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112th CONGRESS
1st Session
To highly resolve that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the United States of America.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 12, 2011
A BILL
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the Start Doing Our Damn Jobs Act of 2012.
SEC. 2. STOP KILLING PEOPLE
(a) The combined appropriations of the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and all military appropriations made through the Department of State, the Department of Energy, and all other military appropriations shall never be more than twice the funding, in absolute dollars, spent on its military in the previous year by the highest military-spending nation on earth other than the United States of America.
(b) The Department of Defense will be audited annually by the United States Congress.
(c) The Central Intelligence Agency will cease to exist. Its buildings will be sold at public auction.
(d) The National Security Agency will cease to exist. Its buildings will be sold at public auction.
(e) No dollars will be appropriated by the United States government for any secret budgets or any agencies engaged in any secret operations.
(f) No slush fund will exist which might permit a president to launch a war without Congressional declaration thereof.
(g) The U.S. military, within 90 days of passage of this bill, will cease all operations in and withdraw all personnel from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and every other area of earth outside the 50 states of these United States. This covers every human being in the direct or indirect employ of the United States of America in a military capacity of any sort, and includes every nation and territory in which U.S. personnel are located.
(h) The United States will not use the services of any other nation to imprison any human being. The right to habeas corpus and the rights enshrined in the United States Constitution will apply to every person our government has any contact with.
(i) Employees of the United States military will not be employed through any private contractor, but directly by the military.
(j) Violation of this Section shall be considered an impeachable offense. The House Committee on the Judiciary shall hold public hearings on the question of whether to ask the full House of Representatives to impeach any president, vice president, or other officer of the U.S. government who appears to have engaged in such a violation.
(k) Violation of this Section shall be punishable by the forfeiture of all worldly possessions and one month in jail.
SEC. 3 WE CANNOT AFFORD BILLIONAIRES
(a) A household with annual income, including investment income but excluding inheritance, less than 2,000 times the federal minimum hourly wage will pay no income tax. A household with income above and up to twice that base amount will pay 1 percent income tax. A household with income above that level and up to three times the base amount will pay 2 percent income tax. A household with income above that level and up to four times the base amount will pay 3 percent income tax. A household with income above that level and up to five times the base amount will pay 4 percent income tax. A household with income above that level and up to six times the base amount will pay 5 percent income tax. A household with income above that level and up to seven times the base amount will pay 6 percent income tax. A household with income above that level and up to eight times the base amount will pay 7 percent income tax. A household with income above that level and up to nine times the base amount will pay 8 percent income tax. A household with income above that level and up to ten times the base amount will pay 9 percent income tax. A household with income above ten times the base amount will have all income above ten times the base amount taxed at 100 percent. There will be no exceptions, exemptions, or complications to this practice.
(b) A household receiving an inheritance worth less than 2,000 times the federal minimum hourly wage will pay no estate tax. The same tax rates will apply as for income. Estates worth above ten times the base amount will have the portion exceeding ten times the base amount taxed at 100 percent. There will be no exceptions, exemptions, or complications to this practice.
(c) Money will not be loaned at greater than 10 percent interest.
(d) Workers have the right to organize, to strike, and to strike in solidarity with others.
(e) Violation of this Section shall be punishable by the forfeiture of all worldly possessions and one month in jail.
SEC. 4 CARBON IS COSTLY
(a) Emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere shall be taxed at $50 per ton in 2012, a rate that shall be increased by 20 percent annually for each of the next 10 years, after adjusting for inflation.
(b) Violation of this Section shall be punishable by the forfeiture of all worldly possessions and one month in jail.
SEC. 5 LEAVE SOCIAL SECURITY ALONE
(a) Social Security funding shall not be used for anything other than Social Security and shall never be invested or otherwise placed at risk.
(b) Payroll taxes shall cease to exist, and Social Security be funded each year by income tax revenue, prior to the appropriation of funding for anything else.
(c) Violation of this Section shall be considered an impeachable offense. The House Committee on the Judiciary shall hold public hearings on the question of whether to ask the full House of Representatives to impeach any president, vice president, or other officer of the U.S. government who appears to have engaged in such a violation.
(d) Violation of this Section shall be punishable by the forfeiture of all worldly possessions and one month in jail.
SEC. 6 HEALTHCARE IS A HUMAN RIGHT
(a) This bill incorporates here the full text of H.R. 676 creating a single-payer health coverage system.
SEC. 7 SHUT UP ALREADY
(a) Any person claiming on U.S. television or radio airwaves that this wealthiest nation on earth is short on money or needs to cut back on human services in order to pay its debt shall be required to write 500 times on Glenn Beck’s blackboard “There’s plenty of money, but the wars and Wall Street take it all. What in the world was I thinking?”
35 Comments
OT-and I apologize Mr. Swanson . . . but I have a question for ya.
Recently here at MyFDL some one said you were either a member of or Board Member of either NPA of PDA.
I forget the detail.
