With the midterm elections finally behind us, it’s a good time for creatively looking ahead and considering some out-of-the-box ideas for moving this country forward — and, as President Obama would say, out of the ditch.

As an American, influenced strongly by Catholic Christian ideals, here are my thoughts on what needs to be done.

In the short term, we need to get back to the value of acknowledging that the brilliant idea upon which this nation is founded isn’t the separation of church and state (as important as that is, it appears nowhere in either the Constitution or Declaration of Independence). The idea that makes this country special is that our rights come from God and not government (which is, specifically, stated in the Declaration).

 Also in the short term, though more mundanely, I believe we need to extend all the Bush-era tax cuts, return unspent stimulus money to the Treasury, allow housing prices to fall to their natural levels and say “no” to any further corporate bailouts.

And, as a matter of simple decency, we should extend unemployment benefits for those people who have reached or are reaching their limit. These are special times, the suffering is great and, when you’re talking about trillions of dollars in debt, we’re really not talking about that much money. Compassion should always remain an American value.    

In looking ahead, we also need to prioritize. We need to fix the economy (so we can afford the military that defends our national security), build up our national security (so that we can deal social issues at home) and deal with social issues in a compassionate way.

Here are 15 ideas for doing that which I believe conform to the Judeo-Christian principles that have made this country a beacon of hope for the world.

THE ECONOMY

1.      
Impose the income tax on state governments, not individuals.

        The ideas not original with me but it makes sense. Not only would dumping the personal income tax and replacing it with a tax on states (at a rate of, say, 20% of their gross revenues) get the government off the people’s back, it would also cut down on federal bureaucracy. How much easier (and cheaper) would it be for the feds to keep an eye on fifty states than millions of taxpayers?

2.      
Do away with the payroll tax and replace Social Security
with Personal Security Accounts.

         It’s a truism that when you tax something, you’re apt to get less of it. So, why does it make sense to have an employer pay a tax on each employee hired?

        What if individuals were assessed a 20% Personal Security tax paid mostly to themselves rather than to the federal government. The taxpayer would be free to invest in a government-approved savings plan (i.e. IRAs and/or mutual funds) and also be required to pay about 5% into traditional Social Security that would be used to insure that the individual retires with at least the same amount of funds that the current system would provide. If the investment makes more than that, the government owes the taxpayer nothing. If it makes less, the government makes up the difference.

        Unless already provided by their employers, individuals would also be required to use a portion of their personal fund to purchase emergency and catastrophic health insurance private insurance (which could be sold across state lines).

        The taxpayer would be empowered to use the remaining portion of the fund to purchase additional insurance, preventive medical care (i.e. health clubs), education,  or financial planning.

        Meanwhile, the current cap on Social Security payments by wealthy Americans would be removed with money over that amount going into the general Social Security fund or to supplement the Personal Security Funds of poorer Americans.

3.      
Replace corporate income taxes with corporate fees paid directly to the federal agencies that help or regulate them. 

        This, I believe, would make federal accounting more efficient — keeping money from constantly disappearing into an amorphous federal blob of unaccounted-for spending. 

        As an aside, let’s figure a way around Supreme Court rulings that allow both corporations and unions to donate to political campaigns. They are not “people” and should not be allowed to use real people’s money to support causes or political candidates they disagree with.  

5.      
Institute a temporary VAT (Value-Added Tax) targeted solely at debt reduction.

        The tax could sunset as soon as our national debt is paid off.

7.      
Cut, Cut, Cut. 

         The federal government simply needs to cut spending wherever possible — by merging agencies. Suggested cuts might also include selling the Post Office and ending all funding for public television and radio.

        And let’s argue in favor of a presidential line-item veto. 

        Also, as an aside, the federal government should send an easy to understand financial report to all taxpayers/voters every year — in much the same way corporations are expected to do for their shareholders. 

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

8.      
Declare war on al-Queda.

         We should be very clear on who our enemy is (it’s not Islam) and have Congress declare war on al-Qaeda the way it did on Nazi Germany and Japan in WWII.  There should be no ambiguity about it — and Congress, the President and the American should be clearly on the same page.

        Toward that end, we should do what’s necessary to defeat the terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan and secure the gains made in Iraq.  We should also stand firmly with Israel — the most pro-western government in the region — and support the dissident movement in Iran.

9.   Get off Middle Eastern oil!

        It’s a major national security issue which means we must resolve to use American resources (i.e. oil, natural gas and coal) while encouraging faster development of cleaner, renewable fuels.

         Also, a federal gasoline tax (keeping oil at about $4.00 a gallon) would help reduce demand while keeping the money in the U.S. (as opposed to Saudi Arabia).  Trucks that deliver food and other goods could be exempt from the tax (to hold down inflation).

