Pet Peeves About Drivers

Many people get angry when others leave their turn signal on while driving. To me, that is a minor inconvenience. I strongly dislike the following drivers:

1. Cowboys
   Cowboys are drivers (men or women) who frequently change lanes, in an attempt to get to their destination a little faster. Cowboys are greedy and responsible for most traffic slowdowns. A single lane on a highway or freeway can carry about 1000 cars per hour. However, frequent lane changes can slow traffic to half of the maximum speed. In fact, road engineers say that there is a golden range of traffic per lane, where traffic is too heavy to change lanes, so traffic actually moves faster.
   
   Cowboys rarely shorten their trip by more than a few seconds, while they tend to use much more fuel and increased wear on their brakes and tires.
   
   
2. Tailgaters
   When I am driving, some drivers are in a hurry and follow my car at 5 to 15 feet. Some drivers say that they are preventing another car from moving in front of them. Others are trying to force me to either move faster or change lanes. When we are traveling at the speed limit, the other driver is just being greedy and very dangerous.
   
   For normal drivers the time for the brain to recognize a change in the road ahead is over .4 seconds and it takes about 1/10 second for the response to move from the brain to the muscles. That means a driver who is concentrating intently on the road cannot respond faster than 1/2 second. This means the car will move over 7 1/3 feet per 10 miles per hour (48 feet at 65 miles per hour) before the driver can respond.
   
   If a car changes into the lane in front of your car, you need at least twice the minimum reaction distance. That is why the recommended following distance is 14 to 15 feet per 10 miles per hour (at least 91 feet at 65 miles per hour). Trying to block a driver from entering your lane is not only greedy, but it creates a hazardous condition if the other driver must change lanes to reach an exit or to move across to an HOV (carpool) lane.
   
   Tailgaters are responsible for most rear-end collisions.
   
   
3. Drivers Who Do Not Know the Limits of Their Vehicle
   Most cars sold in the US come with tires rated for 80 miles per hour. Driving faster than that speed causes the tires to overheat and blowout. High-speed tires are available, but most drivers do not know they are necessary. The brakes, steering gear, and suspension of most cars is also limited to 80 miles per hour (even some cars with "Sports Packages"). No public roads in the US are designed for speeds over 80 miles per hour.
   
   
4. Under-Designed Roadway
   Here in the Los Angeles area, streets are designed and built for automobiles and trucks below a certain weight. However, trash trucks often exceed that weight and break the pavement when they turn or accelerate. Fiber reinforced pavement is almost twice as strong as regular pavement (even stronger than pavement with rebar). The fiber is not expensive and has been available for decades. Yet cities don't use it.
   
   
5. Speed Traps and Similar Restrictions
   A local example is that there are special roads for buses. Crossing the bus road is restricted for a much longer time than is necessary for the buses.
   
   
6. School Zones
   In most urban areas, schools are completely surrounded by fences for security. The original purpose of school zones was to slow traffic enough to stop if a child runs into the street. That cannot happen with fenced schools. Slowing traffic when passing a school is no longer necessary. School crossing signs are still important.
   
   
7. Parking Space Thieves
   Almost all city drivers are familiar with this. You are waiting for a space to open and signaling that you are going to enter the space, when suddenly another driver zips into the space. An even worse situation is when one is parallel parking and backing into a parking space when another car, dangerously, fills the space one is partially in.
   
   
8. Street Cleaning Times
   Over the past 50 years, the average number of cars per household has increased from 1 to almost 2.5. This means that there is no available street parking in many neighborhoods. When one side of the street is closed for street cleaning, there is no legal place within several blocks to park one's car. Because street cleaners rarely start their runs on time, the street is unavailable at least four times the necessary time. Even worse is the street cleaning routes where the cleaner always comes after the allotted time.
   

Why Are People Acting so Crazy Lately?

The Occupy movement, Anonymous, the surprising rise of the Bernie Sanders campaign, the Black Lives Matter movement, people moving from the US to Canada, open weapon carry, and the Stand Your Ground movement. These all are the result of people being frightened by the concentration of wealth and power in this country

Symbols of the concentration of wealth are the ability of the guilty to buy their way out of trouble, and the violence caused by the corporate-backed “War on Drugs”.

Relative to inflation wages for non-management workers have declined by over 50% since the late 1970's. This drop in real income has caused widespread employee resentment. Middle-class poverty makes people attempt to do something — anything — even if it isn’t directly related to the problem. The Trump campaign twists this resentment by blaming the poor instead of those who really bear the responsibility.

History is a great teacher, and it has taught us that since the beginning of the industrial revolution, ordinary people will revolt during economic downturns when wealth is over-concentrated. Because of the 170 billion dollars the Bush administration borrowed to finance its wars, we can expect a deep recession in 2023 or 2024 (when the loans start to come due). If things do not change by then, prepare for widespread riots and secessionist movements. 

The demonstrations in the past 8 years will continue to grow in intensity, as long as corporation-centric government stays in power. In response the government will escalate its martial law tactics. The divide between the people and the police will widen and more people will die. 

The US must take control of wealth. Inter-generational gift and inheritance taxes must increase to over 50%. Requiring companies to pay living wages is no longer a luxury. Removing the Social Security Premium Cap and using the money to pay for public health care is a necessary step (it would cut the cost of US health care by 50%). Paid maternity leave, long-term unemployment benefits, fixing the Capital Gains income tax loophole, raising the federal income tax exemptions to at least the poverty level, and reevaluation of prison sentences for all non-violent offenders are all necessary steps.

The US must regulate companies to assure that they respect their employees and their communities. Company planning must be for the long-term, not the next 3 months. The Limited Liability enjoyed by corporations should be in return for civic responsibility.

All government employees must adhere to the conflict of interest regulations. When Congress passed the conflict of interest regulations, they only applied to the executive branch. Applying the same regulations to the legislative branch would help reduce the corruption and bribery of Representatives and Senators by private interests.

The US citizenry wants transparency in government. Private companies are required to allow stockholders to attend board meetings (except under very limited situations) and the financial records of every publicly held corporation are available for audit. The same should be true for every department in the government. National security will not suffer if all documents are declassified after 25 years.

Those of you who are interested in how our economy got so bad should read the most recent books by Robert Reich (ex. Presidential Public Policy Advisor).

The Gig Economy - New Contracting Companies Cheat Workers

The Gig Economy is just a modern term for farming out work to independent contractors. The Internet has made hiring and coordination of contractors easier, but many new companies do not pay the contractors the extra 30% to 200% that is due to independent contractors (the 30% barely covers costs ordinarily paid by employers, and the 200% is because the work is not full time). They often place illegal restrictions on their contractors (for example, US tax law prohibits exclusive contracts for independent contractors). Also, these companies usually ignore local taxation and regulations.

AirBnB is an excellent idea, it allows micro-hotels with wonderful sites, decor, or services, but they should be paying Hotel taxes and they do not. Since the company does not pay the taxes, the independent contractors who lease their property are responsible. They are also responsible for cleaning, repairs, breakage, and liability insurance (if they can get it). Since those leasing their property do not know about the legal requirements, they are not paying fees and taxes and rarely carry required insurance. Some cities are trying to legislate away AirBnB.

Lyft and Uber are usually much cheaper than Taxi Cabs. Not because these companies have found some more efficient way to operate, but because they don’t pay their drivers enough as independent contractors and they don’t pay taxes and fees.

Almost every Lyft or Uber driver working in an urban area is violating state and local Livery laws (Livery a generic term for Taxis or Limousines). Most cities require Livery drivers to pay special fees, and many require a “Shield” for taxis to restrict the number of taxis on the road at any one time. For example, in Manhattan, the city does not sell many new shields, but (for a fee) allows transferring shields to other vehicles or owners) – obtaining a shield can cost over $20,000.

Livery drivers are often required to have a Livery (or Limousine) driver’s license (or license endorsement). This license requires extra tests and an annual renewal fee. It usually calls for an annual health exam. These requirements are similar to those for interstate truckers.

Lyft and Uber drivers also drive their own cars and pay for their fuel, repairs, and signage. Many do not make a living wage, even if they work over 40 hours per week. Except for the reduced prices, the advantages of Lyft and Uber are being phased into legitimate Livery services.

Many firms offering services that do not require on-site employee presence outsource work to the lowest bidder (internationally) and so profit on lower wages and taxes in developing nations. For example, it is one thing for a US company to subcontract with a Canadian firm, Canadian workers are treated at least as well as US workers. It is true that subcontracting with a Canadian company takes advantage of the weakness of the Canadian dollar (years ago, retailers in Toronto called it a discount for using US dollars), but it also helps bolster the Canadian dollar and the Canadian economy.

Mexican firms usually treat employees badly. Subcontractors should pay much higher than customary local wages. Mexico has almost no environmental regulation, no universal health care, low wages, and high unemployment. Subcontracting to Mexican companies helps to boost the Mexican economy and reduce unemployment, but it is unethical to take advantage of the situation.

