Ok I had to keep reminding myself I am the Pres of the USA, not God.
Given I would have to work within the system, I would limit my energies
to:
1. deficit reduction - this, I think, would be relatively easy.
I firmly believe in living within ones budget and a balanced budget would be mandatory.
To reduce the deficit, instituting a flat rate income tax would be desirable, without deductions and tax shelters, ranging from 10-50% depending on income for both individuals and corporations.
Foreign aid would be on the chopping block anywhere from 25-100% depending on whom we are supporting and why we are supporting them.
The war would end the day I took office period - advisors yes, equipment and forces no. I might even barter for the equipment in exchange for cheap oil but no more American lives.
A greed tax on thriving businesses i.e. professional sports, energy companies bragging of the billions a quarter in profits, the ridiculous banking and health care profits seems rather tasty.
I would require Congress and their respective flunkies who got us into this mess to take a 25% pay cut and reduce their "office expenses" by 50% until this problem is resolved.
Luxury taxes on non essential items like idiotically expensive vehilces, boats, planes, cruises and other forms of conspicuous consumption would make me smile.
I would cut the budgets of non essential government services by 25% i.e. I'm not going to cut social security but I will cut the parks service etc.
Voiding the current federal employee retirement system and requiring the government institute whatever is popular for the majority is a must. Thus no lucrative federal pensions. Instead, they get an unreliable 401 system like the rest of us schmucks.
That would be a good start I think.
2. I would nationalize health care for all citizens providing basic health, hospitalization, medication, and dental care. And I would pay for it will all the money currently being spent on private insurers, and reimbursement realignments.
3. Banking changes - I would nationalize all banks simply because selling off such an important part of your infrastructure borders on insanity.
Legalized loan sharking would be eliminated i.e. you can only charge interest on a credit card that equals the interest rate of a simple savings account -
.5% is more feasible than 22%.
4. Overhauling the political system, invoking reasonable campaign spending limits and limiting campaigning to 6 weeks before the election would be my last priority. I would want to level the playing field by eliminating contributions to individual campaigns and forcing contributions to a federal distribution system that would allocate funds equally to each candidate based on some totally incomprehensible formula.
Limiting term limits to 2 would be good. And making lobbying an act of treason seems reasonable.
If I havent been assassinated yet, tackling immigration would be next. But, I'm having too nice a day to invite in conflict. Maybe tomorrow
