The Memo: Being Bold Is The Only Solution

In our nation's history, we are always at our best when we are at our boldest.  The Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Purchase, the Emancipation Proclamation, Seward's Folly, the building of the Hoover Dam, the creation of Social Security and Medicare, going to the moon, etc.  These were all bold steps for our nation, propelling us into an unknown, but ultimately better future.  It is when we are timid, implementing plans with the least resistance that our nation suffers.  To be at our best in these troubled times, we need to be bold.

Bold Plan #1: Rescind the Healthcare Affordability Act in its entirety and replace it with a simple Medicare for All plan, including allowing Medicare to use its buying power to lower drug costs.  By giving the option to everyone to purchase into the most efficient medical insurance system, we spread out the risk and make health care insurance available to everyone, not just to those that can afford it.

Bold Plan #2: Get rid of Medicaid and place all those currently on Medicaid into the Medicare system.  We all know that Medicaid was a grand experiment of cooperation between the states and the federal government to provide medical care to the poor and working poor.  But that "cooperation" is Medicaids biggest flaw.  It created inefficiencies that led to higher costs.  Also, by relying on the states to pay a portion of the program's costs, state politics trumped providing the necessary funds.  As we have seen in Arizona, Medicaid's budget was cut by over $500 million while the legislature provided over $500 million in tax cuts to corporations.

Bold Plan #3: Institute a complete overhaul of our infrastructure.  Replace all of our nation's crumbling bridges, roads and highways.  Create a national high speed passenger rail system connecting every major city.  Replace all of the crumbling pipes.  By implementing such a complete overhaul, we will put millions of people to work while also increasing our overall efficiencies.

Bold Plan #4: Replace our crumbling schools with palaces of learning.  By creating environments that are safe, bright, full of the latest technologies and conducive to learning, we will be better preparing our children for the future.

These are my bold plans, feel free to share your bold plans in the comment section.

The Monday Memo: $1 Trillion Infrastructure Initiative

*Special Note* I know that it is Tuesday, but I intended to post this last night.  Just took a little longer to get all of my ideas down on paper.  Yes, I said "paper".

Light Rail Station & Train in Phoenix

Our roads, bridges and other elements of our nation’s infrastructure are crumbling.  I am sure that is not news to anyone who has lived through the last couple of decades, but it seems that the news organizations along with the various governments don’t seem to care.  Actually, the only time they seem to care is when a bridge collapses somewhere, costing lives that didn’t need to be lost.

I recommend that Congress invest $1 trillion over the next 10 years to repair, improve and build new infrastructure.  Spending $100 billion each year for the next 10 years we can build new bridges, new paved roads in rural locations, new high speed rail as well as light and commuter rail for cities.  We also need to rebuild our water, electric, natural gas and gas delivery systems.

There is no reason that we should have this backlog of infrastructure needs.  There is no reason why China and other nations should be investing heavily in their infrastructure while we keep pushing need repairs and improvements down the road.  We should the leader in high speed passenger rail.  We should be the leader in light and commuter rail.  We should be the leader in paved rural roads.  We should be the leader in improving and replacing our water, electric, natural gas and gas delivery systems.  Yet we are not.

Of course, $100 billion a year for the next 10 years is not cheap, but then neither are the lives and time lost each year due to our crumbling infrastructure.  It doesn’t help that this particular Congress isn’t keen on new spending, unless of course there is another country to invade then we will always find the money.

The following is how I recommend paying for this trillion dollar infrastructure initiative:

•  $25.00 Infrastructure Savings Bonds – This will allow individuals to purchase savings bonds that are targeted for the infrastructure initiative
• $2.50 per airline ticket infrastructure surcharge
• $1.00 per intra-city (i.e. Amtrak, Greyhound, Trailways, etc…) ticket infrastructure surcharge
• $1.00 per month per residential customer energy infrastructure surcharge (this would apply to each electric, water and gas bill)
• $100.00 per month per location per bill small business energy infrastructure surcharge (this would apply to each electric, water and gas bill)
• $1000.00 per month per location per bill medium business energy infrastructure surcharge (this would apply to each electric, water and gas bill)
•  $10,000 per month per location per bill large business energy infrastructure surcharge (this would apply to each electric, water and gas bill)
• $0.05 per gallon infrastructure tax
• $0.25 per passenger per one way ticket intercity bus, light or commuter rail infrastructure surcharge

The majority of the revenue streams to pay for my $1 trillion infrastructure initiative are use taxes, which so called fiscal conservatives seem to like (unless affected by them).  As each person and business will benefit from the infrastructure initiative, each should contribute.  I think this is the best way to do it, although I am sure someone can suggest improvements.  Be sure to let me know.