If you were the president of the United States...

LaMidRighter said:

I'll address this as you have included industry pros in my field.

This is pretty easy, put the SS funds in a guaranteed account or as was mentioned in early 2k a "lock box" if you will, let the fund rebuild itself and then fund qualified individual annuity accounts for those entering the market currently using the surplus funds after mandatory payouts are met. As the program becomes more solvent dedicate more funds towards annuity principle and for those qualified funds exempt the "tax ceiling" on retirement accounts. That should get the program completely solvent in 5-7 years and independent within around 15.
Treat these as investments, give a "period certain" for benefits that will end barring disabilities or other specific special needs. For those who cannot find gainful employment there should be a minimum mandatory standard for job seeking to be proven on a monthly basis. Special concessions can be granted for the impovershed seeking further education based on a mandatory minimum GPA. I think that would be enough to reform welfare in a meaningful way.
Fully agree with this.
I'd actually just get rid of the standard administrators that seem to make the system completely unworkable and replace them with actual industry professionals from the private sector, I think that would be the best fix.

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I agree with everything you've said. Will you be in my Cabinet??

MaggieD said:

I agree with everything you've said. Will you be in my Cabinet??

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Just let me know.

I'd go after the war and foreign policy probably first. Try to diminish our interventionist policies and return to defensive responses. Try to have friendly relations and trading with other countries; but not be the world's police. Also I'd go after financial/economy stuffs particularly the Fed. I wouldn't abolish it; I think in the modern era it is important for a sovereign to have fiat currency. However, I would specifically bind the Fed to Congress as only Congress was given power to print and regulate the value of currency (the Fed has the ability to regulate the value of our currency), and I would make it explicit that they are to open their books to Congressional review. I'd also try to allow for competing metal backed currency.

Teh Internets said:

If you were the president of the United States (or the leader of the country that you live in) what would you do?

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If it was a magic wand and I could be dictator president:

Repeal all entitlement programs.
Repeal ObiKare.
Repeal the 16th Amendment and replace with a 10% flat tax above $15,000 in income or sales tax that would generate similar revenue.
Repeal housing tax write-offs.
Repeal the Commerce Clause of the 10th Amendment.
Term limits of 2 terms per chamber.
Close Departments left, right and center; EPA, HUD, NEA, OSHA, AG Dept. ... etc
Maximize the power and authority of the states in every way possible.

Once all this was done, have Congress meet for only four months per year, one month per quarter, unless there was a national emergency.

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zimmer said:

If it was a magic wand and I could be dictator president:

Repeal all entitlement programs.
Repeal ObiKare.
Repeal the 16th Amendment.
Repeal the Commerce Clause of the 10th Amendment.
Term limits of 2 terms per chamber.
Maximize the power and authority of the states in every way possible.

Once all this was done, have Congress meet for only four months per year, one month per quarter, unless there was a national emergency.

.

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Let's be friends.

zimmer said:

If it was a magic wand and I could be dictator president:

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Repeal all entitlement programs.= massive health crisis with the elderly, poorer families, and veterans, city hospitals are taken over by mobs

Repeal ObiKare.= moot point, you've already brought down the entire health care system. Wealthy people won't be able to get care as pharmacies are raided by the sick and dying underclass

Repeal the 16th Amendment and replace with a 10% flat tax above $15,000 in income or sales tax that would generate similar revenue.= we default on all foreign loans, the dollar loses all value and after a long period of food riots, we return to barter system

Repeal housing tax write-offs.= moot point, private homes have no value, massive rioting and looting of upper and middle income suburbs

Repeal the Commerce Clause of the 10th Amendment.= Bigger states begin dumping waste on smaller states, Colorado controls the water, while California controls most of the food. States are either overrun by organized crime, or taken over by Corporations who were smart enough to secure private para-military support.

