- Overall budget cuts (goal to cut 10% - the first target is government overpayments) at all levels; then budget freeze (inflation adjusted only).
- No economic development grants or tax abatements; private enterprise must work on its own. No eminent domain solely for economic development purposes.
- Total Wealth Tax
- Balanced budget requirement; line item veto.
- The United States Constitution gives the President two distinct roles: (i) holder of executive power,and (ii) commander in chief of the armed forces. The NEP only supports candidates qualified to fulfill both roles.
- The federal government's primary roles are defense, interstate issues (especially commerce), and coordinating cooperation among states. It is not to prevent every injury or respond to every personal need or tragedy; individual citizens (and state and local governments) have responsibilities (including taking precautions in the event of hurricane, tornado, earthquake, etc).
- Reduce government to 3 Levels (state, federal and local) - consolidate county and city (urban sprawl has taken away need for separate governments). State and local governments must take responsibility for certain conditions. Relief for natural disasters is primarily a local and state issue with the federal government providing back-up relief.
- Representatives must spend at least 180 days per year in their home district or meet every other year.
- Our representatives are currently too far removed from their constituencies.
- Representatives should hold at least two open (and televised) town meetings per year - the people need access to politicians and $1,000 a plate dinners do not provide access.
- Randomize re-districting - Grid by contiguous county or portions thereof in rational symmetrical blocks (with districts being as near to square as possible). Develop a computer model to create such districts. The incumbent's advantage must be addressed. USA Today (2/14/05) indicated that leading candidates won by over 10 percentage points in all but 23 of the 435 U.S. House races, and no seat in the California House or in California's delegation to the U.S. House changed parties. We must re-open the election process.
- Develop specific rules and time limits for the nomination/confirmation process for judicial and administrative appointments
- In the past, we worked to make sure the majority did not infringe too much on rights of the minority.
- We must also make sure that the rights of the majority are not infringed. We must do a better job of balancing individual and societal rights.
- Create more effective government television and radio stations to broadcast information - this will help in the event of an emergency (government websites have provided useful information and so can these media)
- A daily brief legislative summary (explained in language an 8th grader can understand) will be available online for citizens to review legislative activity (including budgets).
- Require single topic legislative bills (no "add-ons") in order to increase legislator accountability.
- Term limits (8 years per office or 2 terms Senate)
- Require that proposed pardons (federal and state) be published at least one year prior to leaving office.
- Require that proposed government salary increases be published at least 9 months in advance of taking effect.
- Hold government officials to a higher standard; harsher sentences for crimes committed while in office (e.g., not eligible for special programs). If you breach the public trust you will be penalized.
- Review and re-vamp the congressional committee system to reduce politics. Committee chairs assigned in proportion to percentage of Congress. Parties pick committees alternately with majority getting first pick. There is no reason for a single party which may hold a slim majority to control all committees.
- Eliminate the ability to "retire" from government positions drawing retirement benefits and being re-hired as a consultant at all government levels. "Double dipping" is bad for morale, decreases productivity and limits opportunities for others.
- Review all foreign aid and loan programs; publish the same in a simple format.
- Review and simplify government/citizen interaction where appropriate - (for example license plates should be able to be issued by car dealers).
- Review government employee immunity from lawsuits to make sure the immunity makes sense and to make sure our government employees are subject to accountability in some fashion.
- Adopt a Constitutional amendment under which members of Congress are subject to a "vote of confidence" after any Presidential impeachment vote.
- Simplify regulations - provide examples - For example many of our young people do not understand copyright laws and what they can and cannot legally do with respect to digital music and movies.
- Review and eliminate laws that do not make sense, are not being enforced or unduly infringe upon the freedom of our citizens.
- Educate our citizens on the Bill of Rights, and why they are important.
- Reduce the number of Congressional investigations. Create strict, specific legislative standards for such investigations; such investigations must seek valuable information related to lawmaking.
- Daily diary of all votes (simple explanation of vote) must be posted on each representatives' web-site within 7 days of a vote. Calendar of upcoming votes posted at least 7 days in advance.
- The government contract bidding process must be reviewed to avoid waste, price-gouging and conflicts of interest.
Goal: Create more effective, efficient and accountable government, and more access by the people
Reasons: The current system is denying too many people access to the process. It is outdated and inefficient at the taxpayers' expense. Communication technology has improved to the point where representatives can spend more time at home and information about votes and legislative actions can be made available quickly, accurately and simply. Under the current system, we get communication: (i) through the news media and (ii) during campaign seasons. Neither is reliable. We must revise the re-districting system so that the practice of dividing districts to preserve "seats" ceases - gerrymandering must stop. Sometimes less is better; we often over-govern. The term "impeachment" is being thrown around too often by both the media and politicians. That's a distraction we do not need. People do not seem to understand that we do not impeach a President merely because we disagree with such President's policies; it requires "...Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." Therefore, we need to put some "risk" for Congress in the process in order to stop silly calls for impeachment.
"The aggregate happiness of society, which is best promoted by the practice of a virtuous policy, is, or ought to be, the end of all government." -George Washington
"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." -Preamble to United States Constitution
"I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master." -Thomas Jefferson
"We've gone astray from first principles. We've lost sight of the rule that individual freedom and ingenuity are at the very core of everything that we've accomplished. Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." -Ronald Reagan