Contracting corporations are not new, especially for specialty services. They are a way for people with unique skills to find employment as independent contractors. The contracting firms take a percentage (25-50%) of the amount charged to the client and pay the rest to the contractor. The contractor is paid approximately twice the wage of a full-time job. Real specialists with advanced degrees can demand over $2000 per day for occasional work. The contracting firms usually offer services like health insurance and liability insurance (for additional fees).

Nurse registries and cleaning companies operate on a similar basis. An RN working for a registry can control days and hours worked, and registry nurses are paid considerably more than an RN employed by a hospital.

Some references:
Alternet: 10 Takeaways About the Gig Economy That Has Pushed Europe to Say No to These Predatory Capitalists (very liberal)

Fox Business News: The Gig Economy: Boon for Companies, Bust for workers (very conservative)

The Nation: Elizabeth Warren takes on the ‘Gig Economy’ (liberal)
Fortune: Working in the Gig Economy Is Both Desirable and Detestable (Investor-oriented, conservative)

CNET Uber vs Lyft: 9 things to consider before your first ride Including the “What are the safety concerns?” section and below in the article. (Tech-enthusiasts, mildly conservative, supporters of big business)

San Francisco Times: SF (San Francisco, California) to require Lyft, Uber drivers to obtain business licenses (moderate)

Boston Globe: The gig economy is coming. You probably won’t like it. (slightly liberal)

Boston Globe: The Work Issue

A Balanced Look at Recent US Presidents - part 1

I got the idea for this blog entry while watching the independent film "Hating Obama".

44. President Barack Obama (Barack Hussein Obama II) Moderate Democrat

Failures:

• The least effective president since Herbert Hoover and Calvin Coolidge.
• Did not achieve enough during his first two years. The best presidents submit bills to accomplish their most important goals during their first four to six months in office. Historically, the opposition party usually gains seats in the house and senate during midterm elections, so the beginning of a presidency is the time to push legislation.
• Could not find ways to push compromise legislation through congress and the senate. Presidents like Reagan are beloved because they used the "Bully Pulpit" of the presidency to rouse ordinary people and force legislation through.
• Did not manage to get judges and cabinet members approved in the senate in a reasonable time (30 days maximum for a cabinet member, 60 days maximum for a supreme court justice).
• Did not reverse his predecessor's mistakes quickly enough. Even the changes that allowed the "Great Recession" (the depression of 2008) have not all been addressed.
• Racism became more public and louder than it had been since the 1970's.
• Will leave office with a ruthless invasion in Iraq and Syria (the Kaliphate, also known as DEASH, ISIL, ISIS, or the Islamic Nation).

Challenges:

•  A concerted lobbying campaign to block all nominees and legislation by the Republican Party leadership, funded by huge political contributions.
• Traditionally, after the election and 100 days after the oath of office, there is a honeymoon period between the new president and the opposition, so that both parties can learn more about the new president. President Obama suffered severe criticism and even investigations regarding his constitutional qualification to be president during this period. In the past, all such personal attacks stopped on election day.
• People argue whether this is because of racial prejudice, the more aggressive corporate driven news media, his policies, extortion of legislators, or the fact that President Obama was the first president in 24 years who was not a conservative.
• Twice during his presidency, the congress did not pass budget legislation soon enough to keep the government funded and operating.
• Inherited major wars in Asia Minor. A guerrilla force replaced the regular armies after the US withdrew.
• Although the Democratic party controlled the House of Representatives during his first half term, the Democratic majority in the Senate was not large enough for cloture (closing debate and filibusters on a bill) which requires 60 votes. The modern senate rule allowing a filibuster to continue, even when the person is not in the senate chamber makes infinite filibusters possible. The old rule required that a filibustering senator continually speak while the senate was in session.

Accomplishments:

• Took office with the worst US economy since the 1930's and brought the economy back to stability, if not health.
• Pushed through halfhearted national health care laws that allowed most of the middle class who could not obtain health insurance to obtain such insurance.
• Increased the minimum wage.
• Withdrew the US from the wars in Persia (Iraq and Afghanistan),
• Fought for sexual equality (gender and sexual orientation), especially in the military.
• Began reducing the US reliance on fossil fuels, especially foreign fossil fuels.
• Increased the US military use of technology to replace soldiers on the ground.
• Decreased the US military's use of mercenaries.

43: President George W Bush (George Walker Bush) Highly Conservative Republican
 
 Failures:

• Abused executive power hundreds of times.
• Was personal friends with the Saudi Arabian royal family, who fund terrorism (and one of whom led a terrorist organization).
• The worst foreign invasion since World War II occurred on September 11, 2001 in his first year as president. The invasion was funded by Saudi Arabia and the soldiers were trained in Afghanistan and the US.
• Lied to Congress about the origins of the attack.
• Embroiled the US in a hopeless war against religious backed revolutionaries in Afghanistan.
• Lied to Congress about the existence of nuclear weapons in Iraq, embroiling the US in a war that toppled a corrupt regime, but left the country in chaos that the US could not control.
• Increased the US military reliance on for-profit corporations and mercenaries.
• Increased the US reliance on imported fossil fuels.
• Authored and or signed bills to cut necessary support for the poor, military veterans, and other social programs.
• More than tripled the US government debt by funding foreign US military fighting and peacekeeping outside the official US budget. Lied to congress about actual costs. 
• Forced service extension of soldiers beyond their contracted service.
• Authored legislation and regulations that cut severely into individual rights (4th through 6th amendments).
• Pushed surprise "corporate gift" legislation through congress when less than half of the legislature was in town.
• Responsible for most of the government errors that led to the Great Recession (Depression of 2008).
• Suppressed responsible government oversight of corporations. Building on presidential failures since 1981.
• Encouraged "sub-prime" lending to allow the poor to buy homes that they could not afford.
• Blocked Justice Department attempts to prosecute irresponsible corporate management.
• The "No Child Left Behind" program was supposed to improve public education and reduce drop-out rates. It had the opposite effect.
• Because Bush appointed unqualified cronies to head some departments, emergency response after Hurricane Katrina was delayed and inappropriate. The Mississippi delta region is still recovering. The problems were made much worse because necessary domestic infrastructure improvements (such as reinforcing levees) were skipped (most of the Army Corps of Engineers was in Iraq and Afghanistan).

 Challenges:

• Unexpected terrorist style military attacks.
• The Great Recession

Achievements:

•  Better integration of government data collection between agencies.

42: President Bill Clinton  (William Jefferson Clinton) Conservative Democrat

Failures: 

• Lied to congress about his sexual relations with federal employees. Was indited by the House of Representatives, but the Senate never took up the Impeachment debate. A special prosecutor was appointed. President Clinton pled no contest on the charge of lying to congress in return for probation plus temporary disbarment. The constitution prohibits criminal charges against a sitting president (except by the impeachment process), so the official date of the plea was the day after he left office. This was not his first womanizing scandal.
• Set up a task force to define comprehensive health care and implement a "Health Care for All" program. The task force was led by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. The bill failed to obtain any traction in Congress.
• Repealed the Glass-Steagall Act. This act prohibited banks (insured by the FDIC) from merging with corporations that made risky investments. This eventually led to the Great Recession (the Depression of 2008).
• Signed the NAFTA treaty and pushed it through the senate. This treaty was the template for future trade agreements. This treaty eliminated almost all tariffs between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.. The result was corporations moving manufacturing and engineering jobs out of the US. Job export has led to widespread unemployment and underemployment in the US.

 Challenges:

• Entered office during a recession.
• The laws implementing the illogical economic theories of President Ronald Reagan.
  

 Achievements:

• The longest era of  peacetime economic expansion in US history.
• Restructuring the federal government to eliminate waste and moving people where they were needed (a special project of V.P. Gore). 
• Negotiated a federal budget with annual surpluses each of his last three years.
• Welfare reform that provided more support for people returning to work.

Comments on Bernie Sander's Agenda for America

Comments on Bernie Sander's Agenda for America




I agree with Bernie Sanders, but have many comments for him.

The Agenda for America is a summary of how Senator Sanders sees the US digging out of the mess that the right wing has created in this country over the past 35 years. Senator Sanders is the only Progressive (Liberal) candidate for President this year, and the only candidate with no huge skeletons in his closet.

The headings are from Senator Sanders document, but I have left out his more detailed description and introduced my comments.

1. Rebuilding Our Crumbling Infrastructure

1a) A large part of our infrastructure (at least for the bottom 30% of earners) is public transportation. All major cities (metropolitan areas and cities over 50 square miles) should have 24 hour public transportation. Each "route" (bus or train) should run at least once per hour every day, all day and at least once every 15 minutes during peak hours.

