A Vision for America

Vision for America – Work in Progress

Katherine Appello 

A. Role of the Government 

i.               Federal

• ·      Manage and handle national security and international and interstate trade of goods, Wisely manage our general fiscal house. Follow the Constitution
• ·      Enforce all the laws at the border and as regards commerce of goods, as well as the border.

ii. State

Everything else. When state legislators make decisions, they need to do so, however not in isolation, but with each other and in ways that will benefit the nation as a whole as much as possible. If the nation benefits all states benefit. Cooperation is key, shared and common legislation is key, including security and immigration enforcement.

B. Political Process

• ·      Elimination of Parties
• ·      Direct Vote, one person, one vote
• ·      Strict ID laws for voting
• ·      Presidency term stays the same
• ·      All other politicians serve a maximum 12-year term and get paid only a stipend and basic benefits like a Peace Corp kind of situation
• ·      No lobbying or such activity allowed at any level 

C. Taxation

• ·      Eliminate the IRS
• ·      Eliminate all current taxes; scrap them, every single one.
• ·      Eliminate 501(3)c, tax exception status all together.
• ·      Everything would be simply an expenses write off, or a good portion of it.
• ·      Rather then giving items, everyone simply gives funds and the organization purchases what is necessary.
• ·      Any organization wishing to claim anything as a tax deduction must have their books open to the public and allow for surprise auditing by the state Attorney General.
• ·      Constitutional Amendment and executive order, caps the amount for the life of the nation.
• ·      Suggested Amounts -15% paid by businesses, 10% individuals’ and 30% of all that stays at the federal level and the rest goes to the states
• ·      Simply have the AG collect all taxes and then send the 30% to the Feds 
• ·      States would create their budget, with a budget cap and amendment from each state and the federal government would send the funds each year, but also have an emergency fund that could not by law be used for anything other than natural disaster or terrorist emergencies.
• ·      No amount could be spent beyond that and so emergency funds would have to be arranged for emergencies

D. Financial Sector and Business: 

i. Financial Sector:

• ·      Create cooperatives in banking and such, like credit unions that are not limited to a particular industry, but open to the public in general
• ·      Follow the very wise biblical principles of lending money so on and so forth, so that every aspect of banking is adjusted to the customer and the geographic area population
• ·      Provide lots of consumer training and education on fiscal and housing management • Churches and private charities, in unison with the business sector but without government help at
• ·      All, or funding can be a major part of this, making it happen.
• ·      Keep regulations to a minimum, but very wise, very enforceable and make consumer very responsible for what goes in business and their lives

ii. Business:

• ·      Create cooperatives, where small businesses come together, create a membership and a range of benefits for customer and other business members. They can be complimentary businesses and this will also keep costs down, as they can buy in bulk as a unit.
• ·      Keep it to no more than 3 community entities coming together at any given time to form the cooperative, so it never becomes a monopoly.
• ·      The bottom line would be to still have a profit, but not the be all and end all bottom line, a joint one with providing great products and services at affordable prices.
• ·      Churches and ministries, as well as business, other entities, but without government help at all, making it happen.

E. Education 

• ·      Eliminate the Board of Education
• ·      Teachers get paid by the year and are subject to yearly reviews, must keep up with the latest technologies and such in education, and if they are not doing their jobs despite all the prep etc.., or commit any act that is harmful to the child, including sexual, out they go, no exception whether there five years or twenty. What matters are the kids.
• ·      The curriculum should be not about tests, but about practical application of skills and critical, creative thinking and technology use in a constructive way for all of humanity.
• ·      Let Schools form cooperatives and sliding scale fees, get creative, think outside the box. 
• ·      Still, have states coordinate, the state legislators, to create some basic standards.

F. Healthcare 

• ·      Eliminate government involvement in every way
• ·      Create lots of high quality care clinics and small hospitals with private funds and private foundations support, no government money or involvement, except for few and strictly enforced smart regulations for patient safety
• ·      Institutions compete like any other business • Eliminate insurance all together
• ·      Form cooperatives and sliding scale fees, get creative and fundraise to create charity care funds for those with absolute need
• ·      Strict enforcement and required proof of each individuals financial situation
• ·      Allow for private medical offices and medical practices with fixed rates and concierge medical facilities as well for those who wish to use such exclusive services and if those doctors wish to offer discounts and other incentives, fine, let them

G. Immigration:

Guard the border with whatever means is necessary, short of killing and violence to insure no one crosses illegally. What’s required is a policy that is comprehensive based on:

• ·      Need
• ·      Supply
• ·      Demand
• ·      The Market
• ·      Borders, E-verify and Laws strictly enforced

H. Charity and Welfare:

• ·      Eliminate government involvement in every way.
• ·      Have all charity be a private affair.
• ·      Have them work with hospital and clinic cooperatives in each neighborhood that patients become members of to assist

I. Religious Freedom:

• ·      Let no interference, save the life of persons, or animals, be in imminent or actual proven danger, or property destroyed, come from government in any way.
• ·      Let private and public worship, prayer and praise of a person or group, on any property be respected and not interfered with, adhering to the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights, again save the life of persons, or animals, be in imminent or actual proven danger, or property destroyed.