RAILROAD SIGNALS of the U.S.

RANT's

and Suggestions For The Next President

What can I say.....  Well, for starters, it's my website, so I can do what I want with it.  I've got an opinion on just about everything, so read on........

Be forewarned..... If you don't care for cussin, please leave now!

#1 - I Can't Protect Myself

#2 - No Power In Kansas

#3 - Better Gas Economy? - At What Price? - Can We AFFORD It?

#4 - My Boss Is A Certifiable A-Hole

#5 - WALMART - Green/Environmentally Friendly?  No Way!

#6 - Our Border Patrollers

#7 - This Is My Truck, Go Away And Leave Me Alone

#8 - Why Should Videos Be Illegal?

#9 - My Bosses Are At It Again

#10 - #2 Gets A Promotion

#11 - Trying To Save Money By Buying A Cheaper Laptop With No Serial Port

Todd's Suggestions For The Next President of the United States of America

If no-one wants to do these things, then vote me in as a write-in candidate,
And ya'll will get invited over for weekly parties at the White House!

I will also make sure Railfans are not persecuted when out taking pictures...

I try to take the common-sense and practical approach to most issues, with that said, let's see if you agree:

The CIA

The CIA should be given it's "Cold War" era powers back.  It has been hindered in it's efficient operational status for way too long, and one of the reasons the U.S. remained as strong and free as it was is because of the things this organization did to protect us from foreign threats.

Our Military Services

Our military forces are our first line of defense against those who do not share in our vision of freedom.  With that said, we need to maintain the best military presence on the planet, since we seem to be performing this role not only for ourselves, but for those who are not as capable.  We also never know when the next attack will be on our way of life, and we must be ready to meet that fight head on.

With that said, we should not be reducing the Pentagon's budget, but it should be examined for duplication, frills, and fluff.

Our Veterans

We can thank every Veteran for the life we have here in the United States.  If it wasn't for them, we would probably be speaking something other than English.  We need to take care of those who fought to defend our country. 

It should not be an uphill battle for someone injured in the line of duty and having his/her life ruined, to be taken care by us, and to get medical care consistent with what we can obtain "on the outside".

On War

War is never any good, yet will still fight them.  It's human nature.  Some will say it is a necessary part of life.  Maybe so, but we should not be on the offensive and start a war. 

But if we do engage in a war, then let's fight it to win!

And please leave the media back in another country.  Having the cameras riding along with our troops is a no-no.

Also, every kid when he or she becomes 18 should have to spend two years in the service so they can gain an appreciation for what it takes for this country to be free!  College can wait.

Other countries "do it", and I'm sure they have a better appreciation for what it means to be a citizen of that country and what it represents.

Federal and Military Contracts

First, they ALL need to go out on a competitive bid.

Secondly, when any federal money is spent, it should be stipulated that ALL of the contractors, subcontractors, and service providers have to be an American company.  If a company is sold, and it holds any sort of interest in providing something to the military or the federal government (like patents or sole sourced items), the ownership of that company has to be retained in the United States, otherwise, they forfeit the right to the patent or "widget", and that product and/or patent be assigned to a company here in the U.S.A.

If a foreign company wants to do business with the federal government, then they need to establish an American subsidiary, of which the board of directors and top management be of at least 51% Americans by birth, and that at least 51% of the employees of said company within the boundaries of the 51 states plus it's possessions, be American.

English

English needs to be made the official language of the United States.  Period.

the Debt

Much can be said about the crisis we face today as the world's number one superpower.  But to keep us in that role, we need to tighten our belt and clean up our act.

Reducing spending is the most efficient way, but it needs to come from places where we don't really need to be putting money out, like subsidies to compnaies that are already making a huge profit.

We also need to tax those companies that do make a profit, for they need to contribute their fair share.  Wouldn't ya'll love to make money and not pay any income tax on it???

Subsidies for things like making ethanol is also big on my list, for it is a poor substitute for gasoline. see the next section.

the Environment

There is no doubt that we need to take care of this  planet, for, with all of it's might, nature has spent millions of years getting things just right, and EVERYTHING on this planet is connected somehow to everything else in a fragile relationship.

So, ethanol is one of my big beefs.... it doesn't save us anything, each gallon produces less power than gasoline, so it takes more of it to get us the same power, and many estimates for it's production cite the fact that it takes more energy and produces more by-products to make a gallon of ethanol than the stuff saves us in emissions.

Hybrid cars are also in my cross hairs, because just like ethanol, they seem to cost more to the environment during the manufacturing and scrapping phase than they save over their lifetime, contributed mostly to the caustic batteries they use.

Black Gold - oil.  While we limit exploration for new sources, foreign governments and companies are not facing the same impediments.  We will lose this "battle" too if we don't allow more exploration.  It can be done safely, it will just cost a little more.  That's still better than the alternative of not having it at all.

There's more, a lot more, like preserving species on the brink of extinction, saving whales, using coal, using alternative power sources, but you'll have to get me elected to find out what I propose.

Our Senior Citizens

We also have our senior citizens to thank for the lifestyle that we enjoy today in the United States.  We have to take care of them, no ifs, ands, or buts.  We need to make sure that they don't have to cut pills in half to make sure they won't have a stroke or otherwise suffer from the medical problems most of them face.  Most of them a long and hard life to get where they are today, and shouldn't have spend there golden years worrying.

Medical Coverage For All

Having medical coverage for everyone shouldn't be such a hard thing to accomplish, but it's being done in the wrong manner.  We already have Medicare and Medicaid, so instead of coming up with a whole new set of rules that are ridiculously complicated to follow, let's just fix the two federal programs to take care of those who can't afford coverage.  My wish is that everyone would have the same coverage as the senators and congressmen who vote on these things for us, or, that we do away with their coverage, and make them get the same thing that they make everyone else have.

Taxes

I hate doing my taxes, so I'm in favor of a flat tax.  The only people that get a break are down on the bottom.  That's where we can apply the curve of the bell.  Yeah, I know, the rich will hate it and we will have to get rid of most of the people in Philadelphia, but that's OK, because we need to do it.

Social Security

Another hotbed of conversation.  We need to step back, and figure out where we are going with this program.  Some estimates say that we are only funded for the next 25 years.  That doesn't give much comfort to those who are entering the workforce, or those that have 20-30 years to go before they can retire.

If you haven't paid into it, you shouldn't get anything out of it.  There are other programs to get money from if you really need it.

What you get out of Social Security will be proportional to what you have been put into it.

Also, I heard a rumor about the SSA headquarters is in a rented or leased facility, so I don't know if it is or not.  But if it is, it needs to move, or be given the buildings in consideration for the amount of money we have spent in (how many) decades of paying rent.

Foreign Aid

Simply stated, those countries who do not support the ideologies and viewpoints of the United States should not be recipients of money from this country.

This includes things like a recently aired story on WSB in Atlanta about Mosques in Egypt and Cypress receiving $770 million in taxpayer money to rebuild these things and install internet service for people who do not like us.

Emergency Aid

The United States has been criticized time and again for not offering more aid to foreign counties in time of disasters in relation to our GDP.  I think it fair to say, that while we may not necessarily contribute more on that basis, over all, we contribute way more than most other countries, while many countries contribute nothing.

Pork Barrel

One of my favorite pet peeves, is the abundance of projects that get approved because they were slid in as part of another bill we really need.  We need to re-examine they way we do things, because in the end, most of these are put in bills to get someone re-elected instead of doing things for us that really need to be done.  Single issue bills should be the norm as they are in the Maryland legislature!

Homeland Security

While the idea of having one organization looking out for our best interests when it comes to the security of our country, this organization has gotten way too big, it's tentacles have too far a reach, and because of their existence, makes the lives of the other law enforcement agencies a living hell when we get into a jurisdictional battle. 

I don't feel any safer because the TSA is looking out for terrorists at the airport than before, do you?  And, because of social pressures, we are at a loss to really examine those who probably pose the biggest threats. 

It is also silly for you and me to be paying for a small town to have their own command post in the event of a terrorist attack.  Can you say, whoaaaaaa?

Illegal Immigration

Well, what is the best way to deal with the issue?

We know it will continue to happen no matter what we do, so how do we minimize the impact of having people in our country that "fly below the radar?"

Difficult question, with no simple solution. 

As Americans, we have become dependant on low prices, otherwise, stuff made overseas wouldn't be outselling stuff made in the U.S.A. by 20 to 1 (or whatever the numbers are).  As part of that chain which gives us low prices, especially in the supermarket, or with an ever expanding field of home services, we depend on immigrant labor.

Probably the best thing to do is do give Illegal's a special Social Security number, along with finger printing them and giving them a federal photo ID, and then we simply start taxing them so they CAN become part of the system.

Drugs

I love this topic, as it really gets the fires going at a party, probably the third worst after Abortion and Politics.

All drugs should be legalized.  Why?  I have not seen any evidence that our "war on drugs" over the past 40 or 50 years has gotten us any closer to being a drug free America.

Now, you may say that a drug war is necessary to keep the flow of drugs to a minimum, but look at the cost.  How many people have to die to fight this war? 

And look at the money that gets stolen time after time from individuals, banks, convenience stores, etc, in order for these people to get their next fix.

If we make drugs legal, than companies like the tobacco producers can sell marijuana and we can tax it and make money off of it instead of having it cost us. 

We can also clean out a good portion of our prison population, which is an extra add-on cost to us all - not to mention we won't have to build new prisons for the foreseeable future to hold em all.

Patriotism

I am appalled by the number of people who live in this country and feel the need to support their homeland in favor of the United States. 

