A vision for America

I've been reading a lot of books lately about the formation of the USA and some of more recent history. Consequently, some of those themes have been showing up in my dreams. This is my long tortured way of avoiding the phrase, "I have a dream ..." But I DO have a vision for this country. Unfortunately, I'm probably alone in my point of view.

In one of my dreams a new Libertarian President was elected. In his (yes, his - that was how the dream went) inauguration speech he started with ...

~ "We are going to get serious on this war on terror. That is why I want every able, law-abiding citizen of this United States to obtain a firearm, train with it, and carry it with them at all times.

~ I challenge Congress to pass the Fair Tax THIS YEAR. If you don't know what that is, here is the website http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer . Until the Fair Tax is passed - and ALL other personal federal income taxes eliminated - books that explain the Fair Tax will be tax deductible.

~ Starting immediately, I am eliminating non-essential federal departments, especially those that aren't directly addressed in the Constitutional. I am putting on notice the employees of the Department of Education that they will be out of work by the end of the year. Yes, this might cause a rise in unemployment but I have confidence that many talented people employed by the federal government have the ability to get other jobs or start a small business. The US government is NOT a jobs program. Employees of the Small Business Administration, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Health & Human Services, the FCC, the FDA and the Department of Agriculture, take note. Your turn will be coming soon.

~ If you are a member of the US Army, you will be given the option to transfer to another branch of the military, the reserves, border enforcement or the National Guard. The US Constitution is clear that we are not to have a standing army on US soil and I intend to make sure that is the case. Yes, that will mean there will be many more base closings and some areas of the country will feel the loss. I have confidence in the American people that they will recover AND they will find much better ways to use those army bases than the federal government ever could.

~ STOP turning to the US government - or any government - to solve your problems. If your home floods and you don't have flood insurance, do not rebuild in the same location with the assumption that FEMA will bail you out. If you make bad business decisions, we won't come to your rescue. If a commercial operation spills oil on one of our coasts, THEY will solve the problem, not me. I'm not a drilling expert. My presence will only cause an extra burden on the community that is hard at work to get the job done. I will not be visiting any disaster area. Yes, I care about the disaster and I trust the people closest to that community to run the operation without my interference.

~ With this in mind, the American people will need to volunteer more and, if the see fit, direct their money to fund programs that matter to them. If you think it is shame that college students will no longer receive federal grants or loans, then start a micro-lending service to help college students buy textbooks. If you think the federal government needs to keep Head Start, then sponsor a child's tuition at your local preschool. If you think the federal government needs to continue to fund drug treatment programs, then re-write your will to fund a program in your area.

~ Speaking of drug treatment programs, if you are in a US prison for drug possession, I am signing your pardon right now. (Pauses to sign.) If you manufacture, grow, import, transport or sell illegal drugs, we'll deal with you in the first 100 days. Be warned, you probably won't get a presidential pardon, though. However, your businesses just might get taxed. Feel free to start manufacturing hemp products. (Pauses to sign a presidential order.) The same goes with prostitution and gambling. Expect big changes soon. No, I don't want the USA to become drugged out, promiscuous and dive into poverty due to their gambling activities. However, I believe that making those activities illegal is NOT making the level of activity we have now to be lower. I firmly believe that the American people who don't do those kinds of illegal activities will continue to not do those activities, no matter what the law says.

~ The staff at the White House will be cut significantly. If you write to me, please do not expect a reply. If you ask for a Christmas card, a birthday card or an anniversary card, I am informing you now that one is not coming. However, you are welcome to come and tour the White House. It is the country's house, not mine. Severe restrictions on who can visit and when they can visit will be lifted.

~ In the next several days, I will be signing several presidential orders - to reverse many presidential orders from previous administrations. The federal bureaucracy is much too large. Federal bureaucrats are not elected into their position, many are not appointed or approved by Congress nor do they change when a new administration comes to Washington; yet these are people who are making LAWS - yes, laws - that impose a huge burden on the American people. Many of these bureaucracies have been established by presidential order and, thus, will be eliminated the same way.

~ Hospitals, doctors, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies consider your special tax deductions that have been contributing to the dramatic increase of health care costs to be very short lived. Under the new Fair Tax, you won't have those deductions anymore. If you are an employee who is getting your medical insurance through your employer, start NOW to research individual plans. Your employer will no longer be able to deduct that benefit from their taxes so they will probably stop offering those plans. Your health insurance shouldn't be dependent on your employment status anyway. That only limits your options in starting up your own business. You NEED to be independent."

That's about all. Somewhere along this time, I woke up and started to gasp for breath.