Hello?

Here we are, post Olympic; pre-election; beginning in Afghanistan; lame duck; wildly polarized parties; ineffective congress. Porous borders, medical care in ruins, CEO salaries at an obscene level

No one in America's government is willing to say: "Mistakes were made." They might be willing to say; "Mistakes were made, but not by me"

Now then, I was asked this question tonight.

What would you lay down as your political platform were you campaigning for the office of President?
I was given time to consider an answer, and then spouted off a list of items. Some of them are more the territory of the congress than the President.

By answering honestly, I stumbled into an area of the Universe where no smart man had ever stumbled before. Not real smart am I?

The list as I recall it in no particular order included:

Flat tax (25%)for all income generating efforts.

Government administered, doctor and patient treatment deciding medical care for all.
Insurance companies placed on a schedule to make only enough profit to pay the costs of the care, and adopt a non profit position. Removal of malpractice suits from the courts, to hearings overseen by boards of non insurance representatives. (Remember there are no more medical insurance cos.)

Doctors paid $250,000.

A medical services price schedule determined by a commission of doctors, patients and bureaucrats.

Any doctor who wants to make more will have the option of charging through payment outside the national program. To offer outside the system care, each doctor will have a regular patient care responsibility fulfilled, or find another way to make their income other than patient visits inside or outside the US medical system. Doctors will meet so many patients within the system, or see no patients at all.

Government paid college education after each student works for the military for two years. Education through PhD for any student who can achieve the degree.

All US citizens will serve two years for the government between 18 yoa and 20 yoa.

Private and State Universities will have strict and equal achievement standards.

All applying immigrants will prove oral proficiency in English when taking the citizenship exam. Tested literacy in written English will return a $10,000 financial reward at time of citizenship award. Failure to pass these tests is a one time event. Permanent deportation for non English oral proficiency. One chance only to test.

Any illegal immigrant after 2010 will be permanently banned from immigration.

Immediately implement a one year cycle for any illegal immigrant in the country now to take the exam and take the steps to legal citizenship. Deportation will be permanent for any who do not meet the standard.

Every highway and railway bridge will be replaced or repaired. All Interstate highways will be replaced or repaired. All Federal Infrastructure will be replaced or repaired. All Federal employees will be skill tested every three years to retain their jobs. All teachers will be skill tested every three years to retain their jobs.

All eligible citizen will be given a 1% income tax credit for voting in the Federal election every two years. Credit is for only one year.

I first wrote this September 9th.
Oh well, I wish I'd known about the economy. I'd have said more.
Thanks for taking this ride. We only have 19 days to go.
I'm going to go vote tomorrow, if I can get time....
Fare is paid.
CABBY