Restructuring government: How would you do it?

[Eastoff]

I don't want any name calling, and somewhat serious answers please. Try to keep it under 5 paragraphs?

 

[maxiep]

Follow the Constitution.

Get rid of the following Departments, breaking up the parts we need to keep into other departments: Interior, Energy, Commerce, Education, HUD, Labor, Agriculture, Transportation and Veterans Affairs.

Decertify all public sector unions and make them illegal. Take every responsibility that doesn't need to be Federal and push it back to the states. Make sunset provisions for every agency every five years. Move civil service retirement benefits to 401k's. Get rid of baseline budgeting. Defang the bureaucrats and create accountability by bringing regulations back under the aegis of Congress.

That's a start.

 

[TradeNurkicNow]

Serious(ly delusional) answer:

Decentralization. America is too big.

 

[maxiep]

Serious(ly delusional) answer:

Decentralization. America is too big.

Bingo. Devolve power to the States. There's no reason Rick Perry and Jerry Brown shouldn't be a domestic policy equal to the President. Fifty laboratories of democracy. Give people the option of voting with their feet.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Where to begin is the real question. First off, I think term limits might not be the worst idea. Parallel to that is real campaign finance reform and breaking the Republican, Democratic stranglehold on televised debates - we need a broader pool of candidates and somehow need to stop automatically selecting the kinds of people that willingly seek elected office (i.e. narcissistic, egomaniacs whose only real qualification is the ability to raise money).

Do I think any of this can happen with any forethought and careful execution? Almost definitely not. I'm guessing the only way the system will be deconstructed and rebuilt is following a financial collapse, eclipsing the magnitude of the Great Depression and a period of extreme civil unrest. Not a civil war per se but some very bad times, a lot of unpleasantness, and a lot of violence. Whatever comes out on the other side will probably be a lot less appealing than the country the Founding Fathers envisioned 235+ years ago.

 

[Natebishop3]

Well, like I said, I would cut the NSA completely. I would cut the TSA completely. I would severely limit the FBI and CIA and monitor their spending. I would eliminate the Department of Homeland Security. FEMA is fine.

Military spending would come down. I would leave the Navy as they are but I would lower the budget of the Army and the Air Force. Having the most powerful Navy in the world is a must, but having a huge standing Army is not. The Air Force is questionable. Bombers are important, but I don't know if we need a huge air force while we have a huge Navy.

The other departments of government are so huge and bloated, I don't know where to start. I think I would cut the budget of every single department and then build it back up based on what is truly necessary.

 

[TradeNurkicNow]

Bingo. Devolve power to the States. There's no reason Rick Perry and Jerry Brown shouldn't be a domestic policy equal to the President. Fifty laboratories of democracy. Give people the option of voting with their feet.

Pretty much, though I don't think that goes far enough. California should be at least two states; Texas, three. IMO, we need to rebuild the idea of having a community. Some states are huge.

 

[maxiep]

For the record, I'm not saying make Rick Perry and Jerry Brown more powerful. I'm saying if the governorships are perceived as being more powerful, it will attract better people than Rick Perry and Jerry Brown.

 

[maxiep]

Pretty much, though I don't think that goes far enough. California should be at least two states; Texas, three. IMO, we need to rebuild the idea of having a community. Some states are huge.

Agreed.

 

[Nikolokolus]

For the record, I'm not saying make Rick Perry and Jerry Brown more powerful. I'm saying if the governorships are perceived as being more powerful, it will attract better people than Rick Perry and Jerry Brown.

I don't know about that. Political positions almost self-select against people with integrity and wisdom; people with those qualities typically go into other arenas that don't require kissing babies and grovelling for money.

 

[Natebishop3]

Pretty much, though I don't think that goes far enough. California should be at least two states; Texas, three. IMO, we need to rebuild the idea of having a community. Some states are huge.

I think Texas would secede if people started talking about breaking them up. That state is ridiculously proud of its heritage.

 

[Denny Crane]

SlyPokerDog in charge.

 

[maxiep]

I don't know about that. Political positions almost self-select against people with integrity and wisdom; people with those qualities typically go into other arenas that don't require kissing babies and grovelling for money.

I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

 

[TradeNurkicNow]

Addressing the grossness of politics is a whole other story. Removing the money from it all would be a great start, especially after decentralization.

 

[Natebishop3]

If there was term limits and a ban on corporate/special interest group campaign financing, I think we would see a better caliber of people in politics.

 

[MarAzul]

I don't want any name calling, and somewhat serious answers please. Try to keep it under 5 paragraphs?

Begin to closely follow the Constitution.

Make the following amendments to the Constitution:

Repeal the 14th, 17th and 26th amendments. Which would return us to conferring Citizenship only to babies born here of citizens or abroad of fathers who are Citizens. Return to Senators being selected by states. Return the Voting age to 21.

