I have thought about this one for a long time. There are some obvious issues people would raise, but overall I like it.
No commercial traffic is allowed between 6am and 7pm with the following exceptions: public transportation, including intra and interstate buses; small package delivery vehicles (such as Fed Ex and UPS); and moving vehicles picking up or delivering personal goods (vehicles moving businesses would be restricted).
This restriction would apply in both urban and rural areas and include construction vehicles.
The result would be a significant reduction in traffic. It would also end commercial truckers driving more than 11 hours per day (in itself a violation). It would probably, over time, force much trucking onto rail for longer than two day trips.
It would also put somewhere between 15 and 25% of the labor force onto 2nd and 3rd shifts.
Friday, December 03, 2004
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Position - Health Care
The federal government must do something about people not having health care...however, it's current method is creating higher and higher costs to individuals and businesses.
My suggestion: allow the federal government to pay the premiums necessary for everyone to purchase their own insurance. Corporations don't want to be in the health care providing service and employees don't want corporations involved in their health care. Consider the premiums to be income and those with higher incomes will pay taxes on the premiums. Raise the personal exemption to eliminate the tax consequences on lower income people. Let people be ranked by doctors according to an established criteria to assess risk for premium calculation and then let people have a voucher they use to select their own providers. HMO's and PPO's can compete for people and local hospitals and doctors can compete on providing services. Changing even the Medicare system to this system would reduce the anti-competitive nature of third-party pay systems. Further, companies would have one less expense they could write off and therefore could afford to pay their employee's just a little more....it would also make them more competitive with other countries that do not pay for employee health care.
Tracy
My suggestion: allow the federal government to pay the premiums necessary for everyone to purchase their own insurance. Corporations don't want to be in the health care providing service and employees don't want corporations involved in their health care. Consider the premiums to be income and those with higher incomes will pay taxes on the premiums. Raise the personal exemption to eliminate the tax consequences on lower income people. Let people be ranked by doctors according to an established criteria to assess risk for premium calculation and then let people have a voucher they use to select their own providers. HMO's and PPO's can compete for people and local hospitals and doctors can compete on providing services. Changing even the Medicare system to this system would reduce the anti-competitive nature of third-party pay systems. Further, companies would have one less expense they could write off and therefore could afford to pay their employee's just a little more....it would also make them more competitive with other countries that do not pay for employee health care.
Tracy
Position - Corporate Taxes
I just read a piece in Fortune about corporate taxes and frankly, it made me boil.
Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett's financial tool paid $3.3 billion in taxes last year and it constituted almost 3% of the total corporate income tax paid. 61% of corporations paid NO taxes.
This is not reasonable. I understand accounting and investments, but if a corporation is paying less taxes than it's employees, you have to change something.
I am open to suggestions, but corporations must begin paying income taxes.
Tracy
Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett's financial tool paid $3.3 billion in taxes last year and it constituted almost 3% of the total corporate income tax paid. 61% of corporations paid NO taxes.
This is not reasonable. I understand accounting and investments, but if a corporation is paying less taxes than it's employees, you have to change something.
I am open to suggestions, but corporations must begin paying income taxes.
Tracy
Position: Federal Budget
The federal budget is a monster. Even with tens of thousands of bureaucrats, no one seems capable of controlling, let alone monitoring it. However, I am opposed to the to a Constitutional Amendment to force balancing it. Both the President and Congress must be able to act when events occur that need intervention.
Therefore, I believe that the budget should be set based on the revenues received by the federal government in the previous year. Emergency spending could be authorized when events, such as 9/11, cause the need.
Therefore, I believe that the budget should be set based on the revenues received by the federal government in the previous year. Emergency spending could be authorized when events, such as 9/11, cause the need.
Position - Abortion
The litmus test for SC justices? The ban on partial birth abortions is correct. Despite the rarity of the procedure, it needs to be prevented from occurring at all.
I am for some limits on abortions after the 26th week. Once a baby is viable, abortion seems to be a radical approach. However, the threat to a woman's life must be a consideration.
Tracy
I am for some limits on abortions after the 26th week. Once a baby is viable, abortion seems to be a radical approach. However, the threat to a woman's life must be a consideration.
Tracy
Position or Opinion
Each post should title itself with either Position: or Opinion: over time, we will be able to define or refine positions based on the opinions of members.
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