The Contract

[Elwar]

Ok, I was just thinking about the success of the Contract with America on getting Republicans elected after 2 years of Democrat control.

Why not lead the path on a Contract with America 2.0?

We can take a bunch of reasonable legislation that Ron Paul has proposed in the past and somehow get a good feel for what might be popular with primary voters and the general population and take the top 10.

By reasonable I'm not talking about "get rid of the fed" or "end the income tax", I'm talking something that could be seen as legislation that could potentially pass within the first year of a Republican takeover.

Have Republicans pledge to the Contract or face opposition by someone who will.

What do you think? Any thoughts on possible low hanging fruit we could get people to rally around?

I'm thinking legalizing competitive currencies would be a good thing.

[TonySutton]

yes I agree. I think the name should be something new and fresh with a tilt towards Liberty or the Constitution. Also it should contain pieces which cross party lines.

[axiomata]

I think it's a good idea as well. Below is the original Contract with America. Maybe this forum could get to work on version 2.0, keeping the form of the original, but correcting its deficiency and modernizing it.


REPUBLICAN 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 the 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;
* SECOND, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
* THIRD, cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
* FOURTH, limit the terms of all committee chairs;
* FIFTH, ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
* SIXTH, require committee meetings to be open to the public;
* SEVENTH, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
* EIGHTH, guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.

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. (Bill Text) (Description)

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. (Bill Text) (Description)

3. THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT: Discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC for 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. (Bill Text) (Description)

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. (Bill Text) (Description)

5. THE AMERICAN DREAM RESTORATION ACT: A S500 per child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to provide middle class tax relief. (Bill Text) (Description)

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 around the world. (Bill Text) (Description)

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. (Bill Text) (Description)

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 worker wages. (Bill Text) (Description)

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. (Bill Text) (Description)

10. THE CITIZEN LEGISLATURE ACT: A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators. (Description)

Further, we will instruct the House Budget Committee to report to the floor and we will work to enact additional budget savings, beyond the budget cuts specifically included in the legislation described above, to ensure that the Federal budget deficit will be less than it would have been without the enactment of these bills.

Respecting the judgment of our fellow citizens as we seek their mandate for reform, we hereby pledge our names to this Contract with America.

[speciallyblend]

well if we could lure people to the republican party and not let them know they are actually going to a republican meeting! that might be a start! i am not sure any issue can save the gop. the gop brandname is so tarnished! and current gop leadership is not anything to brag about.

the gop has pretty much lost all their credibility!!

[speciallyblend]

yes I agree. I think the name should be something new and fresh with a tilt towards Liberty or the Constitution. Also it should contain pieces which cross party lines.

Liberty Party sounds so much better then gop/republican;)

[TonySutton]

I think a good plan to fix Social Security by moving it to some sort of mandatory personal accounts would be a start. Although a true Liberty solution would be to totally end it and replace it with voluntary personal accounts, I am not sure it is an easy sell.

Fixing the Social Security problem is a must and I consider this a step in the right direction.

[axiomata]

I think a good plan to fix Social Security by moving it to some sort of mandatory personal accounts would be a start. Although a true Liberty solution would be to totally end it and replace it with voluntary personal accounts, I am not sure it is an easy sell.

Fixing the Social Security problem is a must and I consider this a step in the right direction.
The systematic problems must be fixed first. Right now opinion of the stock market, muni bonds, treasury bonds, and cash isn't much better than government guarantee. In other words the Fed must be ended, cities/states/feds must cut spending, and the free market must be restored.

[TonySutton]

In other words the Fed must be ended, cities/states/feds must cut spending, and the free market must be restored.

I agree with you but the OP requested we keep ending the Fed off the table.

[speciallyblend]

I agree with you but the OP requested we keep ending the Fed off the table.

hmmm no one is trying to end the fed, just audit it:) but i hear you

[ladyjade3]

Reminding people what a giant exercise in hypocrisy the Contract with America was, without STRONGLY and CONVINCINGLY putting forth that it really will be different this time (including a dissection of the problems with getting the agenda implemented and KEEPING Republican politicians behind their talking points AFTER the election, and how these issues have been addressed) is not a winning strategy for Republicans.

[Elwar]

Reminding people what a giant exercise in hypocrisy the Contract with America was, without STRONGLY and CONVINCINGLY putting forth that it really will be different this time (including a dissection of the problems with getting the agenda implemented and KEEPING Republican politicians behind their talking points AFTER the election, and how these issues have been addressed) is not a winning strategy for Republicans.

I agree, I was thinking of taking several bills of Ron Paul's and narrowing them down to 10. Then get all of the Liberty candidates behind it. The key being that they win the primaries on the platform and show the old guard that they can win on that same promise.

But yes, making it so they'll pass afterwards is key. That's why I was talking about low hanging fruit as opposed to big ticket items. Audit the Fed is a good example...a step in the right direction and something everyone would get behind if they knew about it.

[speciallyblend]

I agree, I was thinking of taking several bills of Ron Paul's and narrowing them down to 10. Then get all of the Liberty candidates behind it. The key being that they win the primaries on the platform and show the old guard that they can win on that same promise.

