What should be the FIRST thing the Congress and the President "FIX" this year? (Besides the WAR)?

Question

What is the most pressing issue that our country needs to "FIX"?

The WAR is the biggest - besides that...

Answer 1

Sorry, I am unable to choose only one.

Here's a "top 10" list:

10) Rewrite the tax code
9) Secure the borders
8) Tort reform
7) No hidden earmarks
6) Balance the budget (including "off-budget" items)
5) Reform campaign funding
4) Strengthen Social Security (lock-box)
3) CAFE standards
2) rewrite "eminent domain" laws

and the number one thing:
CATCH/KILL BIN LADEN

That said, I am glad to see Bush touched on a few of these last night. I refuse to jump on the "universal health care" bandwagon simply because I don't feel a government takeover of health insurance is a good idea. There are many ways we can make it more affordable though, like allowing importation of drugs, tort reform, and requiring employers to offer health insurance to ALL full time employees.

Answer 2

Thanks for asking!

I'd like to see the President demonstrate that desire to work together with the Democratic Congress he talks about-signing the 9/11 commission recommendations bill the House just passed-and healthcare. I think people don't have any idea how bad things really are there. California studies found that healthcare for a family of four costs nearly $20,000! If the family has an income of $50,000, healthcare costs drop them back into the working poor category. Two Republican Governors are working on instituting state universal healthcare-not just because they are good guys-because it saves the state money!

Also, we need to take a look at corporate welfare-that's why Americans feel they are overtaxed-the corporations pay next to nothing! Here's an excerpt from a 2002 Boston Globe article..

Through use of tax deductions for stock options, entities in offshore tax havens and tax shelters, Enron appears to have avoided paying corporate income taxes in four of the past five years, netting a total refund of $381 million, according to an analysis by the labor-funded Citizens for Tax Justice

Answer 3

1st - Universal Health Care
2nd - Alternative Energy / Environmental Issues
3rd - Universal Education

How? By decreasing what is spent on the military and ending penalization of the American people for national debt (as well as passing on to us the cost of every banking scandal in the country).

Think we can't afford to decrease the military budget?

What if, within the confines of the constitution, every major national issue was put to the vote of the American public? What if American voters had the final say on healthcare, defense spending and public education? That's the case in Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Switzerland and other countries with periodic national referendums. THEY ALL HAVE little or no military spending, GUARANTEED PUBLICALLY-FUNDED HEALTHCARE, AND HIGHER EDUCATION FREE OF TUITION AND THE NEED FOR STUDENT LOANS. The citizens of these nations pay for this type of system out of their taxes and they do so willingly. That's a fact: they themselves decided what their taxes would be spent on when they were at the polls.

Imagine where your life and the life of your children would be with publicly-funded healthcare and a higher education that didn't cost you a dime?

Good luck with that Hillary!

Answer 4

Quite frankly, Bush messed it up so bad on all levels thtas its hard to decide which should be the first thing.
Healthcare and Taxes on Bigger incomes are the major issues.

The country needs money and taxing more poor people will kill them slowly.
Half the people dont have adequate medical coverage and this is keeping all those flu viruses and even worse illnesses floating around.
Older people are diying sooner than they should because they cannot help themselves.
Vets are not properly covered.

Try to forget the illigals a little bit those guys work and pay taxes but see nothing out of it they do not get healthcare to start with and do not get tax returns. So focus on those who legally earn money and still dont pay taxes first. Dont approve more $$90Billions for army expenditures anymore ..it seems every 6 months for the past 3 years they did that.. the government borrowed so much money that the US have never been in such deficit and guess who rakes the outcome? your grandchildren !

Answer 5

Dependence on oil and foreign oil in particular and healthcare. Let's get this economy really rolling and put people to work with real jobs that pay middle class wages, not wall mart wages by pressing for an alternative energy vehicle program that highly funds electric cars, trucks and mass transit. Let's have a Marshal plan for our country to get us ahead in the world again so we don't fall behind other 1st world countries and China in education and entreprenueralship. I feel very positive for the future, but it has to be done with getting off oil and really taking care of our own country and stop interfering with others. The days of colonialship are over and it's time we respect the rights of others and what other countries people vote for in their own democracies.

Answer 6

Health Insurance benifits for families that work there @ss's off to provide for their families. We that go to work everyday and pay taxes and follow laws need a break on crazy costs of health insurance. But as long as Bush is in office, it will be the rich people that get the break, not the one's that go to work every freakin day and bust their @ss to put food on the table for their kids. And also the cost of medicine for senior citizens!

Answer 7

Health care - especially for kids. It's a national tragedy that the richest country in the world doesn't give them the best care available - or even adequate.

Answer 8

Illegal immigration, first and foremost. This country will be Mexico in 10 years if the illegals keep rolling in like they are. Our SS will be gone, they are bleeding this country dry.

Answer 9

Nothing

We would be better off if they just went home.

Face it what has congress ever done for you. They are all blood sucking Plutocrats

Go big Red Go

Answer 10

Someone get Hillary laid so she can stop this insane quest for power and just fade away.

EDIT - nice got me kicked off before RLP. The gloves are off. But I still am a good girl at heart.