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Politics : Bill Clinton Scandal - SANITY CHECK -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: greenspirit who wrote (14966)	11/15/1998 11:39:00 AM
From: jbe	Respond to of 67261

Why do you want to know what people are "for", Michael? Because you are really interested in what they have to say? jbe

To: greenspirit who wrote (14966)	11/16/1998 3:27:00 AM
From: Borzou Daragahi	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 67261

I'm not really a Democrat, but I have been identified by some on this thread as a liberal. Some of my friends have called me a nihilist. I don't really care what you call me. Even if you call me a cuss word I promise I will never report you to the esteemed Webmasters of this site. Here are some of the things I am for. -ECONOMY--Some sort of targetted tax incentives for people who risk their money investing in small (less than $10 million cap) start up firms. Putting tax money into a venture capital fund that would, through banks, give low-interest loans to entrepreneurs with a good credit rating and a good idea. -CIVIL RIGHTS--Guarantees of equal rights and opportunities in the workplace and real-estate market for those who have been historically discriminated against, including sexual minorities such as gays and women. -TAXES--increased taxation on alcohol and cigarettes (before you jump all over me, know that I'm a pack a day smoker. I'll hopefully quit come January 1.) to discourage consumption. Lower federal taxes but only while transferring some of the functions of the federal government to state and local governments. That way people can choose whether they wish to live in a low tax low-service state such as New Hampshire or a high-tax high-service state such as Vermont. Consider using transponder technology on cars to place tolls on road and highway usage, and removing some of the unfair tax burden placed on people who don't use the roads that much but still must pay for them with their taxes. -CRIME/DRUGS--Violent criminals need to be dealt with harshly. But at the heart of the prison and crime problem, is drugs. Focus more on putting users into rehab and 12-step programs rather than costly prisons. The best way to reduce the drug problem is to decrease demand. Require drug testing of kids who attend public school. (Screw the ACLU on this one.) If the kids fail the tests, send them into treatment. Decriminalize marijuana and focus efforts on busting heroin and cocaine dealers. Give drug addicts who commit petty crimes a choice--six months in jail, or a year in rehab, or some such equation. Those who opt for the rehab are the ones who truly want to quit. -EDUCATION--More choices will mean better schools. Charter schools--contracting out the administration of some schools to non-profit organizations that have been vetted and scrutinized and are closely regulated by state and municipal bodies. Introduce choice within the public education system to increase competition. Why not try vouchers? If they work in small-scale situations like in Wisconsin, they may work everywhere. If you follow the "elimination of PACs" strategy below, you won't have to worry about angry teachers unions. -POLITICAL REFORM--Elimination of PACs and better enforcement of current campaign finance laws. Get big money out of politics. Limit political donations to $100. Require television stations to provide free airtime for candidates over public airwaves. Try anything to get big money out of politics. This has to come from the ground up. The way to do that is to get more people involved in politics. Maybe use techniques such as Oregon's (mail-in ballots allowed for two weeks before election) and Minnesota's (registration up until day before election) election, in order to increase voter participation. -FOREIGN POLICY--Don't fund Third World blood suckers. End foreign policy entanglements under the pretense of waging a war on drugs, such as in Colombia or Mexico. Recognize that the Cold War is over and that any indigenous rebel movements that start up in Third World countries are probably deserved by the governments in power. Don't take sides in places like Indonesia, where popular movements appear to be sweeping away dictatorships. Work with other countries to bolster the mandate of international dispute resolution forums such as the United Nations and the World Court, rather than hamper their efforts. Apply principles of human rights consistently to all countries. -ENVIRONMENT--Despite all the whacky ideas of those on the right, the elite in government, corporate America and academia are smart enough to know that our planet is heading toward ecological trouble. We need to reduce fossil fuel emissions, moving slowly toward electric cars, and more efficient energy consumption. We also need to conserve green spaces and implement intelligent urban planning so as to decrease the growth of suburban sprawl. Increased public transportation in urban areas. More use of light rail (but please, no subways in L.A.).