what kind of law would you write?

[JahJahwarrior]

If it were up to me, I would be rid of the death penalty in every state, like it is here in Canada.

Interesting. Ever read John Locke? He wrote about laws and stuff like that. I haven't read him in a long while, but his argument was that for every crime, there must be reparation. I steal your purse, I have to return it and maybe I should cut your lawn too. I steal your car? Ok, I return it. Clean. I'm talking, clean enough to eat off of ANY surface, including under the hood. Then maybe I cut your lawn and paint your garage door. I burn your house down? I buy you a new house, bigger and better than your old one. Then I cut it's lawn. I kill your child? The only reparation I could give for such a heinous crime is to give up my own life. So I'll cut your lawn, then you'll cut my throat. It's not revenge, it's punishment and reparation.

Now, we don't need to go around putting everyone on death row, but if you kill someone else on purpose, I want you dead in thirty days. You can appeal once. Then you get put on the chair. Say you rape someone? No need to kill you for that, just jail for life.


Hm, a bill requiring all voters to speak english, even if it's not their native language? That's very debatable--from what I understand, many of our founders wanted us to alls peak german. Maybe a bill just requiring all major signs and things to be only in enlighs, just like the pilots, you know. All the airliners converse in english, all over the world, I think. So in America, we should NOT be required to print anys treet signs in any language other than english.

Acutally, then, what about a law banning the federal government from forcing states to print things in more than one language? if a state votes to, ok, but the federal government will not be allowe dto dictate official government languages on forms and signs in any area other than washington DC? States rights.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

No politician may serve with a Class B conviction or greater. No exemptions. No, he served his time, no expunged records.

TwoBit

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

I would ban giving laws names like the Patriot Act or No Child Left behind Act, because they could be crap yet it is easy to demonize people who vote against them. I could write a law legalizing child porn and call it the Child Liberation Act and, since no one reads these bills, often time not even those in Congress, people might support it. Every bill should have only a number like HR 1265

I would ban national political committees from contributing to local campaigns. A representative or senator should run on only the money he or she could raise in their districts or states. This would do several things: 1) keep the national party leaders from blackmailing new members by threatening their campaign funding (right now we don't vote for candidates, we vote for cogs in the national political machines) 2) reduce the amount of money spent overall and 3) serve as a screening process for candidates with local appeal --- those who cannot raise money locally probably don't deserve to represent that area. As it is now, carpetbaggers can be chosen from the outside and bankrolled by the national party without regard for local consitutents.

Finally, I would raise the age for representatives and senator from 25 and 30 to 45 and fifty years. When the constitution was written, the low life expectancy and arduous travel conditions made electing younger people necessary. Now this limits are an anchronism and lead to "career" politicians with little or no private sector experience. By raising the age limit, you force people to do SOMETHING else before seeking national office. Moreover, it's easier to judge the character of a 40 or 50 year-old, relative to a 25 or 30 year old. Finally, this would shave ten terms from the career of a House member and over three from the career of a senator and that's good.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Shakey--would you let current congressmenandwomen be grandfathered in? As in, the law would take effect as of the next election? That would seem to be fair enough, you'd still get what you wanted, but those already elected could keep serving? So, anyone under those limits that is already elected could be reelected, becuase they were elected under the old limits. But, no one that did not just serve a term could be elected if they did not meet new age requirements.


twobit, I like your idea too.

 

[mike_s]

New Laws

1.) Minimum speed limits in left lane. Every day to and from the commute from work is some idiot driving 50mph in the left lane of the freeway. I could care less if they are going slow, but at least do it in the far right lane. Minimum $150 fine.

2.) Make tag number your cell number - that way you could call the person in number 1.) and tell him to get his *** out of the left lane so every one else could pass and go home.

3.) Fine people who take up 2 parking spaces - Don't you just hate those people who take up 2 parking spaces up near the front of a building that don't want a scratch on their new car? If they want to take up 2 spaces, make them park at the far end of the parking lot. Minimum fine $150 + towing charges

4.) Political Ads - Limit the amount of time that politicans can advertise on TV. (Yeah I know, they'd just find a loophole to pay someone else to advertise for them).

5.) Make "Bump Drafting" legal - This goes along with above 1.). I should legally be able to give that slow old 50mph fart going slow in the left lane a little 'bump draft' to get him to move a long.

6.) Law to fine doctors for excessive wait at office - When was the last time you went to the doctors office and didn't have to wait 1 to 2 hours to see the doctor. I mean these guys spent 4 years in college and 4 to 6 years in Medical School and they can't run their practice any better than this? We should be able to start billing them for our time they waste. Minimum billing rate of $65/hour for any wait over 15 minutes should get their attention.


how's that for a start?

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Next student congress, we will definitely have a bill about minimum limits in the left lane!!!!

 

[Rick Murchison]

I'm brainstorming for ideas for bills for "student congress" for my debate class. If you were a legislator, what kind of law would you write?

I would pass a law that for every new law, you have to take one off the books.

