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Actually most of these issues are an easy fix as long as you truly want to solve the problem.  There in lies the rub.  Politicians do not want to solve the nations problems.  There is no money in that for them.

 

I agree that most politcians both on the right and the left do not want to truly solve problems.  Most of their decisions are based on what would be best for them and the next election cycle.

 

Immigration - Fine every corporation, small business or individual $10,000 dollars for every illegal immigrant they employ when they are caught for the 1st offense.  50k for the 2nd with 6 months jail time.  100k and 1 year for the 3rd.  Remove all US government assistance for illegal aliens and they will deport themselves when the jobs run dry.

 

​The immigration problem is much more complex than that.  In my opinion, first and foremost should be to stop the illegal immigration to begin with by securing the borders as well as tracking those that are here on Visas that are expired.  The next thing to do is deal with the ones that are here.

 

Tax code - fair tax

 

I would love to see the day that this happens.  Unfortunately, I don't see it happening.


 

Education - Reading, writing, arithmetic and science.  Bring back recess and gym classes.  Teach the arts and music.  Stop teaching for an end result with cookie cutter 1 size fits all formulas.  Good teachers know what each kid needs, let them do their job and for the love of heaven reduce the number of administrators at each school and give that saved money to the people in the class room.  Bring back trade schools that are tied to the high schools.  Not everyone is cut out for college.

 

I think that education reform needs to be more comprehensive and focused on today's world.  I agree with you on the trade school idea and I would even take it a step further to offer incentives to businesses that offer internships as part of education.


 

I also think that something needs to be done about the out of control cost of higher education and the student loan problems associated with that.


 

Campaign finance reform - One issue bills and no riders or attachments.  Every vote is up or down for a single issue.  If the lobbyist can't get garbage that no one would vote for in that format they will stop flooding the politicians with cash.

 

Agreed.


 

Employment - End all fair trade agreements.  Bring back tariffs and force corporations to bring those jobs they sent overseas back home.  Guess what, we have factory jobs again.  End all unions for federal employees.

 

​On this issue you and I have the wrong idea(s).  The economy in today's world is global, and I believe that free trade agreements are a necessity in order to compete in a global economy.  You can't "force" companies to bring back jobs from over seas, but you can offer incentives to do so.  We have the highest corporate tax rates in the world.

 

Regarding unions, I personally would dump them all.


 

Spending - Have businessmen with no ties to government contracts or ties do an audit of government expenditures.  Cut the fat and the duplicate programs.


 

I certainly agree with cutting the fat and duplicate programs.  Take a look at how many different "food stamp" programs are in existence today.


 

Foreign Policy - Quit borrowing money from China to give to other countries.  Bring the troops home.  If the Arab nations want to kill each other let them.  They have been fighting each other since the beginning of time.  If they bring that crap over here a missile fired from Colorado is just as accurate as one fired from 1 mile away.  We don't need troops on the grounds when a satellite photo can tell you the color of my eyes.  If we do engage in a war for any reason, let congress vote on it and if they give the go, get out of the way and let the military do their job.  Their job for the record is to kill people and break things period!  There is no such thing as a sanitary war.

 

Like it or not, the "bring the troops home" idea is never going to happen, nor should it.  When I addressed the economy earlier, I mentioned the fact that it's a global economy.  We have too many interests in too many areas around the globe that are essential to our way of life.


 

Welfare - no more corporate welfare.  Low interest business loans for viable business plans sure.  Personal welfare, if you are able bodied then in order to get a check you will go to a trade school to learn a job skill.  You get housing, food and clothes and daycare provided for two years.  If after two years you have not figured it out quonset huts and low skill jobs like mowing grass along the highways or being assigned to the jobs of the transient farm workers that left in droves over the illegal immigration policy we passed.  No more steak and lobster, you get basics like beans, rice and spam or hamburger.

 

This is something that very much needs to be reformed and reworked.  Rather than it being "assistance" it's become a way of life for far too many people.


 

National Debt - Pay that sucker off with all the savings just provided and no increases until it is payed off.  That includes the automatic increases for congress and all federal workers.  We out here in the private sector have to suck it up all the time you can too.  Oh and no more of the voodoo math.  A cut in a program is not a reduction in the increase of spending.  If I am budgeted for a 5% increase and only spend 3% I still increased what I spent last year by 3%.

 

Did I miss anything?  

 

I speak to individuals on both sides of the political spectrum and you know what?  With the exception of the extremist on both sides we all want the same things.  We have different ideas on how to get there is all.  The problem is we let the media, politicians and rhetoric divide us.

 

Peace out.  Whew!

 

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Not much difference in opinions as far as I can see.  We could iron the minor issues we differ on over a pitcher of beer and a plate of wings, and be back home before Game of Thrones.  This solutions are not that complex, unless you let politics get in the way.

 

BTW, I took the same root you did to success.  College drop out, enlisted in the USN as an ET. Gave the government 6 years of my life in return for a viable skill in electronics.  Saw much of Europe and the Middle East, parts of Africa and the Caribbean. Squared off and thumped our chest against the Iranian and Soviet navies a time or two. Turned that experience into a career and a damn good life.  I highly recommend it to every individual graduating high school.  

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