Term limits of 2 terms per chamber. = what chamber? Your government already collapsed

Close Departments left, right and center; EPA, HUD, NEA, OSHA, AG Dept. ... etc = the country has already fallen into anarchy when we couldn't repay debts... Most of those buildings have been burned to the ground.

Maximize the power and authority of the states in every way possible. = The new state CEO's and crime bosses have already taken care of that. State para-military units have secured the boarders. After the first winter storms and summer hurricanes, there is a mass exodus similar to the dust bowls. California, Arizona, and Nevada form their own country and all those wishing to enter may apply at the boarder. Upon entry into C.A.N. Inc, men are taken to labor camps, and women to breeding farms.

Once all this was done, have Congress meet for only four months per year, one month per quarter, unless there was a national emergency. = Washington DC would be uninhabitable because of massive poverty, disease, crime... as would most major cities.


The United States: 1776 - 2012, we had a good run... President Zimmer goes down in history as the only President who did more damage than Bush.

Red Ink how appropriate:mrgreen:

TurtleDude said:

Red Ink how appropriate:mrgreen:

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(10 characters)

Teh Internets said:

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(10 characters)

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you didn't read the post above mine? from a fan of big government spending?

liblady said:

um...how can you abolish an idea?

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I want to abolish the idea in our government. Meaning they won't take a bias stance towards agw with blind partisanship. I believe it's a lie that will have dire consequences. My capinet and government would not support agw, nor would I make or sign policies that stem from the theory.

Disband the republic and re-order it into a dynastic empire.

My State of the Union address would go something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNAHjsAnTd4

Note - textmaster is Darth Vader.

I would locate all partisan hacks of any stripe, remove their cable/satellite television and Internet connections permanently and replace them with a library card. They would have to turn in a report on a non-fiction book once a month to keep the electricity on at their hovel.

Oh, and they would have to dress up like a clown when they leave the house, too.

TurtleDude said:

Red Ink how appropriate:mrgreen:

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Exactly! - President Zimmer's policies would result in the rivers running red...

President Turtle... I don't think you'd fare much better.

TurtleDude said:

you didn't read the post above mine? from a fan of big government spending?

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Neither did you... apparently.

hazlnut said:

Exactly! - President Zimmer's policies would result in the rivers running red...

President Turtle... I don't think you'd fare much better.

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well it sure would beat President Hazlnut

witch doctors to cloning experts would be doing everything in their power to raise Lee Harvey Oswald from his grave if that were the case

TurtleDude said:

well it sure would beat President Hazlnut

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You need to skim back through the tread -- I outlined a very detailed platform (mostly military) that would solve unemployment, the economy, and our dependence on foreign oil...

witch doctors to cloning experts would be doing everything in their power to raise Lee Harvey Oswald from his grave if that were the case

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I use the time machine at the Smithsonian to bring back Jack Ruby and appoint him head of my Secret Service detail. Problem solved.

And someday you will visit the Hazlnut Memorial dedicated to the One Leader who brought the country back to greatness....

I'd end up being the first president to discuss his bowel movements during the State of the Union address.

hazlnut said:

You need to skim back through the tread -- I outlined a very detailed platform (mostly military) that would solve unemployment, the economy, and our dependence on foreign oil...



I use the time machine at the Smithsonian to bring back Jack Ruby and appoint him head of my Secret Service detail. Problem solved.

And someday you will visit the Hazlnut Memorial dedicated to the One Leader who brought the country back to greatness....

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:wassat1:what the? WHAT? :wassat1:

I would make prostitution legal and call it speed dating :thumbs:

Somthing Economy related - Insist that capital gains and estate taxes be completely eliminated. Spending would be limited to the Constitutionally allowed items.

Something foriegn policy related - US out of the UN, UN out of the US, foriegn aid funding limited to nations that kiss our ass.

Something War related - The US needs a crash program to develop airborne and space based lasers that can counter the emerging Chinese hypersonic missile in real time and reduce the risk to our carrier fleets.

