There are lots of things up for grabs right now in our republic. It is important to refocus on some large ideas of how our government, economics, faith, and science relate to one another. Political sound bytes, religious catch phrases, and knee jerk reactions to large scale issues will not solve our problems. Institutions are being redefined and re-purposed all around us. A few examples include governments, family, educational systems, and faith communities.
We need large scale public discussion about the role and realm of government, faith communities, families, and the economic system.
For the purpose of this article I will limit the topic to the role and realm of government. In a republic in which we elect representatives to legislate, execute, and interpret laws we need to periodically clarify the role and realm of government's influence on daily life of the citizenry. Our form of government is one in which citizens decide for themselves what we want government to do for the common good of the people.
Here are a few things that are in the common good for all citizens:
· Clean water
· Breathable/unpolluted air
· Availability of food
· Land use and tools that are available for all. Examples would be waterways that can be navigated for trade, Internet, communication, phone/cellular network, monetary system, highways, railways, libraries of knowledge and the arts, public parks for recreational use preservation, energy production, airways for communication and travel
· Safety from harm or danger in multiple arenas of life
· Health care
· Shelter
· Growing base of knowledge and exploration
· Agreed upon norms for treating each other (justice and equal protection for all)
Government plays the primary role in providing systems, institutions, and infrastructure for these large common good categories. Much of what we have in place in government in our country has developed in response to these needs for the common good of the citizens. Many of these needs are ancient and common to people of every age in history, but some aspects of these items for the common good are new for our century.
Here are a few new ideas that I propose serious conversation in public forums for our politically aspiring candidates for public office as they pertain to major needs of the common good of the citizenry.
1. Clean, potable water solutions. How will our states and communities agree to share this natural resource and protect the water for all? There needs to be a clear vision for how we could do this on a larger scale than merely allowing states to fight over this common resource that is needed for communities. I am in the opinion that we should not have to purchase high priced water to drink out of bottles. Greater incentives from the government for advancing the technology and distribution of water will be vital this century.
2. A communication "highway" that is wireless and accessible by all. Much like radio wave transmission, Interstate highways, and federal waterways are accessible by all so should a wireless and accessible communication highway of data be available through a sea to shining sea grid of Internet accessibility by increasingly more devices (private sector development). Cellular towers, satellite, and other modes of transmission yet to be developed should be part of growing infrastructure that is maintained and expanded by government agencies. This should include a growing robust security system that fights cyber terrorism, identity fraud, and protection of private property.
3. Accessibility to further education and skilled trade post secondary school. At different points in our history we have decided that certain levels of learning should be universally available to our citizenry. K-12 (sometimes pre-K-12) education is currently available for the education of the children and adolescents. More educational tracts (by choice) should be accessible to students beyond secondary education (high school). Trade school certificate programs, liberal arts education, and career based education degrees should be accessible to all through government grants to qualifying accredited institutions. The growing availability of on-line learning environments can make this available to all who choose to further their education who may choose to also enter the workforce and begin families. A base level of grants would be available to students who maintain passing grades through termination of their program (degree or advancing to graduate level programs). Federal grants available to all. No more illusions of winning it big through state run lotteries (a tax on the naïve and gullible) which are used to pay for education. If we believe that education is important and should be accessible to all then let's pay for it together through taxes (more on those later). Students who prefer to go to institutions with tuitions and fees above the base grant level would have to go through private means of paying for their education or institutional and private scholarships.
We will need an increasingly skillful and educated citizenry. Through technological advances we can provide quality education to masses of people through our most gifted educators and skillful tradesmen and artists.
4. Health care (including mental health) available and accessible to all. Yep. All. We need a health care system that is driven by doctors and scientists who do not have the in-between insurance (gamblers) companies dictating rates of service and protocols for care. Let the doctors and scientists pave the way for a healthcare system that is just toward all citizens and residents. We need a divorce of the government, employer, and insurance company marriages that are ripping the authority from medical professionals and robbing the patients. Doctors seeing patients. Doctors making decisions about care. Doctors setting rates of payment. People paying for their care through taxes (for routine and emergency care) and a competitive marketplace for other specialists health care services that compete for our business (including surgical procedures).
5. Taxes: Federal sales tax on all purchases. Elimination of federal income taxes. Everyone pays a percentage tax (not yet determined) on anything purchased from a proprietor. Taxes of each person's purchases will be tracked. Full monthly rebates will be returned to citizens (and approved guest workers) who have an income levels verified in the bottom 20 % of wage earners. A graduated monthly rebate will be distributed to the bottom 21% - 90 % of wage earners. For example 90% will be returned to someone in the 21 % group of wage earners and a 21 % rebate will be returned to someone in the 90 % wage earner group. The top 10 % simply do not receive a rebate on their sales taxes paid. There are incentives for the top 10 % to invest their earnings for zero tax. They are only taxed on purchases. And here is the kicker. Social Security and healthcare for all is provided for through the sales taxes. Therefore no more payroll taxes for employers or employees. Savings and investments for retirement are not "purchases" and are therefore tax free. Purchases that are tax exempt? Education (tuition only), medical expenses and prescribed medications, homes, land, water, fuel, and electrical power.
Much more later…ideas…let's start talking solutions.
And notice what things government does not need to be involved in…lots of areas where it has overstepped its role and realm.