If you choose to live here, then you should accept the United States for all that it is. 

If you do not, you are free at any time to go back home, wherever that is.

This also goes for anyone born here, and feels that the United States is not their home, or they don't like what the United States represent.  Again, if you don't like it here, go someplace else you think you will like more and leave us alone

This is not to say that you have to forget where you come from, for I enjoy the fact that my grandparents came from Italy, but I don't sit here waving the Italian flag, and start a fight when someone challenges being an American.

Corporate Taxes and Subsidies

Like everyone else, companies that operate in the United States need to pay their fair share of taxes.  We can not continue to place the burden of supporting the operation of this nation on the middle class, because if we do, we will suddenly find ourselves with none, with all of belonging to either the rich or the poor categories.  Then, who is going to pay the bills if the rich and the big corporations are not paying a whole lot of taxes?

Subsidies and tax breaks to large corporations need to be examined under a magnifying glass to see if they contribute to the well being of the country or the stockholders.  Way too often, stockholders wind up on the plus side of things while every thing else is going into the toilet, leaving the man in the middle paying for it all.

No Kids Left Behind

Nice idea, not very practical.  My daughter is severely handicapped and Baltimore County at one time proposed an Inclusion amendment which would have placed her in regular school.  Would never have worked, because she doesn't walk or talk at 31.  But it drives home the point, that not every child is created equal, and you can't hold every educational system to make them all perform like they are masters.

It is also not fair to place the burden on the teachers to make the less capable be like the kids in the G&T and honors programs.  It just simply isn't.

I know my conservative friends will not like my next two issues, and liberals won't like my EEO viewpoint, but we need to live in a world where we cooperate with each other for the common good, with necessitates concession and comprimise on some issues..... please don't "beat me up" because of my viewpoints on these three issues.

Abortion

This is probably the hottest of all campaign issues.  Simply put, we should be able to decide our own future.  An abortion by someone else does not affect YOU.  So, mind your own business, please.  Abortion does not affect you.  I know those on the right seem to feel they have to protect the rights of the unborn child, but they would do better to spend there time trying to save people from being killed by drunk drivers.

Gay Marriage

As with abortion, it doesn't affect you, so leave the issue alone.  Yeah, I know what the Bible says.  But do you really want the government telling you what you can and can't do?  I know ya'll can debate this and the other issues till the cows come home, but in the end, it really, really doesn't affect you.  Suppose the government passes a law that prohibits you from doing something you want to do and you don't think it is fair?

EEO

By nature, EEO is discriminatory, and therefore, I am not in favor of it.  It is an abused policy and law.

Religion

This country was founded on the principal of religious freedom, but many seem to have forgotten that. 

Although I am not a very religious person, I will defend your right to believe in what you want... to a point tho. 

If someone's beliefs are going to impose on me, make my life more miserable than it already is, or just downright has a disregard for me as a person, then yes, I have a problem with it.

I don't want you coming to me to try to get me to convert, as I am happy with who I am and what I believe in, although you may not agree... for I also believe in "let's agree to disagree" so we can get on with life.

Cliff-note: The brew-ha-ha in Birmingham AL years ago with displaying the Ten Commandments at the statehouse, I didn't have any problems with that, so why should an Atheist?  You can still be an Atheist and believe in those values, for their is nothing wrong with those ten values to live your life by.  If more of us TRULY practiced them and the Golden Rule, the world would be a better place no matter what God you pray to!!!

Term Limits

I am in favor of terms limits for congressman and senators, the same way they felt the need to limit the president of the United States to two terms.  It's sort of like "what's good for the goose, is good for the gander".  We have far too many people in politics who have never, ever done anything else in the life except do this, and just like a musical band whose been around for a while, with every album they come out with, it gets harder and harder to come up with new music that people will like.  We need new people to have new ideas.

On Being Offended

People, by the fact that we are human, will say things that someone else doesn't like.  Get over it.

We seem to feel the need to invent or use new sayings or phrases in order to not offend someone.  Instead of fat, we now say over weight, or some even say horizontally challenged", as if it will lessen the condition. 

Another example, instead of being handicapped, we are challenged, and "retard" or "retarded" is not good to use at anytime.

We need to lighten up people!

No Amazon tax

The states enacting an "Amazon" tax law, where the states retain the right to collect taxes on out of state internet businesses, are: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.

Many states that have enacted an "Amazon" tax have seen little benefit from doing so, with only New York seeing any real income, but the law is under fire.

I don't believe the tax is a fair tax, and should be prevented at a federal level.

The Tax Foundation reports that the states which have expanded their taxing authority in this manner, are likely to invite extended litigation, and that in every state, they have failed in their twin objectives of collecting additional revenue and creating a level playing field between in-state and out-of-state sellers.

NEW 06/21/2007
LAST MODIFIED: 04 Aug 2011