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21 Slices of Stale.....
Mendham:
SSB Was A Fraud:
21 Slices of Stale.....
     By 2....... . . . . . . on Monday, January 09, 2006 - 2:20 pm: |
21 slices of stale shit! ...that about sums up what sinceslicedbread.com has managed to convert a good idea and $200,000.00 in prize money into. These 21 finalists "ideas" are all so uselessly mushy, or irrelevant to practical reality, that I can't even muster enough interest to bother voting. It would appear that once again someone has gotten opportunity to the door, but prevented it from knocking on it.
The SSB Blog
Here are the best two (I think) of the ideas I submitted:
Allow Democracy To Evolve
Whatis the Whois and fix search
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The 21 "winners"?
Personal Money Management
Personal money management is a huge problem in America. Crushing credit card debt, over due bills and bankruptcies hang over our heads.
So many people just don't know how to handle money. They learn by trial and error during the time they should be building some wealth.
My suggestion is to put personal money management in the regular curriculum of all schools, starting with 1st grade and continuing through high school.
By the time a child reaches the teens, he/she should know all about compound interest, various investment plans, shopping wisely and saving for the future.
Also, to resist the negative affects of being lured by advertisers to pointlessly spend money on "stuff", only to discard it when the commercials convince them they need some new"stuff". Give them the gift of financial freedom.
A Flat Tax to Save Social Security
Working Americans deserve financially secure retirements, and Social Security helps make this possible. But eventually its payroll tax won't be able to cover its costs, and at precisely the time we need to respond by fixing Social Security, many conservatives are attacking it. The irony is that the very concept these same conservatives usually support is exactly the thing to save Social Security: a flat tax. Social Security is funded by a 6.2% tax on wages up to $90,000. Everyone making under that pays the full percentage, while those making more pay less. It is a regressive tax; the rich pay less, and the richer you are the less you pay. The solution? Make the Social Security payroll tax flat. Everyone pays the same percentage of their income to support it. This simple fix will bring in enough to fully fund Social Security indefinitely. So those who praise the idea of a flat tax should put their money where their mouths are and support one that can save retirement security for working Americans!
Blanket The US With Wireless Access
Information is too restricted and not accessible enough to most of the people. The barriers to obtaining information (one being cost) is creating a huge separation of the "information haves" and the "information have-nots". The gap will continue to widen unless/until there is a big enough change to shift the balance.
Implement widespread WiFi / WiMax networks across as many cities as possible. Provide free (or VERY low cost) wireless broadband internet access to all US citizens, so that everyone has equal access to the information, and more importantly to the technology revolution that is continuing to re-shape the world. By leaving certain citizens, particularly children, without broadband internet access, we are handicapping those people for life. It's a fast changing world, we have to help everyone keep up.
Proving wireless broadband access to all citizens will be the first, and biggest, step toward leveling the playing field of the classes. Not only will the increased access help lift lower classes, it will spur new technology developments and initiatives which will touch everyone.
Create "Civil Works Corps"
The US Government should consider creating a 50,000-strong Department of Defense-sponsored "Civil Works Corps" (CWC) similar to the New Deal era's Civilian Conservation Corps. Allocate a portion to each state or FEMA region and allow the National Guard's State Area Commands to manage their CWCs. The CWCs would provide their region with valuable public works such as national and public park maintenance, forestry (maintenance and fire-fighting), conservation management (erosion control projects), disaster response and recovery operations, public infrastructure improvement projects, security augmentation (albeit limited), and administrative support to state and local governments. Youth would "enlist" in the CWC for 2-4 years, earning 30 days of annual leave and medical benefits during the period. Honorably-discharged CWC "veterans" would earn college tuition assistance (1 year paid per 1 year served) similar to the GI Bill. The CWC would provide long-term investment in America's communities and help restore a sense of "collective duty to the greater good" to Americans that many older citizens who served in their youth contend is necessary for long-term cultural health and survival.
Tie Minimum Wage to Cost of Living
Many American working poor earn minimum wage. As cost of living increases, the purchasing power of minimum wage goes down, and a political fight becomes necessary to raise the minimum wage every few years (or many, as in the current case). This is unfair. A minimum should be a minimum in terms of purchasing power, not in inflation-bound dollars.
The solution is simple: tie the minimum wage to the Cost of Living index.