(1) I would write a law that required the retirement of two laws for the passage of one. I'd just junk about half of what's on the books outright.
(2) I would write a law abolishing the income tax and the inheritance tax and all other taxes on production.
(3) I would shift the tax burden from the producer to the consumer - a national sales tax, with the following items exempted from the sales tax:
Food
Medical care
Education
Used things for personal use (things like clothes and automobiles that have already been bought once and the sales tax already paid. If the item increased in price then the increase would be taxed)
The first $1000 monthly rent or $150K of the purchase price on a principle residence (adjusted for inflation)
The first 5000 KW hours of electricity for principle residences each month
The first 5000 CF of natural gas for principle residences each month
Note: These two could be combined into some exempt "home energy allowance" - gas, heating oil, electricity, whatever is used where you live...
Everything else gets taxed - everything, no exceptions - it'll take about 18% on other sales to finance things, but notice you can live quite comfortably tax-free if you walk to work and to market.
- notice that this system encourages production, savings, frugality, and walking (good health). It discourages wanton spending, driving (global warming), frivolous purchases, but allows folks to buy as much as they want. It puts the control of your tax burden in your own hands.
(4) I would write a law requiring the revelation of all taxes. No more hidden taxes. When you get your paycheck it would include all those things you don't see now, and they'd be your own responsibility. (The other half of medicare and social security, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation insurance, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseum) No more VAT - when you buy a gallon of gas it wouldn't be $2.199, but rather $1.50 plus state, local, and federal taxes, all shown as line items. When you buy tires and batteries and jewelry all the hidden (exise, luxury, etc etc, etc ad nauseum) taxes would have to be shown.
"We don't need tax reform... all we need is tax revelation, and reform will take care of itself (of course a few politicians may swing in the process...)"
(5) I would write a law that requires politicians to live in the district they represent at least six months out of the year.

There are others...
Rick

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

Shakey--would you let current congressmenandwomen be grandfathered in? As in, the law would take effect as of the next election? That would seem to be fair enough, you'd still get what you wanted, but those already elected could keep serving? So, anyone under those limits that is already elected could be reelected, becuase they were elected under the old limits. But, no one that did not just serve a term could be elected if they did not meet new age requirements.


twobit, I like your idea too.

Yes, I would grandfather in all existing congress members. This would have to be an amendment and it would never pass congress with 2/3 if some would lose their jobs by voting for it.

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

mike s---

I agree with minimum limits, but I would also elevate speeding to the level of DUI. Excessive speed kills more people than driving under the influence, particularly among young males. Last summer in our area there were several high school students killed in three different accidents just driving to school (doing 60 in 25 mph zones and failing to negotiate turns). First offense for 20 mph over the limit --- 6 month suspended license. Second offense ---12 month suspension. Most people, most cars and most roads are not safe at speeds greater than 65 mph. Face it --- most people on a 55 mph road in the left lane are doing 60 mph and most people want to do 70. In effect, the person doing 55 in the left lane of a 55 mph road IS going fast, as fast as the law allows.

I would also ban car commercials that imply you can take your new car out and do 120 mph somewhere. If liquor and cigarette ads are banned, so should "speeding ads".

Personally, I suspect speeding is increasing for the same reason road rage is: because people don't look at cars as transportation but as some sort of extension of their bodies. As we get fatter and slower as a nation, we speed to make us feel stronger and more powerful. We use cars to show aggression that we, in person and stripped of ou two ton shell, would not have the guts to use.

 

[Walter]

Okay, let's standardized laws from state to state.

Not just no, but hell, no! The citizens of each state have a constitutional right to enact the laws that suit them best as they see it. The Feds are already sticking their noses in where they don't belong.

I would write a law that states that all laws that are written must only have one subject.

Florida has such a restriction on the legislature. We also have government in the sunshine - no secret meetings. All sessions must be public.

1) no read english? no vote.
2) no speak english? no vote.
3) undocumented/temporary guest worker? no vote.

Only US citizens may vote in US elections, so I don't understand your concern. You cannot become naturalized unless you speak English (I'm not sure of a literacy requirement) or unless you're over 70 or 75 (I forget) years of age. There is no requirement for natural born citizens to speak English. What about mute citizens? Are you going to deny them the right to vote because they are physically unable to speak?

If it were up to me, I would be rid of the death penalty in every state, like it is here in Canada.

Why do you feel the need to impose your will in areas where you do not live? Canada doesn't have the death penalty? It's none of my business because I don't live there. Florida does have the death penalty. I live here. If I like having the death penalty, I should work to support it. If I don't want the death penalty, I should work to have the law changed. It's not the business of anyone who isn't a citizen of Florida.

if you kill someone else on purpose, I want you dead in thirty days. You can appeal once.

You want a death penalty that actually works? Heaven forbid! It might even become a deterrent if used in such a manner, surely we wouldn't want that!

When the constitution was written, the low life expectancy and arduous travel conditions made electing younger people necessary.

Is that why John Adams lived to age 90? Jefferson to age 83, Franklin to age 84? The rising life expectancy is an example of lies, damned lies and statistics. Elderly people do not live much (if any) longer today than they did at the time of the revolution, but the infant mortality rate is much lower. Your argument is faulty.