Skip Navigation Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Transition Team
 

Citizen's Briefing Book Component

LOGIN



FIND AN ISSUE YOU CARE ABOUT



MORE CATEGORIES

Content Starts Here
Ideas community for the Citizen's Brefing Book.
  • 30
    Points
    I am a machinist by trade,but I grew up on a farm.
    My idea may be stupid but I want to share it.
    It goes like this:

    1-Do away with corporate agriculture subsidies.
    2-Use the subsidy money to give a food stamp stipend to WORKING families that make under $40,000 per year.
    3-In place of the subsidies, give the corporations a 100% tax break, based on fair market value, for any and all food sent to third world and developing countries.

    This plan, in my estimation, would do the following:

    A- Put the small time family farmer back in business in a big, big way.
    B-Feed the poor or struggling in our own country.
    C-Feed the poor and struggling abroad
    D- Give agricultural corporations a way to still make money without crowding out the "little guy".
    0 Comments »   Posted by tweed to Economy, Foreign Policy, Service, Additional Issues on 1/14/2009 12:12 AM
  • 60
    Points
    President-elect Obama, I believe that the best way to put an end to the culture of finance and banking is by putting the Federal Reserve out of business and reverting back to the gold and silver standard. Our money should be based on solid commodities and valuables, not interest rates and the stock market. It doesn't seem right that a few people who got lucky determine the course of our financial futures.
    5 Comments »   Posted by George Hull, Jr. to Economy, Homeland Security, Service, Additional Issues on 1/13/2009 11:37 PM
  • 260
    Points
    The same ideas are being submitted multiple times and their support is being scattered as a result.

    Perhaps some of the most popular issues deserve their own categories under which deviations in the ideas can be submitted and discussed.
    • Mass Transit - especially as related to bullet trains and light rails
    • Decriminalization of marijuana
    • Infrastructure as applied to the green movement and job creation
    These ideas appear frequently enough to perhaps deserve their own categories.
    0 Comments »   Posted by ChibiKiba_ to Economy, Education, Energy and Environment, Foreign Policy, Health Care, Homeland Security, Service, Technology, Veterans, Additional Issues on 1/13/2009 10:57 PM
  • -120
    Points
    If Nationalized Health Care was so Grand, why don't those Countries who do have it- like it???? Would you like mediocre doctors who make mediocre pay giving you mediocre medicine and surgery??? If it's Government Funded you can bank on it being skimpy on Supplies and Services.

    If you create more local Clinics to relieve the Hospital's burden overload of Non- Emergencies and Emergencies that are easily Treated by Medical Intern Staff who are overseen by a Rotating Staff of Seasoned- Veteran Doctors and Licensed Nurses (who recieve tax incentives instead of paychecks) you'd get a free Clinical Medical Staff. That free's up funding for a permanent, meager Administrative Staff and Overhead Expenses, like Supplies and Medicines. It could then charge "little to no charge."

    And the burden it would take off of Emergency Rooms is immeasurable. That alone would drive down Hospital Costs and Prices, as well as, leave them free to attend to the real pressing emergencies and patients with serious conditions. It would ease the burdens on an overbooked and exhausted Staff. And the Lower Costs and Prices would stimulate Insurance Rates to go down as more Hospitals would begin to actually have to solicit and compete for your business.

    The same works for VA Clinics to ease the burdens on VA Hospitals.

    Apply Real Solutions to the Cause of a Problem, Don't Keep Throwing $$$ Money $$$ at the Symptoms.

    If Nationalized Health Care was so Grand, why don't those Countries who do have it- like it???? Would you like mediocre doctors who make mediocre pay giving you mediocre medicine and surgery??? If it's Government Funded you can bank on it being skimpy on Supplies and Services.

    Why stop there, Just read Kevin Trudeau's works for Great Ideas on how to cut Prescription Medicine Costs and your well on your way to a Better HealthCare System.

    That and allow for Foreign and Internet Drug Sales to spur and maintain Competive Prices- That's Capitalism.

    You could also clean up the FDA and their "Only Western Medicine Can Say What A Cure Is And A Cure Isn't Anything That Isn't Synthetically Manufactured" attitude, and, quit funding these "Cures For Things We'll Never Cure As Long As There's Profit To Be Had In Not Curing Diseases" Businesses, particularly if they claim to be Not For Profit, that's how you begin to better our Healthcare System.

    And maybe make the FDA, FTC, and the other ABC Agencies not only do their jobs unbiasedly, but, start going after the "Big Guys" for the same things they come after us "little guys" for.
    2 Comments »   Posted by PhyberDragon to Economy, Education, Health Care, Service, Veterans, Additional Issues on 1/13/2009 9:58 PM
  • -30
    Points
    Does it make sense that 90% of the wealth of the United States is held in the hands of 2% of it's citizens? President-elect Obama, I ask that you create a law that limits personal fortunes to be no more than 300 times than what the average hard-working American makes. Above that, there should be a 100% tax. This will allow people to still diversify and accumulate a lot of money, but will immediately fix the deficit. It will also give the government excess funds that can be redistributed to the poor according to need. This is our chance to erase poverty from this planet. Why not take it?
    6 Comments »   Posted by George Hull, Jr. to Economy, Service, Additional Issues on 1/13/2009 9:34 PM
  • 80
    Points

    Hello Mr. President,

    First off congratulations on your victory. This site is the type of forward thinking this country needs. It is about time that we have a politician that is actually interested in what it citizens have to say!