1b) In Los Angeles and many other cities, many of us cannot take public transport to work, because most buses and trains only run during peak hours.

1c) Every scheduled public transportation "run" should be considered a contract with the people in the community. Many cities deliberately skip runs when drivers call in sick, a bus breaks down, or sometimes just for budgetary reasons. This should be illegal. Substitute drivers and backup buses should restore service quickly.

1d) As part of moving the nation away from fossil fuels and improving public transportation, the Federal government should 50-50 fund match public transportation improvements.

2. Reversing Climate Change

It has taken us many years to add the greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere and oceans. It will be at least 20 more years before what we have already released stops changing our weather. We are late to the game, but better late than never. Some candidates still refuse to admit that humans are responsible for climate change or that the carbon dioxide we have already released might kill off many ocean species by dissolving their shells.

3. Creating Worker Co-ops

We already have many worker co-ops in this country. They are formally called mutual corporations. The SBA and IRS should improve support for formation and growth of mutual corporations (companies owned by either its employees or its customers). Many banks used to be mutual corporations. Farm coops, unions, and guilds are coops. AAA and Blue Shield are mutual corporations (separate corporations in each state or region).

4. Growing the Trade Union Movement

The legislation the senator recommends is already the law, however there are other steps to take.

Every employee group is already allowed by law to lobby each employee and vote for a union outside of that employee's work hours. Employers should be penalized attempting to block union formation for employee lockouts and other union busting tactics. The penalty for locking out (or firing) an employee for union action should equal each employee's lost wages. If after the first union contract, a new contract between an employer and a union cannot be worked out, then the existing contract continues in effect, adjusted by COLA since the previous contract agreement (for COLA not otherwise covered)

4a) Except for active military, all government workers (local, state, or federal) should be represented by a union. Government agencies must negotiate in good faith and negotiated pay and benefits should be guaranteed, regardless of budget. Federal funding to states should be determined 3 years in advance and not subject to change due to federal budget changes. Failure to pass a federal budget by July 1 (for the fiscal year beginning in September) should continue the old budget adjusted for COLA until 60 days after a budget is passed. State budgetary promises to localities and special districts should be two years in advance and have the same restrictions.

5. Raising the Minimum Wage

Raising the minimum wage to $15 over a period of years is not a permanent solution. By the time the national minimum wage is increased to $15 after 5 years, the cost of living will have increased another 30%. This minimum wage increase is a stop-gap to fix the escalation of poverty over the past few years. The minimum wage has to be 1/2000 of the urban annual Poverty Level for a one worker family of three. This would automatically impose cost of living adjustments (COLA).

6. Pay Equity for Women Workers

6a) This does not go far enough. Equal pay for equal work should apply to all employees, not just women. To make this work, wages, benefits, bonuses, and salaries should not be secret.

6b) Harassment, unfair treatment, and similar complaints against employers should receive initial review  and be recorded by an independent arbitration judge. The arbitration judge may recommend a wait and see, full arbitration, civil suit, or police action. The arbitration judge shall act as a special master, privy to all company records.

7. Trade Policies that Benefit American Workers

Low tariffs, favored nation status and uninspected imports should be eliminated. Tariffs should be normalized over a 5 year period. Customs inspection should be improved within the first year by moving personnel from ATF and DEA. Every nation should pay the same tariff for the same item, except for cases of dumping (deliberately attempting to push US companies out of business by charging an unreasonably low price). A separate inspection fee should be charged, depending on the difficulty of inspection, the level of criminal control of the nation of origin, and terrorist threat from that nation.

7a) Only investments in US companies should be eligible for the Capital Gains tax credit. A US company should be headquartered in the US and not be a subsidiary of a company that is not a US company. A US company should have majority ownership that are US citizens and permanent residents. A US company should hire a majority of its employees and a majority of its management who are US citizens and permanent residents. A US company should not import more than half of what it sells (excluding raw materials), measured based on the percentage of price charged to the customer.

7b) Companies doing business in the US should be required to pay all of their workers at least the equivalent of the US minimum wage. Companies who do not pay their non-US workers the equivalent of the US minimum wage should pay increased import duties to cover half of the difference in pay.

8. Making College Affordable for All

College for all is not the answer to making the US more competitive in the world market. What we need is to bring out each person's potential, regardless of what that is. This means an overhaul of theories behind modern K-12 education as well as making college affordable for those whose potential would be elevated in that environment.

8a) "Free" college education should only apply to public and non-profit colleges and only for students who are citizens or have begun citizenship classes or will begin taking citizenship classes their next semester (citizenship classes should be offered by every public college). No federal aid should be offered to students at for-profit colleges. However, for-profit colleges should be contracted to offer vocational training in specific areas where jobs are hard to fill.

8b) All students graduating their in the top 5% of their high school class should have tuition and fees paid, regardless of their family's net worth. Depending on need, other financial aid should be offered for books, transportation, and living expenses.

8c) Student loans are a severe problem and should never be use to cover tuition or fees.

8d) Students who cannot afford to pay tuition, fees, books, and living expenses on campus or near campus should be given sufficient financial aid to cover those expenses. Near campus means that 24 hour public transportation is available with a total walking distance of under 2 miles each way. Financial aid should be offered on a sliding scale based on the student's net worth and a formula based on the parent's income above twice the poverty level (if the student an parents are not estranged).  Work study should be offered to all students needing assistance (at least after the Freshman year). The amount that scholarships reduce financial aid should only apply to financial aid not allocated to tuition and fees.

8e) Payments for existing and future student loans should be limited to annual repayment of 10% of after tax earnings and 5% maximum annual interest (non-compounded).

8f) Tuition and fees should be paid for community college for all citizens and permanent residents in citizenship classes or who will take citizenship classes at the community college.

8g) Eligibility for financial aid in universities and 4 year colleges should be limited to students in the top third of their high school class or those who have earned an community college degree.

8g) Beginning with 10th grade, vocational education should be available to any student who is not taking college preparation course and can read (English), write (English), and do arithmetic at the 8th grade level and speak English at the 6th grade level. All vocational education programs should include Critical Thinking training and training in using the internet to learn more in their field. Vocational education programs should be coordinated with unions, gilds and professional associations when that is available.

9. Taking on Wall Street

We must change the rules to force the largest firms and the monopolists to break themselves up.

9a)j A new FDIC rule that companies receiving any FDIC insurance may only make B or better investments and may not own or issue derivatives should be part of your first 45 day plan. A new SEC rule that corporate board members and C-level management are individually and collectively responsible for all illegal actions of the corporation or any of its subsidiaries should be part of your first 100 day plan (not removing responsibility for specific managers). New Department of Labor and SEC rules allowing stock as  incentives to employees, but  prohibiting derivatives (including company options) as incentives should be part of the 45 day plan. Regulation of derivatives and grade D or below bonds should be part of the first year plan.

9b) The federal government should only loan (or guarantee loans) to companies that qualify for small business status, except for states, government contractors (including colleges) and non-profit organizations.

9c) Any person who directly or indirectly supervises 10 or more other people should be considered management and have legal oversight responsibilities over the people who are supervised. All non-management salaried employees should be compensated for time worked over 85 hours in any 2 week period. Overtime pay for hourly employees should be 1.5 times normal time for the 41st through 60th hour in a 7 day period and 2 times normal pay for hours 61 to 90 and 3 times normal pay for any hours 91 or over in a 7 day period. If the worker works on a holiday during the 7 day period, hours 41-60 are paid double time, 61-90 are paid triple time and hours 91 or over are paid quadruple time.

9d) A new Conflict of interest bill should be submitted in the second 100 days that prohibits a legislator from voting on a bill directly affecting any company that donated over 5% to the legislator's campaign (directly or indirectly). All government employees, including legislators, judges, and military personnel should be required to avoid employment conflict of interest. This includes not working for a company (or any subsidiary of any parent company) for two years after leaving full-time government employment if the employee acted on a decision affecting the company (a bill or regulation vote, advising a superior regarding a bill or regulation vote, or any similar activity). No federal employee shall act on a decision affecting a company that the federal employee was employed by within two years after leaving that company's employ.

9e) All products purchased by the federal government must have at least two competing providers (all patents and copyrights must be licensed to a second company). Any company or organization doing business with the federal government shall provide products or services to the federal government at the most advantageous terms and pricing. In addition to normal procurement procedures, this includes Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Administration. This means drugs and medical services provided through these agencies (and others) shall be at the lowest price charged to any buyer, foreign or domestic.

9f) A suggested new bill for the first year. Any company with over one billion dollars in total value which performs over 33% of the business in any area shall be deemed a monopoly. Violation should be subject to a penalty of 1/12% of total company value monthly for the first year (value is market capitalization or total ownership investment or book value plus 10 times the average annual sales over the past three years), Penalties double each year until the comp[any no longer qualifies as a monopoly or files papers with the SEC to divide the company and reduce its share of business in any area to under 20%.