But as I read yer profile here at FDL, and as I recall your musings in this forum, I don’t recall any inclinations in yer musings that I would link you to any kind of affiliation with either NPA or PDA.
Could you respond to this, please.
Are you affiliated with either of those orgs in any manner, shape or form?
Thanks.
Who exactly again gave you the right to challenge anyone at FDL about anything?
David.
Excellent stuff. Sounds like a manifesto for that “third party” your country so desperately needs. Get to it!
NPA is the thing started on this site, right?
In that case I’ve been listed on the boards of both of those.
But the ONLY thing that has EVER involved has been dealing with questions exactly like this one. These and many other boards have no board meetings, no pay, no influence on an organization, no influence on the board members, no existence whatsoever.
They’re probably more bother than they’re worth.
Its called ‘Freedom of Speech’ Sherlock…
“(i) Employees of the United States military will not be employed through any private contractor, but directly by the military.”
You didnt give enough detail here. This could be construed to mean that all National Guard must quit their regular private jobs. Plus Reservists would not be able to get employment. Nor could any Employee of the US military would be able to do anything in the private sector. Obviously you need to express what you meant by that.
Plus you seem to be addressing the Presidency (at times) but never made that clear.
Proper fair taxation can be progressive, but your setting artificial limits by imposing 100% taxation as an penalty. It is the equivalent of fining an citizen for making too much money. Which could present a president to lower that standard and control the population economically. I do not trust any Government that has existed or will exist to stay in line. Attempting to impose limits by imposing an penalty tax is not how to do deal with the elitists.
In contrast an fair progressive Tax system that is backed up with real regulation of the means that makes people massively wealthy would eliminate the need to impose a penalty tax. Plus to aid that even more a complete divorce of money and power form the Government would castrate the elitists hold on the country.
100% taxes would only move money and power around, not destroy its control of Governments. Its a pipe dream to tax the elitists out of existence. Like I said proper regulations and laws would remove them from the equation.
“(a) Emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere shall be taxed at $50 per ton in 2012, a rate that shall be increased by 20 percent annually for each of the next 10 years, after adjusting for inflation.”
Im all for controlling emissions. I think we can agree that it is imperative and required. But you didnt express that your talking about industry or the common citizen. Industry would be easy to tax for carbon. But how does one tax a citizen? Will combustible engines be monitored by the Government? What about wood heat or BBQ’s? Will these items require an annual license to operate? Would we be required to claim how much we will use these things? What about campfires? Or would any open flame be outlawed to satisfy the the impossibility to tax something so easily done?
You ‘Bill’ leaves a lot questions by you not thinking everything through. You made some good points but the half thoughts ruined it for me IMHO.
Bwahahaha. Wish they would pass this one.
The Senate Democrats have proposed a bill that achieves $4T in cuts by targeting the Pentagon:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/senate-democrats-draft-debt-reduction-plan/2011/07/08/gIQAFQbS4H_story.html
Now, the WaPo’s saying that this blueprint is unlikely to be adopted. Why not see if we can change that through a few phone calls?
http://www.house.gov
http://www.senate.gov
http://www.whitehouse.gov
Wow!
It has also entailed DUCKING questions about primarying Obama which is supposedly a major project of the NPA of which you are a board member. How much being a board member entails might also have something to do with how much effort you are willing to put into it.
David, you agreed via email to serve on the NPA Steering Committee earlier this year, after we discussed via email our schedule of approximatley monthly phone conferences lasting no more than one hour each. You have since been invited to two such conferences and not called in, without so much as the courtesy of a “no thanks, too busy.”
Your angry points in the above diary are pertinent indeed, but tomorrow the very detailed draft of the Unified Progressive Platform – a document the Steering Committee urged the drafting of during its last phone conference, and which brings together five major platforms with the thoughts of commenters here and NPA members – will be posted here at MyFDL, at our website (of which you have been very complimentary to me personally via email just within the past two weeks, by the way) and at various other sites. After a week of review by the general public, we’ll tweak the draft as needed and the Steering Committee will meet again via phone near the end of the month – a meeting I hope you’ll make.
I don’t think it’s fair to infer that this work, which will open the door to unifying Progressives of every political stripe around building a real force for Progressivism at the national level – or the Primary Obama bus ads; or the continued growth of NPA through paid memberships, donations, and a vibrant volunteer corps; or the regular participation of Kevin Zeese, Cindy Sheehan, Jill Stein, Richard Winger, Paul Barrow and others – is the work of an organization with “no existence whatsoever.”
Your radicalization over the past year – for lack of a better word – has been welcome. The NPA has taken some heat over your presence on our Steering Committee, but we’ve believed, based on your writings, that your voice would be valuable to our cause and have stood by our decision.
It would therefore, by the same token, certainly be nice if you would take a moment to learn what the NPA is doing – seeing as noboby held you at gunpoint asking you to become involved – before unwarrantedly disparaging us as you have above.
