Post Number: 1145 Registered: 8-2001 |
Bush II can't seem to figure out basic economics: Jason, what president can you name that has ever been constrained by economics. Government has no understanding of economics at any level. Nor do they need to, they are not driven by profit maximizing principles but rather by vote maximizing principles. Big difference. you can't spend what you don't have and can't pay for Unfortunately the past 2000 years of history kind of contradict your claim. Governments can spend whatever they want to. They can just print more worthless money to pay off foreign (and domestic) creditors or tax the •••• out of their constituents. The Romans perfected this stunt and it brought down their empire. You are correct about a Republican president not balancing the budget in the last 34 years but why is that???? Because all the Democrats and this last President have decided to give the entire free world a handout. Look back 34 years and see how much we spent on social programs then look at all the tremendous growth in free hand out programs for everyone. Doesn't matter if you're wealthy or poor, a small business or a Fortune 500 company....there is free bribe money (read vote money) for everyone. I watched CNBC last night and the issue of farm subsidies to large corporations. Do you realize the Democrats put a program in place in 1978 that now doles out over $100 billion a year in farm aid to large Fortune 500 firms, some of which don't even farm the land they own. And in regards to your Social Security idea (raising the ceiling on taxable income). When they hell are we going to stop kidding ourselves about Social Security becoming solvent. How long can you keep using band-aid type solutions when the patient needs major surgery? Social Security is a fraudulent pyramid scheme. A pay as you go system that cannot work efficiently. We don't need to fix SS, we need to eliminate it. PERIOD! Can you image running a Mutual Fund like Social Security is run. Well some folks have tried to fraudulently do so. Pay the old investors with money coming in from new Mutual Fund investors and lie about the returns. Many folks on Wall Street have gone to jail for this but not the government. The only reason SS is still around and not revamped is....... AARP. All those Geezers in their 80's are sucking us dry and all the Democrats do is lie through their teeth about plans to reform or eliminate Social Security and scare the •••• out of those poor old folks. Regards, Jon P. Kofod 1995 F355 Challenge #23 www.flatoutracing.net | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Advanced Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 3447 Registered: 2-2001 |
the Bush dividend tax cut helps everyone in the US who owns dividend paying stock. How many people in the US who are nowhere close to being Millionaires have dividend paying stocks in their pensions ? MIllions. & they are seeing more $ in their pocket thanks to Bush Tha capital gains tax cut helps everyone who sells real estate or taxes. That means tens of millions of ordinary people who sold their houses or stock where helped by the Bush capital gains tax cut | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2832 Registered: 6-2001 |
When this starts getting headlines, I think this may be a very large issue: who got paid for for this war. http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/031029/iraq_gasoline_cheney_2.html | ||
| Jason Wesoky (Wesokyjb)
Junior Member Username: Wesokyjb Post Number: 140 Registered: 1-2003 |
The tax and spend liberal label doesn't hold water. Bush II can't seem to figure out basic economics: you can't spend what you don't have and can't pay for. Any teenager who has run into credit card trouble can tell you that. What is more, no Republican president has balanced the budget in over 34 years. And lest someone argue that balancing the budget is overrated, it is curious that in a majority of the states it is constitutionally required and recent corporate meltdowns make it pretty clear that balanced budgets are important becuase too much debt will eventually sink even the largest ships. As for taxes, no amount of warped logic can create a scenario in which 1% of the enitre American populace spends enough money to create 3 million jobs and erase a $500b deficit. Also, interesting that none of the angry rhetoric espoused by the right seems to explain why it's an honor to die for one's country and a burden to pay for the soldiers that do the dying. The simple solutions are increasing the amount of income subject to the Social Security tax beyond the current $86,000; eliminating income tax on the first $20,000 of earned income; increasing the tax on unearned income to 20 or 25% (currently it's at 15%); and requiring large employers (I think the definition is 500+ employees) to provide and pay for health care for all employees by making executive salaries non-tax deductable if health care isn't provided. Apologizing to the UN has nothing to do with Hiroshima, Vietnam or any of the other straw-men people care to construct. What it does have to do with is being the bigger man and realizing when you've made a mistake. Pissing off our allies is a very quick way to make life a whole lot harder for our country in every aspect, be it tourism, trade, military actions or diplomacy. Try pissing off the three most powerful people in an office and then try to get anything done. It's bad business, it's bad policy and it's piss-poor politics. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2824 Registered: 6-2001 |