Something about the enviornment - rein in the EPA, allow drilling in areas where the damn oil is, open Yucca Mountain to nuclear waste storage, fast track permits for nuclear power stations, limiting protests to valid engineering concerns only.

Something immigration related - Send the Army to the US Mexco Border, issuing the orders in my inauguration speech, directing the arrest, commencing in one week, of all employers shown to have illegal alien employees on that day or any future day. Mandating that all work visa applications be submitted in person only at the applicant's nation of origin, and that no person found to have ever entered the nation illegally shall be allowed to re-enter nor shall they be granted citizenship.

Something gay marrige related - Announce that the Constitution does not seem to grant the federal government the authority to define "marriage" or to discriminate against persons in the US.

Something Alternative energy related - Yes. Rescind 100% of all federal funding for alternative energy research and subsidies. Any commercially viable technology will have to prove its worth on the free market. It's the American way.

Something drug realated - State that the Constitution does not grant the federal government authority to make drugs illegal or ban their possession or use. Lawful imports, however, can have tariffs' applied as per the Constitution. Also pardon all drug related non-violent offenders in federal custody.

Teh Internets said:

If you were the president of the United States (or the leader of the country that you live in) what would you do?

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Well, it's important to remember that the President of the United States, as well as most other heads of state and heads of government, only has the power to enforce law, not create law. Creating law is usually delegated to a deliberative body of a group of people. So if I were President, I would limit my actions to those that the President has.

Something gay marrige related

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The President cannot declare gay marriage to be legal or illegal. It is up to Congress to write law concerning that.

However, as President, my position would be that gay marriage is legal. Therefore, I would issue executive orders that all employees of the federal government will be able to give benefits such as health insurance to a single partner. This can be a person's spouse, but it could also be an unmarried partner (including same sex) or even a family member.

I would also repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" via executive order, which the President is empowered to do as Commander-in-Chief and has precedence as Harry Truman desegregated the military in a similar fashion.

I would support the U.S. Cyber Command for the implementation of cyberwarfare against the enemies of the U.S. Not only that, I would also commission the National Guard to develop a similar organization for military cyberwarfare defense.

I would create a "Peacekeeper Command" of the military. Military units from each branch in this command will be trained in how to work with foreign governments and law enforcement agencies and trained in how to deal with civil areas in territory occupied by the U.S. military. During times of war, Peacekeeper units can be expanded as needed to suit the situation at the time. However, by creating a permanent joint service command, the military will maintain institutional memory in doctrine concerning the occupation of foreign territory.

Something drug realated

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The President cannot repeal drug laws. However, he can issue executive orders to federal law enforcement agencies.

As President, I would issue executive orders to the FBI, the DEA, and the ATF to no longer go after marijuana growers, distributors, buyers, or users in states where marijuana is legal. Basically, I would use executive orders to get federal law enforcement agencies to enforce drug laws primarily at the state level.

For federal drug task forces that dealt with marijuana crimes, I would instead retask them for going after drug crimes relating to abuse of prescription drugs, such as going after patients who doctor shop, and doctors who illegally give out prescription drugs.

Something War related

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I would use my power as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Services to no longer accept any no-bid contract the government has with a business as valid. Only competitive bids will be allowed.

Additionally, I would use executive orders to re-task the National Guard to ensure they are better equipped and better trained to react to natural disasters, man-made disasters, and terrorist attacks on domestic soil.

Something Alternative energy related

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This would be rather difficult to do because, as I said, the President cannot write laws to be followed by the American citizenry. However, he can issue executive orders to the government agencies under him.

An executive order I would issue is that all houses built with federal aid be built with resource efficiency in mind. This includes such thing as solar panel water heaters and water efficient toilets and showerheads. The benefits of this is that houses built with federal aid tend to be for the poor, and building houses for the poor with efficiencies in mind helps the poor save more of their money.

