Member since 2 years ago
11 ideas posted
18 comments 54 votes
6 votes
Place a one million dollar bounty on major innovations discovered in the university system, or the private sector. The research team, or individual, that theoretically perfects the biosphere concept, or invents the next generation of solar concentrators, is given a government reward of one million dollars, to help them start the business that brings it to the masses.
7 votes
Place a ten thousand dollar bounty on ideas implemented through this system, that save the government one million dollars or more.
10 votes
One of the biggest problems we have in the government is that no one can be fired... at least not legally. We should establish a probationairy period of six months, similar to most private sector employees, on all new hires, promotions, and step increases. For six months after being hired to a new position, or recieving an extra pay grade, you can be let go, no questions asked. Far too many govenment employees have ...more »
One of the biggest problems we have in the government is that no one can be fired... at least not legally. We should establish a probationairy period of six months, similar to most private sector employees, on all new hires, promotions, and step increases. For six months after being hired to a new position, or recieving an extra pay grade, you can be let go, no questions asked. Far too many govenment employees have risen to the level of their incompetence, and are now completely useless, almost jobless, curmudgeons, that we pay insane salaries to, because we can't fire them. If you apply for and are promoted into a position you are not qualified for, you should be fired... If you can't do the job, don't apply for it... It's not rocket surgery.
« less full details »
15 votes
Inherited wealth kills capitalism. A capitalist society is one in which, if you work hard, and produce high quality work, you will get paid well... If you don't, you won't. While the country is deep in debt, the people we look to first to help us solve this problem, should be, the people creating it... People who don't work, and inherit enough money to survive and thrive forever. The estate tax doesn't even begin to ...more »
Inherited wealth kills capitalism. A capitalist society is one in which, if you work hard, and produce high quality work, you will get paid well... If you don't, you won't. While the country is deep in debt, the people we look to first to help us solve this problem, should be, the people creating it... People who don't work, and inherit enough money to survive and thrive forever. The estate tax doesn't even begin to be charged unless you inherit more than 2.5 million dollars from your family. Capitalism protects earned wealth, and it protects people that want to help their family have a better life than they did. It does not protect unearned wealth, it does not protect European style arristocratic inherited wealth. You are not born, having done all the work you need to do. No one would be happy if they were born that way. Raising the estate tax to 90%, on people being paid more than 2.5 million dollars to be born, would generate enough revenue to slowly but surely pay down the national debt. It's that simple. You can't be against welfare, and for lowering the estate tax, they create the same thing, unearned wealth. Unearned wealth is the enemy. It makes everyone miserable.
« less full details »
15 votes
Given that no one holding elected office in the United States of America, is relying on their meager salaries to subsist... I suggest we take them away, and offer much larger salaries to our elected officials, but only if they have earned them. I suggest we vote, at the end of each term, how much we think a particular pollitician earned during his stay. If someone is known to be corrupt, and inefficient, he should be ...more »
Given that no one holding elected office in the United States of America, is relying on their meager salaries to subsist... I suggest we take them away, and offer much larger salaries to our elected officials, but only if they have earned them. I suggest we vote, at the end of each term, how much we think a particular pollitician earned during his stay. If someone is known to be corrupt, and inefficient, he should be paid nothing. If, on the other hand, said pollitician leads us into an era of unrestricted growth and prosperity, they deserve quite a bit more than a couple hundred thousand dollars a year.
« less full details »
9 votes
During the Bush administration, the CIA, NSA, NASA, and several other organizations applied for patents on their technology, because they believed the private sector was about to release competing products, and patents. These applications were denied for "national security reasons"... I reccomend we review these applications again, with a fresh set of eyes.
6 votes
Let's give a laptop to every human being... It's that simple. 7 billion people, estimate, say, 300 dollars for the cheapest wireless internet recieving laptop on the market... 2.1 trillion dollars, and the entire human community enters the 21st century all at once. Everyone on the planet has every book in the public domain at their fingertips, for free. Our currency is now the standard of the world, and the world ...more »
Let's give a laptop to every human being... It's that simple. 7 billion people, estimate, say, 300 dollars for the cheapest wireless internet recieving laptop on the market... 2.1 trillion dollars, and the entire human community enters the 21st century all at once. Everyone on the planet has every book in the public domain at their fingertips, for free. Our currency is now the standard of the world, and the world has tolerated us printing that currency to fund wars, and bankrupt corporations. I think they will tolerate us printing some more to give every human being on the planet a usefull tool for gathering and sharing knowledge. When living in a faith based economy, one's economy better be doing something that actually deserves that faith. This 2 trillion dollars in inflation, will raise the value of the dollar worldwide, in the long run.
