Something New for Me

I've been keeping an eye on compaign promises and arguments for and against public debt. That's aside from my natural inclination not to take on debt without a MAJOR reason for it - invasive war, terrorism (actual, not that "The MAGA People are revolting!"), or major crisis.

Like personal debt. You don't spend money you haven't got for a new TV - that's a luxury. But, a generator, in an area known for weather-related power outages? Sure.

Likewise, to take on educational debt CAN be good. We were broke when I returned to college after having kids, and the grant money it brought in helped keep us afloat. I focused on a plan of study that might pay off, eventually. For that reason, I became a teacher (History and Science - I already had almost all of the credits), and - when the History openings were sparse, focused on teaching Science.

I taught more than 25 years, in all. The pay wasn't that great at the start, but it got steadily better, and by the time I retired, I was making over $60K a year. And the majority of the cost of my Master's was paid for by programs designed to produce Science teachers.

Could I have made more money? Sure. However, if you teach in a subject with teacher shortages (Science, Math, Special Ed), you're pretty much bullet-proof. VERY hard to replace - worse than a winning football coach. I did NOT fear layoffs or campaigns to get rid of me.

Even if a school system did have to downsize, there would still be jobs a-plenty.

But, debt to major in Gender Studies? Or Ethnic Studies? Or Psychology?

Hell, no.

Ya' see, most of us in America are Saturday's Child - the one that "Has to work for a living". We haven't rich relatives who will pass on their money and property to us. If our parents have any, it will have to be divided among siblings and spouses, AFTER all debts, including the Taxman, are paid.

For most people, it's enough to bury the deceased, and clear a few thousand. On the average, around $46K. But, don't forget, that has to be divided among those left. If you came from a large family, that is more likely $10,000 to $15,000 apiece.

And, it's a TAXABLE inheritance to the beneficiaries.

I received around $9K when my Dad died. I put it into retirement savings (we've not had to tap into it yet, other than the Required Minimum Distribution - which we sent straight to charities, avoiding taxes and getting a nice deduction). 

Our kids MAY do better - or not, should we have expensive illnesses. Who knows?

But, generally, it's a wise decision to avoid debt - both personal and public. Emergencies do happen. Failure to plan ahead is not an emergency.

We need to handle our public debt in several ways:

• Stop adding programs to disburse more money to those who didn't earn it - it's welfare by another name. Any program that absolutely HAS to be added, cannot take effect until another programs is killed that will provide that money. (Watch the movie Dave for a funny example of cutting through the verbiage to make some cuts).
• Forbid the Fed from printing more money. It's Magical Thinking to keep doing so, rather like when my eldest daughter responded to my saying I hadn't the money to buy an expensive item she desperately desired, "Why don't you just write a check? You have a bunch of them!" Responsible CITIZENS are supposed to be frugal with Other People's Money.
• Clamp down on Fraud and Waste. In ALL programs.
• Military
• ALL equipment contracts will be held to budget. NO changes allowed after the contract is awarded. If the provider doesn't structure their bid correctly, they will go broke. NO bids on the basis of "Cost Plus". 
• Any change in field equipment must be tested by average soldiers in the field for extended periods of time. Their reports will be the ones that are used in the final decision. For that matter, let the guys that will USE the equipment vote on what to buy. It's their life on the line. On the average, they're quite a bit smarter than the average citizen.
• Inventory - find out what, and where, the military has equipment - and what condition it's in. Let that search be led by the guys at the enlisted level - they know what is useful, can be used for trade for a more needed item, and who's Bogarting a warehouse full of expensive stuff. Use RFID tags, cameras, and sensors to reduce the "Midnight Requisitions". Send those responsible - either directly or indirectly, through looking the other way - to HARD time.
• Streamline the military occupations. Reduce paperwork requirements (bring in some guys from private industry to show the military how to do it). Look around and see who is causing trouble or sitting around generating reports and PR - dump those classifications. If the newly-unoccupied person can't find a useful place to land, RIF them.
• Entitlements
• Unemployment - reduce the amount coming from the Feds. Start billing those states that have unreported Fraud, and charge those responsible with a CRIME (jail time is not absolutely necessary, beyond a month or so, but they need to have a FELONY on their record, and completely loss of voting rights for at least 10 years). Gradually reduce the Fed share, and shoot for complete relinquishment of any responsibility within 10 years.
• Welfare - Family Aid AND SSI. 
• First, start weeding out Fraud. Start with non-existent people, non-citizens, and those in jail. The agencies will not be responsible for paying the money back, PROVIDED they identify the person(s) that enabled the original enrollment. Again, prosecute them, but settle for a FELONY on their record, and loss of voting rights.
• Hit the larger cities, and swoop in for audits at the agency locations that sign up the most people. Get the Welfare lists, and send people out to physically verify that:
• The person actually exists.
• They live there (and, the number of persons living there is physically possible).
• They are entitled.
• I'd start with EBT. That's the entrance point for much of the fraud. Those that manage to get it are automatically enrolled in other programs. Also, that's where much of the fraud happens - stolen cards/sold cards, claiming people that are not eligible, double-claiming, etc.
• Any NGO that is signing up ineligible people loses their non-profit status. Anyone whose name is on the paperwork is prosecuted, AND billed for the money. Turning state's evidence may save them jail time, but the felony stays on their record, AND they lose voting rights.
• Use bounty hunters and cyber-hunters judiciously. We've got quite a lot of tech people who were put out of work due to foreign workers. Put them to work, under contract, looking for anomalies that will open investigative possibilities. Give them bonuses for their work.

A big part of enabling the cash grabs has been the rush to get people on the voting rolls, legally present or not. Some of the new voters actually exist, but many are fake.

Weeding them out should be relatively easy. Offer the states SOME of the money they are losing through this reduction in Federal Budget, by tying that to making their voting rolls able to be accessed by location. Every voter should be able to be shown on a printable map, that can be used by groups. Those groups can go out to the physical locations where multiple people seem to be in an impossibly small residence, and target those registrations for verification. Also, check to see that the residence still exists.

Next, in college towns, cross-check to make sure that the student is not also registered in their home state. Send proof that they are double-registered, and make them choose ONE place. How to find out their home state? Check social media.

Retirement havens, do the same. Find out where the people came from, if they still own a home there or visit family part of the year, and check to make sure that they don't abuse the opportunity to double-vote. Again, social media will have much of this information.

This would be easier if the standard was to NOT accept a voter registration, without FIRST checking that they were not still registered at their prior address. Within a state, a piece of cake. Even external to a state shouldn't be all that much work.

For so-called homeless, a social security designation should be on EVERY registration, not just birthdate. Cross-checks should be made to disenroll any that slip through.

At the Federal Level, modify the Motor Voter law, to require proof that the person registering is a citizen. Make it a felony to avoid checking.

A project that could occupy some eager students is the Death Checklist. Using obituary information, make sure that the person's name is taken off the voters lists. Proof of death could be made available easily.

All of the above voter actions should start in the largest cities. The larger population makes mistakes, errors, and outright chicanery easier.