The Limits of State Power (Geocities Rescue)

Originally, the moral nature of society was based on hierarchy and the divine right of kings. The Western Enlightenment replaced this with the recognition of God-given Free Will. We now believe that all citizens have God-given rights of self-determination. Extremists on both sides of any debate on public morals resist liberty, which they see as giving individuals a license to do anything and everything. Calmer heads know that this is not the case and admit that respect for Free Will does give individual liberty a certain amount of deference unless an activity is particularly harmful, and the restriction of that activity does not cause more harm than good.

Ideally, a truly free society is based on the rational will of all, which Rousseau called the General Will. The General Will is thought to be present when all in a society agree on a policy, when it is unanimous. When this is not the case government policy is carried out by the majority against the wishes of the minority. For the majority to carry out these wishes some form of police power is created, turning society into a police state to varying degrees. This is why enlightened societies set forth and guarantee basic rights for minorities in an attempt to limit the advance of a police state and to guarantee freedom to violate the moral prejudices of one's neighbors.

This is where the Christian Left embraces liberty in matters having to do with public morality and social issues. However, this embrace of liberty is not an abandonment of either Christian principles or Christian charity. Making public policy is always a moral balancing act. The Christian Left prefers that the coercive nature of the state be lessened while the charitable nature of the state is increased. Instead of jailing individuals for immoral or dangerous behavior, we prefer that they be treated, especially when the moral question at issue does not garner 100% agreement, such as in cases of victimless crime.

The power of the state is also limited by its inability to effectively deliver compassionate services. From foster care to mental health care to education, religious institutions such as Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services and the parochial school system seem to consistently perform better.

In this chapter, the most interesting and most divisive political and moral issues are discussed. All of them are simply dripping in controversy. We will tackle welfare, religion in the schools and religious schools, the War on Drugs and the treatment of criminals, racial justice, gay rights, and reproductive rights and abortion.

Improving Budget Execution (Geocities Rescue)

The biggest difference between budgeting between the public and private sectors is the lack of a bottom line in government. This deprives public managers of a tool which private sector managers find essential. The lack of a profit motive takes away a serious incentive to cut costs. A further disincentive to cost cutting is the likelihood of budget cuts resulting from cost savings. Agencies need an incentive to cut spending that they currently do not have. Recent administrations have proposed adding fifty percent of the operations (administrative) budget returned in a fiscal year to the appropriation of the next fiscal year. I favor this approach and offer the following methodology.

As part of either the authorization or the appropriations process, Congress sets mission output goals for each agency. The Air Force uses flying hours, Social Security use benefits paid, etc. Next, agencies categorize their costs into three categories: mission related, mission support, and administrative support. This categorization is reviewed and approved by both the Office of Management and Budget and the General Accounting Office. As part of this process the agency amends its accounting system at the sub-program level, designating activities using the three categories above. If a budget activity is mixed between categories it is broken down into the needed number of activities. For example, the Department of the Air Force budgets at the Program Element level. This is the level that receives Congressional and Headquarters attention. Each Major Command breaks its Program Elements into Budget Program Activity Codes. Separate codes exist for research and development, payroll, and support. Each of these is definable into one of the three categories. If an overlapping code is found it is split in two by the Department.

Managers who save costs are encouraged to give some of this money back to the Treasury. Some of this money is reprogrammed to mission, or mission support, functions. Managerial financial performance are judged by how much is given back to the Treasury and transferred to mission activities. However, as in the private sector, false economies are discouraged by the emphasis on outcome measures.

At the end of the fiscal period each agency (or Major Command) compares its results. Agencies summarize mission, mission support, and administrative support costs at the program level, sub-agency level, agency level, et cetera. Each agency also assesses mission output performance. Mission support costs are multiplied by the performance factor. The product is added to the direct mission figure. The mission spending is then divided by total spending, yielding the efficiency ratio. This calculation is done at all levels. This gives agencies an incentive to fully meet their operational goals, budget for items that improve performance and cut costs that serve no operational purpose.

Agencies use the efficiency ratio to justify increased spending authority. An agency that improves over time, or has an impressive efficiency ratio gets more money than those who are less efficient. This allocation scheme is useful at all levels, from programmatic through departmental. It is even useful to rank departments in terms of efficiency for preparation of the President's Budget Proposal. Efficiency ratios are subject to audit by the General Accounting Office, with severe penalties promulgated in cases of fraud.

Each agency reports on their efficiency ratios at the program level when submitting their detailed Appropriations requests. The Appropriations Committee then uses them for allocation purposes. This provides the answer to the question, "on what basis shall money be allocated to activity A over activity B?" The ability to spend it well.

The enactment of this proposal brings more information to the appropriations process, thus improving budgetary allocation. It will provides agencies and managers with the incentive to save money while maximizing the mission of the agency.

Budget Process and Regulatory Reform (Geocities Rescue)

For most of recent memory, especially in years where large deficits loom, the Congress and the President have been unable to reach consensus on a budget in time for the start of the fiscal year on October first. This is almost scandalous, given the impact of the federal government on the economy. The lives of millions of hardworking public servants and contractors hang in the balance while Congress debates, or more likely stalemates. While it is healthy to debate the nature of government from time to time, holding the nation hostage to stage it is not.

When the government is divided between the parties, budgets are submitted "dead on arrival.” This leads to a series of missed deadlines and a likely impasse that threatens to shut the government down at the beginning of the fiscal year. Often, the impasse leads to the need for an Omnibus Appropriation Act, with its attendant pork barrel spending to assure passage (a practice which further undermines citizen confidence in the Federal Government). The same wasteful programs and tax benefits get funded and the budget crisis goes on. This goes on because each side gains political points for blaming the other, while no one has any stake in lessening their own role.

The federal budget process is broken. It must be replaced with a new budget process that allows for agreement on broad issues and a continuation of government while the details and controversies at the programmatic level are worked out. The solution must include incentives to keep the process moving. To force congressional movement on overall priorities, the administration withholds detailed appropriations proposals until a general solution is passed in both houses of Congress and signed by the President (a Joint Budget Resolution). After this is passed, detailed proposals are submitted and acted upon by the authorization and appropriations committees. A two-year budget process is suggested to assure the process is completed on time.

Phase One: The Joint Budget Resolution
The first phase of the budgetary process is high-level budget enactment. The budget message, revenue estimates and increases, departmental, independent agency and functional spending totals, and deficit projections are included in the Joint Budget Resolution proposal. Until the resolution is enacted the Executive withholds detailed spending estimate or authorizing language. The proposal is submitted to Congress during mid-January, with passage of the Joint Budget Resolution by the July 4th recess.

A Joint Committee on the Budget considers the resolution. The Committee consists of members of the leadership of both houses, various committee chairs and members, and members not assigned to any major authorizing or appropriations committee (who shall be a majority). The Chair alternates between chambers. Such a committee is necessary to expedite action.

After the Committee reports the resolution it is considered in an expedited fashion. If there are differences between the amended versions of the resolution it goes back to the Committee one final time, and acts as a conference committee in this case.

The Executive Branch uses the totals enacted in the Joint Budget Resolution as the totals in its detailed authorizations and appropriations submissions.

Phase Two: Authorization
The second phase of the budgetary process is authorization, which begins after the Joint Budget Resolution is signed, in July of the first session. Most of the authorization process is accomplished before the appropriations process begins. To guarantee this, no appropriations bill is marked up in committee in either house until the authorization bill has secured floor passage in that house, including tax and entitlement adjustments. This occurs by February of the second session. At the start of a new President's term honeymoon authorizations changes are submitted by February, with enactment by September so that they take effect October first.

Authorization legislation addresses changes to current law, revised spending ceilings and floors (which the marked up appropriations bills does not exceed or fall short of subject to a point of order), any new programs or program elimination (the only time these occur), changes to agency regulations, adjustments to any entitlement, and estimates of their effect on the next fiscal period.

The revenue committees examine the progressivity of both taxation and spending to assure that the middle class pays for itself and the upper 20% pay for the benefits they receive plus a lions share of the benefits for the bottom 20% of income earners. Corrections in the tax code are enacted as a result of this review. The revenue committees also examine the level for cost of living adjustments (COLAs) and indexing. COLAs and indexing are adjusted so the public sector neither looses or gains as the result of inflation.

As part of this process, authorizing committees consider major regulations enacted since the last authorization. Doing so avoids the practice of appropriators playing games with the funding of regulatory agencies, since Congress has the opportunity to work its will during the authorization process. Before continuing on to the appropriations phase, I briefly discuss ways in which regulatory power is exercised in such a way as to not appear illegitimate by the vast majority of the public.

Increasing Congressional Review of Regulation
A major theme in modern political life is the popular protest against regulations enacted by unelected bureaucrats. This anti-Washington theme aided the campaigns of many recent administrations, including the current one. Other reforms in the regulatory review process increased regulatory accountability to the President. However, these did little to improve the position of Congress.

On June 30, 1983, the Supreme Court ruled the legislative veto unconstitutional in an immigration case, In re Chada. Since that time a Joint Resolution of Disapproval legislative veto has been enacted as a general case. Several other legislative vetoes have also been acted into law. However, many of these cannot survive the standards imposed by the Chada decision. Therefore, Congressional control of agency regulation remains an open question.

To regain control of regulations, authorization committees review the body of regulations under their purview during consideration of the President’s budget. The President or Independent Agencies submit any changes to their major regulations (enacted since their last authorization) as an appendix to their authorization proposals. If the authorizing committees approve of the changes they do nothing. However, if they are unsatisfied with the changes, or wish to make changes of their own they can at this juncture. These changes are made one of two ways. The first way is to write the change into law, which restricts subsequent action. If circumstances change the agency then seeks legislative relief or waits until the next authorization cycle. This option limits the ability of agencies to deal with emergencies, making it undesirable. The second way is to change agency regulation by law, allowing for further change as circumstance changes. This almost superficial difference preserves flexibility in the regulatory process, making it desirable.

Enactment of this proposal firmly places regulatory initiative with the Congress. This approach gives the people say in the regulatory process through Congress, strengthening representative government. In doing so it helps the less well organized (who know how to reach their Congressman, but not the administrative agency). The regulatory review provisions have two more advantages over the status quo. First, they bring the regulatory review process into sharper view, allowing for more involved citizen input. Second, they avoid the constitutional pitfalls of the legislative veto.

Phase Three: Appropriations
The third phase of the budgetary process is appropriations. The Executive Branch begins preparing its detailed appropriation submissions after passage of the Joint Budget Resolution in July of the previous year. It modifies its targets when Authorization legislation is marked up. The Appropriations submissions clear OMB and go to the Hill by March 15th of the second session. The submissions for each program are between the ceiling and floor listed in the authorization legislation. The total for the agency or department matches the total found in the Joint Budget Resolution. Agency submissions reflect program financial performance. Agency personnel defend the submission.

Appropriations sub-committees do not mark up legislation until after the authorization has cleared the full chamber. The full Appropriations Committees reports by June 15. If the total for an appropriations bill exceeds the total specified in the Joint Resolution the bill must clear the Joint Budget Committee before going to the floor. Legislation gets to the President's desk by Labor Day.

If an appropriations bill is not enacted prior to the start of the fiscal period (October 1) the current distribution of spending within current law is maintained, minus programs cancelled in the authorization phase, at the total set in the Joint Budget Resolution. This prevents the government from stopping at the end of the fiscal year.

Enactment of this proposal restores discipline to the budget process. Every actor in the process has specific responsibilities and incentives to meet them. Each actor maintains his share in the process, but not more than his share. The Executive Branch is forced to offer realistic proposals. The Legislative Branch meets its deadlines. The Federal Government then stops arguing about the budget and gets on with the business of governing.

There is support for these propositions in the academic and professional literature. Thomas Lynch of Florida Atlantic University also advocates a two-step budget process in "Federal Budget Reform," beginning with passage of a Joint Budget Resolution, which sets overall spending priorities. After this resolution passes agencies submit their requests, which are considered in detailed budget and bills. The strength of this approach is that it forces Congress to decide on overall priorities before they can begin to consider their local interests. Rudolph Penner and Alan Abramson, in their landmark book Broken Purse Strings, support the establishment of a Joint Budget Committee (echoing Senator Pete Domenici), a Joint Budget Resolution and multi-year budgeting.

Elections and Campaign Finance Reform (Geocities Rescue)

This essay discusses how to better select congressional and presidential candidates and how to better fund elections. The underlying theme behind these proposals is the strengthening of political parties.

Linking the Executive to the Legislative
Many political scholars note that the rise of interest groups and the independent Congress makes party governing impossible, with interest group pluralism and PAC money blocking meaningful reform. This is particularly so in the agriculture, business and insurance areas, whose interest groups block changes in farm subsidies, transportation and health care, just to name a few cases. With the multiplying of interests has come the fragmenting of political life.

Stronger relationships are needed between presidential candidates and congressional candidates to make governing easier. To build these relationships, I propose a national July 4th primary for House and Senate candidates in Presidential election years. During these campaigns congressional candidates declare for a presidential contender, who accepts or rejects that linkage (a presidential candidate may link with more than one congressional candidate). On Election Day the voter casts one vote for House, another for Senate (if applicable) and by doing so votes for the Presidential candidate linked to that candidate. The nominees for each House and Senate race, along with state Governors, gubernatorial candidates and Senators not up for reelection, caucus in August to pick the party nominee. This nominee owes his success, in part, to the congressional candidates. The congressional candidates owe their success, in part, to picking the favorite in the presidential race. These debts are not forgotten after the election. This voting scheme also provides linkages in the minds of voters between the candidates of the same party, and lessens split ticket voting.

Party Leadership
Split ticket voting is never be totally eliminated, as the voters seem to use it to assure that one party does not get too much power. Often, one party wins the White House while the other wins the Congress. In much of recent memory the losing presidential candidate fades into obscurity while his party loses its unifying voice and attempts to govern with many leaders. This waste is almost tragic, and entirely unnecessary. In those cases where one party controls the White House while the other controls the Congress, the losing presidential candidate can retain the mantel of party leadership and present his or her legislative program as if elected. This will focus the energies of his or her party, which obviously held some attraction for voters. Further, in a free society the losing candidate has as much right to offer such an agenda as the winner, as the President's role as chief legislator is almost entirely traditional. To assist the party leader in this, allow parties to establish a fund to pay analytical staff, especially in the budget arena. The result is a party program that means something, and provides a clear choice for voters in each succeeding election.

Financing Elections
The other way to make elections mean something is to increase competitiveness in the nomination process. By far the biggest incumbency advantage is the ability to raise funds independently for election. Major contributors and Political Action Committees insulate party candidates from party influence and make governing more difficult. Many reformers in the past have proposed the adoption of public financing and spending limits, while limiting the size of PAC donations. Allowing PACs to give any money to candidates directly at any level leaves candidates independent of party control and simply multiplies the number of PACs. Spending limits fail on free speech grounds and because they naively assume that an excess of money is the problem in elections. Anyone who has fundraised in a campaign knows that there is no such thing as too much money.

The solution to the funding problem must strengthen the parties, or it merely invites accounting gimmickry. This premise leads to an obvious solution. Prohibit PACs and individuals from giving money directly to candidates. Instead, PACs and individuals contribute to the political parties, who then distribute the money strategically, and without regard to the wishes of the PAC. Candidates are then much more considerate of the party program, and less likely to sell out to individual interests. Additionally, the strictest of guidelines are set up so that donations earmarked for the benefit of a single candidate are minimized.

How this money is distributed to primary challengers is key, in both presidential and off-year congressional elections. In presidential races, which are publicly funded, the campaign of each prospective nominee distributes funds to supportive congressional candidates for their primaries. Of course, this leaves the problem of inequality between presidential contenders. There is a solution to this, however, which is used with either donated or public money.

For each congressional or senatorial race, two months prior to the national primary or off-year state primary, each party holds a caucus to decide who is eligible for funding. Each congressional candidate attends, bringing as many of her supporters as she can. All declared candidates who haves qualified for ballot access attend. Any candidate who brings at least fifteen percent of the total qualified attendees receives an equal share of campaign funds. Any candidate who fails to reach this threshold is removed from the ballot. This threshold level is high enough to weed out candidates who are not serious, but low enough so that serious contenders are able to overcome efforts by the incumbent’s political machine to pack the house. Judicious use of this process allows presidential candidates to emerge who otherwise are written off and overcome the incumbency advantage in most congressional races.

The method I propose here is so good, it is unlikely to pass on its merits. Only use by a third party, such as the Greens or the Reform Party, spurs its adoption, provided that the voters turn out for third party candidates selected in this way. I bet that even a twenty percent showing by such a party using this method scares the major parties into seeking its adoption.

Local Government Representation
Getting the vote out in local contests is another serious concern. In purely local elections, most voters do not vote, nor do they pay attention to local politicians, especially at the state legislative level (even though these elections affect them most). The major parties often don't speak well to individual local issues. Additionally, poor citizens, as well as minority party-members, often have disproportionately low turnout in local elections because of their slim chance in winning or their perception of low influence. In many races, candidates do not reach out to minority voters in fear of alienating the majority. Racial gerrymandering is still an issue, as well as partisan gerrymandering. To counter this, try local multi-party democracy and proportional representation. These systems give every party that turns out a minimal number of voters a seat, or seats, in the halls of government. With a lower threshold of victory, more parties and previously disenfranchised citizens participate. More participation results in the representation of all interested parties in local government, not just the richest or the loudest. Such a government requires more deliberation and coalition building, and is less likely to run roughshod over the rights of minorities (for example, closet Republicans in Ward 3 of Washington, D.C., many of whom are registered as Democrats so that they have an influence in the primaries).

