101 Things I'd Do If I were President

Okay, so as I'm doing NaNoWriMo right now and it's Election Week, so I figured I'd try a fun theme week here.  Since Trump and the Republicans are at best right now passing nothing, and at worst passing some sort of legislation that will doom the middle class or the environment or immigrants everywhere, I thought it would be fun to play a game of "what if I were president?"

I have been a political nut since I was a little boy, and I would be lying if I haven't, at some point, thought "huh, I wonder what it'd be like if I was president," and so this week is going to be taking that nerdiness to a different level.  For starters, I'm going to be coming up with a platform to run for president.  Yes, that's right, 101 things I think would be good ideas to do as president.

You'll notice that a lot of these are ideas from the Democratic Party, especially Obama, Clinton, and Biden, perhaps a bit tweaked here and there, but yes, I'd be running as a Democrat for a reason-I used to have a few nuances that I'm a bit different on when it came to the Democratic Party, but mostly those have been shifted to align with the party through the years as my personal philosophy has adjusted.  Still, you'll notice a few items on this list that I'm more conservative on and a few I'm  more liberal on, and also a few that are just unique to me, personally, as I of course would bring my own pet issues to the forefront if I were to be president.  Also, side note-I'm not actually ever going to run for president (I'm not even old enough to be president), but I thought this would be fun to focus on ideas in a week where that's ideally what we were doing.  Without further adieu, my platform...

1. My first act as president would be to work to fix America's infrastructure deficit.  This would be in conjunction with Congress, but America's infrastructure is colossally behind-the-times and in desperate need of time, energy, and cash.  I'd work with Congress to pass a ten-year, $1 trillion investment in fixing our nation's roads, bridges, tunnels, transit, and ports to modernize.  The approach would be green-focused, and start in particular with states hit hardest by losses in manufacturing and fossil fuel jobs so that they can have some economic relief.

2. I would also begin to invest more in rural broadband.  As president, I would want to embrace technology and its potential, and ensure that all Americans, even those in rural areas, have access to quality internet.
3. I would explore investment in a nationwide high-speed rail system, aimed at fast interstate travel that could reduce the national carbon footprint and better improve interstate travel and commerce.  This would mirror the light-rail systems seen throughout Europe and Eastern Asia.
4. American cities need to fix their airports.  Not to name names (LaGuardia), but American airports look 30 years too old, and need to be modernized to be more cost-effective, fuel-efficient, and geared toward green energy.  I would work to invest in improving national airports so they are competitive on an international scale.
5. Flint's water crisis is a national tragedy.  I would work immediately as president to pass the funding to ensure that Flint's water crisis is over, working directly with state and local government to end this nightmare.  I would also review safety standards with the EPA, and implement mandatory testing for all public water utilities is made public immediately after the testing is complete, as well as all peer reviews of the water testing.  This would mean that the public would immediately know the results of any mandatory testing of the water supplies.  There should also be an emergency fund to ensure that any issues like Flint, where the pollutant rates in the water have gone above the legal/healthy limits, are fixed immediately.  I would work with governors to ensure this was also implemented on a state-level.
6. American people view the federal government as something that doesn't impact their day-to-day lives for the better, and in particular as something remote in Washington DC.  I would work to change this by relocating a number of government agencies (non-military, non-economic) out of Washington and into the Midwest and western states.  These agencies do not need to be in the District of Columbia for government to function, and in the process would revitalize cities like Detroit, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati that have struggled in the wake of a decline in manufacturing jobs, as well as help to stimulate small business growth in these areas and relieve the pressure on the DC housing market.  It would also mean that not everyone that is in the presidential line of succession is living and working in DC.
7. I would work to ensure that the people of the District of Columbia are given congressional representation, either through becoming their own state, or through annexation of all non-government areas like the White House and National Mall (which would serve largely as a national park with no permanent legal residents) back to Maryland.
8. I would work to honor the results of the 2012 Puerto Rican referendum to allow Puerto Rico to become a state.  I would also work to ensure that the Virgin Islands would be allowed to be part of this state, under the "Puerto Virgo" plan.