Somthing Economy related

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This is the most difficult to do, as the economy is primarily controlled by non-executive factors, which the President has little power to directly affect. For example, the President cannot raise taxes nor grant tax exemptions - only Congress can do that, though the President must pass the bill into law granting it. Therefore, because so much regarding the economy is determined by what Congress does, there is little the President can do.

However, there are a few things the President can do to ensure the federal government gets more efficiency out of every tax dollar.

As President, I would issue executive orders that would lower the salaries of government agents in the executive. Such reduction of salaries would be progressive, with government workers receiving wages that are closer to what workers in the private sector are making, but top tier executive agents getting a larger percentage of their salary cut compared to low-level workers.

With regards to education policy, I would take money from the budget of the Department of Education and set up an agency within to create a way to pay students who get good grades. Instead of giving money for computers or teacher salaries, I would create a program that uses that money instead to pay students based on their grades. The majority of the money that a student earns will go into a private interest account that the student can then receive upon his 18th birthday. This is done to help ensure that money isn't earned by students and stolen by his parents or others. This is an economic policy because it effectively makes public school students "wage-earners" and rewards them for being industrious students.

With regards to the Department of Transportation, I would issue an executive order that all roads built with federal funds must also have lanes for bicycles and a sidewalk for walkers. This way, in economically depressed areas, those who are poor and cannot afford a car but live in an area without any public transportation will still have the capacity to look for a job and get to their place of employment safely. This includes building bike paths and walkways along our federal highways. This is an economic policy because it helps the poor who cannot afford private transportation to travel where they need to go to get a job.

Other

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With regards to the Department of Homeland Security, I would issue an executive order to create a school for Homeland Security agents, similar to the FBI Academy at Quantico. I would also re-task it to better ensure it is capable of dealing with natural disasters and man-made disasters, and attempt to do so without affecting it's ability to respond to terrorist attacks. In keeping with this, I would start to get DoHS to work with the National Guard and the Coast Guard on domestic security issues. This is in preparation for when the National Guard and the Air National Guard are moved underneath the Department of Homeland Security. At that point, the Department of Homeland Security will have the National Guard, the Air National Guard, and the Coast Guard to be a domestic "mirror" to the Department of Defense, under which is the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, and the Marine Corps.

The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency, and therefore likely to be affected by executive orders from the President. However, the President appoints FCC commissioners with confirmation from the Senate, and appoints one of the commissioners as Chairperson. As President, I would only appoint commissioners and the chairperson who agrees that the FCC's role should not be one of censorship nor should determine obscenity on television and radio.

Via executive order, I would create a Third-Party Advisory Council to the President. This council will be comprise of high-level leaders of third-parties and independents and will offer advise to the President on certain issues. This way, third-party philosophies and independent thinkers will have a more direct line to the President to offer solutions for the problems facing our country.

Via executive order, I would get the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help spur the private sector to help innovate green maritime technology. Space may be our final frontier, but we don't use the oceans as best as we can.

Via executive order, I would abolish the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. In it's place, I would establish the White House Office of Local Charities. Religion has no place in directly affecting policies. However, charitable organizations on a local level are important, and should be heard. These include faith-based charitable organizations, however.

I think that's about it...

I'd delegate everything and just assign department heads, generals, czars and whoever else I can find to "handle it." Then I'd kick play and play World of Warcraft.

I'd finally get to eat a panda bear!

Steppenwolf said:

Well, now if I were the president of this land
You know, I'd declare total war on The Pusher man
I'd cut him if he stands, and I'd shoot him if he'd run
Yes I'd kill him with my Bible and my razor and my gun

God damn The Pusher
God damn The Pusher
I said God damn, God damn The Pusher man

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Wiseone said:

I'd delegate everything and just assign department heads, generals, czars and whoever else I can find to "handle it." Then I'd kick play and play World of Warcraft.

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:lol: World of Warcraft...a game for people who can't cut it in Everquest II. :lol: