• We will accept no campaign funds from any PAC or special interest groups.
  
• Addressing the issue the President addressed tonight we propose the following:
  
  • Employers will be responsible to provide insurance for ALL full and part time employees at their cost.
    
  • All unemployed will be covered under an enhanced Medicare/Medicaid program; called 'US Care'.
    
  • US Care will be formed based upon the worlds best and most comprehensive insurance program in the world - the one which insures us, the members of Congress and all other Federal employees. In fact we will assign the managing administrators for that program to the conversion task of dismantling the existing program and merging it with the new US Care entity. The goal being that the poorest and most underprivileged of our citizens will have the same coverage as the most privileged holding the auditing powers. Participation in the US Care program commits the user to having all medical malpractice claims heard by a 5 person arbitration committee compromised of one individual from the AMA, ABA, AFL-CIO, Government Employees Union, ACLU.
    
  • Existing insurance companies will not be able to terminate coverage for a pre-existing condition.
    
  • The current top 5 health insurance companies will meet and in 30 days create 'boiler-plate' documents for administration and record keeping. It will be used by all insurance companies and health care providers.
    
  
  
• We propose closing GITMO tomorrow and releasing all currently held prisoners back to their country of origin immediately with the apologies of the US Government.
  
• We will withdraw from Afghanistan immediately.
  
• We will begin withdraw from Iraq immediately.
  
• We will establish a military presence on our borders.
  
• We will increase enforcement of all current documented workers laws increasing the penalties against employees to include cost for deportation, fines, asset forfeiture, and imprisonment for owners and officers of companies employing undocumented workers.
  
• ALL government bureaucracies will submit balanced budgets and no additional funds beyond the balanced budget will be provided.
  
• Tax exempt status for all "religious" organizations will be repelled.
  
• ALL "non-profit" and "not for profit" organizations will be required to manage to a zero balance annual budget, on a three year reporting basis.
  
• Representing duplicity and overlapping of 'States Rights' the following Cabinet positions and bureaucracies will be closed:
  • Department of Health & Human Services
    
  • Department of Education
    
  • Department of Housing & Urban Development
    
  • Federal Communications Commission (Censorship should be in the hands of parents not government.)
  
  
• We will only approve a Balanced Budget
  
• Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Act will be eliminated.
  
• We will commit to building 100 nuclear power plants for producing energy in the next 5 years. We would fast track development and construction by prohibiting any environmental litigation associated with implementation and construction.
  
• We will initiate a national intercity transportation program. Formulating a 'contest' for service providers with the best plan getting the contract. We would fast track development and construction by prohibiting any environmental litigation associated with implementation and construction.
  

quote:

ORIGINAL: OrionTheWolf

Hey Merc,

I like what I see so far. I might actually become a registered party member if this party were to come into existence, and carry through with these things.

BTW, where would this party stand on the Federal Reserve?

quote:

I would consider myself a "liberal"

quote:

except we have to have the FCC to govern, license and enforce the use of radio frequencies but I don't think you object to that part

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth

There are few times when circumstances set up unique opportunities for success; tonight is one of them. All it would take would be for a few men and woman of integrity in Congress to walk out of tonight's speech.

They leave, and hold a press conference, simulcast on the web announcing the formation of a new party with the following platform:

• We will accept no campaign funds from any PAC or special interest groups.
  
• Addressing the issue the President addressed tonight we propose the following:
  
  • Employers will be responsible to provide insurance for ALL full and part time employees at their cost.
    
  • All unemployed will be covered under an enhanced Medicare/Medicaid program; called 'US Care'.
    
  • US Care will be formed based upon the worlds best and most comprehensive insurance program in the world - the one which insures us, the members of Congress and all other Federal employees. In fact we will assign the managing administrators for that program to the conversion task of dismantling the existing program and merging it with the new US Care entity. The goal being that the poorest and most underprivileged of our citizens will have the same coverage as the most privileged holding the auditing powers. Participation in the US Care program commits the user to having all medical malpractice claims heard by a 5 person arbitration committee compromised of one individual from the AMA, ABA, AFL-CIO, Government Employees Union, ACLU.
    
