Election 2012

Policy recommendations:

• University of the united states of America.
• green cards for all PhDs
• service for tuition (A la GI Bill)
• tackle high cost seriously

Reasons:

• Invest in the future.
• Education is the most proven way to increase upward mobility.
• Bring together the best and brightest from all over the country to increase the chances for breaking down the barriers between people.
• Bring the most motivated, energetic, people of the world to the US. History shows us that legal immigrants are driving force behind the success of the US.  Once we educate them, lets keep them here.
• By increasing the number of people that can afford an excellent
• Education we will decrease the opportunity gap and tap a currently unexploited resource,  the bright motivated citizens who can’t afford an education.  Furthermore, by trading tuition for national service we might get some really bright people in government.

Caveats:

Clearly tacking educational opportunity at an earlier age is a huge
benefit.  However, it is substantially harder as a more holistic approach must be taken.  E.g. , (Oyler School in Cincinnati’s Price Hill)

In my opinion the major underlying problem in the US today is the disparity between the rich and the poor.  This growing disparity is attacking everything good in America and is the main cause of many of the issues we face today including our high unemployment, the recession, poor outcomes in our educational system, and a general feeling that we have lost our way.

While there are many way to address this problem, my top four suggestions are to:

• Improve health care coverage
• Legalize drugs
• Raise taxes on gasoline
• Universal service

Health Care

Access to good health care that is not tied to a particular employer is essential to more than the health of our bodies, but to the health of the country.  A system that encourages people to get preventative medicine, particularly early in life, sets the stage for everyone to achieve their goals in life.  By eliminating the ties to a particular employer it gives Americans back the ability to be mobile.  In addition, it levels the playing field for American businesses by reducing health care costs to businesses.

Legalizing Drugs

The so-called war on drugs is wasteful, discriminatory, embarrassing, and goes against the tradition’s of our founding fathers.  It sets up a situation where we imprison far to many of our youth, destroying any chance they have of upward mobility.  It creates a system of corruption and injustice that erodes the social compact.  By legalizing drugs so that they have a similar status as alcohol we will increases tax revenue, enable people to obtain medical support to get off drugs, and eliminates the corrosive effect of a system that ends up being highly discriminatory.  In addition it will free up resources that we are currently wasting on non-productive areas, such as prisons.

Gasoline Taxes

America has always been a technological leader.  One of the main challenges facing the earth today is global warming.  For America to remain competitive in the coming century we must develop the technology for improved energy efficiency.  We have also benefited greatly from not depending on foreign resources.  To move forward we must get back to technological innovation and resource independence. A planned increase to 10$ a gallon for gasoline will force us to develop the technology we need to reduce global warming and become a leader in one of the most important technology’s of the future.  The money collected from such a tax can be used to subsidize public transportation and invest in research and development.  This will lead to increased jobs and opportunity for everyone while at the same timer restoring our energy independence and eliminating the pressure that foreign governments can put on us in the future.

Universal Service

A universal draft, a draft with absolutely no exceptions, will provide Americans the opportunity to serve their country and learn about all the people that make up this amazing country.  Of course, this service can be to more than the armed forces.  It will provide many people with the opportunity to get to really know people that they would not otherwise meet, expose them to opportunities they would not have had, and give them training that will further their life ambitions in ways that no other government program can begin to realize.  I would go so far as to say that we should make service to the country a prerequisite for voting.

Enough is enough.  Today I decided to run for president.  None of the current candidates seems willing to tackle the important issues facing us – among them the growing income disparity, the lack of educational opportunity, the loss of American innovation – I feel a need stop complaining and start contributing.  So, I will try and outline some of the issues I feel are important and engage any who are willing to comment.