Rikky: No one objects to efficiency. If we can do more for less, then by all means lets get more efficient. However, given the size of the problems that we have, efficiency isn't going to get us from a to b. The commentary from the right about taxes being too high is laughable. The top 1% of the US saw great increases in their net worth over the last 10 years, while the middle class sustained losses in their incomes, etc. A classic example is the "death tax" (so labeled by the conservatives). The reality is that a good many of those assets never were taxed, they appreciated, and indeed the top .1% (that's right one tenth of one percent) were all that were taxed. We just allowed the extremely wealthy to avoid taxation on their capital gains, and allowed the wealth to remain in those families, without any taxation whatsoever. As to the tax cut: The very wealth got a substantial tax cut. They got that cut when indeed our government, because of this war, needs the money. They are screaming and yelling about a delay in their cuts, when everyone acknowledges that we need the money, because we are putting our kids into debt. These are the same people who supported the war. An old addage: money talks, BS walks. Well, these folks are talking with their money, they claim they support the war, but refuse to pay for it, go figure. I've heard just about every justification as to why those who are doing well shouldn't pay taxes, but the one argument is this: they couldn't have earned the money without the infrastructure. It's a cost of doing business, and the complaints are just positioning to attempt to avoid paying for the infrastructure, in my humble opinion. Those who seem to support this war, seem unwilling to pay for it. Why is that? Art | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 3230 Registered: 1-2002 |
As I have always said: STOP_BUYING_CHINESE_SHIT!!!!!!!!!! And don't tell me that it's "hard" to do. I do it all th etime. Sure, I may pay a little more for some things. So what? I would rather pay a little more than mortgage our country's entire future to a goddamned communist totalitarian shithole that wants to bury us than save a buck on some POS at Wal-Mart. Think about it. Think globally/act locally. Don't buy Chinese crap. | ||
| David Perini (Oppie20)
New member Username: Oppie20 Post Number: 25 Registered: 9-2003 |
http://www.fortune.com/fortune/photoessay/0,18467,525735,00.html This picture says a lot. | ||
| Rikky Alessi (Ralessi)
Member Username: Ralessi Post Number: 458 Registered: 5-2002 |
Art, The districts spend their money, but where does it go? I admit that I do not have a very broad perspective of the educational system, but at my school (which probably above average but I could name 100 things wrong with it) money is wasted all the time. More money would be helpful (when isn't it) but it needs to be spent properly. Buying (example from my school) new computers every year and throwing them away when they are "broken" (we have very bad tech people) is not a very good use of money. | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 3229 Registered: 1-2002 |
Oh, and RIGHT ON, Arlie! Good post. | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 3228 Registered: 1-2002 |
Jason, I presume that you will personally pony up all the extra income taxes it will take to pay for these absurd ideas? Aa for this: "1% of the US got over $26,000 as a result of the Bush II tax cuts while 60% of the country got $304 or less". 60% of the country either makes minimum wage and pays minimum taxes, or pays NO taxes at all. What would you have them do--all get refunds in excess of the actual taxes they pay? I just love it when tax & spend leftists tell you only 1/3 of the story...  | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Intermediate Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 1555 Registered: 5-2002 |
"Iraq: apologize to the UN (diplomatically)" Why should we apologize for liberating a country from the evil hands of a swindling, murdering dictator who orchestrated the deaths of tens of thousands of his own countrymen? Since when do decent human beings need to apologize for trying to save the lives of their fellow human beings? Does Howard Dean propose that we also apologize for waking up the citizens of Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945? Maybe he would also propose that Senator John McCain apologize to the North Vietnamese prison guards because he hurt their ears by screaming too loudly when they were torturing him several hours a day. After all, isn't McCain one of his liberal buddies? Surely they must see eye to eye on anything that is anti-Republican, which is what Dean and any Democrat, is all about. They STILL can't accept the fact that their boy Al Gore lost by a CHAD in Florida. For the 487th time, GET OVER IT!!! | ||
