"Big change" is an appealing new slogan. Most Americans believe that big change is needed -- 81 percent of voters believe "government in Washington is broken and needs basic overhaul," according to a recent Clarus poll. But what might "big change" involve? Here's a platform that builds on some of the proposals in Simpson-Bowles budget deficit reduction plan, but goes further and addresses systemic flaws of our paralyzed government. In general, we must simplify government to reduce the deficit and spur the private sector to create jobs.
BIG CHANGE Agenda:
- Transform Public Healthcare. Transition Medicare and Medicare to a single provider -- an accountable care organization contracting with the government to provide all a recipient's needs. The current fee-for-service system wastes $200-300 billion annually.
- Radically simplify regulation. Bureaucracy discourages jobs. End bureaucratic central planning, and refocus regulation on goals and governing principles. Make people accountable for results, not compliance. Appoint commissions in each area to recommend "spring cleanings" of accumulated regulation.
- Force Congress to set priorities. Sunset laws should put all programs up for review every 10 years. Change the rules of Congress to end partisan stalemate. It's impossible to balance the budget without rethinking old entitlements and subsidies. Obsolete programs waste at least $100 billion annually.
- Restore accountability to public service. The civil service system is broken, making sensible public management almost impossible and smothering good public servants. End the presumption of lifetime tenure. Protect against partisan personnel decisions by a neutral civil service review board.
- End benefits for the rich. Means-test public subsidies, including tax deductions.
- Simplify the tax code. Start over with a simple, transparent schedule of rates. End most corporate subsidies. Lower the corporate tax rate to match other countries and encourage repatriation of offshore capital.
- Make justice reliable. America has become the defensive society. Doctors practice defensive medicine. Entrepreneurs fear a ruinous verdict. Unreliable justice is a drag on job creation. Restore predictability as a core goal of justice, giving judges responsibility to draw boundaries of reasonable claims. Create special health courts, saving over $50-100 billion annually.
- Bulldoze school bureaucracy. What do forms and rules have to do with inspiring students? Bureaucracy can't teach. Give principals and teachers back the freedom to do their jobs.
These changes would balance the budget, end government paralysis, and begin to transform America's public culture. Americans know we need it. Are any leaders bold enough to say it?
Laurel
if Romney starts a war, how many mormons will be in the front lines?
Why don"t "patriots" like to pay taxes?
How do draft dodgers and tax dodgers support the troups?
If corps are people, why can't they be put in prison?
The majority prefer the status quo to the change OWS or the Tea Party want.
They think DC is broken, not the US. They want DC to go away, not become more powerful.
Then our representative's would do what is best for our country and not what is best for their doners.
As long as bribery and the revolving door is legal forget about this being a representative democracy. It is a prime example of Fascism.
Take the money out of politics. Blaming this and that politician does no good. As our legalized corrupt bribery system exists today we are irrelevant.
Campaign Reform would heal the split of the American people that big money has encouraged in order to weaken us and keep us fighting with each other.
Any politician HAS to play ball. Find a politician who does not take money. If he does not he will not win. He will join us little people whining about how we would do it if we were in power.
Blaming this and that politician does no good. The blame lies ultimately on American citizens.
Now that's specific, I don't know why no one ever thought of it.
1. Term limits. Elected office should be a privilege, not a career. One six-year term, then you move on with your life, no pension.
2. No lobbying position for 4 years following a term.
3. No bills written by outside special interest groups. We pay representatives to do this work, and they need to do it.
4. Government funded campaigns. Candidates get the same amount of money to run their campaigns, people may donate to the government campaign finance fund and the money is equally distributed. This will be a good first glimpse as to whether a candidate is a good manager or not.
5. Constitutional amendment to assert that corporations are not people, thus eliminating the ability of decision-makers within corporations from having undue influence and essentially more power than any other voter.
Now who will be brave enough to promote this?
Laurel
The only benefit of socialized medicine systems is that everyone is covered, but that is provided at the expense of service. Health care is a scarce good and something will ration it to consumers. In the US individuals make that choice and in socialized medicine countries, the government makes that choice.
Health care is a scarce resource that will be rationed in some fashion. Either individuals will make an economic decision on what they can afford given their insurance and assets, or the government will decide. In European systems, the way the governments keep the cost down is to reduce service. For example, a European will wait for months for procedures that are routinely done in the US. Also, the latest medical breakthroughs are not generally available in Europe and much more quickly disseminated in the US.