    My idea is to allow people to use their 401K to repay student loans. No penalty and untaxed. This would not only encourage people to go to school, it would free up more money to make more student loans. As a working parent of college student and of a college grad, I know this would free up money for me to spend on other things instead of just sending it to the bank to pay their outrageous interest rates . My 401K actually lost money last year like most other peoples did. At the same time I have student loans costing me almost 8% . If I could use that 401K money to pay off my student loans that would free up almost $600 a month! It would be like a stimulus package every month. But the best part is it wouldn’t cost the government (tax payers) a dime! Thanks for this opportunity

    0 Comments »   Posted by American Worker to Economy, Education, Service, Technology, Additional Issues on 1/13/2009 9:27 PM
  • 40
    Points
    The daily 9 to 5 doesn't leave much room for volunteering in your community.  Let's set aside Wednesday afternoons as a haven where citizens can leave for work a f ew hours to volunteer in their community.  Volunteer at your child's school, talk to a classroom of pupils about your job, knit sweaters for those in need of war clothing, install energy efficient lighting in your neighbors house.  There are just ideas -- the creativity of the American people will crate millions of others.
    0 Comments »   Posted by Chris G to Economy, Education, Energy and Environment, Service on 1/13/2009 9:26 PM
  • -200
    Points
    Hey Barack,

    I hear about Chinese scientists trying to get the moon, and this kinda pisses me off. I mean, we won the race, right? The moon belongs to us. There is an American flag on the moon and other countries should respect that.

    We need more funding for NASA
    5 Comments »   Posted by Yo whattup to Economy, Education, Energy and Environment, Foreign Policy, Health Care, Homeland Security, Service, Technology, Veterans, Additional Issues on 1/13/2009 9:12 PM
  • -30
    Points
    1. ELIMINATE FRACTIONAL RESERVE BANKING
    2. STOP POLICING THE WORLD EXCEPT IN CASES OF GENOCIDE
    3. ELIMINATE THE DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
    4. BRING THE MILITARY HOME (THIS IS DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY)
    5. START CHANGING TO A CULTURE OF CARING INDIVIDUALS WITH PURPOSE
    6. STOP CHOOSING WINNERS AND LOOSERS WITH TAX MONEY
    7. GIVE THE INDEPENDENT BUISNESS OWNER A CHANCE
    8. ALLOW YOUR CONSCIENCE TO DICTATE YOUR DECISIONS
    9. GIVE POWER BACK TO THE INDIVIDUAL
    10. PROMOTE A CULTURE OF UNDERSTANDING-A CULTURE THAT IS BASED ON TREATING OTHERS AS YOU WOULD BE TREATED-ELIMINATING SELFISHNESS-ELIMINATING APATHY-GIVE A SENSE OF PURPOSE TO THE INDIVIDUAL
    11. REDUCE THE GOVERNMENTS ROLE IN THE INDIVIDUAL'S LIFE BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN THE GROUP
    12. SMALL COMMUNITIES BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES-CORPORATIONS AND GOVERNMENT DO NOT.
    13. PROMOTE VOLUNTEERISM
    14. GIVE MORE POWER TO THE INDIVIDUAL
    15. IF YOUR GONNA TAX US HEAVILY. WE BETTER BE TREATED AS YOUR BOSS! YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR.  TRANSPARENCY IS KING!
    0 Comments »   Posted by sechris72 to Economy, Education, Energy and Environment, Foreign Policy, Health Care, Homeland Security, Service, Technology, Veterans, Additional Issues on 1/13/2009 9:04 PM
  • -70
    Points

    And quit the myth about it's not taxable as an all natural product having no preservatives or man- made attributes to tax, as government taxes it anyways, even when it does so in the form of penalties. So much for "NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION" Over half of the US States have a Marijuana Tax Stamp IRS Rate and Law. Here's some examples:

    Alabama

    State Code§40-17A
     
    Tax Rate $3.50/gram if owner possesses 42.5 grams or more
     
    Penalty for Nonpayment (Civil and Criminal ) 200% of Tax Class C Felony
     
    Additional Information

    Tax withstood constitutional challenge in 1991 on the grounds of self-incrimination in Briney v. State Department of Revenue, 594 So. 2d 120.

    Tax withstood constitutional challenge in 1994 on the grounds of double jeopardy in Milner v. State, 658 So. 2d 500.

    Connecticut
    State Code§ 12-651
     
    Tax Rate $3.50/gram if owner possesses 42.5 grams or more
     
    Penalty for Nonpayment (Civil and Criminal ) 200% of tax and up to $10k or 6 yrs prison or both

    Georgia
    State Code§48-15
     
    Tax Rate $3.50/gram
     
    Penalty for Nonpayment (Civil and Criminal ) Misdemeanor

    Idaho
    State Code§63-4203
     
    Tax Rate $3.50/gram
    $775/plant
     
    Penalty for Nonpayment (Civil and Criminal ) 200% of tax and punishment for tax evasion to the same extent as poss. of marijuana
     
    Additional Information

    Tax found to violate protection against self-incrimination in State of Idaho v. Smith, 120 Idaho 77. Purchase of stamp must now remain confidential.

    Other States Include:
    Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Minnesota Nebraska Nevada North Carolina Oklahoma Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah

    Just GOOGLE for Marijuana Tax Stamps to see what some look like and you'll see that not only can Marijuana be taxed, but, it already is being taxed.
    1 Comment »   Posted by PhyberDragon to Economy, Education, Energy and Environment, Foreign Policy, Health Care, Homeland Security, Service, Technology, Veterans, Additional Issues on 1/13/2009 9:02 PM
No Previous PagePrevious PageNext Page Next Page
Subscribe to recent ideas