List of TOP FIVE things we need to get done after Kerry is elected.

[Ladyhawk]

I'd say:

1. Clean up the Iraq mess.
2. Get the media back to some semblance of fairness.
3. Repeal the Patriot Act.
4. PEAK OIL--we need to find out the TRUTH and have some kind of official plan to deal with this impending crisis.
5. Investigate the Bush Administration thoroughly...off to jail with the lot of them.

Of course, he'll have a hard time doing anything if the pubbies still have Congressional power. :(

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. My wash.

I really will need to do at least one load of clothes.

[alittlelark]

2. LOL!!!!

....but I can unfortunately relate too well!

[VOX]

29. You're a **nut** TS!!!!!!!!

And I mean that as a true compliment!

Cheers -- :toast:

[rman]

48. You could easily make a Top 50,

and still not be complete.

Not only the Bushies, but hard-line republicans/neocons have made such a enormous mess of things over the past few decades, there's an incredible amount of work to do. After all it was Reagan who started the good work that made such a mess of the media.

A few less obvious things that come to mind: the war-on-drugs-scam, no child left behind, clean air act, 'save the forest by chopping down all the trees act', the robbing of the social security fund.
Require representatives to actually read the stuff they vote on, if needed adjust procedures so that this is in fact possible.

[wryter2000]

3. Protect Kerry and his wife

The repugs are going to be out for blood. I suspect Teresa will be the first victim.

[UrbScotty]

5. And to Barack Obama...

Stay Off That Plane.

[noiretextatique]

7. good one...and get rid of the gag rule on abortion nt

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. Also, he must prevent changing the Consitution to allow...

Adolf Arnold to run for President.

Some morAns have set up a website dedicated to changing our Consitution to allow this Nazi/Bozo to run!

http://www.operationarnold.com/home/

[whistle]

6. Don't stop there, need to investigate congress men for corruption...

...and misleading the American people as well as conspiracy to overthrow the constitution of the United States of America, re-open the 9-11 commission giving a new directive, get to bottom of why it happened and investigate for a total conspiracy (mysterious explosions at WTC and the charge that a missile not a passenger aircraft actually flew into the Pentagon.

[Liberal Gramma]

8. Develop alternative energy sources

If we could come up with the A-bomb in three years, surely we can find an alternative for oil. Put our best scientists on it. Don't let the oil companies or carmakers sabotage the effort.

[crispini]

9. Here's mine.

1. Clean up Iraq.
2. Renewable energy. This ties in w. clean environment, air, and US dependence on OIL -- foreign policy.
3. Fair media. Bring back the Fairness thingy.
4. Clean elections. Some form of public financing for elections. Get the corporations out of gvmt.
5. Voting reform: paper trails for all!

I have some specific ideas about local things I can do for 2-5. Kerry's gotta take care of #1.

[TlalocW]

10. Take to the streets of Washington D.C.

Even more so than what people did in 2000 when Bush stole the election and his limo was egged, and he didn't walk the last block to the stage as is traditional. You know when Kerry wins, the Freepers are going to be even more pissed than we were and be out there.

TlalocW

[papau]

11. Health and over 200K Tax& payroll tax wagecap/lower rate bills passed ASAP

Payroll tax revision to remove wage cap and lower payroll tax

Then start a Tax code revision study to tax annually the increase in unrealized cap gain - or at least some portion -

"media back to some semblance of fairness" can be done by regulation - Reagan removed it by regulation - and then veto'd a law to restore it by law. This was something Clinton should have done - except the media/GOP power in Congress would have obtained a veto proof law ending iy as the Dems caved to local media corporations.

[gumby]

12. Fumigate the Justice Department

IF the Congress remains Pug, it will be essential to remove ALL the vermin from Justice.

[dennis4868]

13. hire an exterminator.....

to clean up the filth in the WH!

[Carla in Ca]

32. Why, we have an exterminator right there

in Congress!

[Ladyhawk]

14. Good ideas...most of you are squaring up with what I think.

The Shrubbites have to GO DOWN HARD...admin types, congressional types and judicial types, ALL!!!! The world has shed too many tears over these corrupt individuals.

What about the Christian Coalition? I think if they're going to be involved with politics, they need to pay taxes, don't you?

[theshadow]

15. Cheney's secret energy meeting

Open the files!

