Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Democrats? With Ideas? Why, I Never!

My God, I've badmouthed the DLC before, but I think they just might be on to something here with the concept of creating a set of ideas for reform that actually stand for something, rather than a vague defending of the status quo. Maybe this way we can show that we're actually ABOUT something, rather than just looking like we're trying to block everything. Of course the Republicans will cry bloody murder about it (ESPECIALLY the cuts in corporate subsidies, oh noes, what will the multi-nationals ever do?) and try to find a way to spin every idea here, but I'm generally for the list, excluding the call to expand the military yet again (although I can concede that there's a need). I really like the sound of the Universal Pension. Here's the important stuff:

The DLC's blueprint for change, distributed in Columbus, includes proposals for:

-- Increasing the size of the U.S. military by 100,000 personnel and assuring the services can recruit on college campuses.

Taxes, Energy

-- Altering the tax code to provide a $3,000-a-year college tax credit, a universal home mortgage deduction for people who don't itemize their taxes, an expanded family tax credit for couples with children and a universal pension that replaces 16 existing IRA-style accounts with one portable retirement account.

-- Cutting oil imports by 25 percent by 2025 and converting government vehicles to the use of hybrid engines by 2010.

-- Reducing congressional and non-defense federal government staff by 10 percent, cutting government consultants by 150,000, slashing ``excessive'' highway spending 50 percent and bringing back limits on discretionary spending.

-- Enacting tax cuts that encourage investment and setting up a Corporate Subsidy Reform Commission that cuts $30 billion in business subsidies at year for the next decade.

-- Lowering health care costs by investing in technology and research to find cures for diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

-- Adopting a uniform ratings system for ``entertainment media'' that market products to children.

-- Cracking down on government corruption by forbidding members of Congress and administration officials from becoming lobbyists when they leave office.


The entire article is at Bloomberg.

Posted by crimnos @ 10:42 AM