I’m elderly and I still pay taxes, both on SS and earned income. I’m not sure about the tax status of disability benefits. As to the current events tests, what I was really looking for is what the current batch of candidates stand for...what’s their stance on issues of the day. I don’t know who would make up the questions, but I guess it would be some bi-partisan group. Regardless, I’m hard-pressed to understand why my tax dollars are used to buy cell phones for people, unless it’s to buy votes. The recipients’ extent of knowledge often seems to be: “Who do I get the most free stuff from?” and politicians behave accordingly.
As to the income restriction, maybe we draw on Neal Bortz idea that everyone gets one vote, but for every $10K you pay in taxes, you get another vote, up to a max of, say, 5 votes. The Constitution originally restricted voting to property owners, mainly because of vested rights. I’m not as sure as you that they were wrong.
The cell phones don't bother me. It was Reagan who started that, not that it matters. If you want people to get jobs, they really need a phone. My understanding is the gov't pays < $10 a month for those phones. The phones are cheap relative to the cost of unemployment/foodstamps/medicaid benefits I view phones as a basic necessity.
Restore the import tariffs and put Americans back to work, and phone, food stamps, medicaid, and a host of other problems resolve themselves.
The cell phones don't bother me. It was Reagan who started that, not that it matters. If you want people to get jobs, they really need a phone. My understanding is the gov't pays < $10 a month for those phones. The phones are cheap relative to the cost of unemployment/foodstamps/medicaid benefits I view phones as a basic necessity.
Restore the import tariffs and put Americans back to work, and phone, food stamps, medicaid, and a host of other problems resolve themselves.