[Xenus Sister]

16. FIRE PORTER GOSS'S ASS!

That's the very first thing he should do.

I've come to really love Kerry, but I still fear he's not going to go in there and kick ass. That's the biggest ass he needs to kick, immediately.

[SilasSoule]

28. I second that Fire Goss suggestion

Annouce his firing soon after the election and introduce his choice for CIA chief along with the rest of his Cabinet.

[leftofthedial]

17. my five

1. trials all around for everyone in the bushgang and their media enablers under the provisions of the patriot act. they all are traitors. purge the neocons.

2. reinstate the fairness doctrine and professional certifications for journalists.

3. hand off iraq to multilateral international bodies and return it to true sovereignty asap

4. reinstate environmental regulations, including massive investment in alternative fuels

5. tax the hell out of the rich bastards who are behind the bushgang's attempt to reinstate the aristocracy.

[Senior citizen]

18. Didn't they get blanket pardons?

A lot of bushgang are convicted felons from Iran/Contra. I think they got blanket pardons for everything they'd ever done or might do in the future. But I think there's a loophole. I don't think fraud against the government has any statute of limitations. Once you convict someone who issued a pardon of fraud against the government, you might be able to throw out any pardons they issued. I don't know, but it seems worth checking out.

The first thing we need to do is refight the Revolutionary War. Down with King George. No more divine right of kings. No immunity from prosecution for feds. No state-supported religion. And no way for Presidents to pardon former government officials for crimes against Congress or the United States of America. We're either a nation of laws or we aren't. Once you make exceptions, we aren't.

Once we've gotten rid of the monarchy, we'll need a Constitution. It happens that we already have one, but since SCOTUS won't uphold it, we have to get enforcement of the oath of office and severe penalties for those charged with upholding and defending the Constitution, who violate their oath. No point charging people with defending our freedom if there is no penalty in cases where they don't.

Then we need to recharter corporations. They are not people and may not have the rights of people unless they have the same risks and responsibilities as people. That means no bail-outs, and if a corporation commits a crime, the penalties apply to the biggest stockholders. No limited liability. You profit from the crime, you do the time. A corporation that has not contributed anything to our economy and does not pay taxes, loses the right to operate here. And they may not participate in our political process in any way. If the big stockholders or CEOs of a corporation are caught making even soft money contributions, the corporation loses its charter. Adjustable salary caps on how much corporate officers can make--say 40 times as much as their lowest paid foreign or domestic employee. That will bring jobs home and raise wages everywhere quickly.

Then we need representative representation. We need to do away with the two-party system and have publicly-funded political campaigns only. Quotas on House and Senate seats. If your state has 36% of its residents living at or below the poverty level, 36% of your Congressional seats must be reserved for people who are themselves living at that level. If 1% of your state residents are billionaires, you cannot have billionaires constitute more than 1% of your state's Congressional representation. And Congressional representative are not entitled to any perks beyond that which at least 50% of their state's residents are entitled to.

That should be sufficient to ensure that everything else needed gets done.

[crickets]

35. Oh, yes!

The first thing we need to do is refight the Revolutionary War. Down with King George. No more divine right of kings. No immunity from prosecution for feds. No state-supported religion. And no way for Presidents to pardon former government officials for crimes against Congress or the United States of America. We're either a nation of laws or we aren't. Once you make exceptions, we aren't.

We pardon the crooks, and then many have the audacity to come back to the well for more. WTF? If Clinton had to get impeached for lying about cheating on his wife, and Martha has to go to jail for lying about a phone call, these people should REALLY be put away. And how many of them support the death penalty, hmmm? I don't, but in cases of government subversion and/or treason that cost thousands of lives... That kind of serial killing goes way beyond the pale.

Then we need to recharter corporations. They are not people and may not have the rights of people unless they have the same risks and responsibilities as people. That means no bail-outs, and if a corporation commits a crime, the penalties apply to the biggest stockholders. No limited liability. You profit from the crime, you do the time.

Abso-fraggin-lutely.

