Thats where I'm at too, The founders smoked the stuff, in what mind are we morally superior to the founding fathers?

Prohibition is a total failure anyway.

The only way you win the war on drugs is education, family values, rehab and treatment..I have always said the worst drug is Alchol when being abused..

I got to agree, I've never heard of a pot head, getting stoned, beating his wife and kids and being drug off by officers on an episode of cops.

Well I would go to a flat sales tax. I would do away with the tax code entirely. Everyone who buys would pay taxes...with the exception of food & clothing that is.

Businesses would not have to plan with taxes in mind. It would give them more funds for creativity & hiring. I think the only thing I would do is raise the min wage to $10 an hr. & any business would have to pay for their worker's health benefits. I think that is more than fair for both... I would use tax dollars to promote short term drilling to bring economic growth & invest in alternative energy long term. Innovation can create jobs. I would demand that those holding pattens that could bring innovation & good clean energy be taken off the shelves & made available.

I also think many vehicles not being sold should be converted before any new vehicles are made. Every gas station should be ready to convert to accomodate these new energy sources.

I do think the flat sales tax would help us get out of this economic mess we are in. while some govt. help is good I think what was meant to give people temporary help thru entitlements made people dependants of the state. I think we all need to rethink how we see govt. assistance as not an entitlement but a helping hand...with the exception of the elderly & disabled, and our disabled veterans.

I also believe we need to get the illegals out. Billions of dollars are going to illegals that we need for our own. Building up our infrastructure could put many people back to work as well. Those sort of jobs can lead to job training & help many people to get ahead with a brighter future for their children.

We need to stop with this global economy & get back to investing in our own country with all it's God given resources. I think we can do both...be good stewards of the land & use our own resources.

It's about time other countries realized that instead of using us to push around...they also have the same responsiblities... from the environment to helping the poor.

wow QS, while I may not agree with your way of thinking I must give you props for finally stating your opinion. Stating things you feel would improve our present crises, thank you

what would you do with social security, medicare, the funds that have automatically been deducted from our paychecks for years, only to find there may not be enough for us to get when we reach retirement age?

what would you do with our military which is presently overseas?

Not bad.

I have to agree with the flat tax. Never understood why the whole tax thing has to be so complicated. Makes me wonder if I just don't understand something. But more likely it's the way it is because of special interests.

I would worry about passing the cost of health insurance to the business. We'd need to do something to quell health care costs or it might cripple small business. But perhaps, if they're not paying as much in taxes they can afford it.

And I gotta agree on the global economy. Oddly, I would have said the exact opposite 10 years ago. But we really do need to focus on ourselves for a while.

shhh calm down...think...

quickstepper...re-frigin-lax

Someone might listen if you did.

Health care...if we were all on the same page. Say, if all health care providers used the same form do you realize how much money that would save?

Not talking socialized health care just the same form.

You say, the disabled and the poor have programs? Sure...but doctors don't accept that insurance and so people go to the er...a visit that could cost $50 is now $500. You pay it I pay it and guess what? It doesn't work.

I am not in favor of taking care of slackers. I am in favor of looking at this issue sanely.

Pay friggin' attention...you are already paying for it!! Why not pay the same or less and actually take care of people? Small business would profit, people would be healthier, working people would have care. Real people, not the slackers who spit out babies for insurance and welfare, but real lower middle class workers, the backbone of the american economy...what's so wrong with that?

I don't smoke, I saw what it did, I didn't need government warnings. It was evident. Each of my three adult children did smoke at some point. Funny isn't it?

As a combat veteran(101st airborne) I can only say that partisan politics only serves the people in power. I am voting this year(Obama all the way) I liked Reagan and I also have good things to say about Clinton(bubba) I think that George W. has done a good job, for a special needs person. The oil companies are in good shape and we are struggling every day.
Enough of the nonsense bring the troops home now and fix our country before it it too late.

SSI...I would stop the raids on SSI so it won't go broke. I would mandate & regulate the insurance industries to not only have group rates for health ins. but a non profit health ins. for retired people or people with disabilities. If the ins. cos. get the premiums they must pay the bills. end of discussion!

We are fighting the war on terror. In some ways protectionism can do more harm than good...as in this case. I'm sorry to say but getting off dependance on foreign oil won't stop the terrorists. When you think of all the places we protected around the world while their people got the big govt. programs, what does anyone here think we owe any country after that? The only reason for our military presence is so tyrants don't bully those nations who want to be free. I think this entire arguement over the economy & people fearing the money owed to foreign countries are an exchange for us fighting the world's battles. I also believe therefore, that we owe nothing to any country.

Money is such an abstract thing...our wealth is our land & our people & business & industry & our creativity. The money is in the banks...I say a worldwide year of jubilee...whatever you have is yours...your car house business...boat...etc. Wipe out all debts. Start with a clean slate. As far as I'm concerned...our debt is paid in blood & guts. Who cares if my home deflated from 200 thou to 200 dollars? It's still the place to hang my hat. Right? Do you get what I'm saying?

If this forum had a better tool for search I would be a happy camper right now.

quickstepper...the poster who said that if you weren't doing anything wrong you didn't have to worry.....

Impressive, are you sure your not a democrat..JK..It sounds OK, but getting it to work is another thing..To much partisanship, special interests and GREED..

Partisanship in this current political climate borders on turning into outright racism, and its tearing the country apart. Like I've stated before, it does no one any good to point fingers and play the blame game. Progress comes from solutions not backbiting and mudslinging. I dont give a sh!t about who did what, I want solutions for now, and for my future.

In other words keep the healthy dialogue going, its way more productive and far less irritating.

tell that to the candidates. its been nothign about what theyre going to do FOr us but rather how bad the other guy is gonn F up.

That actually has a lot to do with the media outlets on both sides. They make much more money when everyone hates each other. And the candidates buy right into it because thats how the game is played. Its not right but it is what it is.
There would have to be some cataclysmic corporate restructuring of the nations wealth in order for the regular people to finally matter and have some personal power over our futures.

well short of open coup and rebellion you wont be seeing the american populace happy or in power for a good long time,lol.

Which is exactly why weed should be legal.

lmfao. if it was legal no one would ever get anyhting done,lol. let alone a coup.

Ohhh planning a coup? I want to play

You realize you just went on the watch list, right?