Representation is increased in two ways. The first is total proportional representation, where everyone in the state, city or county gets one vote in the general election for his or her party slate. The total number of available seats is then divvied up by the total number of votes for each party, in proportion to the actual vote. This is currently how elections are held in Puerto Rico, which has a 97% rate of voter turnout. The other option is to have multiple seats per voting district, with at least one seat reserved for the non-majority party (as I proposed in the essay on improving the District of Columbia Government). In either case, voters are likely to have some effect on the composition of the legislature, making the legislature more responsive and increasing voter turnout.

Toward Allied Government (Geocities Rescue)

The obvious question arises, "Why not support world government?" In answer, I don't believe the world is ready for one government. Most nations simply don't have a respect for the civil and economics rights of their own people and the United States must not essentially surrender its sovereignty to an organization where all other members lack this respect. A more fruitful alternative is allied government, where the members of NATO and other allies form an international body which functions like a world government, with a common military, currency, environmental protection and human rights. Nations only join if they have a common respect for the human and economic rights of their citizens and accept allied correction of any defects. (Until the Palestinian question is resolved, I do not include Israel in the list of possible members).

If Allied Government is successful, it is a force that leads all other nations to democracy and eventual membership. This is the ultimate goal of such an allied state.

The Allied Congress
The eventual size of the Allied Congress when all nations have joined dictates how many regions are formed and how populous the regions are. If you assume that the Allied Congress is to be 300 members, with each region sending between one and three members, with an optimum of two, then the number of regions is 150. Each region would then be one-one hundred fiftieth (1/150) of the world’s population.

The Allied Congress evolves from the National Caucus proposed in the essay on regional government in the United States. As members are admitted it becomes unicameral with one to three members per region.

Member regionsAllied nations form into member regions, with smaller nations consolidating to form larger regions and larger nations dividing into a number of smaller regions. Each region selects a regional vice president under its own customs to act as head of government. As I have proposed for the United States, most government functions are performed at the regional level or below (if funded publicly at all).

The regional vice presidents command the militia when called into regional service, see to the execution of government in the region and appoint members of the regional judiciary. Each region also has its own legislature and independent justice system. If not more frequently selected, the regional vice president stands for election once every six years.

The PresidentFollowing the American model, a single President heads the Allied Government. The President has a 12-year term. A long term assures time to learn the job and have an impact. The President is commander in chief of the armed and space forces. The President is the head of state and of government, receives ambassadors and negotiates treaties, removes ministers and their subordinates, appoints judges above the regional level and pardons offenses against the regions and the Alliance.

A College of the Alliance composed of the Allied Congress and the regional vice presidents meets to select the President by a majority vote and consider ratification of amendments to the Allied Constitution and the President's fitness to rule by a three-fourths majority. An indirect method of election is necessary to avoid demagoguery. The alliance and any subsequent international government is too nationally diverse to elect a single executive and anyone who could win such a majority is not to be trusted. The American Electoral College failed because its members held no other national office or power base and were therefore easy to push aside. Because the Allied Congress is included the Allied College stays independent. Because the regional vice presidents are included, a system of checks and balances is preserved. In the case of the death or incapacitation of the President, the Vice President assumes his duties without becoming President until the College of the Alliance meets.

A Common MilitaryA common military service is created, transforming NATO forces into a single allied force. The military services are divided into regional units and strategic units. Strategic units, which include units armed with nuclear weapons, naval forces and front line units, are funded from the Allied Income Tax and from tariffs. Each member region funds the non-strategic units based within it, as well as the military retirement costs of its citizens.

The Allied Congress drafts a Uniform Military Code for the military services of the Alliance. It uses the best features from the codes of all of nations that make up the Alliance, and of the American military code. It also undertakes to investigate abusive practices that have taken place under joining regimes and rectify them. The Uniform Military Code embodies the principles of modern military justice under the control of a free society.

The best way to insure a strong defense is to spread our ideals and our economic system to the rest of the world. If democracy, free markets, economic empowerment, and respect for individual rights are universal, we no longer need as strong a defense as in the past.

Domestic Affairs
A common Exchequer is created. It evolves from the Department of Treasury and Commerce described in a previous essay. It supervises currency conversion activities according to a common market basket of goods, as described in a previous essay; manages and retires the national debt of any member of the Alliance through an income tax on its wealthiest citizens; coordinates the activities of the Allied Reserve in each region, undertakes economic analysis and make recommendations on fiscal and monetary policy to the government of each member region, and conducts a decennial census.

A Conference on Regulation is established to provide a forum for the regulatory agencies in each region to discuss standardization. It operates at the sub cabinet level or below. Delegates meet on each area of regulation or procedure which involves commerce between regions or governmental action across regions, especially in the areas of postal services, the regulation of multi-national corporations, the provision of pension systems, the protection of the environment, and the regulation of workplace safety and airline safety.

A Department of the Environment sees to the elimination of large-scale pollution and gross localized pollution. If the sources of pollution are unwilling or unable to rectify the damage, it initiates cleanup of the site and bring suit in regional Court to cover the cost of such cleanup.

A Department of Civil Rights and Justice protects the civil rights of citizens of every region against regional and local governments and employers. It is the successor of the Department of Civil Rights and Justice and Justice Advocates, International.

Bringing Peace to Israel (Geocities Rescue)

Currently, the United States is locked in a war against terrorism, the main issue of which is the Israeli-Arab struggle. If the U.S. wants any hope for peace, this struggle must be ended. The focus of discussion in the peace process has been on Israeli settlements. This is misplaced. The premise of a Zionist state that permanently puts Israeli Arabs and Palestinians at a political and economic disadvantage must be addressed. The United States justifies aid to Israel because it is an outpost of western democracy in the Middle East. The extent to which Israel mistreats its people is a mockery of that promise. While the United States is hardly pure in its treatment of ethnic minorities and indigenous people, at least we are not conducting helicopter attacks upon them. When we fund Israel, we fund the Zionist concept, which is at variance with our national ideals. If we fund any regime, it should be one that promotes human dignity and liberty for all within its boundaries. While our support for Israel has as much to do with domestic political concerns and the shame we as a nation so rightly earned for allowing the Holocaust to happen, and denying entry to Jewish refugees, it is time to begin to look to the future, rather than to the past.

There are two options for bringing peace to Israel. The first is partition - not just of Israel and the Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza, but of Israel and a state that includes both Israeli Arabs and Palestinians. Israeli Arabs are still second-class citizens in many ways. In examining partition, we look to the example of India and Pakistan, who partitioned for the same reason. Even today, there is no peace between them, only better weapons. A unified Israeli Arab/Palestinian state is likely swallowed up by Lebanon, Syria or Jordan and leave Israel insecure, so we look to a second option.

The second option is less distasteful than partition, and more in keeping with the promise of both democracy and Judaism: total equality under the law for all Israelis and Palestinians in a single state (in other word, annexation). Consider Palestinians as full Israeli citizens - and abolish any legal or practical distinctions based on religion or heritage in keeping with the sacred Law as found in the Book of Leviticus. Palestinians must end their desire for a separate state and join with the Arabs in demanding full civil rights as Israelis, including a limited right of return. If a person is born in a country, or his parents have been, allow him to return without restriction (as long as that person wishes to live in peace). If one is looking to reoccupy the land of ones grandparents, it is probably best to stay put. The Palestinians must commit to non-violence. Without such a commitment to peace, the Zionist stance is justified and not even partition is an option.

To find peace, there must be a catalyst and it most likely is religion. For some, Zionism has as much to do with Judaism as ethnic nationalism. A major motivation for Zionism is religious, the desire for the restoration of the Holy of Holies. Many believe that the Ark of the Covenant is buried under the Temple Mount. However, there is scholarship on the issue indicates that the Ark was moved prior to the Babylonian Exile. It has been traced to an island in the Mediterranean Sea and then to the Jewish community in Ethiopia, which converted to Coptic Christianity. Its possession is a major tenet of the Ethiopian Coptic Church. It is said to currently be in the possession of a Coptic Monastery, who protect it with automatic weapons. Other scholarship claims the heirs of the Knights Templar are holding it in England. In either case, there is much evidence for the fact that it is not be found in under the Temple Mount.

The question arises, if it is not in Israel, how is it to be restored to Zion? Certainly the answer is not through violence. Ultimately, I do not believe that the deity that is shared by the peoples of the Book will allow the return of the Holy of Holies until there is peace, and peace through justice. The treatment of Palestinians and Arabs violates the Torah prohibition of molesting aliens, which is how they are viewed. In a real sense, however, the Arabs are not aliens but brothers in Abraham who have the right to reside in the land and who have been for generations. For the Holy of Holies to be restored, these brothers must be treated with justice. With that in mind, I offer Nine Points for Peace in Israel.