« less full details »
8 votes
If a psychiatrist truly believes that a young child has such a debilitating mental condition, that it requires medication to treat, that should be incentive enough, to give them that treatment. Any psychiatric medication sold to a minor, must be sold at cost. We can no longer afford to sell our children gateway drugs for profit.
12 votes
Criminalization of the sale of narcotics has not reduced the supply of narcotics in the US. In fact, we have a larger hard drug addiction problem than almost any other first world nation, despite rigorous almost violent anti drug legislation. Why? Criminalization increases profits. Criminalization creates the illusion that drug dealing is the easiest and fastest way out of poverty, because of those insane profits. ...more »
Criminalization of the sale of narcotics has not reduced the supply of narcotics in the US. In fact, we have a larger hard drug addiction problem than almost any other first world nation, despite rigorous almost violent anti drug legislation. Why?
Criminalization increases profits. Criminalization creates the illusion that drug dealing is the easiest and fastest way out of poverty, because of those insane profits. Criminalization exports profits to the worst run, and most violent, unruly dictatorships on the planet. And, finally, criminalization turns desperate and often mentally ill people in need of treatment, against the government, and against the police, making it impossible for them to find help. I suggest we legallize the sale of all narcotic substances, no matter how dangerous, provided they are properly labeled, and sold for a profit of no more than minimum wage, 60 hours a week. This will make drug dealing the worst way out of poverty, and make culture see drug dealers for what they really are, the poorest, laziest, and most desperate unskilled labor in the country. Eliminate the DEA, and use the savings to hire thousands of forensic accountants for the IRS. Enforce the salary cap as a tax issue, and seize assets rather than imprisoning civilians. Tax narcotic sales, and use that money to invest in free treatment for anyone who wants help. Save money, save lives, and ensure that a good baker, or good construction worker is always seen as more valuable than a good drug dealer.
« less full details »
13 votes
Create an accredited K through Doctorate internet University of the United States of America, on which all citizens can learn and recieve credit for testing on any subject they like, at any time, for free. Over the next few years, offer traditional classroom teachers a bonus for recording all lecture material and posting it to this website until every subject has 1000's of hours of detailed video, created by accredited ...more »
Create an accredited K through Doctorate internet University of the United States of America, on which all citizens can learn and recieve credit for testing on any subject they like, at any time, for free. Over the next few years, offer traditional classroom teachers a bonus for recording all lecture material and posting it to this website until every subject has 1000's of hours of detailed video, created by accredited professors, with students ranking the best content. Credit gained through passing online tests at this University should be accepted as equivalent, to any other university, but will continue to have a large social stigma for generations, as people will still favor more "prestigious" or "traditional" degrees. It should cost two to three times as much to build as a traditional university, but handle a virtually infinite number of students, lowering the total cost of education substantially, while providing much more flexibillity, and up to date (patched) information for students. If we can't compete in the international marketplace with a tool like this... We don't deserve to compete.
« less full details »
19 votes
One of the greatest detriments to our competitiveness worldwide, is our inabillity to compete with much lower labor rates overseas. I suggest that we enforce our existing minimum wage laws (adjusted for the exchange rate), on all products sold here in the United States, ignoring their country of origin. Slowly, but surely, domestic employment will rise, and "international corporations" will choose to manufacture overseas, ...more »
One of the greatest detriments to our competitiveness worldwide, is our inabillity to compete with much lower labor rates overseas. I suggest that we enforce our existing minimum wage laws (adjusted for the exchange rate), on all products sold here in the United States, ignoring their country of origin. Slowly, but surely, domestic employment will rise, and "international corporations" will choose to manufacture overseas, only when there is a demand for their products overseas, rather than exporting our demand to a labor force that is paid a sub living wage.
« less full details »
