Proposal for an Executive Order to properly brand US Government programs

[FarCenter]

President Obama should issue an executive order that Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and all other US Government operated or sponsored programs and activities should be uniformly and prominently branded by the use of standard logos and nomenclature that identifies them as US Federal Government programs.

I've looked at correspondence from Social Security and Medicare and the branding is very weak. The most frequent communication from Medicare does not identify itself as coming from a US Federal Government program. It is only identified as coming from CMS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

On the other hand, the Pub 17 2008 from the IRS is prominently branded with the IRS logo, consisting of an eagle, scale of justice and an olive branch. It also is titled "Your Federal Income Tax" and clearly states Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service.

All correspondence and publications from programs associated with the US Federal Government should be at least as well marked as are the IRS documents.

One approach would be to require the Great Seal of the United States on all printed documents (or a modernized and simplified version of the seal), as well as standards for the font, point size and position of the words US Federal Government to identify documents.

[ingac70]

1. I think...

he should offer up a chance for people to take themselves out of gov't programs like Medicare and see how many takers we get.

[aquart]

3. Actually, no.

[LiberalFighter]

4. Those that do want to be taken out of the programs...

should have "Idiot" branded on their forehead.

This would guarantee that they couldn't try to use the program illegally.

[ingac70]

6. If these old fucks screaming at town halls.....

don't like socialized healthcare, then they don't need to be using it.

We'll probably save a ton of money of the ignorant fools that decline it.

[csziggy]

2. Good idea since that will also cut down on fraud with fake "government" mailings

I've gotten a few that I had to look at very carefully to be sure they were not from the government. My best clues are that some of them are aimed at a different group than I am in.

Clear labeling of government programs will not just let people know where their taxes are going and what services they are personally using, it will increase awareness when there is a need for more funds for that service.

[FarCenter]

5. It would also allow action to be taken against any organization using the brand for fraud