| Jason Wesoky (Wesokyjb)
Junior Member Username: Wesokyjb Post Number: 139 Registered: 1-2003 |
On the tax issue: why is it an honor for families to sacrifice their kids to war for our country and a burden to sacrifice more than 15% in taxes on unearned income or 39% on $500,000? | ||
| Jason Wesoky (Wesokyjb)
Junior Member Username: Wesokyjb Post Number: 138 Registered: 1-2003 |
William, Fact: 1% of the US got over $26,000 as a result of the Bush II tax cuts while 60% of the country got $304 or less. Personally, my pay checks are approx $800 more per year. One problem, my fiancee, who has a masters degree, is stuck working part-time in retail because she can't get a job, despite hundreds of calls, applications and resumes sent. We're not alone. Over half of the people she works with have graduate degrees and can't get jobs (there are others there with grad. degrees but whose husbands make more than enough). Point is, based on personal experience, lower taxes don't fuel much and that which they do fuel is low wage work. Education: imagine a program that provides parent skills training and job training to all new mothers, regardless of income; imagine if that program also provided health care to the newborn; imagine that after 10 years of this program child neglect decreased 40% and sexual abuse decreased 70%; now, imagine this program costs only $300 per new mother. It's called success by six and it was done in Vermont and is being proposed for the U.S. ---Education is local and should be controlled locally, the problem is the No Child Left Behind Act institutes mandatory standardized testing but provides much less than the money required to teach it, implement it and administer it, thus schools are forced to spend much needed resources on testing instead of books, computers, etc. Get rid of or fund the act. ---Special education requires billions of dollars annualy and is supposed to be funded by the federal government, but never fully is. Free up local resources by funding special education so you can hire more and better teachers. Crime: the Success by Six program reduces crime because it creates better and more productive citizens. Iraq: apologize to the UN (diplomatically) and tell them that we need their help because we can't do it alone. ask Germany, Russia, France and others for X number of troops and Y amount of dollars. Hand over control of the reconstruction of certain infrastructure projects (electricity, power plants, water) to the UN. Joint military control with the UN. US Infrastructure: invest approx. $50-80 billion in new and renewable technology through grants and tax incentives. Build a windfarm in the Dakotas and Nebraska to garner 5% of our energy from wind; build bio-diesel vehicles today (technology already exists and is in place in very limited deployment); require 10% ethanol in all gas tanks; require SUV and light trucks to get the same MPGs as cars (this last one will save more oil every year than exists in the entire Alaskan reserve). Terrorism: negotiate an even-handed peace between Israel and Palestine. Force Israel to give up a whole lot of the settlements; tear down that dumb wall; recognize a Palestinian state with real borders. Force the Palestinians to elect a new leader other than Arafat and denounce terrorism. Force the Palestininans to allow the Israilies to excavate under the Temple Mount and share control over the site. ---reduce our dependence on oil thereby reducing the power and riches of countries like Saudi Arabia. Unemployment: provide health care for all persons 25 yrs or younger, 150% above the poverty line and below and all seniors. 1/3 of our GDP ($1.3trillion) annualy is spent on health care. Imagine what we could do with half that money? Maybe colonize Mars. When the burden of healthcare is largely lifted from small businesses, they can expand, employ more people and these jobs won't leave the US (7 out of 10 jobs is created by a small business). Through the grants in the alternative energy field, new jobs, new research and expansion will occur in various fields - steel manufactures will make the engine parts for the turbines; car manufacturers will make the alternative fuel cars; rubber companies, the list is endless. Also, free-up stem-cell research and allow doctors and scientists to do what they do best: innovate and solve problems - don't insult the intelligence of the sceintific community by making it an abortion issue. If stem-cell research is allowed to go forward, research will explode, and the after-affects will be felt not just in the health-care industry but all those who support it. Drugs: I agree with you on the weed, but it's not gonna happen soon. In the meantime, make hemp a national product (the Mayflower's sails were made of hemp) to help reduce the scarring that is done by logging (hemp paper is as good as paper from trees). Space: challenge NASA to make, by 2010, a reusable space plane that can take off and land independently, carry a crew of 10 and any cargo they need; launch a deep space un-manned mission with proton engines and solar sails to reach the edge of the solar system by 2050. Create fusion in a lab by 2020. BTW, a lot of what I've said above is not original, but rather are the proposals, views and vision of Howard Dean. If you're interested in learning more, I'm sure you know how to Goggle. Cheers. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2797 Registered: 6-2001 |