But yes, making it so they'll pass afterwards is key. That's why I was talking about low hanging fruit as opposed to big ticket items. Audit the Fed is a good example...a step in the right direction and something everyone would get behind if they knew about it.

yep good idea for sure,but we need to make sure we distance ourselves from the typical view point of what a typical republican is. We do not want to relate ourselves to the neo-cons and we need to appeal to the republican and non-republican!

we need to frame this so everyone knows it is not the neo-cons or the old guard gop!!! we have to appeal to the folks who already turn away just at mentioning gop or republican! we have to overcome the negative aspects of mentioning republican!! a very hard thing to do!

[Imperial]

Make it focus on the economy, and focus on issues we have common ground with Republicans. Some easy ones:

-Abolish the capital gains tax
-Across the board 1% income tax cut for all citizens
-Extend or repass an audit the fed bill(either it will die in the senate or be vetoed I think)
-Legalize marijuana and institute a 1% tax on its sale



BTW, on an unrelated note if a third party ever was formed to make a big-tent movement for liberty, I would want to call it the Constitutional Liberty Party(CLP). But that is totally irrelevant and to me a misnomer too.

[speciallyblend]

Make it focus on the economy, and focus on issues we have common ground with Republicans. Some easy ones:

-Abolish the capital gains tax
-Across the board 1% income tax cut for all citizens
-Extend or repass an audit the fed bill(either it will die in the senate or be vetoed I think)
-Legalize marijuana and institute a 1% tax on its sale



BTW, on an unrelated note if a third party ever was formed to make a big-tent movement for liberty, I would want to call it the Constitutional Liberty Party(CLP). But that is totally irrelevant and to me a misnomer too.


great 4 issues,
btw
i like it CLP;) and if the gop keeps going the way they are, your CLP will not be irrelevant. do not get me wrong i am still registered republican!

CLP could be something the tp/lp/cp and the masses would be open to once they figure out uniting would be better!!

[Elwar]

Here are some of Dr. Paul's sponsored bills that would be good starts (again, I'm looking at low hanging fruit):

H.R. 1866: Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009
-To amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marihuana, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2218: Parental Consent Act of 2009
-To prohibit the use of Federal funds for any universal or mandatory mental health screening program.
H.Res. 216: Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to ensure that Members have a reasonable amount of time to read legislation that will be voted upon.
-the text of the measure has been available to all Members and their staffs in both printed and electronic format for at least 10 days; and (2) any manager's amendment or other amendment which makes substantive changes to the legislation has been made available in such format for at least 72 hours before such vote.
H.R. 779: Tax Free Tips Act of 2009
-To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that tips shall not be subject to income or employment taxes.
H.R. 160: Social Security for Americans Only Act of 2009
-To amend title II of the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide prospectively that wages earned, and self-employment income derived, by individuals who are not citizens or nationals of the United States shall not be credited for coverage under the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance program under such title, and to provide the President with authority to enter into agreements with other nations taking into account such limitation on crediting of wages and self-employment income.
H.R. 3216: Marque and Reprisal Act of 2007
-To authorize the President to issue letters of marque and reprisal with respect to certain acts of air piracy upon the United States on September 11, 2001, and other similar acts of war planned for the future.
H.R. 4683: Free Competition in Currency Act of 2007
-To amend title 18, United States Code, to repeal certain superfluous sections of criminal law which may be subject to prosecutorial abuse.
H.R. 1056: Family Education Freedom Act of 2007
-To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a credit against income tax for tuition and related expenses for public and nonpublic elementary and secondary education.
H.R. 2117: Health Freedom Protection Act
-To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act concerning foods and dietary supplements, to amend the Federal Trade Commission Act concerning the burden of proof in false advertising cases, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3304: Police Security Protection Act
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a nonrefundable tax credit for law enforcement officers who purchase armor vests, and for other purposes.

[Epic]

-Legalize marijuana and institute a 1% tax on its sale




Taxes? I'm so over that.

[Carole]

If thoughtfully done it could be good.

On the downside, you risk having Pelosi and her crew make fun of you by trying to revive Gingrich. And he is a neocon.

I wonder if there is another better approach.

[Ozwest]

FU%k !!!

Republicans are jackasses, almost in the same donkey stage as the Democrats.

Which teet do you suckle fron?

[Ozwest]

Does it matter?

[Ozwest]

You keep getting played.

[Ozwest]

How many trillions of hard-earned monies go to Goldman Sucks?

[Imperial]

Taxes? I'm so over that.

I would agree with you but for three reasons. First, I intentionally kept the tax fairly low in order to still attain the benefits of undermining the black market trade. Second, it brings on a new source of revenue if the US government making massive spending cuts under our control(as there would be huge opposition to too many cuts without certain commensurate revenue gains). Third, it still incrementally improves freedom, rather than legalizing marijuana and providing no incentive for government to move on the matter. Social paranoia would make many legislators hesitant without the promised extra funding.