Let's talk ideas...

As promised, I’m putting out some ideas from the left side of the aisle (or at least from one man’s left-leaning perspective). Here they are, in no particular order. I’ll keep my comments on each item to a minimum… just a few words (OK, maybe several) to stress my take on these things.

1. Raise the minimum wage.
Should a family of four be able to survive on one person earning minimum wage? No. But should a young person, just getting started? Absolutely.

2. Make education a top priority in our country.
Our nation’s schools are in an abysmal state. We are short-changing our nation’s future. If you think, “no child left behind” is the solution, fine. Then fund it damnit!

3. Make our nation TRULY energy independent.
This is more than just good policy; it is a matter of national security. We have some outstanding scientists and engineers in this country (I know, I’m one of them :-) ), we CAN do this.

4. Take global warming seriously, AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!
This is not theory, this is not an opinion, this does not require “further study” to verify. This is a fact. No, it’s not some commie-leftwing-treehugger-antiestablishment conspiracy to kill big oil. The science bears this out. It’s time we thought of the future of our planet, rather than just the future of one political party or their corporate contributors.

5. Require a balanced federal budget, period.
A constitutional amendment perhaps? Yes, you heard me, a Democrat advocating for an amendment that the federal budget be balanced. It’s simple math. We’ve gone from the largest budget surplus in history to the largest deficit in history. We cannot continue down this road. Our children and our grandchildren are going to inherit enough of the problems we’ve created. They don’t need to be in perpetual debt as well.

6. Implement serious campaign finance reforms.
Public financing of elections? Maybe. A serious cap on soft money? Perhaps. But the point is, our democracy should not be for sale to the highest bidder. It’s “We the People”, not “We the Corporations”. Pay to play doesn’t seem consistent with “promote the general welfare”.

7. Establish trade policies that protect American jobs.
I’m not suggesting that we isolate ourselves. I’m not suggesting that corporations shouldn’t be able to turn a profit. But somehow, some way, we need to make it a priority to have decent, good-paying jobs for workers right here in the U.S. of A. If we keep outsourcing our jobs, we might as well start outsourcing the consumers as well. Because eventually, there won’t be anyone left here who can even afford the cheap Chinese products at Wal-Mart.

8. Take some serious steps address nuclear and WMD proliferation.
The greatest threat to our civilization continues to be a man-made threat. This isn’t just some tree-huggin’ nonuke freak talking here. Even dubya is concerned with the spread of WMDs. (too bad he can’t find any – yes, that was a cheap shot, and well-deserved) Given today’s verification of a nuclear North Korea, this issue is all the more relevant.

9. Make the election system in our country above reproach.
Forget about whether or not there were shenanigans in 2000 (which there were), or 2004 (ditto). The fact remains that the American people are questioning the integrity of the very system that insures that their voices are heard and their interests are represented. If we cannot insure the validity and transparency of the very foundation of our democracy, then the rest of our discussion is pointless.

10. Insure the solvency on the social security system, for generations to come.
Some on the right have argued that there is nothing to worry about, that the liberals are twisting this way out of proportion. Given the Republicans’ recent proclivity to spend this nation into oblivion, I couldn’t disagree more. Some of us are fortunate enough to not have to worry about whether social security will be there for us when we retire. That doesn’t mean we should turn our back on those who are not so fortunate.


And also as promised, Country Squire’s list of ideas from the right side of the political spectrum, as well as my thoughts on each item:

1.Win the war.
Which war? The war on terror (an interesting concept), or the war in Iraq? Cause contrary to what we have been told erroneously and repeatedly, they are NOT one and the same. My interpretation of the “war on terror” is the effort to defeat al Qaeda, their supporters, and those al Qaeda wannabe groups out there. This is a noble and just cause, and it should have been a war being waged for many, many years. As a matter of fact, the first volley fired at the U.S. in this war wasn’t on September 11, 2001, it was October 23, 1983. Remember the Marine barracks in Beirut? Where was the retaliation for that brutal attack? 241 U.S. service members killed, and STILL, to this day, nobody brought to justice. I believe that was on President Reagan’s watch? But I digress… The fact remains that Saddaam Hussein was not an ally of al Qaeda. As a matter of fact, he considered them a threat to his power in Iraq. So when you say, “win the war”, please tell me which one you are referring to. Because if it’s the “war on terra” you might want to take a look at what is happening in Afghanistan right now. We really dropped the ball on that one.