This is fair, helps the neediest American working families, and saves Americans from a useless recurrent political fight.
Massive Public Works Projects
Such public works projects as the Panama Canal, Hoover Dam, The Tennesse Valley Authority, and The New York City Water Tunnels, have created infrastructure expansion, jobs, economic growth and healthcare for millions of Americans. In order to benefit Americans I propose we iniate massive public works projects, aimed at employment of Americans, economic growth, healthcare oppurtunities, and infrastructure expansion. Such projects would include re-opening steel mills, building hydroelectric plants or green energy facilities, Shipyards, bridges, roads, high-rise buildings, tunnels, and renovating existing towns and cities. When government, business and industry start public works projects every business has a chance to capitalize on the increase of productivity. Another concept would be to start pilot towns that are built around the latest technologies such as hybrid and zero emission vehicles, broadband communications, renewable enrgy sources, mass-transit systems, and other emerging technologies that need to be tested full scale. This is a common sense idea, even the Pharohs, and Emporers of ancient civilizations knew, if you keep your citizens employeed and working your ecomomy will thrive.
Sustainable Resource Industries
Globalization of labor, production, and ideas and an industrial economy based on subsidized fossil fuels have set the stage for economic and social instability, continued outsourcing of jobs, and marginalized quality of life. We can create a new economy based on environmentally benign industries and energy.
Impose a "resource tax" on pollution, development, and fossil fuel to pay for development of renewable energy and environmental restoration. Promoting sustainable localized energy industries (solar, wind, hydro, tidal, biofuels) will provide reliable, clean homegrown energy, exportable technologies, and bring energy jobs home. Funding widespread environmental restoration will expand existing industries (farming, recreation, tourism, and commercial fisheries) that are dependent on ecological services and will foster research, design and technology industries.
Working families will benefit from a stable economy and millions of new economy jobs. These solutions are inherently local - they create decentralized resources and require skilled local labor, forever. They pay for themselves and provide capital for entrepreneurs to develop industries and exportable technologies. And they foster community and collaboration essential to surviving in a global economy.
3 Steps to Universal Health Care
A simple, slow, politically feasible way to provide for full national health care in thirty years.
1. Digital records: Invest in technology so we reduce waste in the system spent on paperwork. Also has the advantage of creating the idea that it's one big health system, not many small systems. Popular with Republicans and Democrats alike, so this should be easy.
2. Health care for Children and Young Adults: Start a single-payer system, similar to Medicare, for everyone under the age of 35. Many young adults (such as myself) don't have health care, which puts us in danger and makes it more expensive for everyone else. By requiring children and young adults to have health care, costs will be controlled. Also, everyone can supplement their basic health care if they wish, and others can buy in.
3. With each passing year, people stay in the single-payer system. So, in 30 years time, everyone will have health care. This gradual system, like Social Security, will make health care what it should be: a right.
Farm Produce Distribution Network
Creating a national produce distribution network addresses health, labor justice, and unequal government spending. The government's farm subsidies mostly go to a few huge corporate farmers, and stores in poor neighborhoods struggle to get quality, affordable fruits and vegetables. Instead of enriching big agribusinesses with our tax dollars, use farm subsidies to build a nationwide produce distribution network. This will help small farmers market their produce widely and resist being absorbed by huge conglomerates. Better, cheaper fruits and vegetables everywhere will help Americans fight obesity and related diseases, which will improve quality of life and job productivity and cut down on government and personal health care spending. Strengthen the market for American soybeans by running the distribution trucks on clean, domestically produced biodiesel. Finally, farms who recieve grants must undergo a yearly audit of labor and environmental practices. Standards should be set by a panel that includes farmworkers and environmental advocates.
The Home Ownership Plan for You
One of the biggest problems for working people is how to afford a home and build a secure future. Another major problem is how to stabilize the housing and related industries, which drive 20% of the economy and maintain employment to avoid devastating recessions. The answer is the Home Ownership Plan (HOP), which is to be a tax-exempt savings account at the workplace for first-time home buyers. A key feature is the simple redirection of employee benefits. When young people enter the workplace, their employer can enroll them in the HOP, in lieu of enrolling them in a pension plan. The employer could then contribute into the HOP account the amount they would ordinarily pay into a pension plan. In 7 years, a person starting at $30,000 can save $50,000 toward a down payment. Couples can merge accounts with $50,000 to $100,000 to buy a home. They will have 25 years to save for retirement. The HOP more than pays for the tax exemptions from taxes generated by the housing and relaated industries.
