What Do The American People Want?
As we mentioned yesterday in our Inauguration 2009 post, the Citizen Briefing Book on the Change.gov site closed to comments from the public at 6pm ET today. According to Michael Strautmanis, Director of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Obama Biden Transition Team, the CBB has had "unbelievable response" with over 70,000 people submitting ideas and voting on others.
So what are the concerns of the American people? Well it turns out that the hot topics include gambling, patriotism, religion, health, taxes, transport, environment and drugs. We've listed the top ten below with excerpts; follow the links to the read the entire posts.
10. Boost America's Economy with Legal Online Poker: 46720 votes/1711 comments
"Let online poker players in the United States play legally and without fear of prosecution. Boost the economy by letting American companies and Ameican players make money and pay taxes instead of sending online poker businesses offshore."
9. Bring Back the Constitution!: 50790 votes/241 comments
"What would Jefferson think of us now?"
8. Revoke the Tax Exempt Status of the Church of Scientology: 51630 votes/509 comments
"The Church of Scientology was founded in the early 1950s, and quickly gained and lost its tax exempt status as a religion. The IRS ruled that the system of "fixed donations" and the services offered to the public constituted a for-profit venture, and was therefore taxable."
7. Get the Insurance Companies out the Health Care: 55920 votes/359 comments
"The reason that our country pays more for health care than anywhere else in the world and still has poor health outcomes is that the system is run by profit-seeking insurance companies."
6. Revoke the George W. Bush tax cuts for the top 1 %: 58080 votes/119 comments
"The notion that giving the owners of the companies more money so that it will eventually trickle down to the common people is absurd."
"As a country, we now condone torture openly, which is far different than merely knowing that it happens in war. Most parents know that their children drink from time to time but they do not condone it. Condoning torture is the beginning of devolution."
4. Bullet Trains and Light Rail: 66030 votes/433 comments
"What we really need are bullet trains between cities, like the ones that are prevalent in Japan."
"1-4 teenagers have a sexually transmitted disease. AIDS still exists. The longer we keep our children in the dark about their bodies, the longer these facts will continue to be true."
2. Commit to becoming the "Greenest" country in the world: 71130 votes/197 comments
By creating the economic incentives and legislative benchmarks, going green will completely revamp American industries, help them compete in global markets, save our auto industry, put millions back to work, provide clean safe transportation, eliminate America's need for foreign oil, renew the American Dream and restore America's leadership and respect in the world
1. Ending Marijuana Prohibition: 93500 votes/3501 comments
"We must stop imprisoning responsible adult citizens choosing to use a drug that has been mis-labeled for over 70 years."
As always, please let us know what your thoughts are in the comments.
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In regards to high speed light rail-- I've been advocating for this for over 10 years and you have to know one thing about it...It's a long (and rocky) way between LA and New York compared to the distances in Japan, smaller than California! It will cost huge sums of upfront $$$ and Americans are not inculturated to use mass transit.
Bring back the blimps and use buckyball nano- tech to make them indestructible! Or screw the trains and get cars to zero point status on emissions and power consumption, it can be done now!
You do realize that if you (very generously) assume that each vote represents a unique individual and a U.S. citizen that this sample covers about one-fifth of one percent of the population. In other words, it's meaningless.
So, every other internet poll is meaningless, but because this poll is a hippie's wet dream it must reflect the ironclad views of the American people?
Right!
"Director of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs" - right out of 1984. Orwell wins!
Looks like I have 7 against, 2 for, and 1 pass. If this is the agenda it's gonna be a miserable four years.
10. Boost America's Economy with Legal Online Poker.
Against. Government should not be in the business of legitimizing gambling.
9. Bring Back the Constitution!
For. But not fully in the form outlined, for example, "Separation of church and state" is not in the constitution. The constitution says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." which means no government run religion and leave religions free to operate, including the freedom to influence government. Wouldn't you want to understand the original constitution before you bring it back?
8. Revoke the Tax Exempt Status of the Church of Scientology.
Pass. I would think the IRS would be all over this if it needed to be done.
7. Get the Insurance Companies out the Health Care.
Against. I've had socialist health care (in England) and I much prefer the U.S. system. However, for the uninsured, any system would probably be better. However, I wouldn't want to put the same government in charge of health care that has been running Social Security or is in charge of the national budget.
6. Revoke the George W. Bush tax cuts for the top 1%.
Against. It's downright silly to go after people that are already paying way more taxes than the rest of us. The money you are after just goes elsewhere. I know, when I was hit with the AMT one year, the next year I made sure my income was lower.
5. The permanent closure of all Torture facilities.
For.
4. Bullet Trains and Light Rail.
Against. Bullet trains are much too costly. Try airplanes. Light rail doesn't help much except in high population areas.
3. An end to the government sponsored abstinence education to be replaced by an introduction of age appropriate sex education.
Against. What do you think abstinence programs are? They are part of sex education. That is the way my children were taught.