10.  
Seal the border while granting amnesty to otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants.

        Contrary to much media spin, most Americans who want to see the border secured are not cold-hearted racists.  They are simply concerned (with good reason) about open borders — particularly considering the ongoing threat from al-Qaeda and the fact that there is a drug war going on in Mexico.

        And, and also contrary to spin, border walls are feasible and work. They have in Israel and, in the past, in East Berlin (where one was used to, unfortunately, keep people in). You have to wonder if the open-borders crowd lock their own house doors at night.

        Meanwhile, on the other end of the equation, there’s nothing wrong with compassion toward those illegal aliens who are already here.  A date (in the recent past) could be chosen for which those living here prior to it could be granted amnesty.  While it’s not completely fair to those immigrants who have come through the system legally, it is realistic and compassionate. Forgiveness is an American, as well as a Christian, value.

        Solving the immigration problem would also help solve the problem of exploited migrant farm workers.  BTW, would it be a good idea to provide federal subsidies (a cost I know) to help provide fair and decent wages to farm workers while holding down food costs?

11.  Work with the U.N. to forgive foreign debt and reduce world poverty.
Besides being the right thing to do, it’s in America’s national security interest to help poor nations escape crushing poverty that can be manipulated into hatred against us.

SOCIAL ISSUES

12.  Reduce abortion through consensus.

        The Catholic Church and other opponents of abortion, in my view, are totally right regarding its morality but fighting for a constitutional ban (even though I believe Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided) strikes me as counter productive. There is not a consensus to repeal.

        On the other hand, there is an overwhelming consensus to reduce abortions which should be pressed. Measures that would have public support involve requiring parental notification, reasonable waiting periods to give women time to consider their actions, access to information for women considering abortion (i.e. sonograms) and, of course, no federal funding of abortion.  On the positive side, federal assistance for adoption should be pushed through.  Also, the federal government in it’s literature should start replacing the antiseptic word abortion with the more descriptive “fetuscide.” 

        On  a related matter, President Bush’s restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research should remain in effect.  While, perhaps not as clear as abortion, there is enough legitimate moral concern that taxpayers should not be asked to fund it — especially when adult stem cells may actually provide more promise in treating diseases.

13.  Support educational choice.

         Federal money for education should go to the student not the school — and parents, regardless of income, should be allowed to send their kids to schools that they deem worthy and which support their values.   That’s why vouchers, charter schools and home schooling (which I’m actually not too crazy about) should receive federal support.

        There should, however, be a federal standards (i.e. tests and carricula) that must be met.  Evolution, for instance, must be taught.  History courses should offer a balanced view of America (the good and the bad). Phys-ed classes and courses in foreign language (offered in early grades) should be required.  Also, personal finance classes that promote personal responsibility and basic courses promoting manners, kindness and empathy should requirements.       

13.  
Government should get out of the marriage business.

         It’s time to move past the bickering over gay marriage. Federal civil unions should be offered to groups of two or three people that would guarantee the legal and financial rights of all involved.

        I say “two or three,” BTW, because the same logic that argues in favor of accepting gay marriage pretty much exactly equates to the issue of polygamy.  Allowing up to three people in a federal civil union protects everyone’s rights while preventing the civil unions from becoming unwieldy.

         On the other hand, Christians and others, believe marriage has a special significance that applies to the union of a man and a woman and object to the word marriage being co-opted by a political movement. Let individual churches and sects decide who they consider married (some will endorse gay marriages, others won’t). It’s really none of the government’s business.  Administering a sacrament is not the role of the state.

        Also, while same-sex couples should protected by all the legal rights of heterosexual couples, private adoption agencies that choose not to offer babies to same-sex couples should not be coerced to do so — including through the denial of federal assistance offered to those that do.

        And, on the issue of gays serving openly in the military, it’s probably time to start moving toward allowing it (though I must admit to some reservations).

14. Empower the public to control the entertainment that comes into their homes.

       It may seem like a minor issue to some but I believe it’s actually important for Americans to take back the cultural — not through government or institutional censorship but through personal empowerment. The government should empower TV viewers to decide for themselves what TV networks will be allowed into their homes through mandated ala carte cable and satellite menus.  Television is still a major force in our culture and I believe that the people themselves should be given greater influence over what it produces. Read more here. 

15. Celebrate a National Day of Forgiveness.

       We live in a culture that, unfortunately, promotes anger — but anger will only tear us apart. Our true strength lies in our ability to forgive past hurts — as individuals and as groups. We already have a national day of thanks (thank God). Let’s declare forgiveness to be a national value as well.

There you go. My solutions to virtually every issue facing our great nation.

You’re welcome, America! (I feel like Stephen Colbert.)