Rikky: That's the something for nothing argument. Of course money doesn't make the difference, but if you don't put it into the mix, all of the great teachers, etc. don't make a difference. If money weren't a factor, why are those districts with money, spending it? We all have to pay our fair share. That means that if you earn quite a bit, your taxes increase. You can't ask someone making 40k a year, with 2 kids, to pay any more. Their paying about all the can. What I hear from the conservatives are a bunch of complaints, but no concrete solutions. An example is Bush: talked about reduced spending, ended up spending more. Once they get a look at the job, they realize what needs to be done, and the only thing left is the social programs which they have, which no one wants. Art | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 3168 Registered: 1-2002 |
Is his name...Edward Kennedy, by chance? | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Advanced Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 3418 Registered: 2-2001 |
I know someone who is a limousine liberal, complete lying hypocrite. If the rest are like him I dont want to know them | ||
| Rikky Alessi (Ralessi)
Member Username: Ralessi Post Number: 430 Registered: 5-2002 |
William, The plant that you make hemp/clothes out of is the not the sex as the plant from which you get weed. My issues - Space - NASA should get more money Schools - BIG ONE, teachers unions need to go or be reformed. At my school, bad teachers are allowed to keep their jobs because contract obligations prevent them from being fired. Also, there is a general feeling to just push the kids who are underperformers through the system rather than helping them. Kids who start out at a lower level remain there unless they do something about it - this should be changed. Also, there is no competition. Goodbye unions, hello GOOD TEACHERS. Vouchers, or something like it - with schools fighting to PERFORM BETTER, the standards will raise and the education system will improve. The solution is not to throw more money at the school - they should be required to spend their money wisely and reform so that there is actually a chance that they will do well/improve. Then maybe they can get more money when we KNOW that it will allow them to further the education of the children of the US. Government - Cut out some of this Bureaucracy crap. Consolidate departments. Why do we need a CIA, FBI, and Homeland security department? All this extra bureaucracy is doing is wasting time and money. Smaller government=better government. Medical - I'm not too up on the medical issues but I do know that medicaid is wrecking states and that things are getting pretty out of hand. Energy - Fusion power, Hydrogen fuel cells thats all I can think of for now | ||
| David Perini (Oppie20)
New member Username: Oppie20 Post Number: 18 Registered: 9-2003 |
The definition of wealth differs from person to person. As far as I can gather from a liberal democrat politicans perspective "RICH" is any single person who makes over $40,000 a year and couple who are over 55k. There is a huge number of americans who think 15 dollars an hour is a lot of money and oddly enough these folks pay the vast majority of the cigarette and alcahol taxes. Interesting fact: People who live in mobile homes move the least. I also have a lot of friends in southern states who gripe about the "mexican invasion" although I do not know much about that issue personally. | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Advanced Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 3411 Registered: 2-2001 |
Pot was legal in the US until prohibition in the 20s I believe. The lumber Cos lobbied DC to make pot illegal cus it was eating into their busines. Ever since then DC has been demonizing it. Art if the govt was using your logic we would have prohibition on alcohol also as that kills a lot of people on the road. At least you can make stuff out of hemp like medicine & clothes As for the Bush tax cut only helping the rich. How many people do you suppose have dividend paying stocks in their 401Ks or pensions ? Are all those millions of people with pensions that are now paying less taxes rich? I highly doubt it | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2789 Registered: 6-2001 |
Legalize pot? Never going to happen. Can you imagine the accident rate with the stoners driving? Everybody going 30 mph in the fast lane on the freeway. Not going to happen. Art | ||