1. Annexation
Israel annexes all occupied territories and the United States, as Israel's long-term sponsor, will pay compensation to Syria, Jordan (update, Gaza is ceded back to Egypt). Residents of these territories are granted Israeli citizenship.

2. Recognition
Arab states recognize Israel.

3. Demilitarization
The war footing against the Palestinian people ends. Individuals disarm. All trials are by civilian authorities with the right of mixed juries made up of both Arabs and Jews.

4. Peace Keeping
In the interim, an international force undertakes peacekeeping activities as the Israeli military stands down.

5. Israeli Arab rights
Barriers to full participation in the political process by Israeli Arabs are removed. Religious laws, including Sabbath laws, do not apply to non-Jewish residents or businesses.

6. Constitution
A constitutional convention is called to draft a Constitution for the State of Israel, which is approved by plebiscite by all Israeli citizens, including those within the former territories.

7. Right of Return
Palestinians or their children born outside of Israel have the right to Israeli citizenship and citizenship in the country of their birth. Later generations apply for residency and petition for citizenship after a period of years. Members of certain terrorist organizations, such as Hammas and Islamic Jihad, forfeit their right of return.

8. Compensation
The United States underwrites compensation for land seized or abandoned that has been transferred to Israeli ownership at the current market value less improvements. Compensation is paid to returnees and to those who chose not to return or to their descendents, provided that members of certain terrorist organizations, such as Hammas and Islamic Jihad, receive no compensation.

9. The Ark of the Covenant
The Coptic Church of Ethiopia returns the Ark. A new Temple is constructed at a new site in the Jewish quarter. The Catholic Patriarch and his Orthodox counterpart transfer the Ark to the appropriate authorities.

Lessons from the War in Iraq (Geocities Rescue)

The Future of Iraq
Before addressing the lessons of Iraq, let us first look at its future. Now that Saddam Hussein has been removed, American and British authorities are endeavoring to undertake nation building in a nation that itself was a product of colonialism. Iraq is an unlikely collection of Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, with the Shiites having sympathy for their co-religionists in Iran and the Kurds harboring dreams of nationalism and eventual unification with their fellows in Iraq and Turkey (a NATO ally that rightly fears both Kurdish terrorism and the loss of territory).

Part of the problem is one of scale, as Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Saudi, Lebanon, Egypt and Israel are too small for true viability. Perhaps the solution for both the Iraqis and the Arabs as a whole is a single, multi-state nation on the American model. The ancient Hashemite Dynasty is a unifying symbol for the formation of such a state, which potentially evolves into a constitutional monarchy based in Damascus, its former capital city before French colonialists expelled King Abdullah’s great-grandfather. While pan-Arab nationalism, as well as the eventual unification of Kurdistan may have to wait for another day, asking His Majesty to take the lead in the reorganization of Iraq seems preferable to any solution choreographed from the shores of the Potomac, even if it is designed and implemented by the best that Foggy Bottom has to offer. A satisfactory solution in Iraq brokered by the King, combined with a solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, lays the groundwork for eventual peace in the region.

The Decision to Go to War
In December 2002, while much of the nation was in an uproar about whether to go to war in Iraq, I was not really excited one way or another. Unlike many Democrats, or even my fellow Nader voters, I did not use this issue as a surrogate for my feelings about the 2000 election. (As an aside, for Gore to pin his chances on a state where his opponent’s brother is Governor did not show presidential judgment. No Democrat who can’t win Ohio, or his home state, deserves the office).

Many protested that the war was not just. I would disagree, as any dictator who uses chemical weapons against his own people has lost any claim for justice on his behalf. The reception given the liberating American forces bears out the justice of this particular war.

Many thought the evidence of weapons of mass destruction to be flimsy, as recent reports seem to be bearing out. I counter, and echo others in doing so, that given the current climate it was up to Saddam Hussein to cooperate unambiguously in proving they were not there. He did not do so, even in the face of a massive American military buildup on his borders. He had to know that this buildup would be used before the onset of summer desert weather. To expect otherwise did not make sense. It can be called a miscalculation. If so, that miscalculation cost him his government, led to his capture and will likely cost him his life. He depended on international pressure to prevent President Bush from acting. He did not understand his enemy or the real state of international law.

The United Nations and International Law
International law is based entirely on bilateral and multilateral agreements among sovereign states. All agreements are of equal validity, so to determine whether an action is legal in the international sphere, one must look at all of them, not just the United Nations Charter. President Bush challenged the ability of United Nations to respond in Iraq. The U.N. ignored the obvious considerations having to do with desert warfare and the security of the United States, proving itself irrelevant. The UN only does so much because it is not sovereign. Rather, it is an assembly of sovereigns. To be sovereign, its legislature has to be directly elected, or it has to add an elected assembly to supplement the General Assembly. The other barrier to UN effectiveness is the diffusion of executive power. The Office of Secretary General carries much prestige, but no power. The real executive is the Security Council, which is structured to prevent action rather than to act. Without a single executive to provide leadership and implement policy, the UN has no hope of effectiveness. The final strike against it is its inability to raise funds. Currently, it depends on contributions after the model of the defeated Confederate States of America and the government of the United States under the Articles of Confederation. It is nothing more than a paper tiger, as the experience in Iraq has shown. President Bush was correct in his assessment of its effectiveness. He challenged it to greatness in Iraq and it failed.

There is an entire body of international law that is less ambiguous, the military alliances to which the United States is a party. Each of these makes one thing clear, that the United States is the first among equals, with an American in command of all joint operations and the American President in charge of that commander. In short, the reason George Bush can act as though he were king of the world is because for all intents and purposes, he is. The war in Iraq made this clear to much of the world’s population, which is why they protested, especially in Europe. I now address the prospects for the viability of this arrangement.

American Hegemony
In the days when the United States was the bulwark against Communist expansion, the position of the United States was necessary, especially after the Second World War when much of Europe and Asia lay in ruin. Since the response of President Truman to Winston Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech, America has maintained a wartime footing. Some demobilization was effected after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but it was by no means total. In the case of Iraq, the United States military was able to mobilize for war rather quickly because the military was already mobilized.

Is this constant mobilization a good idea? In Iraq and in the minds of everyone in the defense industry, the answer is yes. What about its constitutionality? The Constitution prohibits the existence of a standing army for more than two years. The framers did not believe in a permanent American military presence. This is why the military itself (although not the weapons systems) are only authorized for a year at a time. Technically, the government is in constitutional compliance, although the size of our forces and their planned use are everything the framers did not want.

Defenders of the current regime say that circumstances have changed these past two hundred years, that the founders could not have anticipated the current global situation. These forget that before the revolution the founders were subjects of an empire upon which the sun did not set. With our Middle Eastern presence, this is now true about the American military. Though technology has changed, the mind of man has not. Military force is projected worldwide now for the same reasons it was then, protection of the national political and economic interest.

Our founding fathers knew all too well the advancement of such national interests abroad leads to a diminution of liberty at home. Military and economic might lead to the necessity for secrecy (the enemy of liberty), the existence of nationalism, the promotion of hierarchy and a general lessening of the freedom of expression. The enactment of the Patriot Act is just the latest installment in this drama.

Under the Clinton Administration, the pathology of militarism was played out in the question of gays in the military, with military commanders actively subverting a policy advocated by their own commander-in-chief. By the reckoning of constitutional purists and civil libertarians, such subversion is dangerous at the very least and is an example of why the framers did not desire the establishment of a standing army.

Too often, American foreign policy is used to protect nations for strategic reasons rather than a shared interest in democracy. Nations that seek our protection must share that commitment. Compromising on this implies that our national security establishment does not view these freedoms as sacrosanct and this signal is dangerous.

The international protection of our economic interests must also end. Those economic interests who seek the protection of military might are better advised to promote liberty in the nations in which they operate. If they are successful in doing this they do not need the protection of our state, while if they resist the advancement of liberty they do not merit its protection. Freedom is essential for the operation of private enterprise and private enterprise is essential for the protection of liberty.

The projection of international might is an expense the nation can no longer afford. A budget deficit of almost half a trillion dollars testifies to this fact. (Update, $1.4 Trillion). The United States need no longer protect the entire world. Our republic is not constituted to perform well as an empire. Our ideals stop us from doing it well. A true empire charges tribute and is self-supporting. Ours is bleeding us dry. A well-run empire overtly controls its client states. We covertly subvert some and cow-tow to others, depending upon our economic interests.

The chief lesson of the war in Iraq is that our allies will not long accept American dominance absent the threat provided by the former Soviet Union. It is time for a new model of American power, one based on American ideals of freedom and federalism. All nations who share our commitment can join in a common polity. This new polity shares the cost of a common defense and shares in the decision to undertake both wars of defense and wars of liberation. This enhances the authority of our ideals and our ability to back them up when necessary.