9. Climate change is a real threat to our human survival, and environmentalism would be a backbone in all major policy decisions from my administration.  One way to do this would be to start an aggressive program to phase out coal and oil usage in the country to make way for cleaner energy.  In doing so, though, I don't want to displace the people who have provided fossil fuels for decades, so I would start programs in coal and oil communities to ensure these people get their pensions, get job training, and have access to skills/college training to shift work to a different field.
10. I would end all oil, coal, and gas tax subsidies, as we need to focus on clean energy and these are wasteful.
11. Expand the Clean Water Act to reduce water pollution, increasing penalties and lowering the threshold considered legal, while also making annual pollution rates public.  We need to provide our future generations with clean drinking water and pristine lakes, streams, and rivers, but current law doesn't allow for this, and it is unacceptable that nearly 40% of American rivers and waterways are too polluted to drink or swim in; as president, I would introduce legislation to not only prevent future pollution, but work with local governments to reverse damage through cleanup.
12. Completely ban the sale of ivory and all product made from endangered, threatened or extinct animals.  Additionally, employ a complete ban on American citizens hunting species covered under the endangered species act, even internationally.
13. Stop the sale of all public lands, ensuring that they are available to use for the public and future generations.
14. I would work to make the Maine Woods and Valles Caldera receive National Park status through Congress.  I would also declare Otera Mesa, Bodie Hills, and the San Rafael Swell to be National Monuments in my first 100 days in office, to protect these national treasures.
15. In a pet project, I would make film preservation a huge part of my tenure through the Library of Congress.  I would move for art historians to work to preserve digitally all films that received a major release in the United States as part of a larger effort to stop the destruction of our national film heritage through neglect and deterioration of film stock.
16. I would work to introduce five new constitutional amendments through Congress: 1) an amendment to overturn Citizens United and a ban on outside spending on election campaigns, 2) an amended change to the Presidential Line of Succession so that congressional leaders are not in-line to the White House, as the current system allows for a party change that overturns the will of the people 3) a constitutional requirement that independent commissions draw congressional lines, rather than state legislatures, 4) limits to Supreme Court justice terms, making their tenure to be 18 years, with the possibility of reappointment if the president so chooses, and a requirement that all federal judicial nominees receive a committee vote no more than four months after appointment and 5) elimination of the electoral college in favor of a national popular vote.
17. I would promise to have appointments for all of my cabinet officials announced no later than December 1st after being elected, and to have appointments to all Senate-approved positions announced within my first 100 days in office.
18. I would require that all ambassadors have either previous government experience, experience with the country they are serving, or experience within the State Department or Foreign Service.  No more buying ambassadorships through campaign contributions.
19. Work to create the Urban Farming Act, which would increase aid to urban, organic, and alternative farming, as well as work with urban areas to turn dilapidated or rundown buildings into urban farming centers to provide more local and organic produce to communities for cheaper costs, as well as to help stem obesity or rising food costs for lower-income families.
20. Create an urban redevelopment program that will focus on increasing the urban canopy, providing a federal contest for America's greenest cities, and increase access to green energy in major metropolitan areas to help stem the tide of climate change and decrease urban pollution.
21. Reform the tax code by implementing an exit tax for companies that move their headquarters overseas to avoid paying domestic taxes, implement the Buffett Rule, and remove loopholes that allow millionaires and billionaires to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
22. Conversely, I will focus on providing more tax relief to individuals, particularly those who have been recently unemployed, who have medical issues or who have family members with medical needs/long-term care needs, and those who are currently paying off student loan debt.  I would also work to provide more tax incentives for people to invest in retirement accounts, particularly those in middle and lower income brackets to relieve the pressure on programs like social security for future generations.
23. My plan for addressing the National Debt would be threefold: 1) increase taxes on high earners, including making social security more solvent so that we can delay paying back social security bonds (more on that in a bit) 2) widen the ratio between the National Debt:GDP by growing the economy through smart, jobs/technology-based investments 3) growing the middle class through strategic legislation to widen the tax base, and 4) incentivizing retirement savings to ease the burden on Social Security/Medicare.  While it wouldn't be a huge part of my platform, I would prioritize paying off foreign-owned debt as applicable, particularly Russia and China considering our tenuous alliances with both countries.