2. Commit to becoming the "Greenest" country in the world.
Against. With half our electricity coming from coal the government is in no position to commit to this. Solar and wind generation are appearing with some government incentives. The answer is not to coerce the population into this but to help the natural economic flow to prosper in the direction you want the country to take.
1. Ending Marijuana Prohibition.
Against. Hey man, it's a drug. Grow up.
Wow Rick, good thing you lost the last election.
Most people think the last 8 years were quite regrettable.
Rick: while we are clearly on VERY different sides of the political spectrum, I would like to take a moment to explain just why your "pass" is such an important issue.
The IRS stripped Scientology of its tax exemption for perfectly valid reasons, and only reversed its decision under EXTREME duress (some 2,000 lawsuits were filed against the IRS and individual IRS agents by members of Scientology). After top members of the Church of Scientology perpetuated the single largest infiltration of the US government in all of history (Operation: Snow White, google it), even our own government became scared of this nasty little ufo cult. Times have changed, and we can now DO SOMETHING about this group that has been preying on the weak in our society for decades, building up enormous revenues and stockpiling weapons on YOUR dime.
I urge you to look into the matter of Scientology a little deeper. Groups like this tarnish the name of all religions, and must not be allowed to harm others and evade their civic responsibilities (like taxes) simply because they slapped the word "church" on their business.
suitcase,
I didn't see anyone named Rick on the ballot in November. But I would have voted for him, because he's actually made a coherent argument against this Leftist agenda which is being promoted by people who think Obama walks on water.
You can rile against Bush all you want, even overlooking his work on AIDS in Africa and disposing the Taliban and a dictator, and protecting the country, but at least come back down to earth and realize that Obama has a very, very brief track record, and has only made history so far by the color of his skin and the office he now holds. Odds are he'll be a much better president than Bush, but you can't be at odds against all those who don't think Bush was a sinister dictator.
I hope Obama does well, and therefore the country does well. He has shown so far through his appointments and his priorities that he's not going to promote an agenda that angers nearly half of the country who voted against him. And as we see fewer and fewer Americans pay taxes and get closer to a minority, I really hope he gets Americans to start asking what they can do for their country rather than the other way around.
While I believe in all of these as important issues, I am disappointed that #1 is the legalization of Marijuana.
Essentially, it discredits most of the results as what would be considered a "fringe" group of supporters to the middle population (moderates).
There are many more important issues on this list than marijuanna... The economy, energy, public transportation, etc.
As for people saying it only represents 1/5 of a % of the population... do some research on Polls and sample size accuracy.
It's been shown that a high amount of accuracy is achieved by polling a small percentage of the population only if the sample accurately reflects the target group.
blue,
I passed on the Scientology because I knew little about it. With your explanation I know a little more.
Matt,
You couldn't have voted for me, I'm foreign born, spending my first 28 years in socialist England. People ask me, "Don't you miss England?" I reply, "Give it eight years and England will come to me."
People claiming marijuana is a frivolous issue are most certainly missing the big picture.
-700,000 annual arrests for simple possession.
-No deaths attributed to marijuana. Ever. Meanwhile, 400,000 Americans die from tobacco every year (and another 85,000 from alcohol). Why the hypocrisy?
-Access to student loans, mortgages, and employment denied because of a marijuana arrest.
-The funding of criminal and terrorist enterprises both within and abroad are directly tied to the drug trade. Just as the mafia rose to power during alcohol Prohibition, we have the same situation, with greater global implications now.
-Urban decay in our inner cities is directly tied to the War on Drugs. It is not the drugs, but rather their criminalization that causes the misery.
-We are ignoring/criminalizing a huge cash crop.
-There are verified medical use benefits of cannabis and it has been shown time and again to be benign... yet it is wrongly scheduled by the DEA.
-It is impossible to stop its use, and therefore useless to try to enforce laws against it - laws which protect no one, and instead create an environment of lawlessness and criminal prosperity.
-Regulation of drugs makes it safer. Even the government's own estimates indicate 90% of heroin overdose deaths would be prevented if heroin were legal and regulated.
-Regulation keeps drugs away from children. Drug dealers have no qualms about selling to kids, but legal businesses/pharmacies, just like liquor stores, have much more to lose by not complying with the law.
-Regulation can keep track of who is using the most dangerous drugs, and thus who needs help - this is a HEALTH issue, people! Not a crime. A health issue.
-Under current laws and practices, the Constitution is being grossly violated (illegal search/seizure, cruel/unusual punishment, freedom of expression).
-The government cannot afford the war on drugs. We are pouring around $50 Billion into drug enforcement (about equal to the Federal education budget!!!). Even with that, only 10%, at best, of drugs are confiscated. The government feeds us lines about "victories" over druglords only to placate us and cover their lies. Stopping some "record-size" shipment that constitutes only a small percent of a gang's drug supply, and calling that a victory is almost Orwellian.