~
ETA: Stockholders aren't necessarily responsible. The officers in charge of the corporation, who often hide their shenanigans, are. Punish them as ones who set company policy, and the other stockholders get whacked financially anyway. (Whether they deserve it for investing in the wrong company unknowingly or not - ouch.) I'd make that distinction.
~

I also think that reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine is vital, along with reregulation/monopoly-busting of the newsmedia (esp broadcast), and there should be some legislation that caps profits of TV news outlets, especially those that operate alongside entertainment divisions in the same company. The airwaves belong to the public, and broadcasting news on those airwaves is a civic responsibility, not a right, much less a profit venture. If a news outlet wants to stay in the black with a pad for tough times, fine. Use your entertainment options for making the big bucks. "News" should not be for sale to the highest bidder.

On a less USA-centric note, we need to get some semblance of order in Iraq as soon as possible. The people there need stability, restoration of the basic infrastructure, food and medicine, and a path to forming a representative government of their choosing.

We need to develop new forms of sustainable, renewable and less polluting energy that wean us off dependence on oil.

AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE.

These are not necessarily in order of importance.

ETA again: I can't believe I almost forgot about the environment. You break it, you bought it. Attention, industrial corporations, etc: clean up your mess and stop being such polluters, you greedy freaks. We'll need to revisit all of the environmental legislation that has been gutted recently, as well as investigate the EPA. There's going to be some housecleaning and prosecution involved. For instance, whoever bowed to pressure to declare the air safe at and in the neighborhood of Ground Zero should go to JAIL after being heavily fined and soundly embarrassed in public. Ditto to whoever applied the pressure in the first place. Don't get me started on mercury, or mountaintop mining, or...

[Dem2theMax]

44. You're hired. Get to work! Oh President Kerry, have I got someone

for you! :) :)

[FlemingsGhost]

19. After begging forgiveness, from the world:

1. Restore the Fairness Doctrine

2. Expose the PNAC agenda

3. Repeal the tax cuts

4. Give Iraq their country/resources back

5. Destroy the DLC

[coalition_unwilling]

20. How about universal single-payer healthcare?

Once it's done, it like Social Security will become yet another 'third rail' to anyone who might try to re-privatize.

[Kanary]

25. Kerry won't do that. Probably *ever*.

He's too beholden to corporate interests to ever disentangle himself.

We turned our backs on Universal in the primaries.

Kanary

[coalition_unwilling]

40. Yes, I took the question as a "wish list," independent of

realities. Still, Kerry strikes me as intelligent in a way that even Clinton was not. Since universal single payer health ins. makes the most sense from a macro-economic point of view, i.e., a good portion of its costs can be paid for simply by eliminating the various corporate middle men currently, wondered if Kerry might have a post-Nov. 2 'conversion', esp. if Kucinich were named as secretary of HHS.

[lastliberalintexas]

21. Eliminating the legal fallacy of corporate personhood

and instituting a progressive tax on (all) income would be a good start on the domestic front.

[OneTwentyoNine]

22. Clean up and REPORT all that WH vandalism.....

Like missing K keys on WH computers,Airforce one trashed and missing many items...you know the usual stuff.


David

[Kanary]

23. STOP THE HUD CUTBACKS, BEFORE 130,000 ARE HOMELESS!

This never registers on *ANYONE'S* priorities, yet lives *are* at stake here. With that many people homeleess, and nowhere to go, there are certain to be deaths. DEATHS IN THE U.S. BECAUSE OF CUTBACKS TO HUD ARE INEXCUSEABLE!!

Could we please consider poor people in our lists of priorities?

Kanary

[Kanary]

26. Not one person here can dredge up concern for people losing their homes?

[camero]

31. Agreed

The middle class doesn't realize that with outsourcing and record bankruptcies, they will need these programs. As a matter of fact it is the middle class being driven to poverty and homelessness.

[Kanary]

34. Maybe that's precisely what it will take, camero. When those here are

scraping the bottom of the barrel to survive, maybe these issues will suddenly become more important.

Gawddess, that's so discouraging and just plain upsetting.

The temporarily affluent may have some comeuppance in their future.

Kanary

[Sugarbleus]

37. 130,000?? I thought is was going to hurt MANY MANY

More........geez, I've been PANICKING LIKE A MOFO here for days. I'm almost at the point of a nervous breakdown during the day. I come in here at night to take my mind off of the STRESS of losing my place to live!! We are being raked over the coals; treated like trash! All of a sudden we are a ball and chain to the system/country!!