Amend the Constitution to require Congress pass and the President sign a balanced buget each year except in time of declared War. If a Balance buget was not passed by x date, The President and the House would all need to stand for reelection on x date (soon) or resign.

Clarify the Definition of Natural Born Citizen to be the same as is found in the Law of Nations.

Clarify by amendment that Congress and only Congress has the power to initiate War. The President has the power to execute war and defend the nation when it has been attacked or an Ally by treaty has been attacked.

Eliminate the following Departments, Energy, Education, Hud, and Labor.
Combine the Agriculture and Interior, and combine the ATF and FBI in one department under Home Land security which would also include the USCG.

Put the DEQ under the Interior department with zero power to create rules without an act of Congress.

 

[Mediocre Man]

It has to start with decentralization

 

[MarAzul]

It has to start with decentralization

A prime objective right up front. Move it to the States.

 

[magnifier661]

A prime objective right up front. Move it to the States.

I'm down... Thats the way it was supposed to be in the beginning.

 

[MarAzul]

I'm down... Thats the way it was supposed to be in the beginning.

At least then you can find a place to move to if you don't like the shit that's going down.
Christ, they have me looking into Uruguay and Chile and stuff the way it is today.

 

[TradeNurkicNow]

I find it interesting that MarAzul, MM, maxiep.... and I all agree on something.

 

[MarAzul]

I find it interesting that MarAzul, MM, maxiep.... and I all agree on something.

Ha! I will wager we are not going to be picking the same States.

 

[maxiep]

If there was term limits and a ban on corporate/special interest group campaign financing, I think we would see a better caliber of people in politics.

I would also enact a "government service tax". If you're an elected official or work in the executive/legislative branch in a non-support position and take a job where your job is to lobby or advise on matters political, then you pay a 50% excise tax to the government. It's a good deal for both sides. Most former Representatives/Senators/Staffers make $500K-$1MM a year. They'd pay $250K-$500K off the top then the rest would be subject to normal taxation. They still make more than they did and we stop at least some of the revolving door.

 

[speeds]

I think you guys would really miss the IRS and the Electoral College.

 

[Natebishop3]

I would also enact a "government service tax". If you're an elected official or work in the executive/legislative branch in a non-support position and take a job where your job is to lobby or advise on matters political, then you pay a 50% excise tax to the government. It's a good deal for both sides. Most former Representatives/Senators/Staffers make $500K-$1MM a year. They'd pay $250K-$500K off the top then the rest would be subject to normal taxation. They still make more than they did and we stop at least some of the revolving door.

I would also build on that to say that someone can not take a job in the field that they were just regulating. We see this all the time with agriculture. Someone will work in the FDA and then get a phatty job with Monsanto right after they pass some legislation that gives Monsanto a leg up. It's bullshit.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

I find it interesting that MarAzul, MM, maxiep.... and I all agree on something.

throw me into the mix as well

Mar..dunno about the 21 to vote thing. If 17 with prental concent and 18 on your own willget youa military enlistment and the grand chance to find your self in a shooting war..that ought to grant you the privilege of the vote.

add to the mix that citizenship should be conditional on each person providing service to ones country, be it military,peace core or professional

 

[maxiep]

I think you guys would really miss the IRS and the Electoral College.

I like the Electoral College, but prefer the Maine/Nebraska system over the winner take all scenario.

 

[MarAzul]

throw me into the mix as well

Mar..dunno about the 21 to vote thing. If 17 with prental concent and 18 on your own willget youa military enlistment and the grand chance to find your self in a shooting war..that ought to grant you the privilege of the vote.

add to the mix that citizenship should be conditional on each person providing service to ones country, be it military,peace core or professional

Yes I have heard that argument since the day the amendment was first purposed. It doesn't hold water Having been 18 myself, I am fully aware that being qualified to go to war when you are 18 (actually 16)
has nothing to do with being and informed voter. In my opinion giving the vote to people that young, just make another voting block that politicians can target with a divide and conquer strategy.

 

[Eastoff]

Yes I have heard that argument since the day the amendment was first purposed. It doesn't hold water Having been 18 myself, I am fully aware that being qualified to go to war when you are 18 (actually 16)
has nothing to do with being and informed voter. In my opinion giving the vote to people that young, just make another voting block that politicians can target with a divide and conquer strategy.

I know a lot of voters that are over the age of 18 and are not informed on topics but vote anyway. Are you going to ban all lazy morons from voting?

 

[BlazerWookee]

Put Jack Ryan in the White House.

EDIT: Not the Alec Baldwin Jack Ryan, and ESPECIALLY not the Ben Affleck Jack Ryan. Harrison Ford Jack Ryan FTW.