10. Health Care as a Right for All

We need to do more than provide Medicare for all. We must redefine medicare into a system that concentrates on preventive care and extends to complete care (beyond just health insurance).

10a) Medicare for all will not work well unless there are no premiums and no deductibles. There should be no copayments for preventive or necessary health care. The health care should be comprehensive, covering every procedure, materials, and medications required for good health except for the requirements for normal life (food, beverages, shelter, clothing, entertainment, bed, bedding, normal soap and shampoo, home upkeep, and cosmetics should be excluded). Comprehensive health care includes more than what covered under most medical insurance.

10b) All preventive and restorative health care (medical procedures, tests, and prescribed medications, including prescribed over the counter medications) should be paid for by Medicare with no copayment (including but not limited to drugs and treatment for diabetes, high blood pressure, lipid or cholesterol imbalance, pain management, or weight loss when obesity is contributing to or threatening a serious medical condition. Among other care often left out of health care plans, dental, hearing, and vision care and restorative procedures (including eyeglasses, refraction surgery, hearing aids, cochlear implants, and dental care) should be covered.

10c) Birth control, erectile dysfunction and similar treatment should have no more than a 10% copayment. Cloning, gamete or zygote storage, and in vitro fertilization probably should not be covered. Abortion (especially in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother) in the first 25 weeks should be covered, but that would be something that might be lost in compromise.

10d) All treatment and equipment required to improve the quality of life for a disabled person should be covered. Addiction treatment, including followup treatment with a psychologist as often as necessary to prevent relapse should be covered. NGOs such as Planned Parenthood and Alcoholics (and others) Anonymous should be reimbursed for costs that would otherwise be paid for by government programs (including administrative costs).

10e) Hospice, care in a nursing home, day nursing home care, and home care should be covered. This includes home intravenous infusions, home dialysis, and other frequent medical procedures that are suitable for care in these locations. Visiting nurses and checks by social services personnel should also be covered. A housebound person should receive a wellness check at least once every 30 days.

10f) Ambulance services and medical rescue services should be covered. Reconstructive surgery, and surgery to prevent or help heal infections should be covered.

10g) As facilities allow, all federal prisoners charged or convicted of drug crimes with no history of violence should be provided with anti-addiction care and evaluated for early parole.

10h) Putting drugs in the correct "schedules" instead of Nixon's and Reagan's politically driven scheduling and providing inexpensive, legal oral forms of most abused drugs, while also providing a better rehabilitation system would result in great improvements. Price and "increased tendency to commit crime" is not part of the definition of the drug schedules, but drugs have been scheduled based on these criteria since the Nixon administration and this should be remedied. This includes moving THC. cannabinol and a standardized cannabis to schedule 3 (normal prescriptions). Foods containing cannabis but less than 1% THC should be schedule 4 (behind the counter). Drugs that are highly physically addictive and prevent a normal life should be in schedule 1. Drugs that are highly addictive, but do not prevent a normal life or drugs that are psychologically but not physically addictive should be schedule 2. Oral cocaine and amphetamines should be schedule 2. Oral birth control, morning after birth control and similar drugs that prevent zygote implantation should be schedule 4.

10i) Provider reimbursement will have to be increased 30-40% to make up for increases in the cost of providing medical care that congress has not matched (missed COLAs and increases in insurance and office costs). This increase can be reduced if malpractice insurance is assumed by the federal government (as in many other nations). If the government assumes malpractice insurance, then a national medical liability law will have to be included that protects the government from all but compensatory damages.

Notes about Law Enforcement

Elimination of the federal death penalty could save several million dollars per year. Vocational training, medical treatment, and early release of non-violent drug users should pay for the addiction treatment program.

Putting drugs in the correct "schedules" instead of Nixon's and Reagan's politically driven scheduling and providing inexpensive, legal oral forms of most abused drugs, while also providing a better rehabilitation system would allow  great improvements in US law enforcement.

Elimination of the cost of law enforcement against drug users and allowing the prescription of oral forms of opiates, amphetamines, and hallucinogens will save uncounted lives annually and many billions of dollars.

This will allow the DEA to be merged into customs and the FBI to better inspect imports and increase the reach of anti-terrorism intelligence. Police would be freed to better watch for violent crime. Merging the parts of the NSA and CIA that monitor US citizens into the FBI domestic anti-terrorism unit would remove roadblocks that have caused important information to be missed. The weapons tracking part of the ATF should also be merged into the FBI domestic anti-terrorism unit. The rest of the ATF should be part of the Treasury department and assuring that taxes on drugs are collected could be merged with the Secret Service or IRS.

Changing the rules of engagement for law enforcement could greatly increase the public's trust in law enforcement and save many lives. I use the word Officer below, but this applies to all law enforcement. Helpful changes include:
A) Law enforcement should not have a lethal round chambered in a semi-automatic handgun. No cartridge should normally be chambered until an officer's non-dominant hand is raised to aim the gun. Revolvers should not be cocked until the officer's non-dominant hand is raised to aim the gun. Training officers to quickly prepare the weapon to fire while aiming is customary in many countries. As an alternative, a less-lethal round could be chambered (a paint filled wad-cutter shaped bullet would be ideal, it would cause a lot of pain but rarely cause critical harm, visibly mark the suspect, convince the suspect that the officer is not bluffing, and would eliminate about half of accidental killings by police). When a suspect begins to reach for or direct a weapon, the officer's first response should be to duck and cover, not shoot first.
B) Law enforcement should never lie to people, except to enable undercover investigations. Undercover investigations should require a warrant. Lying about what another suspect said, providing false documents, making false promises, or even implying things that are not true violate the rights of the person being questioned (even if the courts allow it). The federal questioning guidelines from the DOJ should designate information obtained by falsehood as inadmissible, but allow investigation based on the information.
C) Witnesses should not be transported to the police station for questioning unless there is evidence that the witness should be treated as a suspect or the witness wants a private place to talk. Transporting an unwilling witness is unlikely to elicit the truth. Intensive questioning (such as the Reid technique) is more effective at eliciting false information than the truth.
D) A person should not be considered a person of interest because of race, religion, dress, sexual orientation, political orientation, the fact that the person has tattoo or piercings, the places the person frequents, old known associations (over a year old), prior bad acts, or any other information that would not be allowed as evidence for a warrant. I know it is a catch 22 for the police that it is hard to find real evidence without having real evidence, but that is the way people work.
E) Refusing to answer questions or to stop answering questions at any time is a constitutional right and police must not allow that to prejudice their investigation.
F) Around 10,000 people give false confessions each year in the US. Before presenting a confession to a judge as an admission of guilt, the police should build a case that would not require the confession.
G) People should be able to think of police as first responders. Every police car should carry epinephrine-pens (for extreme allergic reactions), Atropine-pens (first response for nerve agents, such as black widow spider bites or some snake bites, or botulism poisoning), and Opiate-Counter-Agent pens. Officers should receive training in the use of these and in CPR in the academy and refreshers at least once every three years. Every police car should also carry two fire extinguishers (for small fires).
H) Police officers should receive negotiation training and anger management training (similar skills to negotiation training). In many police departments, this is part of academy training, but it should be repeated at least once a year.
I) Every officer should participate in local events in the area they patrol. People have to see that police are real people with the same emotions as other people. Walking a beat on occasion also helps.
j) The perception of police violence is a serious problem. Police departments have to work to avoid officers being seen to throw non-resisting people against a car or wall. Police departments have to work with the media to change the perception of police officers.

What is the Millennial generation? (USA only)

The press has taken to calling the current crop of teenagers and young adults (Gen XI) the Millennial generation. MTV has the audacity to dub the generation starting with those born in the year 2000 as the "Founders" generation. These names do not describe these people and are a break with the traditional counting of generations (I assume due to poor education of news editors). Generations are designated by the average age of women when their first child is born (excluding women who don't have children).

MTV wants to name the generation starting with the year 2000 the "Founders". The Founders were Gen 1 (those born from 1737 to 1755), not Gen XI or Gen Y as MTV would have it. Gen X means the tenth generation. X is the Roman numeral for 10, it does not not mean unknown.

Gen XI (1985-2007) was the first generation to grow up with the internet, mobile phones, violent video games, microwave ovens, and a lack of parental attention. The press calls this the Millennial generation, but the year 2001 has nothing particular to do with this generation. I think the press feels a strong need to distinguish this generation because the children of this generation behave so much differently than the previous generation. A more appropriate description is the Abandoned generation, because in most families, all adults had to work (the median income had dropped by over 25% relative to inflation). As a result of the lack of parental attention, many of these children did no learn cultural traditions, including etiquette and the ability to distinguish between famous people and honest people. Getting more hits on Twitter or another web outlet is more important to millions of these people than writing an insightful article or composing a moving song. This generation has a lowered birth rate and later births because more people are putting off children until after college or until they have advanced in their career.