2. Cut taxes.
Ah yes, the famous Republican refrain… Everybody loves tax cuts, myself included. It’s a great platform to run on, even better when it means something. Unfortunately, the idea has lost all meaning; at least in the way it has been applied in this administration. Unless, of course you qualify as uber-wealthy, in which case the recent tax cuts are quite a windfall. As for me, someone in the upper middle class, I haven’t seen any significant benefit, and increases in my state and local taxes have made up for any modest federal tax savings I might have received. Tax cuts are great, if fairly applied, and if accompanied by rational spending on the part of the government. But the sad fact remains… at the end of the day, somebody has to pay for our government.

3. Install originalist judges on the Federal bench and the Supreme Court.
By “originalist”, do you mean a “constructionalist” (as Mr. Bush is so fond of calling them), a “textualist” (the words of the Constitution matter), or perhaps an “intentionalist” (the intentions of the framers matter)? There’s a difference. But I think we can agree that the purpose of the Judiciary is to interpret the laws, not make them (as Mr. Bush should be reminded that the purpose of the Executive is to execute the laws, not interpret them, or worse, ignore them – you DON’T want me to go there). Having said that, my personal preference is to favor intentionalists. While the Constitution was a remarkably well-written document, some of the phraseology used is antiquated, and really doesn’t always hold the same meaning in the context of the modern vernacular. I feel that the framer’s intentions should be the criteria for interpretation. The obvious dilemma there… how do you gauge the intentions of someone that has been dead for 200 years? We should remind ourselves of one intention of the framers of our Constitution that is strikingly clear… they intended it to be a living document that should evolve to fit the needs of an evolving nation.

4. Control illegal immigration.
Amen. This is likely to be something we will agree upon. We cannot begin to talk about “protecting the homeland” before we address the issue of securing our own borders. And this administration, as well as those before it, has done an abysmal job of making that a priority. The flow of illegals into this country will continue until we make the borders secure, and address the incentives that make illegal immigration worthwhile. And I mean the incentives on both sides of the border. We need to make it clear to Mexico that they must take their own responsibilities seriously, and address security on their side of the border, as well as addressing the economic conditions that lead to the mass exodus of their citizens. On our side of the Rio Grande, we need to clamp down on employers who are willing to ignore the laws regarding employment of illegals, and give those laws some real teeth. A fence is NOT the answer. Making crossing the border illegally not worth the risk should be the approach.

5. Reduce spending.
Wow. You sure you’re a Republican? I’m jesting, of course. Let me rephrase that… You sure Bush is a Republican? Or for that matter, the so-called Republicans in Congress? Cause they sure didn’t get the memo about the Republicans being the supposed party of fiscal responsibility. They are spending money like drunken sailors on shore leave in the P.I.’s Y’know, this issue reminds me of an interview that Larry King did with President Jimmy Carter in the mid-eighties… A caller phoned in and asked the former President, “So Mr. Carter, how does it feel to be the first President to bring the national debt above a trillion dollars?” You could almost see the shit-eating grin on the caller’s face, from the tone of his voice. President Carter paused, looked straight into the camera and said (I’m paraphrasing here), “Yes, I was the first President to preside over a trillion dollar national debt. And it took me and my thirty-eight predecessors to get it to that point. However, in the short time he has been in office, President Reagan has already more than doubled it.” Similarly, you could almost see the jaw drop on the arrogant caller. So much for fiscal responsibility. Yes, by all means, let’s cut spending. But let’s do it in a way that makes sense, not cuts just for the sake of cuts. The normal approach from the right is to cut social programs and “entitlements” first. God forbid we should address government waste, a bloated defense budget, or perpetuation of the good ol’ boys network in regards to awarding government contacts. (Can anyone say, “Halliburton”?) On this subject, I simply don’t have enough time to point out all the hypocrisy and outright thievery in the Republican’s approach to spending OUR tax dollars. Fiscal responsibility. What a concept.


I’d love to hear some thoughts and feedback on this exchange (especially you, Squire). Let’s keep the conversation going. Perhaps we truly can find some common ground in this polarized environment we find ourselves in.