Manifesto

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  The left is often blamed for not having a plan of its own. Sure we can criticize but do we have any ideas? Well here are mine.
  
  We need a total overhaul of the electoral process.
  
  
• We need to eliminate Electoral Votes. This system has emasculated our campaign process by eliminating states such as Maryland from being visited by candidates running for President. Maryland votes Democrat so the Electoral Votes go to the Democratic candidate. So if this coming election Ohio and Pennsylvania are the swing states then the issues deemed important to voters in these two states will be the issues talked about by the campaigns at large. Issues Marylanders are concerned about are ignored. The votes Republicans cast in Maryland for the President are a waste of time and gasoline. Every vote should count because it would enfranchise us all into the process.
  
  
• We need to eliminate all Diebold machines and bar this company from manufacturing anything for any state government or local government as well as the Federal Government ever again. We need hand countable paper ballots. We can have computer screens to make things easier for the voters but we need a secondary parallel counting system to verify the results of all elections.
  
  
• We need public financing of all elections. We need to eliminate all contributions by any individual or any corporation or group of over one hundred dollars. No money what so ever should be allowed to be spent on television or radio advertising. Instead, since the public owns the airwaves each network should be obligated by law to hold debates between candidates in prime time during the campaign process. Local television stations should be obligated to cover local candidates. Federal and local funds should be used to compensate these broadcasters for their programming preemption.
  
  
• We need more Congress people. We need one congress person for each and every zip code in the country. This would kill two birds with one stone. It would make each member of the house more accountable to his or her constituents while truly giving them a voice and it would eliminate the gerrymandering of voting districts. Obviously with this law we would also need to freeze existing zip codes to eliminate any further manipulation.
  
  
• We need more Senators. Each state should have one Senator for every ten million residents rounded up.
  
  
• We need to eliminate paid Lobbyists.
  
  We need a total overhaul of the Defense Department
  
  
• We need to eliminate the defense industry. The Federal Government needs to develop and manufacture its own weapons and weapons systems. This would not eliminate jobs but it would eliminate corruption through bribes and sleazy lobbyists.
  
  
• We need to eliminate the use of mercenaries at every level of the Department of Defense.
  
  
• We need to eliminate the use of outside contractors to provide everything from building military installations to feeding our troops.
  
  
• We need to rein in the Department of Defense’s burgeoning intelligence gathering activities.
  
  
• We need to keep all soldiers and National Guard members off the streets of the United States at all times except in times of crisis. Demonstrations and illegal immigrants do not constitute a crisis.
  
  There are more things we need to do to get back to democracy and go forward to a safe, happy and healthy country that looks out for its people and does not trample on the rights of the rest of the planet.
  
  I will be continuing to add to this “Manifesto.” Please join me by commenting.