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Other Generations

Gen I (born 1737 through 1755) Was when most of the signers of the US Declaration of Independence and the signers of the US Constitution were born. In retrospect, we refer to this generation as the Founders, because they founded the country and the people in this generation greatly extended the US territories and began settlement of the extended territories. The other generations are numbered relative to this generation.

Gen XIII (1900-1919) was called the Oughts. World War I, the rise of Russian Bolshevism and the Great Depression dominated the childhood and young adulthood of most of these children. This was the first generation to grow up with movies (films) and to experience the introduction of "talkies" (films with sound). This generation followed the depression of the 1870's (caused by the US government paying off loans which funded the Civil War), and the optimism of the 1890's. The news during this time was more pessimistic (mostly due to  increasing tensions in Europe leading to the beginning of WW I).

Gen IIX (1920-1945) is the Post War (WW I) generation. They grew up in the depression and WWII. People put off having children during WWI, WWII, and during the depression, so this is an extended generation. This is the generation that battled for equal rights.

Gen IX (1945-1955) was the Baby Boom/Baby Bust generation (1945-1955 was the boom, 1956-1965 was the bust). This is the post-WWII generation, the generation most affected (in their formative years) by "The Assassination Decade" (the 1960's), the Vietnam war, and the introduction of government betrayal by Nixon. These people learned defiance and created "the sexual revolution" (1961-1985, ending with public acknowledgement of Aids in the general population).

Gen X (1965-1985) The current adults. This generation grew up with television as the primary entertainment and baby sitter. Old enough to remember Nixon, but not MLK. These people are mostly confused by modern politics, confusing attractiveness with leadership. Most members of this generation incorrectly think the civil rights movement is completed. For the first time since the Great Depression, average people born in Gen X earn less than their parents, relative to inflation.

Gen XI was moved above the line.

Gen XII (2008-2031 approximate) is the Lone generation. In addition to a lack of parental supervision, this generation grew up with pocket computers containing Twitter, Facebook, video games, and other personal relationship blockers (such as earbuds). This is the first generation with reduced college enrolments since 1962. Most parents of children in this generation have lost hope that their children will be more "successful" that they are (this pessimism had not been seen since WW II). The median income in 2015 was less than half of the median income in 1975, relative to inflation. During this period, the US has to increase immigration in order to maintain population and the economy (which currently depends on population growth for stability).

Gen XIII (2032-2055 approximate) will probably be best described as the Diversity generation. Toward the end of this period, for the first time since the 18th century, the majority of US citizens and legal residents will not be Caucasians (light skinned people of European ancestry). Most children born in the US during this generation will be non-Caucsians, "mixed race", or  the children of immigrants.

Some Issues I Am Passionate About

A survey by my congressman started me thinking about these issues, why they are misunderstood, and to try to find solutions.

Concentration of Wealth is Dangerous

1) To restore the US economy for the long term, the US has to restore a more fair distribution of wealth (similar to the 1970's). History tells us that concentration of wealth among a few people eventually leads to revolution. As wealth concentrates, first people protest; then the protests become more violent and become riots (the US is entering this stage); then people attack the wealthy, just because they are wealthy; finally this leads to a revolution (the French Revolution is an example of this progression, but there are many examples).

a. One way improve the distribution of wealth is to prevent people from becoming wealthy, just because their parents were wealthy (inter-generational inheritance). So the first step is to restore the inheritance and gift taxes (almost eliminated by President Reagan) and close the trust loophole (the largest inheritance tax loophole).

b. The inheritance and gift taxes must be over 50% to avoid run-away wealth concentration (it is simple mathematics).

c. An inheritance tax rate of 75% with no tax on spousal inheritance and a large exemption should be implemented. The exemption should be equal to the 75th percentile of annual income (75% of families earn less than that amount each year). The spousal inheritance exclusion prevents making widows or widowers homeless because of inheritance tax. The large exemption is a simple way to provide a sliding scale tax (we don't want to tax the bequests of the poor).

c. To close the trust loophole, any trusts (other than spousal trusts) should be taxed upon payout at the same rate as if the entire amount had been inherited as cash.

National Healthcare Would Improve Our Overall Health

2) A comprehensive national healthcare system would save billions of dollars and provide better care to most people than the current US jigsaw puzzle. This program can be funded by removing the Social Security Premium cap (the limit on how much people pay into the Social Security Fund). Comprehensive health care means no deductibles, no premiums, medical coverage, preventive care (including birth control, STD prevention, health education, and so on), mental health coverage, prescription coverage, dental care, eye care, and eye glasses (with a limited amount paid for frames). Cosmetic surgery would not be covered, but reconstructive surgery would be covered. This definition of comprehensive care is developed from studies of health care experience in North America and Europe.

a. Payment of health care providers should be negotiated to approximate the total payments allowed by current PPO-10 policies, after adjusting for the facility, equipment, and insurance costs paid by the health care system, not the doctor. The payments to health professionals should be annually adjusted for inflation based on spending at the 75th percentile of annual income.

b. Education loans should be paid by the government for all government employees. Ten percent of the total loan amount should be paid for every year of government employment.

c. The wholesale cost of a prescription should be limited to the lowest wholesale price charged any national health care system + 50% (to correct for currency exchange).

d. The lack of national health care has been discouraging foreign companies from building facilities in the US, reducing US employment.

e. Abortion should be covered, especially when the pregnancy is the result of a crime. If abortion is not covered, then the living expenses for the mother must be provided during the pregnancy and recovery. This is normally, 6 months of paid leave.

f. Almost 80% of US residents are in favor of national healthcare (at least after it is explained to them). Even most doctors and hospitals are in favor of national healthcare. It is the health insurance companies who have bribed enough members of congress to block a "Single payer healthcare system" or national healthcare.

Realistic National Economics

3) As anybody who has consulted a qualified economist knows, as spending increases, the entire economy improves more than twice as fast. The wealthiest people tend to spend less than half of their income. Those earning the median income or below are spending all of their money. Because inflation is causing a loss of income, people are borrowing on credit cards to make ends meet. Total US credit card debt now exceeds the US government debt. Economists say the middle class is the engine that powers the economy, so we must concentrate on the middle class.

a. The median income has decreased to less than half of 1975 levels, relative to inflation.
This has moved most of the middle class close to the poverty line. To avoid living in poverty, all adults in a family are forced to work. This results in people delaying having children, having fewer children, and not being able to care for the children after school.

b. Raising wages would improve the economy immensely, especially raising the minimum wage,
because those on minimum wage spend all that they earn. Many in "middle class jobs" are actually living in poverty. Raising the minimum wage will also raise the salary for "middle class jobs". Raising the minimum wage will pay back double in improvements in the economy.

c. In times of economic downturn, government spending pays back triple in economic improvement, even if the government has to borrow the money. Government investment in infrastructure improvements also continue to pay returns over time.

d. Austerity programs in times of economic downturn are counter-productive, as has been shown by macro-economic analysis of the EU (European Union). However, this is the solution chosen by many countries and one of the parties in the US congress.

e. The US economy started to falter in 2006 when housing prices began to drop. This triggered the 2008 banking debacle (corporations gambling with money instead of prudent investment).

f. Because congress has been trying to cut government spending (Austerity Programs), the US still has not recovered from the downturn that started in 2006.

g. The US government has been basing many decisions on "Trickle-down economics" since 1983. Trickle-down economics has always been contrary to economic theory. It was clear by 1988 that Trickle-down economics was a failure, but one of the major US parties still bases their platform on Trickle-down economics. Trickle-down economics failed, because it assumes almost all of the income for the wealthiest people will be either spent or invested in US companies. This assumption was wrong. Things have gotten worse as international investment has increased.

Preventive Healthcare for Children

4) Child preventive health care should be mandatory, except when it is explicitly prohibited by the guardian(s) religion. Except for the religious exception, refusing to provide preventive care for children is child abuse.

Biggest Presidential Mistakes

5) The biggest mistakes made by presidents since 1980 have been:

a. Drastic reduction in gift and inheritance taxes and other taxes on the wealthy. This has caused a dramatic redistribution of wealth from the middle class to the wealthy. This disproportionate wealth is nearing the insurrection point - the point where people begin violent riots and attack the wealthy for being wealthy.

b. "Free trade" treaties with countries that do not observe human rights, environmental protection, and fair wages. Election campaign donations by large corporate interests have caused the US government to make decisions that harm US workers. Import taxes should be raised to reduce the cost differences and bring the jobs back to the US. It is important to make sure that digital products are properly valued so that import taxes can be assessed.

c. Ignoring common sense when it comes to economics. The rich do not drive the economy, the middle class drives the economy.

d. Allowing run-away corporate mergers is hurting consumers. The largest corporation in a sector should not be allowed to merge or to branch out into related fields. A merger that creates the largest corporation in the sector should only be allowed if it is in the public interest and the corporation is required (and monitored) to avoid monopoly-related behavior. Any corporation with more than 49% of the business in a sector should be required to divest enough to reduce its business in the sector to less than the second largest corporation in the sector. Divestment will not harm the public, because divestment is like a stock split.

e. Deregulation or privatization of publicly owned or insured organizations. Allowing Banks to merge with Investment Firms (AKA Gambling corporations that buy derivatives or junk bonds) is the best example of deregulation costing hundreds of Billions of dollars. Privatization of correctional facilities increases costs while reducing the level of security and care.

f. The law currently states "A corporation's primary responsibility is to its stockholders". This has caused corporations to concentrate on stock prices and quarterly profits, while ignoring the big picture. This should be revised to "A corporation's primary responsibility is the long term health of the corporation and the nation, to preserve the stockholders' interests".