Regional Government (Geocities Rescue)

Presidential scholars describe “several presidencies” corresponding to the duties that dominate the office of President of the United States. Among the main policy realms are national defense, foreign affairs, economic policy and domestic governance. National defense and foreign affairs always have priority, with the economy a close second. This leaves little time in the President’s schedule to dwell on domestic governance. Congressional authorizing and appropriations committees and the various constituencies in their issue network dominate domestic agencies. This is a continual source of frustration for White House staffers, regardless of which party is in power.

Many domestic issues also exhibit a great deal of regional variation. Conditions in New England on any given issue has nothing to do with conditions in Arizona or Colorado. National economic and regulatory policies fail to take into account conditions that vary from region to region. Often one region of the country is in recession while another is expanding. Additionally, regulatory needs vary from sector to sector, as do the attitudes of citizens in each sector. The almost annual filibuster over grazing fees and public land policy is an apt illustration of this. To deal with these problems, a more regional approach proves fruitful for both the Executive and Congress.

Agencies already possess a regional infrastructure, although this is mostly for program execution rather than for policy development. Of course, informal policy development at the regional level, in concert with the relevant congressional committee members and staff happens more often. Setting out a formal process for regional policy making takes it out of the shadows and into the light, where it is more accountable. Congress then meets in regional caucuses to oversee policy and regional vice presidents are selected to fulfill a wide variety of functions, freeing the President to concentrate on those affairs that are most important for the nation as a whole.

The current regional breakdown is based on an Executive Order from back in the Nixon Administration, with variation occurring at the departmental and sometimes the sub-departmental level. The Federal Reserve and the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also have different regional boundaries. Regions can be broken down in a variety of ways. I suggest, abiding by the Constitution’s prohibition on discriminatory trade policy against any individual state, that regions be larger than the population of any state, and that they have roughly the same size congressional delegation in terms of total electoral votes. I have examined regional breakdowns ranging from four to ten regions. The breakdown with seven regions appeared the best one, as follows:



Region I - New York: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont

Region II - Washington: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia

Region III - Atlanta: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisianna, Mississippi, Tennessee

Region IV - Dallas: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas , Utah

Region V - Chicago: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio

Region VI - San Francisco: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon

Region VII - Kansas City: Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Executive Agency and Congressional Committee Reorganization
A joint task force accomplishes the transition to regional government with membership from both the Congress and the Executive. This task force drafts reorganization plans for national and regional agencies and the committees of the national and regional caucuses of Congress. The congressional portion of these plans is enacted by resolution, while the executive reorganizations are submitted to Congress, subject to a legislative veto of disapproval. The law setting up this task force also creates regional codes for applicable parts of the U.S. Code and the Code of Federal Regulations.

Regional Caucuses
Both the Senate and the House meet in regional caucuses. In regions with fewer states, the Senate caucus meets as a committee of the whole, reviewing House caucus legislation. In other the other regions, the Senate caucus divides into committees. The House caucus elects its own Speaker. The Senate caucus elects its own President. Each caucus gives full credit to the actions of every other caucus and sustains any attempted vetoes by the President. Caucuses have the authority to amend the regional code and adjust the code of regulations for the region; enact the budget for the region, within general guidelines enacted by the national caucus; and oversee activities of regional agencies. The regional senatorial caucuses advise and consent on executive appointments, while the entire caucus consents to the initial presidential appointment of regional vice presidents and any appointment to fill a vacancy in that office.

National Caucus
A National Caucus consists of seven (7) representatives and (3) senators per region, with adjustments for population size if necessary, with partisan balance among representatives, for a total of 49 representatives and 21 senators. The National Caucus enacts regional actions on a pro forma basis, enacts the national budget resolution in aggregate terms, sets the pay of military officers and enlisted personnel, makes specific appropriations for national functions, enacts national legislation, consents to presidential and vice presidential appointments, and oversees national defense and domestic agencies. The full Congress only meets for the consideration of impeachment proceedings and their subsequent trial in the Senate, as well as for the enactment of Constitutional amendments. The Senate also meets periodically for the ratification of treaties. Note that everything I am proposing here can be enacted by statue. Because all regional actions are repeated on a pro forma basis at the national level, no constitutional amendment is necessary.

President of the United States
The duties of the President are adjusted to correspond to what actually occurs on a day-to-day basis. The most important duty is the initial appointment of regional vice presidents, and the filling of vacancies in that office. The other obvious duties are serving as the commander in chief of the armed services, the conduct of foreign affairs, space operations and intelligence operations, the appointment of Justices to the Supreme Court, Ambassadors, national military commanders and officers in national service, the approval or veto of national legislation, submission of the aggregate national budget the delivery of the State of the Union Address to the National Caucus, removal of officials from national agencies and executive clemency. Some actions are taken after consultation with the regional vice presidents, like the appointment of District and Appellate Court judges and Federal Reserve officials and the signing of regionally passed legislation. The Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security report directly to the President.


The Department of Defense is be reorganized into strategic and regional functions. Strategic functions include planning, overseas operations and theater deployments, naval sea and Marine Corps operations, special operations and strategic nuclear forces. Regional functions include the establishment of seven regional armies and air forces with associated guard and reserve components, naval shore operations and the funding of military retirement. Strategic functions are funded by the personal income surtax on high-income individuals, excise taxes, tariffs and contributions from allies (which in olden times was known as tribute). The Business Income Tax funds regional functions. Peacetime procurement costs are born by the unit using the supplies or equipment, so if an Armored Division is based in Texas, Region IV purchases its tanks and its gasoline. As you have likely guessed by now, making the regions pay for these costs makes them think twice about the pursuit of pork barrel legislation. It is likely that this step leads to the closure of bases that are no longer necessary and the right sizing of the armed services that should have occurred at the end of the Cold War.

Vice President of the United States
The official duties of the Vice President are greatly increased under regionalization. The Vice President is the lynch pin that holds the whole system together. He or she presides over a national council of regional vice presidents and the three remaining national domestic departments, nominates the secretaries of these domestic departments for presidential appointment and recommends economic and budgetary targets to the President at both the national and regional levels. The departments reporting to the Vice President are Treasury and Commerce; Civil Rights and Justice; and Science, Environment & Interior.

The Department of Treasury and Commerce performs the economic analysis activities currently being performed by the Departments of Labor and Commerce; performs international economic analysis; oversees banking, deposit insurance and federal reserve operations; manages the public debt; administers the Social Security program – including the transition to Personal Retirement Accounts; and collects income taxes on higher income individuals and heirs, as well as providing an information clearing house for Business Income Tax records (although these taxes will be collected at the regional level). After the Debt is retired and income taxes on higher income individuals sunset, the primary funding for this department is through seigniorage, federal reserve and federal deposit insurance operations.




The Department of Civil Rights and Justice safeguards the rights of citizens against abuse at all levels of government and in the workplace, and represents the government in civil and environmental regulatory matters. It also provides assistance to a commission in the Department of Science, the Environment and Interior charged with distributing excess public land to the regions, individuals and Native American nations, as appropriate. It is funded primarily be fees, fines and judgments.



The Department of Science, the Environment and the Interior manages scientific research best sponsored at the national level in the areas of health, transportation, the environment and aerospace; operates the National Park System; provides environmental enforcement of Superfund and nuclear sites and distributes or sells public lands and forests among the national government, regional governments, state governments, Indian tribes (where a valid claim can be made that treaty obligations are unmet or that terms and conditions of treaties were coerced and remedy is possible) and individuals; awards patents and register trademarks; approves drugs and provides regulatory coordination between the various regions in all regulatory matters transferred to that level. . This department is funded with licenses, fees and fines.


Regional Governments
The remainder of the Federal government is transferred to the regions. Each regional caucus sets its own tax rates, sets up its own Open Market Committee to control interest rates in cooperation with the Federal Open Market Committee, sets its own budget, regulates interstate commerce, monitors regulations, enforces federal criminal laws and establishes human service programs. The functions of the departments of Agriculture, Human Resources, Interior, Justice, Science, Treasury and certain of the independent agencies are divided between the regions. The War Reserve components of the Armed Services are divided among the regions and are funded out of each regional budget. It is expected that most of what is called wasteful spending is cut out more effectively by the regional caucuses. Spending on pork barrel projects, unneeded military bases and generous tax benefits and subsidies to favored industry are less attractive in a regional capital than in Washington.

A vice president is appointed for each region. Ideally, appointees to this office have previously served as governors, senators or general officers. Initially, the President appoints these officers. In subsequent administrations, presidential nominees select running mates in each region. The Electoral College vote for each region then selects the regional vice presidents, regardless of who wins the White House. It goes without saying that service as a regional vice president makes a person very electable for national office. Regional vice presidents recommend acts originating in regions for signature or veto; recommend federal reserve and judicial appointments to the President (who has discretion to make up his own mind; nominate regional officials for appointment subject to confirmation by regional Senate; appoint and remove lesser officers and officials; see to the execution of the regional code and issuance of regional regulations; report on the state of the region to the caucus and the President; cooperate with the President on actions of the national government; submit a budget for the region, within the totals recommended by the President and enacted by the national caucus and act as supreme commander of regional military forces unless called into national service.

