From the Radio Free Michigan archives



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OK, I voted Republican as the lesser of the evils. Below I have 

reproduced the Republican's "Contract With America" and added my

comments in (parentheses). There are some good things and there

are some bad things and there are some things that need adjustments

(all in my own opinion, of course). So let's hammer out our own

additions/deletions to this agenda and pass it on to Newt et al

and let them know where the Patriots stand on this.



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Following is the text of the Republicans' "Contract with America:"



As Republican members of the House of Representatives and as citizens 

seeking to join that body, we propose not just to change its policies, 

but even more important to restore the bonds of trust between the people 

and their elected representatives. That is why, in this era of official 

evasion and posturing, we offer instead a detailed agenda for national 

renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.



This year's election offers the chance, after four decades of one party 

control, to bring to the House a new majority that will transform the 

way Congress works. That historic change would be the end of government 

that is too big, too intrusive and too easy with the public's money. It 

can be the beginning of a Congress that respects the values and shares 

the faith of the American family.



Like Lincoln, our first Republican president, we intend to act "with 

firmness in right, as God gives us to see the right." To restore 

accountability to Congress. To end its cycle of scandal and disgrace. To 

make us all proud again of the way free people govern themselves.



On the first day of the 104th [Congress], the new Republican majority 

will immediately pass the following major reforms, aimed at restoring 

the faith and trust of the American people in their government:



** First, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also 

apply equally to the Congress;



(BRAVO! We have been bitching about this for years...)



** Second, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a 

comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;



(Ditto.)



** Third, cut the number of House committees and cut committee staff by 

one-third;



(This may not be in our best interest. Some of the best information we

get is from the staffers who have time to talk to us.)



** Fourth, limit the terms of all committee chairmen; fifth, ban the 

casting of proxy votes in committee; sixth, require committee meetings 

to be open to the public;



(All three of these things appear to be good, especially public 

meetings.)



** Seventh, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;



(I think this should also hold true for a lot of other things, too. The

assault weapons ban would not have passed under these circumstances.)



** Eighth, guarantee an honest accounting of our federal budget by 

implementing zero base-line budgeting.



(I'm not an accountant, so I don't know what this is...)



Thereafter, within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress, we shall 

bring to the House floor the following bills, each to be given full and 

open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote and each to be 

immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny



(1) The fiscal responsibility act -- A balanced budget/tax limitation 

amendment and a legislative line item veto to restore fiscal 

responsibility to an out-of-control Congress requiring them to live 

under the same budget constraints as families and businesses.



((BRAVO again!)



(2) The taking back our streets act -- An anti-crime package, including 

stronger truth in sentencing, "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions, 

effective death penalty provisions and cuts in social spending from this 

summer's crime bill to fund prison construction and additional law 

enforcement to keep people secure in their neighborhoods and kids safe 

in their schools.



(Problematic issues here: "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions mean

they can kick in your door without fear of having anything they find 

tossed out. If this is enacted, we need a STRONG counter-measure that 

will force police to compensate wrongful door kick-ins with not just a 

new door. I'd they'd learn their lesson really fast if they were looking 

for drugs, kicked in some little old lady's door and scared the hell out 

of everyone in the house -- and then had to pay her $10,000. That should 

make them check their sources better. Also, we should make sure that 

language is in this bill that requires additional police to be STATE 

police, not Feds.)



(3) The personal responsibility act -- Discourage illegitimacy and teen 

pregnancy by prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased 

AFDC for [mothers having] additional children while on welfare cut 

spending for welfare programs and enact a tough two-years-and-out 

provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility.



(Encouraging responsibility is good. But you have to start a Federal day

care program. Forcing mothers to work for minimum wage and then spend

almost their entire paycheck on day care is absolutely ridiculous. Sure,

make them work, but watch the kids so they can save some money to become

self-sufficient. As for prohibiting welfare to minor mothers, what about

minor mothers living on their own? Not everyone has a family to lean 

on.)



(4) The family reinforcement act -- Child support enforcement, tax 

incentives for adoption, strengthening rights of parents in their 

children's education, stronger child pornography laws and an elderly 

dependent-care tax credit to reinforce the central role of families in 

American society.



(Most of this seems fairly well in line with our discussions.)



(5) The American dream restoration act -- A $500-per-child tax credit, 

begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty and creation of American Dream 

Savings Accounts to provide middle-class tax relief.



(I like all of these.)



(6) The national security restoration act -- No U.S. troops under U.N. 

command and restoration of the essential parts of our national security 

funding to strengthen our national defense and maintain our credibility 

worldwide.



(YES! But add NO U.N. TROOPS ON U.S. SOIL! If they won't agree to add,

we could call them on it. "So, you mean you EXPECT U.N. troops to be

needed on U.S. soil at some time in the future?")



(7) The senior citizens fairness act -- Raise the Social Security 

earnings limit, which currently forces seniors out of the work force, 

repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax 

incentives for private, long-term care insurance to let older Americans 

keep more of what they have earned over the years.



(Good things.)



(8) The job creation and wage enhancement act -- Small business 

incentives, capital gains cut and indexation, neutral cost recovery, 

risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise 

wages.



(All of these are good, except strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility

Act if it will allow mega-corporations to more easily poison our air

and water.)



(9) The common sense legal reform act -- "Loser pays" laws, reasonable 

limits on punitive damages and reform of product liability laws to stem 

the endless tide of litigation.



("Loser pays" could affect a lot of the sovereign citizen suits that are

becoming more prevalent.)



(10) The citizen legislature act -- A first-ever vote on term limits to 

replace career politicians with citizen legislators.



(This sounds interesting, but what if the person is doing a good job?

What if the person approaching the end of a term limit is one of the

last bastions against gun control, for example?)



(At any rate, we need more discussion and we need to send something to

the Boys on the Hill to let them know where we stand...)



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