Retirement Funds

6) Worker salaries and retirement funds are a fiduciary responsibility of employers (meaning that the employers act as a trusted agent to assure that the funds are properly handled). Employers should never borrow from retirement funds and retirement funds should always be diversified (instead of invested in the employer's stock). Retirement funds and similar funds should not be commingled (mixed) with other funds (technically a felony). Corporate bankruptcy should not affect retirement benefits.

Social Security Funds Have Been Mishandled

7) Congress has been reducing Social Security payments relative to inflation as a way to reduce the federal budget (but these funds are supposed to be separate). Social Security recipients have been promised that payments would be annually adjusted to make up for inflation. To restore payments to the promised level, inflation should recalculated based on purchases of people at the poverty line, beginning at a basis year, such as 1966 (the favorite basis year of economists). To avoid budget problems for the government, the payment corrections should be phased in (over 5 years?).

a. The Social Security Savings Fund should not be commingled (mixed) with the general fund (this would be a crime for anybody except the government). Social Security, Medicare, and so on should be funded separately from the federal budget. The federal budget is funded by taxes, but Social Security is an insurance policy.

b. The Social Security Savings Fund should be invested in US Treasury Bills (loaned to the government). Any funds that have been placed in the general fund should be repaid in Treasury Bills. This would repair the commingling that has made accurate accounting of the Social Security Savings Fund impossible.

C. The baby bust (years with low numbers of births) that initiated the creation of the Social Security Savings Fund (under President Reagan) did not cause the expected reduction in the number of US workers. Immigrants made up the difference. So no changes have to be made to "Rescue" Social Security.

The US Needs Immigrants

8) Natural born citizens of the US are not having enough children to maintain our population and economy. Immigration is important for the health of the US as a nation.

a. To recruit more professionals, the US should eliminate the limit on the number of work visas.

b. Currently the US government imposes a limit on the number of visas issued to people in each nation. Restricting the number of visas by nationality causes an inequality for specific ethnic groups. This violates the 14th amendment (as interpreted by the courts) and should be eliminated. Eliminating restrictions by nationality also fixes several other problems.

c. Removing the limit on migrant worker visas would help reduce the number of undocumented immigrants.

d. The requirement that people can only apply for a US visa from their home country has been a nightmare, because many of these people are not safe in their home countries or cannot afford to return. This has led to an increase in undocumented immigrants, rather than the reduction that was expected from the overhaul of immigration law. The US should eliminate this requirement.

e. People have been arguing that immigrants take jobs away from citizens at least since the 1880’s. The argument is based on a simplified view of the job market. Immigrants have never reduced the number of jobs available for citizens. New immigrants and existing citizens tend to look for different jobs. In addition, spending by immigrants helps to increase the overall number of jobs.

f. As a country whose population is almost all immigrants and descendants of immigrants, the US government should make immigration as easy as possible for those who qualify (do not have a communicable disease, do not have a felony record, and can show that they have either a trade or some other means of support, such as a working family member).

Most of What You Have Been Told About the Middle East Is Lies

9) There is no single Middle East Conflict. People try to simplify things by making the issue Israel versus the "Palestinians", but that is far from the truth. In fact, the problems between Israel and the "Palestinians" were caused by neighboring countries.

a. Israel did not threaten people and cause them to leave. The "Palestinian Refugees" were not refugees, because a refugee is seeking refuge from a life or limb threat. In reality, as part of an attempt to destroy Israel, the Arab League (including Iraq, Syria, and Egypt) distributed propaganda that scared many of the non-Jewish residents into leaving. But, the Arab League made no arrangements to care for the people they chased out of Israel. The UN helped by creating temporary camps in Jordan to house and feed these people, but they left administration of the camps to the Arab League (which had created the problem in the first place). The Arab League radicalized the people in the camps and taught them that "the Jews in Israel must be pushed into the sea".

b. Trans-Jordan (usually abbreviated as Jordan) was designated as the "Palestinian homeland" by Britain in 1922. Radicalization of the people in the camps caused violence against each other and Jordanians. Jordan closed the camps and kicked the people out of the country.

c. One cannot currently carve a "Sovereign Palestinian nation" out of Israel. Because of the radicalization, the "Palestinians" will not agree to peace with Israel. Any nation would require a peace treaty before allowing a separatist group to form their own nation. Until the "Palestinians" are willing to accept a peaceful resolution, they are preventing negotiation for independence. As time has passed, the land available to form a "Palestinian nation" has decreased.

d. When Israel was formed in 1948, all residents became citizens.

e. The Israeli constitution states that Israel is the Jewish homeland and Jews can become citizens on the day they enter Israel - because Israel is the sanctuary for Jewish refugees from around the world. Non-Jews must undergo a naturalization process similar to those applying for US citizenship. This inequality has caused political problems for Israel when dealing with Europe and the US.

f. Many people living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip have committed felonies in Israel, so they can never become Israeli citizens. They are allowed work visas, but they are relegated to the jobs nobody else wants.

Islamic Terrorists Violate the Rules of Islam

10) The word Islam translates as "the people of peace" (Is Salam). The word Jihad refers to the responsibility of Islamic people to convert pagans to Islam (at pain of death). Any group that declares a Jihad against Muslims, Christians, or Jews is not true to Islam, because according to Mohamed, all of these faiths believe in the same God.

a. A splinter group of Alquadar (pronounced Alkyda in the US) formed what the US called ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). When ISIS became powerful enough, they declared a Caliphate (religious leadership of all Muslims) and the name changed to IS (Europe) or ISSL (US). But this is a conflict between Muslims. Those who claim to be ISSL and commit terrorist acts are working on behalf of Alquadar, not the Islamic State.

b. ISSL is trying to restore the Islamic Empire that existed in the middle ages and they are therefore a threat to all of the Islamic countries.

c. Alquadar and Hamas are significant threats to the US, Europe, Southern Asia, and Northern Africa.

All Nations Must Arrest Terrorists

11) If terrorists attack the US, the US government considers both the organization that trained or directed the terrorists and the country that hosted the terrorists responsible. Sovereign nations are responsible for the actions of obviously violent people living inside their borders. Failure by the host country to assist in the capture of terrorists is an act of war.

a. According to the FBI, US domestic extremists are a greater threat to the US than Islamic terrorism. The problem is separating those who intend to commit violence from those who just hold extreme views. Fortunately, domestic extremists who intend to commit violence are usually not quiet about it.

We Can Predict the Next Deep Recession and it Will be Violent

World history has taught us that as the poor and middle class are better able to communicate if the disparity in income between rich and poor is growing, it results in civil unrest and sometimes violence. If wealth redistribution does not occur, eventually the government is overthrown and wealth redistribution occurs. The United States came close to widespread, deadly violence in the 1930's, but President Roosevelt convinced congress and corporate leaders to spend money to improve the living conditions of the poor.

The economic losses that caused the Great Depression were not much worse than the 2008 recession (even adjusting for inflation). The difference this time was that social programs were in place to help reduce homelessnes and hunger. But the US has still not recovered from the 2008 recession.

The US has still not recovered from the housing market crash of 2006, the stock market crash of 2008, and the recession of 2008. After adjusting for inflation, stock prices have not reached the highs of 2000. Because the US Military interventions in Southern Asia, Asia Minor, and North Africa have all be funded by borrowing, we can expect a serious (probably "double dip") recession between 2023 and 2028. A minor crash in real estate prices can also be expected during this period.

The median income per wage earner in the US has dropped by almost 60% since 1975 (adjusting for inflation). This has caused a drop in the number of families in the middle class, most adults think that all of the adults in a family have to work to keep the family solvent (eat, pay rent/mortgage, replace worn out houshold goods, pay for healthcare, and pay bills). This has resulted in a generation of children, most of whom have spen almost all of their non-school time without adult supervision. These children have less exposure to moral teachings and are more likely to join gangs and cults.