Transportation Systems (Geocities Rescue)

Aside from education, the biggest fiscal challenge facing local governments is fixing our transportation infrastructure without increasing pollution. The President has proposed that we switch to hydrogen within ten years. This is nice, but does not solve all the problems of accidents and congestion we currently face. Accidents still kill too many people. Congestion is still too much of a problem. Forcing people to use more public transportation is not the answer, because people will never give up the freedom and convenience offered by owning your own car. An integrated solution provides for systematic traffic control, increased mass transit and individual or rented car ownership.

We currently have the technology to switch to an entirely electric system, with vehicles on major roads and highways drawing power from overhead cables in the same manner that passenger trains and electric buses do. A roof is put over these transmission lines, and grass grown on these roofs. In cities and new developments, roads with this feature are even put under street level. These transmission lines also double as an electric transmission system to houses.

Practical electric cars, with electric motors in the axels, are already under development. Automatic control technology is also improving. Extending a transmission line from a car to an overhead power and control system is only a baby step. Once this step is taken, interstate travel is revolutionized, as vacationers set their cars to their destinations and go, working, watching television or sleeping while the car does the driving.

Funding
A key advantage to this system is that it is either entirely private, or a mix between public and private funding. However it is funded initially, the driver provides a link to a debit or credit account to the system and the trip begins provided funds are available. Rental cars are even used, either for single trips or cross-country excursions, relying on the same premise. Of course, taxicabs as we know them are replaced by this technology.

Workers at employee-owned inter-independent firms get their car loans through their workplaces. Firms even include the stock of the evolving transportation companies in their retiree investment portfolios, so that travel expenses in retirement are covered by stock dividends.

Daily Travel
For daily travel, the system adjusts itself to limit congestion. When road congestion is high, rates for “downtown” trips are raised, while rates to public transportation facilities are lowered. If public transportation is overloaded, rates to drive downtown are decreased. Over the long term, fuel usage, auto production and road construction and maintenance are integrated and fees are set to optimize the system and remove gridlock. Since the system is largely under ground, it does so without tearing up the landscape. The solution to the parking problem is the best part, with empty vehicles returning home to park and coming back at the end of the day. Is this science fiction? Not any more.

Energy Sources
This solution to our transportation problems is an ideal way to increase the use of clean burning natural gas or hydrogen generators to power the electric grid, or even to harness long neglected nuclear power technology. Recent breakthroughs in developing fusion technology also show promise. Physicists are close to generating a sub critical reaction that is used to provide power generation. When this occurs, the system described here is ideal, provided the right industrial partners are brought on board to prevent obstruction. Cars also have reserve batteries, which charge while in the system for use on those streets that have not yet been improved.

Overcoming Resistance
Individual drivers are less likely to resist this system than mere appeals for more public transit, since privately owned vehicles are a component of this system. Another major selling point is that people are able to program their destinations and go, taking their minds off the road. Automobile accidents are a thing of the past, especially drunk driving. This system actually encourages travel, and the production of more comfortable vehicles to travel in - with television and Internet access. This development also lowers the price of airlines and hotels, given the realistic alternative of driving straight through.

State and Local Finance (Geocities Rescue)

This essay covers two separate strategies to improve state and local finance, one based on the current system of taxes and the other based on the proposal for a Business Income Tax discussed above. Both of these proposals are related to the situation in Virginia. First, though, let us look at the fiscal situation generally.

Reforming Tax Structures
Two recent events in the early 2000s put most states, and their localities, into financial crisis. The first is the 2001 tax cut, which is exacerbated by the 2003 tax cuts. The new "Great Recession" has exacerbated these issues. Any state that ties its income tax structure to the federal structure loses money unless they increase tax rates. The second is the collapse of the Internet bubble. Prior to the collapse, revenues grew with income, which was overstated by the acquisition of paper millions. Most jurisdictions based their future revenue projections on this funny money and cut tax rates accordingly. These rate cuts have not been reversed, as it is easier to cut taxes than to raise them.

The current shortfalls also point to the lack of thought given to the mix of taxes at each level of government. Most state governments collect an income and/or sales tax on a statewide basis and property taxes at the local level, while funding education at the local level and welfare, social services, mental health and corrections at the state level. Roads are paid for at both the state and local levels. Additionally, most states give grants to localities, as they are more efficient tax collectors. Surveys show that the tax that is least resented is the state income tax, although that is certainly not true in all states – some of which have no state income tax at all. Currently, governments with unified budgets collect taxes from many sources and spend it on a variety of programs. There is a better way. Link revenue sources to the social purpose that the public agency is trying to accomplish. There are five kinds of revenue sources: income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, permit fees and transportation taxes and fees.

Income taxes are redistributional in nature, so link them to the redistributional functions of government. The ultimate form of redistribution is public education, so fund all public education with state income taxes with the state distributing these funds to localities based on the needs of each jurisdiction. Money for schools is allocated based on student population and inversely related to student family income (disadvantaged areas get more money). State and local income taxes also support welfare programs, as well as mental health and family services. Property taxes are no longer used for education, as poor districts have little to draw on to fund education where it’s needed most. States which tie their income taxes to the federal system need to introduce an automatic rate increase or decrease in each bracket to compensate for changes in the federal tax code, so that federal tax cuts do not provoke a fiscal crisis in state government and tax increase do not doubly penalize state taxpayers.

Property taxes are the ideal way to fund and protect infrastructure, so they fund local streets, housing inspection and a portion of public safety. Fees collected for home building inspection, titles, etc. also support these activities. Debt service is also tied to this tax. A jurisdiction uses capital budgeting to redevelop blighted areas, with future tax collections paying off these investments. A portion of gasoline taxes also goes for local streets. Property taxes are administered at the lowest possible level, possibly even the neighborhood. Organizations like the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions in Washington, DC are given decision authority on street funding and service deployment, starting the evolution to a more direct form of democracy and service, shrinking the reach of government.

In metropolitan areas, there are often several jurisdictions responsible for the highway and mass-transit system. Washington, DC is a classic example, with a Federal District, two states, and multiple counties responsible for bus, highway, subway and commuter train systems. Competition within the system, such as price competition to minimize gas taxes, often causes other the whole system to break down with inefficient bus routes, gridlock, and deteriorating roads. For both single and multiple jurisdictions, regional authorities to pursue a common building and funding strategy for both major roads and public transportation are desirable. These authorities set gasoline taxes for the entire region, share the resulting revenue, recommend property tax rates for roads, set rail and bus fares and establish routes, establish toll roads and develop highways and rail lines. When congestion occurs on one part of the system, or to fight high levels of pollution, tolls or gasoline taxes are be increased or decreased or alternate service provided. Inefficient bus routes, which are a hold over from before light rail's reemergence, are rerouted to support the rail lines rather than compete with them. Such authorities also issue debt instruments tied to future revenue to upgrade the system.

Sales taxes fund commercial regulation, inspection, business services and public health, as well as the portion of public safety serving business interests. These funds are also distributed to jurisdictions that have greater infrastructure and public safety needs than their property tax base can meet. Sales taxes are especially useful to fund a more service oriented regulatory structure. Ombudsmen are assigned to each business or institution to coordinate all other government contact, a regulatory “cop on the beat” to handle all taxes, inspection and compliance activities at all levels of government, from the federal level to the local level. If a business needs a permit that involves coordination by more than two agencies, the Regulatory Specialist creates an electronic consolidated questionnaire that automatically files all paperwork.

Virginia’s Revenue Crisis
This menu of reforms is especially needed in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which is experiencing serious financial difficulty due to the end of the car tax and to population growth in Northern Virginia. Linking spending to revenue functions helps determine whether income taxes are adequate to fund such items as education, corrections and social services. If they are not, the obvious answer to is to raise the tax rate, which is lower than in nearby areas. Likewise, if gasoline and property taxes are inadequate to fund needed improvements, these are increased. The establishment of toll roads, especially on interstate routes between Washington and Virginia Beach also merit careful consideration. Nothing causes air pollution like idling traffic. Much of this traffic is from out-of-state travelers, so toll roads are most appropriate.

A key question raised in the 2002 tax referendum debates was whether to allow Northern Virginia to levy a higher rate for education and transportation. Central and southwest Virginia leaders stated that such a levy magnifies differences between the northern counties and the rest of the state. Whether these fears are justified or not, they must be taken into account, as well as the higher revenue needs of Northern Virginia. Most of these needs reflect the costs that go with being located in the Washington metropolitan area. Therefore, the only justification for higher income or gas tax rates is to fund regional education, social welfare, mental health, corrections or transportation partnerships, or as an offset to a much feared non-resident income tax in the District. I suspect that, given the record of mismanagement in the District government, most Northern Virginians favor the establishment of regional authorities to such a tax.

