Friday Spotlight: SamAdams76 Presidential Platform

SamAdams79 has spent some time thinking about how to rule America. Trick is, he's given some issues without a well-defined Freeper doctrine some serious consideration. The result is some extreme crazy followed by some reasonable ideas:

His tax policy should fuck the poor:

Taxes - I believe that the tax burden should be shared disproportionately by our citizens. Those at the lower income levels should pay a higher tax rate wheras those at the higher income levels should be paying a progressively lower tax rate as they move up the economic ladder.

...

As one makes more money, one is "rewarded" for doing so well by enjoying less of a tax burden while those who choose to remain at a lower income are in effect "penalized". So much for people trying to take advantage of the current system by keeping their income low so they don't have to pay taxes. Now they will be penalized for this decision with higher taxes while others who choose to increase their incomes through hard work are rewarded with a lower tax burden

...

As for those who scream "unfair", consider that in my example, the person paying 7.5% on $300,000 in income is still paying more in net taxes ($22,500) than the person paying 33% on 30,000 ($9,900). My advice to the latter taxpayer is to make more income so that their overall tax burden can be reduced.

His gun policy:

On that simplified one-page tax form I mention in my Tax platform, I will have a line where a taxpayer can claim a $1,000 firearms deduction. All the taxpayer needs to provide is proof of ownership of a gun and a recent target score achieved at a certified shooting range.

He has come up with the idea of low security prisons. Also, Prisons as work camps!

There are two types of criminals: Those who can be redeemed and those who cannot. These two groups must be separated and never allowed to mingle together in a prison environment. We cannot have career criminals who are incarcerated for life having any influence at all on those with whom we wish to redeem and put back into society as good citizens. The incarceration of the former should focus on acquiring the job and social skills necessary to be a productive member of society once the prisoner is released. The incarceration of the latter should be considered permanent and focused on being as productive as possible behind prison walls.

Private corporations should be encouraged to setup shop in both of these prisons with a view to taking advantage of the cheap prison labor to produce goods and services that can be marketed outside the prison with some of the profits being used to keep the prisons in operation so that the taxpayers need not be shouldered with the burden. All costs of the prisons including food, guards, contruction, etc., should be provided for by the profits deriving from the goods and services produced there.

I'm actual on board with his campaign finance idea, though the logistics are gonna be sticky...

Limit ALL campaign donations to any given candidate to a maximum of $25 a month up to a maximum total of $300 for any given campaign.

Example: Candidate Jane Doe is running for president. She may accept campaign donations from individuals up to $25 a month for a maximum of 10 months (in which the $300 maximum will be reached). These donations will be tied to the donor's Social Security number to help ensure there is no cheating the system. Also, the names of the donors must be publicly available and each candidate's records are subject to independent audit and verification.

Under such a system, nobody with deep pockets will be able to have undue influence with our public officials. As most households can afford $25 a month to donate to their favorite candidates, the playing field will be leveled and whether you are a multi-billionaire or a plumber from Brooklyn, you will be on equal footing with respect to your elected representatives.

Of course, in order for such a system to work, there must be very severe criminal penalties for those candidates who attempt to circumvent this system. (Jail sentence of at least 5 years.)

His welfare ideas start crazy, and end sane:

I would propose that the Federal government remove itself entirely from the welfare and food stamp business. Allow the states to run their own programs at the local level with no federal funding whatsoever. This would force the states to administer programs geared to get people off welfare and food stamps as quickly as possible.

I believe people on these programs ought to be required to volunteer their time to assist the program or perform other community-based functions. This will keep them engaged with society so that they can hopefully find gainful employment that will get them off the dole. They should not be allowed to sit at home and watch television while collecting public assistance.

Lastly, we should consider doing away with the food stamp program in which recipients are handed ATM-style cards where they can purchase any food they like. They should instead be issued rations for staple items such as flour, rice, sugar, cheese, poultry, etc., so that they can feed themselves and their family in a cost-effective manner. People on food stamps should have enough to eat but they should not be allowed to eat better than those who are out working for a living. All of this is not meant to be mean-spirited but to encourage people to get off the dole quickly so that they can improve their situation in life. People are happier when they are making their own living!