  • Existing insurance companies will not be able to terminate coverage for a pre-existing condition.
    
  • The current top 5 health insurance companies will meet and in 30 days create 'boiler-plate' documents for administration and record keeping. It will be used by all insurance companies and health care providers.
  
  
• We propose closing GITMO tomorrow and releasing all currently held prisoners back to their country of origin immediately with the apologies of the US Government.
  
• We will withdraw from Afghanistan immediately.
  
• We will begin withdraw from Iraq immediately.
  
• We will establish a military presence on our borders.
  
• We will increase enforcement of all current documented workers laws increasing the penalties against employees to include cost for deportation, fines, asset forfeiture, and imprisonment for owners and officers of companies employing undocumented workers.
  
• ALL government bureaucracies will submit balanced budgets and no additional funds beyond the balanced budget will be provided.
  
• Tax exempt status for all "religious" organizations will be repelled.
  
• ALL "non-profit" and "not for profit" organizations will be required to manage to a zero balance annual budget, on a three year reporting basis.
  
• Representing duplicity and overlapping of 'States Rights' the following Cabinet positions and bureaucracies will be closed:
  
  • Department of Health & Human Services
    
  • Department of Education
    
  • Department of Housing & Urban Development
    
  • Federal Communications Commission (Censorship should be in the hands of parents not government.)
  
  
• We will only approve a Balanced Budget
  
• Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Act will be eliminated.
  
• We will commit to building 100 nuclear power plants for producing energy in the next 5 years. We would fast track development and construction by prohibiting any environmental litigation associated with implementation and construction.
  
• We will initiate a national intercity transportation program. Formulating a 'contest' for service providers with the best plan getting the contract. We would fast track development and construction by prohibiting any environmental litigation associated with implementation and construction.

I'm sure there would be more to add, like reviewing the Department of the Interior's position regarding oil drilling and mining existing US resources to remove the pressure of importing foreign oil. I think it would be wise to use the French nuclear plant design based upon their history of success.

There must be a few members of Congress with integrity who may not be household names today, but would be tomorrow if they seized the opportunity. The problem may be that, since they currently impotent anyway, the lead may come from members currently listed as Republican. You know the prejudice and bigotry that would generate; however if one or two from the other side of the aisle have the guts to break away it may take off.

Timing couldn't be better. A little more than a year from now would be a good time to benchmark membership and candidates to run in the off year election. I have a sense that there is enough frustration with the status quo and the lack of distinction between the existing political parties to make this work. Doing it tonight, provides a forum to get attention; which is the biggest problem any of current third party options has to overcome.

Thinking of a name of this new political party took the longest. However I think I came up with a good one -

The LIBERAL PARTY

So named because it returns the word from its current bastardized common usage. Liberal can go back to representing the freedom to do the most with your life encumbered as little as possible by government regulation and taxes represents the liberty and freedom this country was founded.

Hey....I can dream can't I?

quote:

Employers will be responsible to provide insurance for ALL full and part time employees at their cost.

quote:

ORIGINAL: awmslave

quote:

Employers will be responsible to provide insurance for ALL full and part time employees at their cost.

I have never understood why are employers  involved in health-care? Would it be enough if they pay a decent salary? They do not have magic funds that come somewhere else than profits from business operations.
Can anybody explain this?

quote:

Getting back to today, assigning the expense at the employer level does a couple of things. First, it takes the burden of administration and cost control out of the hands of the government which has no concept of budgeting and administration.

quote:

Does employer pay directly to health service provider or is there an additional health insurance company involved?

quote:

I suspect the employer involvement is inefficient way of doing things. In any case, why can not everybody buy insurance direct from a heath insurance company?