Business Income Taxes
If the federal government restructures its tax system as outlined above, and even if it does not, consider the abolition of the income tax and the sales tax and their replacement with a business income/value added tax along the lines discussed for the federal government. Such a tax includes the same credits and deductions as suggested on the federal level. Local jurisdictions with higher costs of living mandate high enough dependent tax credits so that the combination of the federal and state credits provides an adequate income. Some states where the cost of living is lower provide a lower credit, while high cost areas award a higher credit. Credits might even be set on a county-by-county basis to reflect the cost of living.

Additional deductions are established for social service contributions are also be adopted, allowing vast portions of state and local government to be replaced by faith-based organizations, includin education, mental health care, aid to needy families, workforce development and corrections.

Tax rates are set high enough to provide incentive to use these credits. If these are used the actual amount of taxes collected is very low indeed. As businesses shift to employee-ownership, which is discussed below, the need for regulation by the state will lessen. Employee-owned firms are more likely to provide safe products and workplaces (since the employees know their futures are directly on the line). As most regulation is handled by business and professional standard setting bodies, the role of government in this area diminishes.

Non-profit entities and governmental organizations also pay this tax, or an automatic contribution equivalent to the tax. Tax rates for organizations that do not rely on commercial sales are lower, although those organizations that do sell products pay an equal levy because they use the same level of government service in supporting commercial regulation. Governmental organizations make a contribution based on their total payroll, rather than their total budget, much the same way they collect state and local income taxes for their employees.

The key to understanding this tax proposal is to recall that employers collect most income taxes already. Shifting to a value added tax approach continues this, while shifting what is now a shared reporting liability by the employee and the employer totally to the employer. Such a proposal also allows most individuals to end reporting miscellaneous income from savings and investment (which are mostly taxed as part of the Business Income Tax anyway.).

In Virginia, if federal structural reform occurs first, no change is required to the Virginia Constitution to adopt this tax reform (in fact, in the event of a federal change, a constitutional amendment is required to maintain the status quo). If Virginia wishes to take the lead in tax reform, however, a constitutional amendment is necessary. Constitutional reform is also required to introduce a tax credit for faith-based schools and social services. This is needed to overturn the Blaine Amendment banning public support for religious schools. While a tax credit is not the same as direct public support, it is safer to pass an amendment, if only because some anti-Catholic bigot in civil libertarian’s clothing is likely to challenge the provision in court.

Fighting for Justice (Geocities Rescue)

Establishing the rule of law is essential for protecting any development scheme in either the Third World or in economies emerging from state control. Corrupt regimes otherwise attempt by fiat to protect their own interests at the expense of their citizens, as current experience in Russia and China so amply prove.

As economic conditions improve due to the adoption of Cooperativism in the developing and formerly socialist world, a middle class emerges that demands basic human rights. Their aspirations should be supported by their employers and by people of good will everywhere. A worldwide consortium of attorneys is formed to assist in this effort. The need for such a consortium is not limited to the developing world, as the state of justice in the so-called developed world leaves much to be desired. This consortium is called Justice Advocates International, with the appropriate suffix given the customs of the nation in which it arises.

Legislative Advocacy

The consortium works in the areas of both legislative advocacy and legal representation. Legislative advocacy is essential, especially in nations with a less than developed common law. In these nations, the first function is to organize support for the rule of law and the right to injunctive and tort relief.

In many nations (including this one), the criminal code is particularly oppressive and is often used as a tool to oppress racial and sexual minorities. Many criminal felonies that are regarded as fodder for late night talk show humor are, or have been used in the American South to disenfranchise African-American males. Drug laws are also used to fulfill that function. Justice Advocates concentrates on the repeal of such oppressive legislation. Especially in the area of drug abuse, a shift is sought from criminalization to medicalization, as described in other essays. JAI also seeks the repeal of laws that reflect religious dictates, especially if their purpose is to place non-believers in an inferior status, as well as laws that are used to perpetuate slavery or slave-like conditions. Much immigration legislation in this country has this effect, since undocumented aliens fear that seeking relief results in sanctions against them, rather than their oppressors. Laws criminalizing prostitution often serve the interests of pimps more than they serve the interest of public morality. Rather than punishing prostitutes, mandate that they be tested for drug and alcohol abuse and referred involuntarily to treatment. In many places, laws against prostitution are used to advantage by corrupt police or military officials. This must end. Economic arrangements also come under scrutiny, especially when these involve usury or predatory financing, including check cashing services, sub-prime mortgage lending and exploitive car financing arrangements.

Litigation

Justice Advocates International represents citizens against exploitation at the hands of both governments and employers. It develops a foundation for the representation of anyone who is the target of organized oppression, especially those instances that demand less media attention. There are many organizations that already do this sort of work. Justice Advocates reaches out to them for inclusion in our efforts. JAI does not attempt to reinvent the wheel, but to seeks a coordinated partnership for all of its spokes. Instances where peonage is practiced come under intense scrutiny, especially when it is undertaken with the support of local law enforcement. Judgments are also sought against those who engage in usury or predatory financing.

Justice Advocates facilitates the move to economic justice. They represent employees who seek ownership in their place of employment, including workers in the former Soviet Union or in China who have been cheated by Oligarchs and party bosses. They also represent the interests of those in the developing world who have been blacklisted and seek damages in those cases where violence and murder have been used. Multi-national corporations who seek to exploit rather than empower workers are held responsible in U.S. courts of this nation for any support of activities that violate the rights of their overseas employees. Firms with exclusive supply arrangements which attempt to mask ownership are held accountable for the actions of their supplies and subsidiaries, as are firms who do business with Russian and Chinese firms who have cheated their workers or who rely on slave labor.

Justice Advocates also represents communities who are victimized by environmental pollution. Injunctive relief is sought to force the installation of adequate pollution controls. Tort relief is also sought, including relief against parent companies in the developed world. While the fights against deforestation, global warming and acid rain are commendable, as long as gross violations of reasonable restrictions on point-source pollution occur such causes seem trivial.

Justice Advocates seeks to guarantee the rights of native peoples to tribal and ancestral lands, both in the United States and in Latin America, where land reform has long been denied.

Justice Advocates proactively lobbies and litigates against political corruption in the United States, including electoral and campaign finance reform, which is discussed in the next chapter.

Finally, JAI is to be guided by a new International Bill of Rights, which is also proposed as the Bill of Rights for the Alliance described in the essay on Allied Government. Unlike the Universal Declaration of Human Rights enacted by the United Nations, violations of these rights are to be actionable.

An International Bill of Rights (Geocities Rescue)

The rights delineated here are declared for all jurisdictions and levels of government in the Alliance.

Section 1. As God is not honored by forced worship, religious freedom shall not be abridged. The establishment of religion in any jurisdiction shall not be exclusive, nor shall state power in the Alliance be used to enforce dictates on public morals which the citizen or religionist has no voice in applying to law. Members may enact cultural holidays or customs which the individual shall be free to celebrate or ignore as his conscience dictates.

Section 2. No law or edict shall be passed or enforced which abridges the freedoms of speech, voluntary association, privacy, peaceable assembly, expression, press, petition for redress of grievances, or dissent. Further, no one may be compelled to join any organization. The consumption of marijuana shall not be interfered with by any government within the Alliance.

Section 3. None shall be deprived of life, liberty, property or entitled opportunity without due process of law, nor denied equal protection under the law. Life is recognized to begin in the Alliance at gastrulation. However, no law criminalizing abortion may be enacted prior to assisted viability.

Section 4. No slavery or involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime duly convicted, shall exist in the Alliance. As people are children of God human exploitation in other forms shall not be allowed. No contracts may be enforced which put the lesser party at a permanent disadvantage or permanently increasing debt, with the exception of pension arrangements which bind employers and religious vows. The rights to work, rest, join trade unions, receive just and equitable compensation for labor, attain education and literacy, and enjoy procreation are reaffirmed.

Section 5. Property seized by the government shall be compensated justly. Rights of compensation shall remain with descendants until compensation is received, and all debts against the Alliance or any of its jurisdictions shall remain in force against the Alliance and its members.

Section 6. The right to vote shall not be abridged to any adult citizen, excepting those under a prison sentence for a felony and those judged to be mentally incompetent. Persons may be recognized as adults as early as their fifteenth birthday, and not later than their twentieth, according to their ability to maintain themselves in society.

Section 7. No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed. The right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury (or an unbiased judge if such option is taken by the accused) shall not be denied, nor shall the presumption of innocence. No person shall be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense, and civil and criminal proceedings shall occur concurrently for the same offense. Victims of crime shall be represented in all criminal actions, as shall the state. No attainder of treason or crime shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture except during the life of the accused. Further, no cruel or unusual punishment shall be inflicted or excessive fines or seizures imposed. Torture for information or intimidation shall not be used for either criminal or military purposes. No person may be executed unless failure to do so would result in greater loss of human life.