24. Work with Congress to pass the Equality Act, ensuring that LGBT Americans cannot be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.  I would also make conversion therapy in the United States illegal for minors (parents will no longer be allowed to put their children through these heinous programs).  In conjunction with my Secretary of State, I would make human rights a major cornerstone of my international diplomacy, particularly focusing on the rights of women and of LGBT individuals.
25. Ensure that no bank is "too big to fail," by having heavier government oversight of financial institutions, ending the corporate loophole that allows taxpayer money to be spent on hedge funds, and require that senior bankers be held responsible when a bank suffers major losses.  I would not necessarily break up the big banks (a position not shared by many Democrats) as I do think that there are some advantages for the average consumer under the current system, but I would require more accountability from the banking industry.
26. I would work with my VA Secretary to put an end to veteran homelessness, and make it a chief goal of the Veterans Affairs department under my administration to end the long wait times that veterans receive when receiving medical treatment or their medical benefits.
27. I would work to curb the veteran suicide rate by providing fast, affordable options for mental health and PTSD treatment for the brave men and women who risk their lives for our country.
28. Raise the minimum wage to $12.
29. Bring back the space shuttle program, with a particular eye on creating permanent colonies on the moon and landing on Mars.
30. Ensure that all parents of new children receive 12 weeks of paid leave to care for their new child.  Do the same for families with a family member who is struggling from a major medical illness or injury.
31. Allow members of the armed services, the PeaceCorps, or AmericaCorps access to $10,000 per year (for up to five years) to be applied to their student loan tuition.
32. Implement Hillary Clinton's National Service Reserve idea (similar to the Armed Forces Reserve) that would create a well-trained group of volunteers who could respond to major humanitarian crises within the country such as Hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Harvey, as well as the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis.  This investment would allow us to have quick resolution to major national catastrophes, and likely in the long run diminish costs post these events.
33. Require that all firearms sold in the United States, including those sold at gun shows or through e-commerce, be subject to a background check.  Any gun sold without a completed background check would be grounds for loss of your sales license and a felony charge.
34. Ban domestic abusers, persons who have been convicted of violent crimes, the mentally ill, and those persons currently under a restraining order from being allowed to own a firearm.
35. Place a ban on the number of guns that a person can own in the United States (no more than four), and require that a person be licensed through a gun-safety program to legally own a firearm (in the same way that a person has to be registered to drive a car).
36. Increase funding within the National Institute of Health to better understand cancer, HIV, and Alzheimer's/neurological disorders.  We need to create a generation that is not burdened by these diseases, and it starts by taking seriously investments into research and scientific studies.
37. Continue to fund Planned Parenthood, and women's access to affordable healthcare, as well as STD testing and cancer screenings for the general population.
38. Ensure that employers are required to provide access to contraceptive health products and birth control for women, and make access to birth control and women's health an important aspect of foreign aid.  Ditto having insurance programs that cover PrEP or other programs that help to prevent the passage of HIV/AIDS.
39. Continue to support Michelle Obama's Let Girls Learn (or reinstate it, after Trump eliminated it) by making providing access to education for young women in developing countries a signature part of our foreign aid policy work.
40. Continue to support and expand President George W. Bush's PEPFAR program, providing access to contraception and HIV medication in developing countries to help create an AIDS-free generation in Africa and around the world.
41. Provide federal funding for needle exchanges to stem the transmission of HIV/Hepatitis amongst intravenous drug users, while also providing more access to drug treatment centers for those who suffer from substance abuse.
42. In order to stop the opioid crisis, move to increase medically-assisted treatment options (think the nicotine patch) as well as funding more after-school programs (to help stem teen addiction) and better structure our welfare system to treat and not automatically punish people who test positively for drug use.
43. In the continuing wake of climate change, restructure the National Flood Insurance Program to not incentivize or cover for urban and retail development in areas that are disproportionately affected by flooding and severe weather damage. Provide government assistance to people who are a middle-income level or below who live in these areas, and require that no more than one claim can be made on flood damage on the same property.
44. Make community college free for all persons without a college degree or for persons who have collected unemployment in the past year.
45. Provide tuition-free college for state schools for children of families who make less than $75,000 a year.  I might amend this for inflation, but I would not extend this to private schools similar to the Bernie Sanders plan.
