The Way Ahead

We have to force our politicians to confront and work on the following problems:

THE US NATIONAL DEBT - TOO BIG!

BECAUSE THE ANNUAL BUDGET DEFICIT IS TOO BIG, AND KEEPS ADDING TO THE NATIONAL DEBT MORE EVERY YEAR!

THE WAR IN IRAQ - COSTS TOO MUC H MONEY AND MAKES US TOO MANY ENEMIES!

BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT BROUGHT TOGETHER A COALITION OF OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP US, TO SHARE THE BURDEN, AND TO PRESENT A UNITED FRONT TO DO THE RIGHT THING, WHATEVER THAT IS.

OUR INFRASTRUCTURE - HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES, WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS, AND MANY BUILDINGS, ARE ALL CRUMBLING TO SOME EXTENT, AND NEED REHABBING BADLY.

BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN UP TO FACING THE PROBLEMS AND SPENDING THE MONEY TO FIX THEM.

OUR TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE - TOO WEAK!

BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT SPENT THE MONEY TO KEEP UP WITH THE REST OF THE DEVELOPED WORLD, WHICH WOULD MAKE US MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE. WE NEED FASTER INTERNET AND CELL PHONE SERVICE. WE ARE WAY BEHIND OTHER COUNTRIES - CANADA IS EVEN 4 TIMES AS FAST AS US ON THEIR AVERAGE INTERNET CONNECTION SPEEDS !!!

OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM - FAILING!

BECAUSE WE LET LOCAL COMMUNITIES DECIDE HOW MUCH TO SPEND ON EXDUCATION, AND TO A LARGE EXTENT HOW GOOD THEY WANT THEIR SCHOOLS TO BE. WE NEED TO REQUIRE HIGHER STANDARDS, AND TAKE AWAY LOCAL DECISIONS ON HOW MUCH TO SPEND. SPEND WHAT IT TAKES, OR WE CREATE GENERATIONS OF UNCOMPETITIVE GRADUATES THAT LET OUR ENTIRE NATION FALL IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE, ETC. !!!

MEDICARE & SOCIAL SECURITY ARE TOTALLY UNDERWATER AND CLOSE TO GOING UNDER!

BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE USING WAY TOO MUCH UNNEEDED MEDICAL CARE, IN ADDITION TO THE VAST NUMBERS OF TOO MANY OTHERS USING NEEDED MEDICAL CARE, AND BECAUSE MEDICAL COSTS ARE RISING FAR FASTER THAN INFLATION AND HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS. AND BECAUSE THERE ARE FAR MORE PEOPLE RETIRING THAN BEFORE, USING FAR MORE SOCIAL SECURITY MONEY THAN BEFORE, AND FAR FEWER WORKERS CONTRIBUTING FAR TOO LITTLE TO KEEP UP IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS TO SEVERAL DECADES. WE NEED TO REMODEL BOTH SYSTEMS AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO STRETCH THE RESOURCES WE WILL HAVE, WITHOUT BANKRUPTING THE SYSTEMS OR KILLING OFF THE POOR. AND THE RICH AND MIDDLE CLASS RETIRED WHO HAVE MONEY NEED TO PUT OFF RECEIVING THEIR GOVERNMENT BENEFITS FOR FAR LONGER, SO THE POOR CAN STILL GET SOMETHING. THERE JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY OTHER WAY !!!

IF WE DON'T ACTUALLY WORK ON AND FIX THESE PROBLEMS, WE WON'T HAVE ANY RESOURCES WITH WHICH TO FIGHT GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, FOOD CONTAMINATION, IMMIGRATION REFORM, INCOME INEQUALITY, CRIME, ETC.

THINK.