-It is of national security that the drug war be FUNDAMENTALLY changed. The situation in Mexico is basically on an unstoppable path towards collapse should policies towards drugs, and marijuana in particular, not change. For every kingpin the DEA knocks off, whether domestically, or abroad, another ten are ready to step into the vacuum - they compete violently, and the most ruthless wins. It is an escalation that the government cannot win, and it puts the lives of ordinary civilians in enormous jeopardy.
-We have, with our perniciousness, essentially caused the collapse of Mexican, Afghani, Colombian, Peruvian, and Bolivian societies. We give these countries "aid" to wage war upon their own citizens, whilst we sponsor and guide ruthless bombardments upon their farmlands. Nevermind that our tobacco kills more in their countries than their drugs do in ours! Nevermind that our herbicides are causing DNA changes in the peasants that happen to live near the fields.
The War on Drugs has caused damages more than tenfold of what it proposed to prevent at its outset. The drug trade is one of the biggest industries in the world, and is impossible to stop, as it is fueled by demand. To make the altering of ONE'S OWN consciousness a crime is to essentially ignore the entire history of human behavior. Whether through substances (alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, cannabis, chocolate) or activities (runner's high, sex, religious/meditative trance), it is simply something we do. To make it a crime is senseless.
Polls on Change.gov are skewed liberal as much as polls on Hannity.com will be skewed conservative. To legitimize the numbers here is a great mistake. While I believe Change.gov gave the Obama camp a tool to help choose issues to solidify their political base, I don't believe that it represents the country as a whole.
No body expected this exercise to be a national referendum on legislation - the president doesn't even have the power to legislate for that matter. But Mr. Obama promised to open these lines of communication and was elected, in part, on such promises.
Mr. Obama is now morally obligated to study and publicly address the more prominent of the issues and suggestions. And getting the president's attention is very important to the many Americans that consider one or more of these issues priorities.
Also, anti-democratic, totalitarian cons masquerading as religions to deceive the public need to pay their taxes.
SO glad to see the Scientology Tax Revoke in the top ten!
Scientology strong armed the IRS back in 1993 into granting them tax exemption due to being blackmailed. They paid a hefty fine and then, they were tax exempt, and their members were also allowed to write off any courses and books they took off their taxes! The ONLY "church" to be granted this out of the MANY religions.
What people also have to remember is... if Scientology gets their tax exemption revoked, it will have a dominoe effect on ALL of their fraudulent front groups as well. Like the CCHR, WISE, ABLE, Way To Happiness, Narconon, Criminon, appled Scholastics and so on.
They do not pay ONE dime in taxes and in this economy with therr VAST amount of real esate holdings, it is high time that Scientology pays their way. The are a multi billon dollar ORGANIZATION not a religion. As stated by the own founder. L. Ron Hubbard the con man.
They have celebrities giving them MILLIONS of dollars yearly.
I say for them to either pay up or have them move out and move someone into those buildings who WILL pay taxes and help the economy.
And what is this special treatment they receive on tax arite offs for "religious classes"? Why are they the ONLY "church" (and I use the term VERY lightly) that is allowed to deduct courses and books off their taxes every year? What possible explanation can the IRS have for this perk they give Scientolgy? I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT EXPLANATION!
1. Ending Marijuana Prohibition.
This makes alot of sense. Obama was able to rally the American Idol/Facebook/My Space voting base to secure his victory. Grow up.
I loved this one..."The notion that giving the owners of the companies more money so that it will eventually trickle down to the common people is absurd."
Whoever said that is a perpetual college student with no business experience behind them. In the real world, hard working rich people create jobs, not poor people.
When someone has a heart attack you shock the heart, not the thumb. Business is the heart of America; it’s what gets the thumb moving. So to whoever thinks that way, have fun being poor for the rest of your life while you wait on your government handouts.
Look at number #1 on the list and you can certainly see how such a unqualified, inexperienced boob as Obama was elected.
The only common denominator and number one concern of the Obama-bots is their use of weed! It would take a drug-addled moron to believe the "hope and change" nonsense and the results from the multitudes of Obama-bots confirms it.
Yeah man, we rule, dude! Where my bong, man?
@ #15
Okay, two problems with your assertion here. The first, that all Obama supporters are potheads, is just not something you and I are going to see eye to eye on. The second, that only people who smoke pot want to see it legalized, is a little easier to tackle.
I do not partake of any illegal substances. I do not smoke even cigarettes and only drink in moderation. I cannot even be around people who are smoking weed, as I have a terrible reaction to just the second hand exposure, and I have never taken it myself. But from a medical and societal perspective, I cannot justify keeping that substance illegal while tobacco and alcohol are not. It just is not significantly worse (intrinsically) than either legal substance. I would want to see it heavily regulated and taxed to the high heavens, I would want to see it only permitted in private residences or special shops, and I would never, ever want my children to use it themselves. But I cannot justify sending the people who do to jail.