Be the ball.
Nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu........
Fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu......
Posted on 12/09/2003 6:11:26 PM PST by GeronL
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I have it! I guess a yell of 'Eureka!' is in order as I pat myself on the back, or at least the shoulder because I wouldn't be likely to break my arm. I have deduced and formulated the perfect government to replace the bitter and divisive system of bad government that we have today. No more partisan attempts to take complete control of your life, although it won't end the need for political parties. What is this grand new vision? This scrap of genius and enlightenment that was bestowed upon my humble brow? I call it Dual Government. Let us take a local city, lets just call it UrCity because it could be any of them really. Instead of the City Council that is split between factions and this or that happens depending who has won the majority of seats in the last election, there would be 2 councils elected one by Liberals and one by Conservatives. Every citizen would have to register with their state as one or the other, Libertarians and Greens are out of luck but they can infiltrate and have some fun with that, but I'll get to them later. The local Liberal Council decides their citizens will pay local sales taxes to fund police, jail, court, fire, streets, sanitation, parks, library, local public hospital, bus service, recycling community centers for seniors, kids, hispanics, blacks, asians, gays and such. So local liberals would show their cards when they purchases and they will pay, for example 9% in sales tax to support these things. The local Conservative Council decides they will collect taxes only for police, jail, court, fire, streets and parks and the local conservatives will pay a 4.25% sales tax. Their members would then be denied services of the local library, trash collector, bus service, recycling and community centers. Conservatives would have to pay for their trash to be hauled and for their own books and medical care. The Conservatives won't mind all of the liberal programs because they ain't paying for them. Liberals will be happy to be able to start as many social programs as they want. Now, the liberals and conservatives will live in the same city, they will not be segregated. Businesses and service providers would have to get used to the 2-rate system. They will have the same police department and fire department, but if one chooses not to participate they will just be left out. Its almost like a dream come true for both sides of the political spectrum. Obviously there will be some complexity. There may have to be a tax on switching to keep those who decided to become Conservatives but then want to get into the free library or the local public hospital from becoming a flood and breaking down the system. Of course there might be some Liberals deciding to go Conservative because they notice the lower tax rates, or because they want a school voucher so their child may escape the public schools No. We will need to have a short period of time for people to change their registrations, say for 90 days before a local election, during the time of voter registration. That way all of the new citizens can have their say on the new Liberal or Conservative Councils during the elections. Isn't that a perfect time? Probably should tax those switchers too, at least a small sum. UrCity will be paradise on Earth for both liberals and conservatives alike. All of the programs the liberals want and conservatives won't have to pay for them. So now you are telling yourselves that this is the perfect form of government. Why can't this apply to more than just taxes and spending? Why not expand it to the poor Greens and Libertarians? So now you want to complicate my beautiful, perfect form of government? OK, let us go through this. Concealed Carry laws only apply to Conservatives while Liberals are banned from having a gun? and maybe those Libertarians are allowed to carry them around with the gun in a holster on their hip? (Sounds like Arizona in a way). Drugs are only legal for the Libertarians, while the Liberals won't actually enforce their laws? Helmet laws, speed limits and seat belts are optional for libertarians and conservatives but strictly enforced for the left? If this applied at all levels of government, we might have Conservatives not elgible for welfare while the Liberals could end up unprotected by foreign invaders.... wait, that one might not be optional. That one needs further study. That could get pretty weird. I suppose some of you readers will enjoy reading about Dual Governments so much that you will keep finding new examples for your amusement. This is a serious scholarly proposal here. How about it?? So find your mayor, your state legislator and your Congressman and propose this idea! Maybe some city or county or even a state will get the ball rolling. Just one successful test of this system and I am confident it can and will spread like wildfire all across the country and even around the world. Imagine Israeli's and Palestinians.... ok, thats a bad example again. Think about it! Seriously!
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This is a SERIES proposal!!!
-PJ
Well, you'll notice I said we should start with it for taxes and funding of government programs. Liberals would pay to support their programs and conservatives wouldn't.
Our taxes would be lower and we'd be banned from recieving those specified unsupported government services.
How would it work if we spread it to the courts??
yeesh. that requires more thought,
I ain't a genius or anything you know =o)
Thats my point.
Conservatives don't pursue policies to 'get' someone else. Conservative policies don't have intended victims. Liberal policies are always aimed at making someone else pay, making some mean old hardworking person toe the line.
Liberals want to control others and conservatives want to, generally, be left alone. (Although not to the extreme of libertarians)
Thats exactly why leftists would hate the idea.
One problem, tho: Let's say you've been a Conservative cardholder all your life. Old age is creeping up. You want free medical care, free prescriptions, to use the bus, library, etc.
You could just switch parties without having paid in.
I'm not sure I feel like a genius anymore. I think it should be tested on a local level somewhere though.
Probably would have to have some sort of private retirement system on the conservative side I guess...
Be the ball.
Nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu-nu........
Fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu......
Where was I??
The point is that conservatives would love it because they don't want to pay for liberal programs and liberals would hate it because they can't force people into and to pay for their liberal programs.
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