Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Ten Incentive Ideas to Help America

1. Education - Make it a requirement for citizens to obtain a high school or trade school diploma in order to obtain the right to vote or drive. Those that drop out should be automatically enrolled in the Armed Forces. The goal of this idea is to diminish the high school drop out rate since these individuals are at the most risk of living lives dependent on government entitlements.

2. HealthCare – Healthier people should pay lower insurance premiums while unhealthy people should pay higher insurance premiums and fees for self inflicted problems. The goal is to lower healthcare costs by reducing the demand for medications and doctors by providing incentives for individuals to be healthier.

3. Politics – It would be advantageous to institute term limits and move back to the old method of having state legislators selecting senators. The goal of this proposal is to mitigate the effects of present day Washington politicians who are out of touch with Main Street because they answer to special interests and not the people. Also, the government should make the following transparent to the public: the fiscal consequences of each politicians voting record. In other words, show how much of a budget surplus or deficit is the result of how politicians voted on legislation.

4. Frivolous Lawsuits – The losing party in any lawsuit should be liable for all court expenses including the litigation fees from the winning party. The goal is to reduce frivolous lawsuit claims, which will help keep prices for goods and services lower.

5. Entitlement Reform – Nothing should come for free, entitlement recipients should be required to do at least 30 hours of weekly volunteer service that makes a positive impact towards society. Also, it would be wise to institute a lifetime cap on entitlement payments per person. For instance, a maximum of 4 years of unemployment or 15 years of welfare benefits may be a good compromise. The goal is to redefine and rename social programs from entitlement benefits to responsibility benefits.

6. Judicial Reform – Increase jail sentences for any violent criminal offenses. Jail space can be increased two fold by doing the following: When one shift is working in the field on local infrastructure projects the second shift is housed in prison cells and vice versa. The goal is to decrease the incentive for individuals to commit crimes.

7. Energy – Reward individuals and corporations (per capita) that use less energy (top 33% should receive a 33% discount) with lower rates meanwhile high energy users (bottom 33% should pay a 33% premium) should be penalized with higher rates. The goal is to lower energy consumption and make America less dependent on foreign oil.

8. Economy – Institute a fair tax and repeal the sixteenth amendment which would do away with the income tax. This will first eliminate the need for the IRS. Secondly, the fair tax will result in more monies in both the pockets of corporations and individuals while at the same time increasing the tax revenue base for the United States Treasury. A fair tax will provide fewer incentives for illegal immigrants to come to the United States and will dramatically cut into the profits of black market crime activities including drug, prostitution, human trafficking, and so forth.

9. Immigration Reform – Institute a national identification card that all citizens must carry and use for employment. Companies that hire illegal aliens must be prosecuted with harsh penalties including mandatory fines and imprisonment.

10. Special Interests – Institute right to work laws to mitigate the influence and power of unions on both politics and industry. The goal is to eliminate government restrictions, mandates, and regulations on corporations. This, in turn, will make it easier for U.S. corporations to compete globally.

The purpose of these provisions is to help motivate individuals, corporations, and politicians with incentives that will enable them to become more responsible and accountable for their actions.

My Book: Is America Dying? (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble)

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