I understand the gist of the thread here is about the "general" disgust with this administration but *hopefully*, in practical terms, the MOST PRESSING of our concerns will be addressed in GOOD SPEED when Kerry wins.

I posted a couple responses in here the last couple days BEGGING people to NOT FORGET the REST of us who have DIRE needs in this country...the rest of us (the underclass) who have contributed to the effort to get Kerry elected. We, the poor people--the ones with no where to turn and living on the edge of a precipice, that news services and others talk about as though we were far away in SUDAN!

I've been watching this HUD fiasco closely. I've read each new report. This, the healthcare, minimum wage, and jobless PROBLEMS are NOT some quaint news story!!! Its a VIRTUAL GENOCIDE!!

What happened to the virtures of a "civilized" society and basic human rights?

TERRORISM HAS BEGUN RIGHT HERE......in our neighborhoods. WAKE THE HELL UP PEOPLE!!

Great heads up Kanary!

[Kanary]

42. IT may be *more* -- I can't get figures whether it's households or

individuals. Nobody is interested enough to even give exact terms.

I know that you are worried personally, as are many. Even DUers don't want to know that people are living with a life -or-death uncertainty like this. We're just supposed to paste on a smile, and go out and work for Kerry, and buy whatever DVD they tell us to buy. Donate to whatever cause is more important than our own lives.

This wasn't the first "headsup" I've posted on this. They just sink so fast from lack of interest that you'd never even know it was there. Right now I have a post about the mess in Colorado, with people going without basic necessities, losing their homes and not having food to eat, but that sinks with little attention.

I have faced the fact that I'm just not of any consequence. That has really been eating at me. I got so upset todayt athI posted clearly that I won't do anymore for any other cause because this is of no concern to anyone. All this hoo-ha about how tafter Nov 2 they're going to work on issues......... as you can see, POVERTY won't be one of those issues.

Your mileage may vary on that, and you may decide to keep doing everything you can for Kerry. I simply won't.

I HAVE HAD IT.

Kanary

[Sugarbleus]

43. Kanary

I have slowly come to SEE what you've been talking about in terms of bringing up poverty issues in forums like this.

I've watched you post/reply to poverty topics and get a few hits..then the thread drops. I've replied to poverty topics and get a hit or two IN ALL THESE MONTHS..mine drop also. It's amazing and frightening.

On this one issue, there is scarcly any difference between the dems and the repubs. The issue is addressed "Rapidly" with soundbites such as jobs and education. That's all well and good and needed but it doesn't address the WHOLE picture. You pointed out one time about the outpouring of concern over an abuse animal but nothing, not a peep about an old man or woman who can't pay for their medicine and eat too. No outpouring of concern about the kids in the ghettos or any poor district in terms of the environment they have to grow up in....lousy housing, dreary, littered, treeless neighborhoods riddled with crime, not enough healthy food to eat. Where are the environmentalists with a tree or some landscaping and cleanup for those places eh?

No outpouring for the needs of the elderly poor or the disabled poor and their special needs. Not just the poor even--there are good people living on the edge with serious troubles that can't get any help either--like that family with a seriously disabled child and whose HMO nor the state won't help them with the care for that child......the WORRY is deadly and cruel.

The only time I hear or see the hand of Charity extended is during Christmas and Thanksgiving. Well meaning people donate Turkeys and blankets to the soup kitchens and churches then go home and count their tax return to plan what they will do with it for their next vacation or whatever!! Meanwhile, sad, sick, worried people go home or go back to their "car" from soup kitchens to contemplate what they will do for the rest of the year!

I could go on, but you already know. I'm just STUNNED at the apathy towards poverty in this country...especially by the Democrats.

No, I cannot offer anymore financial suppport to anyone. The cost of living is about to go sky high for us here. I have to count every penny from now on.