Even after inflation, the total wealth in the US is higher than 40 years ago, but household income is down by around 1/3. The extra wealth is almost all owned by the upper class. Over half of families in the US have no savings or retirement savings. Unsecured debt (mostly credit cards) in the US recently exceeded the US government debt.

If the rate of US concentration of wealth continues, a double dip recession can be expected to result in "viral" rioting. A viral riot is violence starting in one neighborhood triggering violence elsewhere, because of pent-up rage. When Congress added restrictions to bankruptcy, they increased the probability of a viral riot.

Why the national minimim wage should be over $15

US society owes every resident "Life, liberty, and property" and "Equal protection under the law." This includes medical care, unemployment insurance, retirement insurance, and other requirements of a healthy life. These were usually provided by churches and volunteers, but the availability was uneven. Then in the 1960's many who could provide this assistance started to believe that "Greed is good." In the 1980's this became part of the tax code and if government had not stepped in, we would be stepping over the corpses of the poor in downtown streets.


After accounting for inflation, the average lower and middle income wage in the US is less than 1/2 of the average wage in 1975. In 1974, the minimum wage was $3.10/hour - after inflation (excluding luxury items and services), that would be well over $20/hour today.

When I discuss living on a minimum wage, I mean a very modest lifestyle. Food for a healthy diet (which has more than doubled in price in the past 6 years) without EBT (AKA food stamps), shelter, medical co-payments (assuming the government pays the premiums), a monthly bus pass for each person, telephone, furniture replacement every 10 years, a separate bed for each child, and annual replacement of one set of clothes per person, sheets, blankets, and towels. If the items are purchased through a thrift store, they have to be replaced twice as often. Children's clothes have to be replaced twice as often. $50/year for toys and games for each child. This means no money to purchase of a computer, car, restaurant/take out food, internet access. It means brown-bag lunches.

Apartment rentals average $650/month nationwide, but one bedroom apartments in poor metropolitan neighborhoods average around $1500/month. The urban poor don't move to rural regions, because there are few jobs for them that pay enough to afford to live there (rent is approximately proportional to wages).


Apartment rental rates for one tenant apartments with a kitchenette and bathroom average over $1000/month in poor metropolitan neighborhoods. Health insurance co-payments, a bus pass, one set each year of new clothes, blankets, pillows, sheets, and towels, and food bring this to over $2000 per month. Taxes (including Social Security premiums and Medicare premiums) are approximately 25%, bringing the monthly costs for a single working person (living separately) to $2500, or $14.42/hour. In the common scenario of a single working parent with 2 children in a one bedroom apartment, rent is 50% higher and other costs are more than doubled for an estimated $3500 + taxes (which includes no money for child care). There are a huge number of famililies sharing homes that are designed for a single family.

In rural areas, housing costs are much lower, but a single parent raising two children (with no child care or government support) still needs over $2500/month to eat and pay all of the bills.

It is government programs that pay the difference between minimum wage and the cost of a very modest lifestyle. Essentially the government is is giving employers the money to allow them to keep wages low. Employers should be paying a minimum wage that allows a single worker with two children to survive on a full-time job.

Trump Presents a Picture of What NOT to Do

Donald Trump is getting a lot of press, and that might get him a lot of votes early in the primary election voting. But he is representing

• The top 1%, those who most US citizens assume are criminals or con-men.
• Older white protestant men.
• Strong anti-immigration policy in a country where most people's great-grandparents weren't born in the US.

Trump is alienating more than half of our population:

• Women
• Catholics and Jews
• Latin American immigrants
• Those with a college education
• Those who would be middle class in a healthy economy

The US used to have a "Know Nothing" party. Apparently, Trump wants to bring it back. He wants to hide the real issues facing this country. Trump isn't even a good business leader - he has had several businesses go bankrupt and has gone through personal bankruptcy.

The advantage of Trump as the Republican presidential nominee is that the difference between Trump and a Democratic nominee would be clear. The voters have had a "they are all the same" view of politicians since Bill Clinton was elected.

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Some real issues

• Do-Nothing Congress: the US congress has ignored the real issues for over 4 years. 
• Highest per capita prison population in the world.
• The "War on Drugs" is killing and damaging more people than drugs ever did.
• Racial tensions are at their highest since the 1970's.
• People don't trust the police and in most cities the police departments have earned it. Police officers are allowed to lie to people. Police departments "Thin Blue Line" encourages police officers to lie to their own departments.
• Poverty, a lack of after school supervision, and distrust of police puts our children on a criminal track as early as the age of 10.
• Most inefficient health care system in the world. We spend more per capita, but our health and longevity are not up to the standards of several European countries.
• Centralized health care (either government-run health care or single payer health care) improves people's health. Deductibles and co-payments are often high enough to discourage use of health care.
• People are living longer and are healthy longer. However, the time of senescence (the time between when serious health problems occur and death) is growing very fast. This senescence gap is mostly due to a lack of preventive medicine.
• Obesity is affecting more people and starting at an earlier age.
• Crumbling infrastructure.
• Roads rarely have cracks or pot-holes. When flaws form, the repairs should be designed to last much longer than current repairs.
• Highways used to be designed assuming that many vehicles would travel between 70mph and 80mph. Highway construction standards have dropped, but the speed and weight of vehicles has increased.
• Bridges on major highways have to be upgraded regularly. Many bridges in the us haven't been upgraded in over 50 years.
• Water mains are rarely upgraded or replaced with more modern materials - until they break. Water mains have to be replaced.
• Worker wages have dropped by over 50% since 1975 (relative to inflation).
• Most "new jobs" since early 2008 are low paying. The number of new jobs is not close to those lost over this period (the government statistics count new jobs, but not lost jobs).
• Average large corporation profit levels are at their highest since 1929.
• The reduction of import tariffs has greatly improved corporate profits and foreign economies at the expense of US jobs and wages.
• While worker wages have dropped, investor returns have increased.
• Executive salaries have increased over 100-fold.
• Children do not get the attention they need to grow-up as intelligent, successful, honourable citizens.
• The reduction of wages reduces the number of adults who are home after school.
• Children average a total of less than 20 minutes per week of individual parental interaction.
• Most junior high school (or middle school) students have already been exposed to hard-core pornography, but have not had adequate education in real anatomy and sex. This is leading to increased violence against minors, increased sexual inequality, increased teen and unplanned pregnancy, and a resurgence of several STDs.

Rebuttal to Newsweek article about GMOs

The cover story in the May 29, 2015 issue of Newsweek makes the point that genetically modified plants are necessary to feed the increasing population of the world. This part of the story is correct, but the article should have supported genetic hybridization (GHO) and not GMOs. There is no question that commercial GMO crops are introducing toxins into human food and that the toxins collect and become poisonous in the people who eat the food.

However, there is a difference between Dragons Teeth (cross genus DNA manipulation) and moving genes from one variety in a species to another (genetic hybridization). Dragons Teeth is an old farming term for plants that do not reproduce normally, because they are genetically faulty. Natural plant seeds have "Hybrid hardiness", but current commercial GMOs are monospecies and pests are adapting to that species.

The CRISPR technology discussed in the article could be a boon to agriculture. It produces different varieties of the same species and does not introduce toxins.

So far, most genetically modified seeds produce poisonous plants. Almost all of the non-organic corn produced in the US now produces the BT toxin, derived from bacteria. This toxin is actually in the corn kernels we eat, and is toxic to humans as well as bacteria. This should be identified by a USDA Black Box Warning (as with tobacco).
The other common modification is Roundup resistance. This allows farmers to spray their crops and eliminate  weeds which can rob the crop of water and sunshine. However, spraying Roundup onto the entire plant (instead of around the plant) increases the amount of Roundup in the food and increases toxity. New weeds are becoming common that are Roundup resistant, so Monsanto (who manufactures both Roundup and the seeds) is developing seeds that are resistant to both Roundup and another herbicide that Monsanto produces. The safe level of Roundup is still under debate, but the combination of herbicides is much more toxic.

 The sad part of Roundup resistant crops is that it is only necessary because farmers are still planting crops in wasteful furrow plowed fields. Using furrow plowed fields wastes a lot of water, causes the loss of topsoil, and moves the crops further apart than necessary (thus wasting farmland). The soil should flat with a slight slope and the ground should be virtually covered. If the ground is covered, the weeds do not have enough sunlight to grow. The space between the main crop plants should be carpeted with a ground-cover plant. Using clover, alfalfa, or other limited height plants helps grow a more plentiful crop and provides fodder that can be sold to ranchers.

The article makes a passing mention of the fact that farmers are not allowed to plant seeds produced from current GMO seeds. Monsanto and other companies have sued farmers whose plants were contaminated with pollen from GMO plants, even though the farmers had not signed any contract with the company and were trying to grow organic crops. This has caused a virtual monopoly in Corn seed. It should be the other way around. Those providing the GMO seeds and those planting those seeds should be responsible for elimination of the contamination of other farmers' crops.