Mortgage Program- Abandoned Houses
Problem: Dilapidated houses, ruined often from landlords and tenants not doing upkeep (they don't live there or they don't own the house, so they don't care) are abandoned. They continue to deteriorate, look awful, and attract rats and crime. It costs cities $5,000 to demolish such a house.
Solution: Federal or State Low Interest Mortgage Program-
No interest accrues first five years of loan if buyer remains in good standing.
House must cost 50% or less of market value for similar house in good condition.
Buyers must make 200% or less of poverty level income, agree to live in house for five years, and must previously have been renting.
Buyer can escrow additional loan money to use for house repairs, up to $50,000 total mortgage amount. Must use receipts to prove escrow money goes toward repairs.
Buyer must live in house within 6 months after closing. Mortgage payments don't begin until residency.
Benefits: Brings more income into impoverished areas.
Cleaner and safer.
No money paid to demolish house.
Makes homeownership possible for low-income families.
Public Education Reform
The future of American workers in the global economy depends on the quality and equity of today's public education. From kindergarten to college, our public institutions represent the capacity of our society to provide adequate income, healthcare, and security for all Americans. In this light, the following three reforms will return public education to its original mandate:
1. Restructure public funding of schools to redirect local property taxes to a general state fund that is then equitably distributed among all schools on a per student basis. This measure would break the cycle of poverty endemic to those areas without a large property tax base.
2. Control tuition at public universities to better reflect the traditional statewide median income-to-cost of attendance ratio. This will provide all willing students the ability to receive a top-notch in-state education regardless of their families' economic status.
3. Increase teacher salaries to recruit and retain some of America's brightest. If we invest in high quality instruction, we give ourselves the best chance for an intelligent, entrepreneurial, and confident workforce.
Standardization of Health Care Data
It is estimated that "administrative costs" take over 30 cents of each US health care dollar. This compares with under 20 cents for other nations. The difference is over 200 billion, 2% of GNP . Reducing these expences is a goal. I propose standardization of data and basic forms. A specific drug or procedure would have the same code among different providers and insurance companies. Basic patient information would also be in standard format and I would suggest new forms such as lists of prescriptions and procedures, data which is often unorganized. And sometimes lost . Of course providers could make extensions. Consistency in naming can reduce costs in processing and passing information between organizations, they would also make billing more coherant. Standardization of data structures makes it easier for computer programs to work together and for organizations to change programs. Like Internet protocals they would provide a common language for a variety of approaches, increasing competition. Standards could also make it easier to gather data for research.
ProdiMae Efficent Access to Capital
Issue: Maintaining US household income in face of across-the-board global competition for income-producing vocations. Climbing the value chain ultimately fails - India and China can train more of any profession, including engineers, marketeers, CEO's, based on sheer population. We are not leveraging the US' strongest competitive advantage - efficient capital markets and entrepreneurship - which is stubbornly difficult for other countries to duplicate. US small and medium businesses (SMBs) provide 90% of jobs, yet have no efficient capitalization mechanism - so 90% of SMB failure is from lack of capital. SMBs are not efficiently serviced by stock exchanges, venture/angel funding, or local banks.
Solution: Create agency "ProdiMae/ServiMac" similar to FannieMae/FreddieMac's mission, but for SMBs -- provide an efficient secondary market for equity/debt so SMBs can get funding through local funders who would then sell those instruments in the secondary market - unleashing national sources of capital for SMBs.
Benefits: Tremendous opportunities would open up for working men and women to become thriving business owners/employers or well-paid employees of those companies.
Ownership of Retirement Assets
Problem: Workers need protection for their employer funded retirement assets earned while they worked. Companies use long vesting periods to minimize the number of employees covered. Some underfund their pension funds and others go bankrupt causing significant financial loss to their employees related to retirement.
Idea: pass a law which requires companies to allocate their retirement funding dollars into approved individual retirement accounts for employees who choose that option. Also require that companies funding retirement benefits for their employees cannot discriminate against new employees through vesting policies. This would not mandate a retirement benefit, just require optional individual control over it.
Benefit: Hard earned retirement assets would belong to workers, and would be protected against underfunding, fraud and bankruptcy by their employer(s). Workers would be able to accumulate a full retirement nest egg even if they change jobs many times during their careers. Lastly, since the retirement asset is theirs, they can will it to whomever they choose.
Medicare as Single Payer - Pilot
National health insurance is a controversial idea that has not been tested in America. The debate seems to get bogged down in the fears of rationing and "socialized medicine." Wouldn't it be great if we could find a way to "try before you buy?"
Idea: Medicare Expansion Pilot Program. Give 10-20 of the nation's largest employers (including the Federal government) the opportunity to use Medicare as their company's health insurance for 5 years. The key difference would be they would pay premiums just like they would with a private insurer instead of the program being supported by taxes. Medicare's administrative costs are exponentially lower than most private insurers, which should result in significant savings. Also invited into the program would be every resident of Washington, DC, regardless of employment status, to give a window on how insuring the uninsured would impact costs, service, etc. This program would give us the opportunity to see the system in action, study it, and have real world evidence by which to evaluate the feasibility of national health insurance.
More Public Health Clinics & Drs
The national debate over affordable health insurance needs to change into a debate on how to provide affordable healthcare to more Americans.
IDEA:
Create a large-scale public program to recruit Medical School students into public service at new public healthcare clinics.
Like the military model, medical school tuition could be paid for in exhange for a certain number of years of public service. Not only would large scale public delivery of healthcare service result in increased access to primary care for America's uninsured, it would also reduce the debt our medical students face when leaving medical school for private practice.
Most importantly, the availability of public health clinics on a large scale would make primary healthcare available much more affordably than the current delivery through our nation's hosptial emergency rooms.
Public Health Clinics and Public Health Doctors should not replace the current private delivery mechanisms, but supplement them for Americans who aren't insured or insurable.
Healthcare costs are spiraling out of control. Public, not-for-profit solutions should be considered.
Pride of Skilled Working Hands
How will America meet current and future needs for skilled craftspersons?
How can we encourage thousands of young people not bound for college to consider a career in the trades as a professional, honorable way to gain valuable skills while earning a good living?
I proposed the creation of The Pride of Working Hands Program.
PURPOSE/GOALS:
* Encourage thousands of young boys and girls across the country at an early age to consider careers in one of many specialized skilled trades.
* Build early pride that using one's skilled hands in carrying out a skilled trade is a noble profession.
* Match students, schools, parents, trade councils, construction associations, home improvement stores to training programs resulting in jobs, some would be provided free to low income seniors while students finish their apprenticeship.
PARTICIPANTS:
* Elementary schools, career day sponsors, parents, union trade councils, thousands of home improvement stores across the country who would privide training sites, materials and also serve as resources for matching low income seniors, community non-profits etc. to students developing skills.
Nat. Service Scholarship Program
Problems:
1. Rising cost of college education for parents and students.
2. Pending shortages in government workforce due to pending retirement of large numbers of baby-boomers.
3. Deterioration of civic understanding and involvement at the local, state and national level.
4. General workforce knowledge gap of government-industry capabilities and opportunities.
Solution: Use the Armed Services' highly successful Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarships as a model for a larger government-wide education and workforce program. Offer two and four-year scholarship opportunities with service obligation post-graduation.
Benefits:
1. Would free up some of the economic burden of education costs that could then be redirected to retirement, savings, healthcare, etc.
2. Provide a systematic influx of young people with the energy and innovative ideas that are desperately needed within the government to affect change necessary in the 21st century.
3. Those that leave government service after their obligation will provide the catalyst to reinvigorate the sense of service and community at all levels, and have knowledge of government enabling them to capitalize on capabilities and opportunities along government-industry seam.
Retool the EITC to Promote Savings
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of the most successful poverty-reduction programs in recent years. Yet working families continue to face increasing uncertainty with the volatile job market of the New Economy and the tenuous future of bedrock social insurance programs such as Social Security. By making it easier for EITC beneficiaries to channel a portion of their benefits into savings accounts, we could provide the beginnings of a support system for America's insecure workforce.
EITC beneficiaries could be provided with savings options when they claim their EITC on their annual tax forms. Portions of EITC payments could be put into Individual Development Accounts, in which the government matches deposits that will be channeled to ends like education, starting a business, or purchasing a home. Alternatively, EITC payments could be put into tax-exempt investments so that low- and moderate-income working parents could begin to save for their future and their families. |
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