Anthony Noel
NPA Facilitator
PhoenixWoman: No offence, but will it only be at the point you have had to sell your hair and your teeth that you will finally cease to fall for this kind of blatant, “cover their asses” kabuki? This plan is not serious in any way shape or form, and no elected member of either house has the slightest intention of voting for it.
Your phone calls will be ignored. Sorry about that.
PW is a well known Dbot. No need to confront.
Man, wouldn’t this be great…
I really like the way Cornell West tore into Obama. Do you still have Cornell West on your Board?
Thanks, David.
Love the penalties.
Heh, I ask questions and you have the fucking nerve to what, shat on me?
I had started to warm up to ya, now I guess I gotta flag yer ass.
Thanks for showin yer true colors. Yer a baiter.
N a master one, at that.
*G*
Wow eCahn, can’t believe you said that.
This site is goin all to hayall . . .
On the other hand, is that really you sayin that?
Cuz this site is messed up . . . . ;-)
Just out of curiosity would you eliminate all consulates and embassies? If not, do you consider them to be part of the United States? Otherwise you might want to adjust part of your clause about foreign nations, because you probably do want the military providing security for those places, not Xe.
Also, I would think we still need intelligence gathering in other countries. I think if you set it up that all records except names of operatives and informants are available to the public after five years and that Congress must perform a yearly audit of the agency and that audit will be public after five years might make it less about the School for the Americas and more like the NYC foreign terrorism unit. But I’m open for suggestions regarding intelligence gathering.
Mr. Noel, why oh why do you keep doing this?
Every time I start thinking you “guys” at the NPA are “OK”, you pull these amateurish moves.
Who the F cares?
Let Swanson say what he has to say. You don’t need to correct every little thing. I mean every single time? Seriously?
Seriously who cares??? Not me. Not anyone else.
It’s pointless. It’s not even counterproductive. It’s the proverbial dog chasing it’s tail.
Results-oriented thinking. This is school-yard level BS.
Don’t swing at every thing.
Just some humble advice. NOT meant as an insult or to offend. Just offering my observations on your actions. Hopefully you will take them in the constructive manner they were intended.
Uh, just what is it yer sayin Mr. Swanson?
In reply to yer 5:30 am comment?
Oh come on people.
Laure, don’t let people bait you and force you to start acting, for the lack of a better word, crazy.
There are a million people out there who disagree with me. I don’t pick every fight that picks me.
Fight the fights that are WORTH fighting.
Just some friendly advice.
I hope you are right.
But I won’t believe these liars/thieves/corporatists until they actually get it done.
Only the day after will I believe it. And even then, I will be very careful with what they say is actually true.
I like the idea.
I honestly do.
Too bad will never happen here.
Tam I thought I handled that one kinda clearly and rather well!
*G*
I just calls ‘em like I seize ;em . . .
;-)
Tam, it’s just all about the NPA v PDA crap.
Kinda like Spy v Spy.
Frankly, they both suck to date.
I’ll wait till they actually CHANGE something.
;-)
I have seen FDL regulars say things I never thot they would say.
I’m assuming this place is under seige.
I dismiss their comments as being trolled somehow.
*G*
Fuck you trolls n bots!
*G*
Yay, David. Excellent. Tell it like it should be.
Hey, I just hopped over to your site via StumbleUpon. Not somthing I would normally read, but I liked your thoughts none the less. Thanks for making something worth reading.
bean bag chairs kids
pick 4 strategy
Aren’t they cute?
Considering they just passed a double digit increase to defense spending(everything else was cut)-I’d have to say they’re friggin’ adorable!
Here’s the link where all but 87 Congress members from the house passed a 649 billion dollar appropriation for the Defense department.
Oooopsie. So much for cutting that budget.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/07/08-3
I watch what they do, not what they say.
What question? Have you seen this?
http://warisacrime.org/primary
Please primary Obama.
Does that answer the question?
Hey, sorry I missed these invitations, which is not to say I’ll necessarily have time if I do get them.
I’m not putting down NPA or PDA in any way. I just get all sorts of bizarre flack on websites, and by far the majority of it has nothing to do with anything I’ve ever written — it’s about boards I’m on.
Maybe it’s best ignored, although that seems to multiply it just the same as responding to it does.
No apology needed, David. I just felt it important, based on your comment, to make the reality of the NPA’s work over the past 8 months clear. Would love your thoughts on the platform draft now up here and (with color coding) at our site, if you haven’t already (heading there now myself.
Thanks again for clarifying and allowing me to do so.
Tony
Replying to myself because the comment below has no Reply link.
It’s boards that have no existence, not organizations.
At least PDA’s board. I’ve never been to or heard of a meeting.
Yes, the platform looks good.
Yeah, the nesting of comments here can be frustrating at times.
Thanks again, and for tweeting the platform, and the clear call for primarying this false Prog prez of ours. I will heed tambershall’s advice above regarding PDA, and let your statement as regards that org stand on its own.
Anticipate a phone conference invite with the recipients “NPA Steering Committee” about 10 days hence. Tentative date of the conference is July 28.
Tony