*just in case anyone wonders how I can own a computer; I had a computer I purchased some 7 years ago when we were doing a bit better. I was recently awarded disability; it was retro so I had a wad of cash to spend. I paid off all my bills, bought a special chair, this new computer, and an electric scooter (as medicaid wouldn't buy it for me). My van is 10 years old. It was purchased outright with monies awarded from a lawsuit for my hubby. My husband is a physically disabled man. He has left side hemiplegia. He uses an elec. wheelchair and gets all over town in it. He was going along the sidewalk one day and came to a driveway into a business. He paused then proceeded but a woman eager to get to that business wasn't paying attention and, with her mercedes, zoomed into the driveway to plow into hubby, throwing him into the air and smashing his chair to smithereens. She took a look at him quickly as he tried to rise and shake the stars from his head, then she proceeded into the store to shop and left him there! Actual and Punitive damages were a bitch.*

[AmandaRuth]

24. great list!!!

i would put your 3,4,5 on my list as 5,6,7 and have 3. fair and honest elections, and 4 stop with the stomping on the middle class, tax and wage fairness, promote and maintain family wage jobs

I think that only scratches the surface. Isn't it amazing that the repubs are on the wrong side of everything. why anyone would support that party i just don't know.

[Cleita]

27. Fair enough. My list is slightly different, however, with me your

five is number one.

[VOX]

30. Getting the media back on beam is a big one, IMO. As long as there's...

right-wing bias, virtually every issue becomes politicized, and more difficult to deal with.

Just my nickel.

[crickets]

36. Absolutely

Obstructionist partisanship has gotten so out of control and has gotten such a big pass because the media has enabled it.

[Jack_Dawson]

33. Kyoto Treaty

It was the first thing Georgie Un-did. We should rejoin at once.

[RivetJoint]

39. We never did "join"

Never was ratified by the Senate.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

38. Mine

1) Reinstate the Fairness Act.

2) Repeal the worst parts of the Patriot Act.

3) Close tax loopholes for off-shore and out-sourcing corporations.

4) Establish a "Manhattan Project" to develop renewable energy sources
(paid for by a 5-cent/gallon gasoline tax).

5) Create a national system of healthcare, paid for by...

6) Get us the hell out of Iraq!

So I cheated. Welcome to Dick Cheney's America!

[T Town Jake]

41. My top five...

...would be as follows:

1. Repair our friendships with countries around the world and end this nightmarish mess in Iraq.

2. Take steps immediately to repair our frayed Social Safet Net: Social Security, Medicare, et al.

3. Repeal the Patriot Act.

4. End our dependence on foreign oil; promote alternative fuels and energy sources (Wind, Solar, etc.).

5. Repeal the top tier tax cuts.

Pretty basic, but very important, stuff.

[pinniped]

45. Here's a start:

- Kyoto Protocol
- Reclaim our national forests
- Re-strengthen all environmental laws that the piece of shit weakened or got rid of
- Re-sue the polluters
- Prosecute the entire gang of wh killers

These pieces of shit are gonna leave major messes to clean up.

[Blue Wally]

46. Five top priorities

1. Clean up the mess in Iraq. Much as I hate to say it, Kerry will have to be Nixonian here. Steady wind down of the troop levels over too long a period of time while camouflaging our bailing out as "internationalization" or "Iraqization" of the war. He will need some face saving cover to cutting and running. Maybe even a few escalations of violence along the way to "protect our troops".

2. Fix social security. This one will be tough. Take social security "off budget" despite what thqat will do to the deficit. Make socail security self supporing. Possibly a rate increase, increse on the cap, and raising retirement age (all hard choices). The only way to get bipartisan support on this one is to be up front in the media and agree on providing "political cover" for the Republicans if they cooperate on getting something through. Fixing social security ios too important to be left to politics.

3. Single payer health care. This one needs to be off budget as well. Support it with its own tax (maybe a VAT). Use the leftover Medicare portion of the FICA bite to enhance socail security. Don't try to get fancy like "Hillarycare". Just expand medicare to all ages. Add in a real drug benefit. Insurance companies and employers then will only have to deal with "medigap policies". We won't need a new bureaucracy, just expand Medicare.

4. Establish a sinking fund for the national debt. Maybe legalize pot and set aside a stiff tax on pot, tobacco, and booze to provide for a national debt sinking fund.

5. Set corporate and individual income tax rates necessary to take care of defense, government operations, education, and welfare without running a deficit.

[Sleepless In NY]

47. Give Kristen Breitweiser a medal

Between Kristen & her "Jersey Girls" they put up one hell of a fight to get an investigation of 9/11. While the Bush gang is so busy exploiting 9/11, he turned his back on these women. I'm so glad she is campaigning for Kerry. Might sound silly to some, but these women are real heroes to me.