Empires always end well!

I believe it is the destiny of the United States of America to extend from the Arctic Circle to the Panama Canal. This would mean eventually incorporating Canada and Mexico into our union as well as some smaller countries such as Cuba and Panama.

Of course we will only admit new states into the Union who have agreed to honor the Constitution and pledged their allegiance to our nation. During my Administration, I will work towards incorporating our neighbors to our north and south into our union. While I may well not realize the conclusion of this policy during my Administration, I intend to get the ball rolling so that it is all but a done deal by the time I leave office.

I also believe that over time, English-speaking nations from all over the world such as Australia, New Zealand, India and Great Britain will join our union as states. But that is still very far off and an issue for my successors to deal with.

Big military, but never use it!

One thing I will do immediately upon assuming office is to ask Congress to double the military budget. For starters, I would like the U.S. Navy to increase its carrier fleet to 32 carriers, giving us at least 24 carrier fleets always on duty with up to 8 carrier fleets in for maintenance at any given time. This will allow us to have maximum control of the seas and give us the ability to project our forces anywhere in the world at a moment's notice.

My proposal to ramp up the military should not be interpreted as a "free ride" by military contractors. I realize that military contractors have been overcharging our government for decades and I intend to crack down upon this. Any military contractor caught cheating the government will be subject to the most severe criminal and civil penalties that can be imposed, with CEO's and other top executives of those companies joining the likes of Ken Lay (of Enron infamy) in prison.

Another factor to consider in my military buildup is that military technology often results in innovation in the civilian sector as well. As our military develops ever faster jet engines, better peforming satellites and more durable electronics, just for starters, these technologies will eventually find their way into private enterprises, helping to keep the United States on the cutting edge of technological expertise.

Lastly, with regard to the never-ending wars we have become mired in, immediately upon my swearing-in, I will call together the Congress and demand that we state our goals so that we can achieve them and get our troops back home. Going forward, no troops will be committed to a shooting war without an official declaration of war by Congress and clearly stated objectives of such a conflict.

What? The Calendar?

Here's what I would propose to do with the calendar. I would have 13 months of exactly 28 days each. That is exactly four weeks in each month for a total of 364 days per year. The extra day can be recognized as New Year's Day and should be a holiday for all. It will not fall under any particular month but just be it's own day. This means that on Leap Year, we will get a two-day holiday in which to begin our new year.

Loves him some Infrastructure:

I will propose that the existing [highway] system be completely overhauled and rebuilt over existing right-of-ways with one that has a capacity of 16 lanes in each direction (32 lanes total) with a large median strip that can be used for rest areas, restaurants, motels and other businesses. As well, our new prisons can be placed in these median strips making escapes more difficult as well as not imposing them on the general populace.

Lastly, with regard to the never-ending wars we have become mired in, immediately Each subset of 16 lanes will be divided as follows (working from right to left): The rightmost four lanes will be dedicated to local traffic only. The leftmost 6 lanes shall be dedicated to interstate traffic (having easy access to the rest stops and motels on the median). Of those six, trucks will only be allowed to use the rightmost three and will have their own on and off ramps (from the right) to access facilities in the median. This separation will increase road safety. Regarding the remaining six lanes, two will be dedicated to emergency vehicles only (including military use) and the other four will be held in reserve for peak traffic hours or to be used as alternate lanes for road construction projects and other maintenance.

Some sanity on Copyright:

I believe strongly in the right for inventors and artists to capitalize on their creations but I also believe that copyright laws have been abused. As your president, I will limit copyrights to 25 years. This is sufficient time for copyright owners to benefit from their creations. After that, it is time to put these creations into the public domain. For example, this would mean that compositions by The Beatles, who last released a record in 1970, would now be in the public domain.