Can you remember anytime in history???

I have to say, I am disappointed in our elected officials. Iraq is a plain waste of everything; lives, money, good will. We're still pandering to the Saudis.

I keep hearing conservatives and psuedo-conservatives babbling endlessly that the liberal left has no plan. "You have no plan, you just criticize!" I hear it all of the time, even in some New York newspapers that know better. The Far Right typically has a plan, usually one that isn't completely thought out (except for talking points) and typically laced with language and focus that is roughly equivalent to an 8th grade reading level. Iraq, Iran, Oil, oil, Oil, money, more money (taxes) and oh yes, oil. Really, there's not any planning going on except in the lobbyists offices.

Snap, it's time in history to reclaim our government!

Here are some things this liberal would like to see on the agenda.

1) Kiss Iraq goodbye in the next year.
2) Enlist some retired soldiers and commanders to outline an immediate agenda and recommendations on Vets rights and needed benefits. Create hotlines and immediate intervening agencies with budgets that can handle vets in dire need (and no, we don't really have that now eventhough the military says we do).
3) Cut major weapons systems spending 30% in 2008 and insert a mandatory cap on military spending as a percentage of the budget in 2009 and beyond. Create a committee in Congress of the newest elected officials that review each proposed new weapons system. Insert severe means of justification and a review cycle.

I know, we have the Senate Armed Services committee. Seems like we still have lots of $10k toilets courtesy of Haliburton. Perhaps we should rethink defense contracts coming from the State Department, eh?

4) Install a new, modern system monitored by the GAO that creates a mandatory bidding system with congressional oversight for all government agencies including Medicare and the military. N0-bids must be approved by the same vote in congress that it takes to impeach.
5) Dump "No Child Left Behind". Start over. Survey 20 ideal schools and utilize their best practices in public or private schools. If it means more money, than do it; we can live without a bridge to nowhere in Alaska. Children should be first in line, everything else is second.
6) Abolish tax breaks for the super rich. That's an easy one.
7) End the "Department of Homeland Security". It's essentially worthless and has done little to nothing to save us from anyone. Utilize the CIA and NSA the way they were supposed to be used. Police work stops terrorism. Create a special education area of the FBI that trains and funds local police departments to spot and investigate potential terrorist activity. There should be direct linkages between the state and federal law enforcement agencies. Create a new computer network that actually works and tracks all criminals including terrorists. It should plug into Interpol and the Israelis as well.
8) Start an immediate program for energy independence. Create tax free zones for energy research (big oil should not be allowed to develop in them). Use DARPA or a DARPA like program to stimulate new technologies for energy use.
9) Tax outsourcers for every worker they hire outside the US. Non-compliance or failure to report to the government of exactly where and how the employees are outsourced yields a $1 million fine per occurence.
10) Put strict rules in place for lobbyist donations, jobs congressional members and employees can take after service (as in they need to wait 2 years before they can go grab the $1 million paychecks from the drug, oil, etc. industry).
11) Repeal the ridiculous bankruptcy law written by the Credit card lobby.

Any thoughts on some new things you'd like to have congress work on? I can't remember anytime in history when we've had more questions and needed more answers from our elected officials. If they can't start to answer our questions, let them have their cushy pensions and let's find someone else that CAN do the job.

M