50 (plus) ways to make America better

[mandyky]

We have to turn America around. It has become painfully clear unbridled capitalism and religiousity will bury America if we don't take a detour soon. I have 13 ideas - please add yours -

Provide medical, dental and nutritional care in all grade schools (at least).

Scale back on privatization and instead form public/private partnerships.

Reinstate the Neighborhood Youth Corps. Our children need a stronger work ethic.

In middle and high school, teach parenting and babysitting courses, sort of like the old home ec classes.

Special education needs to be fully funded. There is a virtual epidemic of autism in this country. My son falls in the spectrum.

All high school students should have to take a 1 year civics course before they graduate. This should be very similar to naturalization courses that immigrants take.

Start a national service draft to include teachers, healthcare providers, police, firemen, peace corps, AmeriCorps, national/state park workers and military.

Use bases that were closed in BRAC (Base Reallocation & Closings) to house the homeless or offer services such as Job Corps.

Offer poor people who are trapped in inner cities and ghettos a chance to relocate to places like the BRAC bases, or rural areas.

Every child should have 1 year of Preschool or Headstart. Screening could be offered to identify children with special needs and learning disabilities.

All high school children should be strongly encouraged to take a second language, as well as study cultures that speak the second language they choose.

Juvenille and young adult justice system should allow for an attitude adjustment bootcamp type experience, as opposed to prison terms. (Got this idea from Walker Texas Ranger, episode Camp Justice)

Expand the program where troubled teens and young gang members have to visit prisons, to glipse what lies ahead.

[mstrsplinter326]

1. I would say

Most proposals on your list are a start, but don't go far enough.

But a great start and something maybe even the Hallowed Kerry can think about mentioning for a policy maybe.

[Cary]

2. Taxes

Re-write estate and gift tax laws making it once again into a unified, progressive tax at reasonable rates with stepped-up basis.

Set progressive income tax rates to reduce the deficit, assuming we really are in recovery.

[Joy Anne]

3. and at the beginning

Home visit by a nurse to all new mothers 2 days posthospital: make sure mother and baby are medically OK; offer ongoing help if needed re nutrition, housing, childcare, etc.; note early signs of abuse and neglect for future checking.

It worked in Vermont!

[mandyky]

4. Kick Martha out of GD!

LOL

[mandyky]

5. Give businesses tax breaks for the following

providing healthcare insurance
providing onsite daycare
provide and protect retirement funds

[porphyrian]

6. You watch Walker Texas Ranger?

Good Guys Wear Black, yes. Walker Texas Ranger, no.

[mandyky]

7. I still watch Walker reruns

too bad Chuck Norris supports you-know-who

However that might be an eve better reason to adopt some of the Walker ideas..

[donco6]

8. Some agrees, some disagrees, and a few more.

<Provide medical, dental and nutritional care in all grade schools (at least).>

Agree, at least to free medical and dental exams provided in school on a regular basis. Actual care should be provided through universal health care program. Most schools don't have space for medical clinic, and it dilutes from the main purpose of school. I don't know what "nutritional care" is. I do know the National School Lunch Program is required to develop meals with 1/3 of major nutritional components available, however, it's difficult to get kids to eat broccoli!


<Scale back on privatization and instead form public/private partnerships.>

Agree. I haven't seen any stupendous successes with privatization in schools. Recent research is showing it doesn't make a difference in test scores or in economics.


<Reinstate the Neighborhood Youth Corps. Our children need a stronger work ethic.>

Don't know what this is. Is it like the CCC?


<In middle and high school, teach parenting and babysitting courses, sort of like the old home ec classes.>

Hmm, maybe. But again, this tends to dilute the purpose of school. Do we really exist to teacher EVERYTHING a kids needs to know? If so, we need a whole hell of a lot more money, and we need to change the idea of attending school only from 8 to 2:30, because we can't even fit in all the requirements NOW.


<Special education needs to be fully funded. There is a virtual epidemic of autism in this country. My son falls in the spectrum.>

We are reimbursed for only about 25% of the total cost of special ed, so hallelujah on this one.


<All high school students should have to take a 1 year civics course before they graduate. This should be very similar to naturalization courses that immigrants take. >

We already have a requirement like this in Colorado. It's pretty meaningless here.


<Start a national service draft to include teachers, healthcare providers, police, firemen, peace corps, AmeriCorps, national/state park workers and military.>

We've tried hiring people without any teacher training and have found them to be largely useless. Several couldn't last even a few months, and we're not even a difficult district. I would bet the police and fire depts would echo this. Peace Corp, Americorp, maybe.


<Use bases that were closed in BRAC (Base Reallocation & Closings) to house the homeless or offer services such as Job Corps.>

Most bases are being redeveloped by developers into huge housing tracts (Lowry here in Denver is a good example). Good luck getting even low income housing included in those plans.


<Offer poor people who are trapped in inner cities and ghettos a chance to relocate to places like the BRAC bases, or rural areas.>

See point above.

<Every child should have 1 year of Preschool or Headstart. Screening could be offered to identify children with special needs and learning disabilities.>

Heartily agree here. Our research shows that the one year of preschool we provide particularly impacts the lower-income kids. We're working to get foundation funding so that all kids who want preschool can get it. Right now we are funded only for a certain number of preschool slots. Once those are used up, parents have to pay tuition.


<All high school children should be strongly encouraged to take a second language, as well as study cultures that speak the second language they choose.>

Again, agree. We're idiots to ignore the need for a second language.


<Juvenille and young adult justice system should allow for an attitude adjustment bootcamp type experience, as opposed to prison terms. (Got this idea from Walker Texas Ranger, episode Camp Justice)>

As opposed to prison terms, yes. But I've also seen boot camps used in place of mental health facilities, which is idiotic.


<Expand the program where troubled teens and young gang members have to visit prisons, to glipse what lies ahead.>

Maybe. Those are interesting, but in our experience, they have very little impact. And we take kids to Canon City Supermax, which defintely should have a lasting impression. Sadly, statistics show it doesn't make much difference.

[mandyky]

9. Last call for ideas

so we can send this thread to the kerry campaign