Section 8. None shall be required to incriminate himself in open court or in the investigation of crime, whether the case be criminal or administrative. Unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be permitted against persons, property, papers and effects, agents or electronic assets. All warrants for search and arrest shall be upon probable cause and supported by oath or affirmation. Recourse shall be available to those unreasonably searched or searched due to false witness, and malicious and unreasonable searches shall not yield evidence. No person may be convicted of a crime solely upon the testimony of a witness granted immunity without the corroboration of a second witness without such a grant or supporting physical or documentary evidence.

Section 9. Indictments for all felonies shall be by grand jury, and all indictments shall be reviewable before trial so that the particulars alleged by the state shall match the offense as delineated in law, and the accused shall be informed of the nature and cause of the indictment. The rights to confront hostile witnesses, have compulsory access to friendly witnesses, and to secure an attorney at the same level of funding as the opposition shall not be denied. Excessive bail shall not be required, except in the interest of public safety.

Section 10. The privilege of writ of habeas corpus shall not be abridged except in time of civil or international conflict. Treason shall consist only of acts of war against the Alliance, or in giving aid and comfort to the enemy in time of war. The testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or a confession in open court, shall be necessary for a conviction of treason. Troops shall not be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner. The right to keep and bear arms for personal protection, participation in the militia or lawful hunting and recreation shall not be unreasonably infringed.

Ending Government (Geocities Rescue)

If everything I am suggesting in the Manifesto comes about, the result is the end of government as we know it, not only in the political realm but also in every facet of life. The practice of democracy in the religious and industrial sectors refocus both of these areas in a way that allows the now ever present hand of government to be withdrawn from all of our lives. Churches abandon Moralism and take on service, leading to an end of religiously and racially based laws that bring America closer and closer to a police state. Employee-owned businesses plan for the long-term rather than the short term bottom line and provide safe products and a safe workplace. This new business climate diffuses through multi-national firms to the rest of the world, leading to the end of both tyranny abroad and an all present defense-industrial complex at home. The aerospace industry then concentrates on the peaceful exploration and colonization of space and man begins to realize his true destiny, exploring both his soul and the cosmos.

For these things to occur, however, action is necessary. Institutions do not transform on the weight of logic but on the actions of everyday people. The first action which is necessary is to talk. A links is provided to the right to get involved in the discussion on-line. Use it. I have no monopoly on truth, and I am sure that you will let me know this. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Taking Action (Geocities Rescue)

Organizing the Movement and a Party

To end government, we have to get organized. It is clear is that, given a progressive view on tax policy and reproductive choice, there is no hope for this ideology succeeding within the Republican Party, while adopting the view that human life begins at gastrulation and that tax policy should be used to protect it makes success in the Democratic Party iffy at best. It is clearly time to stake out new ground. The first step in organizing a movement for change is to begin talking. A Yahoo discussion group has been formed for this purpose. As our numbers increase, on-line discussion groups for every state will be formed. As these groups grow, face-to-face meetings occur at the congressional or state legislative district level to discuss issues. When a candidate is recruited from each district, petitions can be circulated creating the Christian Libertarian Party. When a candidate is recruited from each district, a political party is formed This party will conduct its affairs as suggested in the essay on electoral reform. Direct contributions to candidates are not allowed. Rather, donors and PACs contribute directly to the Party, which distributes funds to any candidate getting 15% membership at the district funding caucus. No run for national office is attempted until at least 233 congressional candidates have been recruited (216 House, 17 Senate) to vote in a national nominating convention.

Consulting Services
The Iowa Center for Fiscal Equity and Religious Left Productions provide consulting services to Unions and Employee Stock Ownership Plans, aerospace companies, faith-based organizations, political parties, state medical societies, state governments and federal agencies who wish to adopt the principles in these essays. The following services are available:
- Board structure and management selection reform,
- Payroll system redesign,
- Pension reform,
- Health insurance cost control using medical lines of credit,
- Company training and education system redesign,
- Public and private education system redesign ,
- Institutional board of education consultation,
- Commercial Space Transportation System development and funding,
- Privatization services,
- Private faith-based correctional and mental health system strategic development and marketing,
- Governmental budgeting systems development,
- Systematic redesign of local tax structures,
- Development of statewide senior healthcare systems,
- Medical malpractice accountability and arbitration systems,
- Agency and state financial management system development,
- Election and campaign finance reform,
- Training and credentialing services for potential political appointees,
- Civil service management and leave reform,
- Public agency reorganization,
- Diocesan organizational development,
- Environmentally efficient housing design services,
- Professional sport and entertainment union-ownership development,
- Automated transportation system development, and
- Economic analyses of currency markets for transfer pricing.

A portion of the profits from any consulting are contributed to the party. These proceeds go toward lobbying expenses, the printing of literature and the election of candidates. Donations are also gladly accepted. Employment is available in a variety of capacities, including marketing, fundraising, accounting, scientific, engineering, technical and legal.

Leadership Conferences

The Iowa Center for Fiscal Equity and Religious Left Productions hold a series of leadership conferences on the issues of the day. Opinion leaders for the various perspectives, government officials, congressional staff and the media are invited to examine several issues from a fresh perspective, with the goal of seeking a viable solution. The following issues are discussed:
- Creation of Personal Retirement Accounts in Social Security and their impact on the workplace,
- The economic impact of regulation, governmental spending and fiscal policy on the various federal regions,
- Organizing faith-based organizations to provide vocational education, TANF casework, mental health, drug and alcohol treatment, corrections, and retiree health care and annuities, - Election and campaign finance reform,
- The impact of Church organizational structure on Christian unity,
- The impact of various tax reform proposals on abortion, the aging crisis and the funding of state and local government programs,
- The empowerment of young and professional women who wish to have their children and the careers without resorting to abortion.

Justice Advocates - International

An international conference of leaders and attorneys from each nation is to be convened to discuss economic, social and environmental justice. This conference will become Justice Advocates, International and discusses and ratifies a universal statement on human rights and economic justice. Representatives to this conference return home to establish the rights of petition and tort in each nation where it is lacking now. If you are interested in attending this conference, contact the party.

A worldwide environmental defense network is to be established to study ways to end pollution. As new ways are developed, they are offered to companies. This network also sets up monitoring stations to catch violators. Justice Advocates brings suit against egregious violators who continue to pollute or who resist adoption of new environmental technology. Network scientists also study self-sufficient habitats for use on earth and in space.

International Currency Quarterly

An international meeting of economists is to be convened to discuss forming a common market basket of goods to measure price levels against exchange rates. The conference establishes a network to continuously monitor this relationship and publish a quarterly newsletter listing its findings and analysis, called the International Currency Quarterly.

Union-owned multinational corporations also use these data for transfer pricing. If you are interested in participating, contact us at the Iowa Center for Fiscal Equity.

Private Space Colonization

There are many private efforts to build work toward the private colonization of space. Most of these rely on the old model of corporate governance. An international space consortium of aerospace firms and an International Space Corps is to be created using the principles of 21st Century Economics outlined here. To form the backbone of this effort, job applications are now being taken for program managers for each of the space stations outlined in the essay on Going to Mars. Program managers are responsible for overseeing the design of the station, recruiting clients to use station facilities, obtaining financing once the client manifest is full and securing partners to build each station in orbit, as well as the attached spacecraft. This effort is divided into three teams, a Blue Team for Earth operations, a Grey Team for lunar operations and a Red Team for Mars operations. These are sweat equity positions until financing is obtained. Program Managers are eventually commissioned as members of the International Space Corps with the rank of Colonel. Colonels also receive permanent lodging on the space station they design. Applicants agree to abide by the principles of 21st Century Economics. Interested applicants should email me at Bindner_Space@Yahoo.com.

Rebuilding the Church

We end as we began, by talking about religion. It is my hope that the Church hierarchy heeds the comments made in the second chapter about putting away earthly power, creating a lay deaconate to manage its administrative, financial, educational and charitable operations, ordaining women and reinstituting priests who have married. If it does not, other actions are necessary. If events move as they have been, there is hardly an adequate supply of priests to meet the needs of the faithful. In some places, the need is already dire. Eventually, the faithful take matters into their own hands, demanding that the local clergy, and even the laity, reclaim the right to elect their bishops. The yeast for such a reform is those resigned Priests who have been cast aside, who are eventually the majority in many diocese. If groups of these priests met and elected new bishops it is hard to argue with the validity of this election, even though it is technically illicit. Whether such elections stand depends upon the reaction of the faithful. If the need proves as dire as it appears, such actions may meet with popular acceptance. Do these matters come to a head this year? Most likely they do not, but possibly in the next five years. I offer my Yahoo group as a forum of these discussions.