Jason Saves The United States

The best thing about being an American is that you're entitled to your own opinion...About everything. We don't ever have to agree on anything. It's also the worst thing about being an American. I say that because those in power take advantage of the fact that we agree on very few of the little things. They play them up and make them seem like things that are vital to the fabric of our nation when they are actually anything but. They do this to waste our time and to keep us from taking a closer look at the big picture. Keep us arguing amongst ourselves about issues we'll never, ever, agree on and take away our ability to unite on issues of larger scope and graver consequences. We need to accept that there are millions of issues we'll never agree about. Most are philosophical, and the only philosophical idea that is integral to America is freedom. And even that can be interpreted in a million ways. With that in mind, here are 7 ideas that, I hope (and if you aren't a douche bag), we can agree on.


1. Work for unemployment -

We really need to give up this sense of entitlement we all seem to have. Somehow we've all come to believe that we're above certain forms of labor. Well guess what, you're not! If you want to collect unemployment then you'd better be a full time student or working whatever crappy job you can find or that the unemployment office gives you. There are plenty of "menial" jobs out there. To make whatever job that might be more palatable, you'll still get the same money you would have made sitting on your ass only you'll be saving us a shit load of by flipping burgers for 8 bucks an hour. Unemployment will pick up the difference. No, you aren't entitled to kick back and let the rest of us cover your bills. We'll help, but only if you're helping yourself by any means necessary.  Here are the simple rules...

• You have 6 weeks to find a job once your unemployment is approved (plenty of time for you to   grieve).
• If you find a job that pays less than unemployment would have, we'll cover the difference for up to 12 months.
• If you don't find a job then you take what we give you. Non-negotiable.
• Get fired or quit and you're done with unemployment as well. Done and done.

Unemployment is a bridge, not a lifestyle.


2. Work for Welfare -

Basically the same as the new unemployment plan with a few welfare specific rules.

• Drug tests. A no-brainer that only holier than thou assholes can dispute. If you're not on welfare, do all the drugs you want. If you want public money to support you, you'd better have piss cleaner than a christian scientist.
• If you're on welfare and you have another kid you don't get an increase in pay. Take away the incentive to pile more weight on an already exhausted system.
• Two word...Time. Limit. Unless you can prove that you have some kind of disability that prevents you from getting a job, you have 2 years to get your shit together. End of story.

3. Hospitals should be Non-Profit -

Practicing medicine in order to make money just seems fundamentally wrong. It's obviously a complicated situation and I don't claim to know exactly how to make this happen but get some people who know what they're talking about in a room and figure this out! The biggest catch 22 in the system is drugs. You can't make them non-profit because it takes away the incentive (aka money) to do research and development for new drugs. Of course, that's a good thing depending on who you ask. One question I don't think anyone can answer honestly is; What's the incentive for drug companies to develop cures rather than treatments?  Fact is, there isn't one. Diseases are a drug companies customers, not patients. Why kill off your customers?  There has to be a way to get money into the hands of researchers who have no monetary agenda.


4. Flat(ish) tax -

Have you ever seen the tax code?  Its thicker than Bible and more confusing than a David Lynch movie. Why?!  We tax everyone but then make up 2.5 trillion loopholes that can be exploited (mostly by those with more money than anyone will ever need) to get out of paying. Why not just lower the tax rate and remove all the loopholes. All of them. There's no such thing as non-taxable income anymore. Here's the new tax code. And yes, it can be this easy.

• Under 20,000.00 annually -  Exempt
• 20,000.00 - 29,999.99 annually - 10%
• 30,000.00 - 39,999.99 annually - 11%
• 40,000.00 - 49,999.99 annually - 12%
• You get the idea...

We cap it at 33% (250k+ annually). Everyone pays for every penny earned. Lump sum payouts in excess of $999,999.99 get hit for 35% because hey, you can afford it you rich bastard. And guess what, the country comes out ahead. Based on some quick calculations using the latest census data, the US would rake in about 4.75 trillion in household income tax. Almost 300 billion more than they did with the current tax system. All I'm doing is cutting the bottom 95% of Americans a break and letting the top 1.5% do some heavy lifting. Estimating (on the low side) a median gross income of 1.06 Million per household means that they still net 715K per year. Can they really complain about that? And, for the vast majority of us, paying 12-14 percent leaves us with plenty of money to purchase insurance, invest in retirement accounts, and line the pockets of every corporation out there.


5. You want to be a politician? Ok, your private life is OVER!

A little anecdote first. Congress is voting on which military contractor will be awarded a nine digit contract to develop a new missile defense system. One particular congressman happens to be chairman of the committee assigned to go over the particulars and make a recommendation before the vote. The committee seemingly does its due diligence, makes its recommendation and the vote goes as they wanted. 8 months later the chairman of that committee is taking a 7 figure consulting position with the exact same contractor he recommended. Illegal? Nope. And it happens all the time.

Let's just face the facts and admit that we're weak, corruptible people. Everyone is. That's why there are laws and consequences for breaking those laws. No one can be trusted to behave ethically just for sake of behaving ethically.  We have to effectively make being a politician a crappy job that only those who really, really want to serve their fellow citizens want. The rules are as follows.

• You give up your right to work wherever you want if you run for political office. Once a public servant, always a public servant. You'll have some kind of government job for the rest of your life.
• You're money will be monitored. Forever. Any check you cash or purchase you make had better be on the up and up or you're doing serious time. Very, very serious time.
• Every email you send or text message you receive goes through an agency designed to monitor your affairs. Your right to privacy is null and void.

Its really that simple. Destroy corruption by removing the impetus for being corrupt. It will be a pretty expensive agency that needs to be created to police politicians but its well worth the money. And hey, I just earned us an extra 300 billion with my tax program so we can afford it.


6. STOP CAMPAIGNING!!! -

This might take care of itself since we've already decided that politicians will be ostensibly poor, weeding out those who would use their legislative power for monetary gains and empowering those who actually have the public interest in mind. However, its worth the overhaul just for the sake of keeping congressmen in congress, senators in the senate and the president in the oval office. You know, where they belong.  Just a few simple rules here...

• The campaign trail gets shortened to a 6 week sprint. No ads, no rallies, no tours until mid September.
• In order for the public to get to know the candidates there will be a 6 debates. 1 every month from May through October. 
• There will be a ban on negative ad campaigns. We want to know why you're a good choice, not why you're the least terrible choice.
• No more campaign contributions for federal politicians. Congressmen get 2 million, Senators get 5 million, Presidents get 20 million. It comes out of the tax revenue.  They're only campaigning for 6 weeks so that's plenty of money.

7. Start from scratch - 

Something of a nuclear option but since we're changing all the rules we might as well change the players too. ALL OF THEM.  Hold a special election in 2012 for every single seat in the House and the Senate and ban all incumbents and previous office holders. We need entirely new blood not just an injection. And no, I don't care if you think your congressman or senator is doing a good job. Look at our country, they're not.