| David Perini (Oppie20)
New member Username: Oppie20 Post Number: 17 Registered: 9-2003 |
You always are going to have 40% that vote democrat and 30% that vote republican. Somewhere in that remaining 30% are a lot of angry middle class 38-50 year old(mostly white males)family people who are seeing their standard of living and personal financial security slip away. A lot of newly unemployeed college grads who have no prospects and no jobs on election day are going to go down to the polling office and vote next year too. These people will be the deciding vote IMO. Most likely, they are going to vote Bush out of office and protectionist policies in. The question republicans fear the most. "Are you better or worse off then you were four years ago?" IMO Bush is doing all he can to change the answer to this question as fast as he can but it may not be enough. FYI: My answer is a resounding yes. I still believe in the american dream and am making it happen on a personal level but a lot of people I know feel betrayed by outsouring and outragous health insurace costs etc... | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Advanced Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 3409 Registered: 2-2001 |
famous dangerous pot smokers George Washington, Thomas Jefferso, Bill Clinton & I'm sure millions of other "dangerous" pot smokers. I personally dont smoke but its silly to put tens of thousands in prison for something less harmful than a tabacco cigarette | ||
| Augustine J. Staino (Azzuro328)
Member Username: Azzuro328 Post Number: 646 Registered: 4-2003 |
I agree with your points William, and in particular, with education. The void of intellect in this country is frightening. As for the marijuana, I agree that isn't as bad as most substances including a few that are legal. I think the way to go about it would be something similar to what I believe Canada has done. Instead of just simply legalizing it, we should de-criminalize it. That way we can still keep some level of control and keep the otherwise bright hard-working smokers out of prison. And yes, there are plenty of very intelligent, very hard-working citizens that smoke marijuana despite what some may think. My two cents. | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Advanced Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 3408 Registered: 2-2001 |
unforetuneately Peter I think its not even the school boards who demand mediocrity, I think its the govt who wants to keep the masses poorly educated & thus easier to control | ||
| Peter Gozinya (Blingmeister)
Junior Member Username: Blingmeister Post Number: 68 Registered: 9-2003 |
William, good points. Regarding education, remember that education is controlled at the local School Board level, and the worst performing school districts in the country have boards dominated by Democrats, the same Democrats who are in lockstep with, and in the pockets of, the 2 huge, powerful teachers unions who have a major vested interest in the status quo of mediocrity and non-accountability. | ||
| Ryan Sabga (Sherpa23)
Junior Member Username: Sherpa23 Post Number: 223 Registered: 5-2003 |
Legalize marijuana? Please no. | ||
| Robin Overcash (Robin)
Member Username: Robin Post Number: 296 Registered: 1-2003 |
I think you hit the nail on the head William. One thing I'd add though is government spending. While cutting taxes is a great thing.. cutting taxes while at the same time running up the biggest budget deficit in history is a recipe for disaster. Getting gov't spending under control is tops on my list... -R | ||
| Kds (Kds)
Member Username: Kds Post Number: 360 Registered: 5-2003 |
William, so far, your issues are about 80% of what my issues are with the current Canadian administration. It's going to be interesting to see how many American people who reply to this thread mirror what I think the same concerns are on this side of the border. | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Advanced Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 3407 Registered: 2-2001 |
Taxes, I want them low Economy- low taxes boost consumer spending & fuel economic growth Education- k-12 public schools are pathetic, need serious attention Crime- education is more effective at fighting crime than prisons and a lot cheaper & better for society Iraq, find an exit strategy Brownouts, build new powerplants, focus on Fusion & solar power and alternate fuels, as well as non Middle East oil reserves, there are plenty of them in Canada, South America, Russia, the Ocean etc Terrorism- if we get out of the Middle East the camel humpers will leave us alone, The Saudis need us a lot more than we need them. Unemployment- Theres lots to do in the US, lets get started Drugs- legalize marijuana & get thousands of otherwise productive people out of prisons Space Exploration- its important for natural resources, for technology, for knowledge, and ultimately the goal of space exploration is for humans to colonize space so we have a spare planet should anything happen here |