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[Replaced_Texan]

This was forwarded to me. I don't stand by any of it, but I thought it was interesting. Some of it, like the automobile insurance stuff, isn't really a federal government issue, and some of it, like the campaign financing stuff, is probably illegal per the free speech argument that the Supreme Court seems to like so much. But other stuff is, I think, a good start. I like the attestation that every member of congress actually read the legislation they're voting on.

Here's a list of actions for Congress that I developed with help from others. Perhaps you can forward this to your distribution lists and get folks to contact members of Congress with these actions to be completed in the impending Democratic Congress:


1) Don't focus on investigating why we're in Iraq; develop a plan to gracefully extricate ourselves from that mess within 18 months.

a) Congressman Murtha's plan appeared to viable for a withdrawal to a nearby location or locations whereby the US military can provide stabilizing support.

2) Develop a plan and a way to pay for securing borders, ports and air terminals.

3) Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour and tie that value to the cost of living adjustments / inflation gauge.

4) Make education a REAL priority and REALLY not leave children behind.

a) Raise the standard of living for the middle 70% of the US. Currently the median wage in the US is less than $42,000 per year for a family of 4. You can't send kids to college on that and now that getting a reasonable paying job requires at least a 4 year degree, all children should be able to afford college.

i) Provide grants or incentives to government agencies and contractors to provide tuition assistance to students for an agreement to work for that agency or contractor for a predetermined number of years following graduation. This will help in providing a pipeline of qualified employees for jobs in the coming years.

b) Determine how to provide teachers with above standard wages to encourage more of people to participate as educators.

c) Give teachers latitude in not only teaching, but discipline without fear of reprisals.

5) Determine how to cost-effectively provide medical insurance or medical coverage for all US citizens.

6) Balance the budget over a 4 year period (not 10+ as is currently and incorrectly predicted by the administration).

a) Get back to the 'pay-as-you-go' budgeting of the last century, using the surplus to pay down the national debt (especially to China)

7) Allow the current illegal immigrants to become citizens and begin contributing. Implement the guest worker program Bush proposed (it was a reasonable initiative)

8) Stabilize and reduce the greenhouse gases emissions in the US as outlined in the movie "An inconvenient Truth". This should be accomplished by a non-partisan board headed up by Al Gore.

a) Require that all members of Congress watch the moie, "An
Inconvenient Truth."

b) Develop a plan to raise the overall mpg average for all vehicles sold in the United States. An increase in mpg will have a direct reduction in the amount of foreign oil (both crude and refined) imported into this US, and also reduce the amount of emitted greenhouse gases.

c) Provide a plan forward to help constituents convert to green energy sources including:

i) Funding research for Solar Power to make it cost competitive,

ii) Developing a way for Nuclear power to be SAFE including more research into fusion power

iii) Fund research into converting Green House gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2 ) into Carbon and Oxygen.

9) Set forward a plan and a way to pay for and
implement infrastructure replacements (bridges, roads, highways, ports).

10) In the US, there is a significant percentage of
uninsured motorists, develop a plan to provide basic automobile insurance coverage to all drivers. This would reduce the premiums currently paid by insured motorists who must subsidize the cost of uninsured motorists.

11) Take private money out of politics, allowing only public
financing in the election of representatives.

a) Ban campaign funds from lobbyists & federal contractors.

b) Use the Canadian model for funding elections.

12) Make it illegal for lobbyists and contractors to
participate in writing legislation, leaving it up to the politicians
themselves.

a) Require that all legislators swear that they have actually read the legislation they vote on. Perhaps by having this requirement, more legislation would get thought through before being enacted.

13) Enact strict legislation restricting particular
contributions (travel, gifts, earmarks, pork, etc) and make the entire process transparent.

a) In addition, specify what the punishment will be for violations
and actually enforce them.