Why not take your debt card; put your picture on it; and when you swipe it to pay for booze it will verify your age.I can't think of anyone that would give their debt card and pin to anyone, plus it has your photo on it.
Have the government give taxpayers access to an internet tax return form with all the sources of income that it knows about already entered into it. It already knows all or most of your sources of income because it receives copies of your tax forms.You would only need to fill in any extra things that the government doesn’t know about, if any, and then click submit and your taxes would be filed. That would take just minutes. The computer would calculate how much refund you get. Employers and banks could just submit their information online to the government instead of sending tax forms to the tax payer. Then that information could be used by the government computers to create a tax return for each taxpayer.People without a computer could be given access to government computers. You could save millions of man-hours every year by making it easier for taxpayers to file their taxes. Additionally you would cut down on the paper and mailing costs associated with paper tax returns.Reward: To not have to fill out another paper tax return.
Our founding fathers were exceptionally wise to ensure a separation of church and state. Now that enormous power lies in the business and financial world, we now see the results of too close relationships between large corporations and our own US government. The American people should demand Separation of Business and State.Reward: A more just government and society.
I propose eliminating the U.S. House of Representatives, and replacing it with an online "Concordance of Delegates", as a means of minimizing corruption and making our legislature more representative. The following would apply to the "COD":1) The delegates would communicate with one another and vote online from their homes, rather than meeting in a single location.2) One delegate would be elected for every 5,000 voters. The current congressional districts would be subdivided into delegate sub-districts. Assuming 150 million registered voters, there would be 30,000 delegates.3) Each delegate would receive compensation of $40,000 per year (in 2006 dollars, with cost-of-living adjustments) and would serve for a 3 year term. Paying the delegates would thus cost $1.5 Billion per year.4) Committees would be comprised of 1,000 delegates. A delegate could serve on a maximum of 5 committees and would receive additional $2,000 per year for each committee on which he or she serves.5) The COD would be empowered to override the Senate with 75% vote, and the President with a 2/3 vote.6) Each delegate would be required to vote on at least 60% of all votes put before the "COD" per year, or else he forfeits his salary for the year in which he failed to do so.By replacing the House with this concordance of 30,000 delegates, corruption via campaign contributions and bribes of various types would be minimized, because of the difficulty involved in corrupting such a vast number of people.Reward: I wouldn't mind a small monument.
As shown by ancient Greek and Roman writers such as Polybius, and the American Founding Fathers in the Federalist Papers, historically the most stable forms of government have featured a strong executive, provided stability for the elite, and functions to serve the masses.The best way to do this would be to randomly select a "House of Representatives" from a pool of ANYONE who wanted the job, and to sell the seats in the "Elite Senate" to the highest bidders, NO MATTER who they are or where they live, as the elite are multinational in truth.The executive power would be divided between several people, screened by the Senate, and accepted by the Representatives. The Senate would have the power to shift a certain percentages of the resources and responsibilities around in the executive, for SHORT periods of time during emergencies, after which the shift had to be approved by the Representatives. The Senate, which would be composed of the most successful business people, understand what it takes to be a good executive, where the masses do not, and as can seen by many presidential appointments, some presidents do not.The Representatives would have power to select Judges, and to initiate budgets, which would have to be approved by the Senate. A system like this would make for a true democracy, would eliminate the hostility and division that results from the two party system, and it would prevent media, foreign nations, religions, unions, etc. from co-opting the government by various tactics.The system would also protect the elite and give them the confidence to make the large, long term investments that are needed to build a viable society. As the power of the executive would be divided, it would be impossible for any one man to grab all of the power, and it would eliminate the situations where fools, wanabe tyrants, immoral people. And loose cannons have their hands on the nuclear button, and most of the power.The responsibilities between the Senate and the Representatives would be pretty much along the same lines as it is in the American Congress. The Senate would be more responsible for treaties, and the Representatives would be most responsible for budgets, crime and punishment.
