From the Radio Free Michigan archives ftp://141.209.3.26/pub/patriot If you have any other files you'd like to contribute, e-mail them to bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu. ------------------------------------------------ OK, I voted Republican as the lesser of the evils. Below I have reproduced the Republican's "Contract With America" and added my comments in (parentheses). There are some good things and there are some bad things and there are some things that need adjustments (all in my own opinion, of course). So let's hammer out our own additions/deletions to this agenda and pass it on to Newt et al and let them know where the Patriots stand on this. ----------------- Following is the text of the Republicans' "Contract with America:" As Republican members of the House of Representatives and as citizens seeking to join that body, we propose not just to change its policies, but even more important to restore the bonds of trust between the people and their elected representatives. That is why, in this era of official evasion and posturing, we offer instead a detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print. This year's election offers the chance, after four decades of one party control, to bring to the House a new majority that will transform the way Congress works. That historic change would be the end of government that is too big, too intrusive and too easy with the public's money. It can be the beginning of a Congress that respects the values and shares the faith of the American family. Like Lincoln, our first Republican president, we intend to act "with firmness in right, as God gives us to see the right." To restore accountability to Congress. To end its cycle of scandal and disgrace. To make us all proud again of the way free people govern themselves. On the first day of the 104th [Congress], the new Republican majority will immediately pass the following major reforms, aimed at restoring the faith and trust of the American people in their government: ** First, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress; (BRAVO! We have been bitching about this for years...) ** Second, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse; (Ditto.) ** Third, cut the number of House committees and cut committee staff by one-third; (This may not be in our best interest. Some of the best information we get is from the staffers who have time to talk to us.) ** Fourth, limit the terms of all committee chairmen; fifth, ban the casting of proxy votes in committee; sixth, require committee meetings to be open to the public; (All three of these things appear to be good, especially public meetings.) ** Seventh, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase; (I think this should also hold true for a lot of other things, too. The assault weapons ban would not have passed under these circumstances.) ** Eighth, guarantee an honest accounting of our federal budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting. (I'm not an accountant, so I don't know what this is...) Thereafter, within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress, we shall bring to the House floor the following bills, each to be given full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny (1) The fiscal responsibility act -- A balanced budget/tax limitation amendment and a legislative line item veto to restore fiscal responsibility to an out-of-control Congress requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses. ((BRAVO again!) (2) The taking back our streets act -- An anti-crime package, including stronger truth in sentencing, "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions, effective death penalty provisions and cuts in social spending from this summer's crime bill to fund prison construction and additional law enforcement to keep people secure in their neighborhoods and kids safe in their schools. (Problematic issues here: "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions mean they can kick in your door without fear of having anything they find tossed out. If this is enacted, we need a STRONG counter-measure that will force police to compensate wrongful door kick-ins with not just a new door. I'd they'd learn their lesson really fast if they were looking for drugs, kicked in some little old lady's door and scared the hell out of everyone in the house -- and then had to pay her $10,000. That should make them check their sources better. Also, we should make sure that language is in this bill that requires additional police to be STATE police, not Feds.) (3) The personal responsibility act -- Discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC for [mothers having] additional children while on welfare cut spending for welfare programs and enact a tough two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility. (Encouraging responsibility is good. But you have to start a Federal day care program. Forcing mothers to work for minimum wage and then spend almost their entire paycheck on day care is absolutely ridiculous. Sure, make them work, but watch the kids so they can save some money to become self-sufficient. As for prohibiting welfare to minor mothers, what about minor mothers living on their own? Not everyone has a family to lean on.) (4) The family reinforcement act -- Child support enforcement, tax incentives for adoption, strengthening rights of parents in their children's education, stronger child pornography laws and an elderly dependent-care tax credit to reinforce the central role of families in American society. (Most of this seems fairly well in line with our discussions.) (5) The American dream restoration act -- A $500-per-child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to provide middle-class tax relief. (I like all of these.) (6) The national security restoration act -- No U.S. troops under U.N. command and restoration of the essential parts of our national security funding to strengthen our national defense and maintain our credibility worldwide. (YES! But add NO U.N. TROOPS ON U.S. SOIL! If they won't agree to add, we could call them on it. "So, you mean you EXPECT U.N. troops to be needed on U.S. soil at some time in the future?") (7) The senior citizens fairness act -- Raise the Social Security earnings limit, which currently forces seniors out of the work force, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private, long-term care insurance to let older Americans keep more of what they have earned over the years. (Good things.) (8) The job creation and wage enhancement act -- Small business incentives, capital gains cut and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise wages. (All of these are good, except strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act if it will allow mega-corporations to more easily poison our air and water.) (9) The common sense legal reform act -- "Loser pays" laws, reasonable limits on punitive damages and reform of product liability laws to stem the endless tide of litigation. ("Loser pays" could affect a lot of the sovereign citizen suits that are becoming more prevalent.) (10) The citizen legislature act -- A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators. (This sounds interesting, but what if the person is doing a good job? What if the person approaching the end of a term limit is one of the last bastions against gun control, for example?) (At any rate, we need more discussion and we need to send something to the Boys on the Hill to let them know where we stand...) ------------------------------------------------ (This file was found elsewhere on the Internet and uploaded to the Radio Free Michigan archives by the archive maintainer. All files are ZIP archives for fast download. E-mail bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu)