Ok...
Death penalty:
Fuck that shit! Seriously. The next innocent person murdered by the state for a crime they didn't commit will not be the first, or the last.
Mandatory sentencing:
Again, fuck that shit! Sentencing should be based on the severity of the crime, not the type. The guy who sells a little pot from his personal stash to his buddies should not have to fear the same punishment as the dealer on the corner selling smack to high-school kids.
Abortion:
If you don't want one, don't have one. It really is that simple. Limiting/prohibiting (except in cases of mother's health) late term (third trimester) abortions would be perfectly ok. If you can't make up your mind in 6 months, one or two more probably won't help.
Gay marriage:
No, I don't think there should be "gay marriage." I think marriage should be legally redefined to the legal union of any two (or more) legally consenting adults. I also believe that legal marriages should only be done by an officer of the court and clergy should be exempt from ever being an officer of the court. So, legal marriages, with all the legal benefits done only by the courts. Religious marriage, which have no legal standing whatsoever, done by the churches and only if you really feel the need to be consecrated before gawd. And yes, I feel that those who believe only the religious marriage should be enough should not receive any of the benefits of a legal marriage.
Military Budget:
Cut it in half and split the money equally between education and sciences (with a big chunk going to NASA to getting us back in space). Reduce our standing military to the minimum required to defend ourselves and our allies from clear and present dangers.
Education:
Take the billions from the the above military cuts and fix our fucking schools. "No Child Left Behind" is a lie and a money sink. Get rid of it. If the kids are too unmotivated, too bored or just plain too stupid to get passing grades, flunk them out. I understand that your special little snowflake isn't really a pot-head and a bully, he's just misunderstood. So what? If he's earning a failing grade... For some it will be a wake up call. Coddling the least common denominator is a huge part of the problem in the public school system. All that being said, I do believe in second chances. We also need to fix the GED program so that kids (being the stupid, arrogant little shits that some of them can be) who make mistakes have a viable method of fixing those mistakes.
Establish a federal level group to qualify textbooks for use in public education leaving the state boards to choose from textbooks for their curricula that are sound. Scientist to approve science books, mathematicians to approve mathematics books, historians to approve history books, etc... Not a bunch of religious morons like we've seen recently (cough... Texas Board of Education... cough...). Make Associate degree education free, as long as you meet the minimum academic entrance requirements for the school.
Minimum wage:
Make minimum wage a livable wage. The problem is the concept of 'livable.' Minimum wage should provide a roof over your head, food on your table and transport to and from from work. That's it. You should not be able to raise a family of four comfortably on a single minimum wage job.
Taxes:
I believe in fair and equitable taxes. Minimum wage x 2080 (40 hour week, 52 week year), per working age full time member of the household should be tax exempt for everyone. Taxes of 30-40 percent on any income above that and 40-80 percent on any wages from Min. wage x 2080 x 5 and above.
Ex. Min. wage = $10/hr. $20,800 tax exempt. If you make $70,000/yr. then you only pay taxes on $49,200 and if you make $120,000/yr. then you are taxed 30-40% on $83,200 and 40-80 only on the income above $104,000, 16,000 in this case.
I absolutely hate the sliding scale taxing you on all income that can make a pay raise a detrimental to your take home pay.
Government intrusion into private life:
Hell no. Not without a court order. No phone tapping, GPS tracking, e-mail reading, etc... at all without a signature by a judge. Exceptions allowed for probable cause, but, if the judge decides that the probable cause was insufficient then the case is dismissed with prejudice. The presumption of innocence must be returned to our judicial system. It is severely lacking in today's courts, especially civil court. I don't even like cameras in public places, unless the video/photographic evidence will only be used to support an accusation and not to make one. A picture may be worth 1000 words, but a third of them are wrong.
Police force (and other) abuse of state sanctioned power:
We need civilian oversight of our police and our military. There is far too much corruption covered up at both levels to continue to allow them to police themselves. Internal Affairs is a bad joke and while the JAG office isn't as bad, it's still pretty bad.
Well, that's about it for my political hot buttons. I'm aware that I don't necessarily have the best answers (or maybe even viable answers) to the above, but it's where I stand on the issues until and unless better ideas are presented.
Death penalty:
Fuck that shit! Seriously. The next innocent person murdered by the state for a crime they didn't commit will not be the first, or the last.
Mandatory sentencing:
Again, fuck that shit! Sentencing should be based on the severity of the crime, not the type. The guy who sells a little pot from his personal stash to his buddies should not have to fear the same punishment as the dealer on the corner selling smack to high-school kids.
Abortion:
If you don't want one, don't have one. It really is that simple. Limiting/prohibiting (except in cases of mother's health) late term (third trimester) abortions would be perfectly ok. If you can't make up your mind in 6 months, one or two more probably won't help.
Gay marriage:
No, I don't think there should be "gay marriage." I think marriage should be legally redefined to the legal union of any two (or more) legally consenting adults. I also believe that legal marriages should only be done by an officer of the court and clergy should be exempt from ever being an officer of the court. So, legal marriages, with all the legal benefits done only by the courts. Religious marriage, which have no legal standing whatsoever, done by the churches and only if you really feel the need to be consecrated before gawd. And yes, I feel that those who believe only the religious marriage should be enough should not receive any of the benefits of a legal marriage.
Military Budget:
Cut it in half and split the money equally between education and sciences (with a big chunk going to NASA to getting us back in space). Reduce our standing military to the minimum required to defend ourselves and our allies from clear and present dangers.
Education:
Take the billions from the the above military cuts and fix our fucking schools. "No Child Left Behind" is a lie and a money sink. Get rid of it. If the kids are too unmotivated, too bored or just plain too stupid to get passing grades, flunk them out. I understand that your special little snowflake isn't really a pot-head and a bully, he's just misunderstood. So what? If he's earning a failing grade... For some it will be a wake up call. Coddling the least common denominator is a huge part of the problem in the public school system. All that being said, I do believe in second chances. We also need to fix the GED program so that kids (being the stupid, arrogant little shits that some of them can be) who make mistakes have a viable method of fixing those mistakes.
Establish a federal level group to qualify textbooks for use in public education leaving the state boards to choose from textbooks for their curricula that are sound. Scientist to approve science books, mathematicians to approve mathematics books, historians to approve history books, etc... Not a bunch of religious morons like we've seen recently (cough... Texas Board of Education... cough...). Make Associate degree education free, as long as you meet the minimum academic entrance requirements for the school.
Minimum wage:
Make minimum wage a livable wage. The problem is the concept of 'livable.' Minimum wage should provide a roof over your head, food on your table and transport to and from from work. That's it. You should not be able to raise a family of four comfortably on a single minimum wage job.
Taxes:
I believe in fair and equitable taxes. Minimum wage x 2080 (40 hour week, 52 week year), per working age full time member of the household should be tax exempt for everyone. Taxes of 30-40 percent on any income above that and 40-80 percent on any wages from Min. wage x 2080 x 5 and above.
Ex. Min. wage = $10/hr. $20,800 tax exempt. If you make $70,000/yr. then you only pay taxes on $49,200 and if you make $120,000/yr. then you are taxed 30-40% on $83,200 and 40-80 only on the income above $104,000, 16,000 in this case.
I absolutely hate the sliding scale taxing you on all income that can make a pay raise a detrimental to your take home pay.
Government intrusion into private life:
Hell no. Not without a court order. No phone tapping, GPS tracking, e-mail reading, etc... at all without a signature by a judge. Exceptions allowed for probable cause, but, if the judge decides that the probable cause was insufficient then the case is dismissed with prejudice. The presumption of innocence must be returned to our judicial system. It is severely lacking in today's courts, especially civil court. I don't even like cameras in public places, unless the video/photographic evidence will only be used to support an accusation and not to make one. A picture may be worth 1000 words, but a third of them are wrong.
Police force (and other) abuse of state sanctioned power:
We need civilian oversight of our police and our military. There is far too much corruption covered up at both levels to continue to allow them to police themselves. Internal Affairs is a bad joke and while the JAG office isn't as bad, it's still pretty bad.
Well, that's about it for my political hot buttons. I'm aware that I don't necessarily have the best answers (or maybe even viable answers) to the above, but it's where I stand on the issues until and unless better ideas are presented.
Thief and assassin for hire. Member in good standing of the Rogues Guild.