The reason that individual farmers (rather than agribusinesses) reject GMOs is that they lack hybrid hardiness, the farmers are required to pay for new seed every growing season, and they have good historic reasons to mistrust the chemical companies which produce GMO seed.

Dealing with Droughts

California and 15 other states need more than water conservation to meet long-term water needs. Our state and local governments must make real changes to avoid severe problems. Drought years are natural throughout the US, but in the past few years, changes in Arctic ice make droughts more likely. For decades the US has been using well water beyond nature's capacity to replenish the aquifers (ground water). The increase in population and food exports just makes this worse.

States currently in multi-year droughts would require multi-year heavy rains to refill the reservoirs. All of the states West of the Rockies (except Hawaii) are currently in a drought. In California, where there have been 4 drought years in a row, the probability of a drought year next year is over 75%.

Severe water rationing may become necessary. This could include restricting tap water to certain hours of the day (like the rolling electrical blackouts a few years ago), reducing the pressure in water mains, elimination of all potable water for landscaping, and closing of businesses that do not recycle their water.

In California, severe water rationing has already hit agriculture. Farmers are not allowed to use water from rivers and reservoirs, so farmers are pumping from local wells. Some of the irrigation water sinks back into the aquifer, so it will be available for wells in the future. However, another drought year would empty many of the wells and severely reduce the US production of vegetables and cotton.

A proposal

 Starting immediately, all penalties for over-use of water should be used to increase the amount of water available.
 
To solve this long term problem, one needs a plan with a time-line and objectives. This proposal was submitted to the California State Resources Board and California governor several months ago.

Summer 2015, all processed sewage should be recycled. Water not used locally should be pumped to agricultural areas or used to recharge aquifers (pumped through plants and gravel into ground water). The cost is low, requiring that gravel-bottomed ponds (with recharge wells) be placed in overflow basins, and pumps and pipes to get the water there. Using the gravel, ponds, and plants ("Bio-filters") helps to purify the water before it enters the aquifer.

Spring 2016, excess recycled water should be made available for agricultural use. Possibly by pumping recycled water from cities for aquifer recharging in the Sacramento area. Most of this water would be pumped up-stream, so a large pipeline and pumps should be installed. Because most of this pipe would be installed next to the state's aqueducts, there would be no additional land costs and an emergency waiver of environmental impact reports would probably be approved. Water could be made available for environmental improvements to Owens Lake and the San Francisco Delta.

By the 2016-2017 rain season, the state's waste water processing plants should be expanded to handle the water from storm drains (rivers and washes). San Francisco and some other cities already do this. Untreated water from storm drains is a health hazard. This water could be added to the recycled water.

A long term improvement that might require a bond measure and federal funding is desalination of salt water (ocean water and agricultural runoff). Within 30 years, California should acquire 50% of its fresh water needs by desalination. A target of 10% by 2025 is reasonable.

How to design a good User Interface

Just like when improving a relationship, there are general rules to follow for good User Experience (UX) design. These have not changed since I started teaching them in the 1980's. They are roughly in order of importance. A lot of the following can be found in Ben Shneiderman's books (search an on-line bookstore for "designing the user interface" and related books).

1) The customer is always right. (Many of the comments contradict this, but reality supports it.) When a user input does not match what any of the expected inputs, then the User Interface (UI) should make reasonable suggestions and provide an Introduction and Detailed help (usually as a moderated wiki). If the program was not prepared for a user response, it is the developer's fault, not the user's fault. Search engine spelling suggestions are one step toward this.
1a) Provide prompt about how to get started/continue if the user makes no input for a fairly long time (such as 60 seconds). Never assume that the user has abandoned the product.

2) The UX must always remain friendly. It is not the user's fault that a step was skipped (such as saving a file in the example in the main article) or that an extra step was added. The file saving example should have been worded more like "Would you like to save this file (name) now?".

3) Make it hard to cause a catastrophe. Deleted files and partial edits should be stored for later in a background (invisible to normal users) version control system (with self cleaning when there is a lack of space).

4) Show results as the user enters changes or commands. Provide for almost infinite ability go back (undo). Only request confirmation of a change when the change cannot be undone.

5) Treat users as individuals. Provide for multiple user experience levels (at least, beginner, experienced, and advanced). Experience levels include experience with the technology, experience with the application area, and experience with the product.
5a) When a user first uses any product, begin with reasonable defaults and assume that the user needs prompts to get started. Each prompt should have a "skip this next time" option.
5b) All commands should be available via an easy to use menu system (Microsoft still hasn't gotten this right). This is required for both new users and those who have disabilities. When a keyboard is available, always make pointing available from the keyboard.
5c) As the user becomes more experienced, suggestion prompts could automatically be suppressed.
5d) Provide keyboard shortcuts, movement triggered commands, and advanced menus (Advanced commands and Options) for more advanced users.

6) Minimize modality. Very few commands (like reset this device to factory settings and delete all user data) are "system modal": it does not make sense to do anything else until the user replies to this prompt. Only commands that cannot be backed-out should have a modal confirmation prompt. The rest of the time, users should be able to ignore the prompts and just keep working.

7) Use direct entry whenever possible. The spread sheet and the fill-able form are the most successful software interface styles.

8) Use breadcrumbs. Use a small part of the screen to provide a way to move between active tasks. Remember that the top level active task is selecting a task (the home screen). An analogue of this is (unless the user requests it) never blank the screen completely or turn off the device, just because the user hasn't made an entry.

9) Separate UI testing from UX testing. Test the user interface by both scripted and random inputs from an automatic testing system. Test the user experience by observing (and getting feedback from) users of various experience levels.

US Tax Reform for 2014 and later

Problems with the current tax laws

The current federal income tax laws are several thousand pages. The court cases that interpret how the law applied requires a small library. Minor changes (such as changing the level of tax brackets) will not significantly improve the nation's problems.

We reached this unreasonable situation, because most of the tax laws members of congress vote based on the interests of donors, rather than the interests of contributors (indirect bribery). The candidates for the 2012 US presidential election spent more the $2,000,000,000 (two billion US dollars). Some representatives and senators spend millions of dollars getting elected. The rich expect consideration for their spending.

The current tax laws collect less from the wealthy than from the middle class.

Current laws give large businesses an unfair advantage over new or small businesses. Besides special loopholes, Social Security premiums place an unfair burden on small businesses. People starting a new business pay %25 of their net income as Social Security premiums. Since new businesses are the heart of

The United states has a growing disparity of both wealth and income between the wealthy and the middle class (a 20% increase in disparity over the past decade, according to the widely accepted GINI measure).

Most important reforms

The reforms I am recommending originate from wealthy, conservative people (such as Malcom Forbes).

The most important reason for the increase in wealth of the wealthiest is that inheritance taxes have been largely eliminated. Gifts, trusts, and inheritance should be taxed as income. The giver would be taxed upon receipt of the income and the recipient would be taxed upon receipt (or withdrawal from a trust) of the funds. Gifts and inheritance between spouses should not be considered income. This is better than having a separate book controlling inheritance tax.

One of the goals of a progressive tax system is to minimize taxes on those living below the poverty level. Sales and property taxes are inherently unfair to the poor. Exemptions on income tax should be adjusted to about the poverty level. Charging a flat tax rate after exemptions and deductions should be a fair income tax.

Capital gains means money obtained from investments held for a minimum time (unearned income). Currently only 50% of capital gains are included in taxable income. Money invested in starting a business is not capital gains (another way the tax system discourages creation of jobs). The capital gains exemption should be phased out over a four year period.

The US must increase the "Safety net" to meet the standards of the rest of the civilized world (or even just the industrialized world). This can be funded without a federal tax increase by removing the cap on FICA (Social Security) premiums. Currently, 25% of net income up to $103,000 is is taxed, but income above the cap is exempt from FICA tax. Half of FICA tax is paid by the employer and half is paid by the earner. Removing the cap will provide enough money to fund Social Security, health care (including dental and other needs), and increased unemployment coverage. Removing the employer's portion of the FICA premiums will make it easier to operate businesses.

Businesses should be taxed based on the change in "book value" of the business, plus dividends, and the pay to the highest level of management ("C level"). Payment in stock options should not be permitted.

Other changes 

Tax deductions other than the funds to pay for emergencies (disasters), direct employee costs, and charitable gifts should be phased out over the next ten years.


The homeowner interest tax deduction should be immediately eliminated. Rent, mortgage payments, and insurance premiums to protect health or possessions should be tax exempt for the primary dwelling and any unoccupied dwelling awaiting sale.

Any business incentives should be explicit contracts and divorced from the tax system.

Import duties must be protectionist. The wholesale price (including duties) of an item manufactured outside the US should not be below the wholesale price of the item manufactured (to the same standards) within the US (adjusting for the cost of raw materials). The same is true for services obtained from outside the US (including software and other non-physical products).