An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
A Good Start
While perusing Tea Party Nation, I came across a proposal for a platform. While the Tea Party isn’t actually a political party, there should be some sort of platform that we can all agree on, right? Well, here is what was listed there:
1. Cut spending. An immediate reduction in spending to 2004 levels. Government spending in 2004 was approximately $2.3 trillion. This one action will almost immediately balance the budget.
2. Create a commission for the elimination of wasteful spending. The commission would have six months to go through the federal budget and propose the elimination of spending that is simply wasteful, fraudulent or programs that do not work, have achieved their goals when they were created, or have simply failed. The commission’s proposal would go to Congress for a straight up or down vote and cannot be amended by Congress. It would then go to the President for signature.
3. Close the border with Mexico. Use military forces to completely seal the border to stop the flow of illegal immigrants, illegal narcotics and terrorists from Mexico.
4. Enforce immigration laws currently on the books. Have ICE investigate employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants and prosecute those who do.
5. Cut taxes to stimulate the economy. While our long-term goal needs to be the replacement of the income tax with a consumption based tax, the immediate goal should be to stimulate the economy with tax cuts. Start with an across the board 30% cut in personal income taxes corporate taxes and the elimination of the capital gains tax.
6. Elimination of the Department of Education and Energy, which have failed miserably in their jobs, as well as an immediate freeze in hiring new government employees, except in the area of defense and national security.
7. Create a plan to make American energy self sufficient within four years, by drilling and exploiting the natural resources we have here in America. This would include repealing laws that allow bureaucrats or liberal activist groups to file lawsuits that stop drilling or the construction of new refineries. Create rewards for those who can create marketable energy alternatives.
8. Repeal NAFTA, CAFTA and all the other free trade agreements. For America to remain a viable economic superpower, the country must have a manufacturing base. Not only do we need a manufacturing base to employ Americans, we also have crucial infrastructure components, such as power generators that are no longer made in America. If these components were destroyed in a terrorist attack, America could be crippled until we could get replacements, assuming that we could.
9. Either win Afghanistan or get out. The purpose of the military is not nation building. It is to destroy the enemy. Either we take the gloves off and let the military win in Afghanistan or we pull out.
10. Put together a commission to provide a plan to reform Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Social Security and Medicaid are rapidly heading towards insolvency. We need a plan to reform these programs.
Personal opinion….I think this is a good start. Since the Tea Party started because of the fiscal irresponsibility of the federal government, these points cover a lot of territory. Folks a lot smarter than me will come up with a few more than could be added. Any suggestions? 
I’d add getting rid of public sector unions, plus that Labor Board bunch as well. Plus, retraining the American mind that people are NOT entitled to a life time of taxpayer money. No one OWES anyone anything! Time to ween folks off the public teat!
There are some social issues I’d include, but that’s just me.