46. Pass a law that would allow student loans to be refinanced at current rates.
47. Allow one year post-graduation where students can pay on their student loans without any interest accumulating, and require that student loan payment amounts be no higher than 10% of a person's monthly income.
48. Allow all student loan interest to be tax deductible and increase the income limit from $80k to $100k.
49. Expand federal subsidies for child-care for middle-and-lower income families, providing relief for families so that they never have to pay more than 10% of their income to childcare.
50. Raise the Child Tax Credit income level to $100,000 and raise the child tax credit to $2500, but restructure so that an individual can only claim one child as a dependent under this aspect of the tax code (two for couples).
51. Increase the dependent income-level from $4050 to whatever that year's Federal Poverty Level is to allow more people to claim adult relatives that are living with them and who are reliant on their income to survive to better aid multigenerational families in the same house.
52. Expand universal preschool to be available to all Americans at age four, and provide access to Early Head-Start programs to all students across the country to give young people equal access to early education.
53. Invest in rebuilding America's schools, both their infrastructure and their technology.  We will do this through the Build America Bonds program (rather than relying on property taxes exclusively to decide on whether or not a school gets funding).
54. End the school-to-prison pipeline by providing federal funding for conflict resolution training to educators and administrators and work on basing federal funding on growth, rather than proficiency-based model when it comes to standardized testing.
55. I would also have my Secretary of Education embark on a 50-state tour speaking with educator panels to understand the specific issues affecting teachers, while also focusing on ways that schools can better prepare students through career and technology training, as well as finding ways to avoid or even ban suspension or expulsion as a form of punishment.
56. Ensure that no federal money or tax law goes toward helping/aiding school voucher programs, such as those advocated by Betsy DeVos.
57. Create a program where all voters are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18, ensuring that all legal voters do not have to worry about taking an extra step to execute their constitutional right.
58. Ensure that those people who have served their time in prison are able to have their voting rights restored.  I will not allow felons who are currently serving jail time to be able to vote, but if you have paid your debt to society, you should be able to legally cast a ballot.
59. Expand early and absentee voting across the country so that all citizens can request no-excuse absentee ballots and have at least 10 days of early voting prior to a federal election.
60. I will work to reinstate the Voting Rights Act.
61. Provide tax breaks and incentivize new loan classes for young entrepreneurs that do not yet have a fully established credit limit, to spur business growth amongst millennials and help to curb youth unemployment.
62. Move to end human trafficking by providing relief for victims of slavery or prostitution, enforcing bans on goods made with forced labor, and providing extra training to law enforcement to help spot the signs of human trafficking to bring these criminals to justice.
63. Provide federal matching funds to ensure that the 400k+ rape kits that are untested across the country are tested, and that the criminals are brought to justice.
64. I support Kirsten Gillibrand's bill to move rape or sexual assault cases from being investigated in the military chain-of-command to being investigated by military attorneys.  The current system is not working, and it is disgraceful that the men and women of our military should have to worry about reporting a criminal act for fear of repercussions.  Sen. Gillibrand's bill would help to end this miscarriage of justice.
65. Provide federal matching funds for police units to use body-cameras.
66. Provide federal funding for bias training programs to be undergone by all police officers and state/local law enforcement officials.
67. I would support the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by ensuring that they are given autonomy, are able to keep their findings open/public, and by promising that a director is named by me within my first month as president-elect.
68. Ensure that housing shelters are properly funded to end youth homelessness in America, and guarantee that HUD is working with local schools and colleges to ensure that homeless youth are able to easily enroll in education and jobs programs while living in shelters.
69. Work with Congress to pass the DREAM Act, ensuring those people affected by the DREAM Act are not totally at the whim of executive orders, and have an easier path to citizenship.  I will also work to allow the parents of DREAMers to have an easier path to citizenship.
70. I would allow all immigrants to be able to buy into the Affordable Care Act if they are in the country, as well as receive Social Security provided they have paid into the program for at least ten years.
71. I will support and expand the Affordable Care Act and expand Medicare access to all people over 55, regardless of whether or not you are collecting social security.
72. I will support President Obama's efforts to expand the number of primary care residencies to accommodate an aging population and incentivize more people to take advantage of preventative medication.
73. Create caps for prescription drug company markups within the United States, and expand competition in the prescription drug industry by allowing for more drug alternatives.
74. I will work to end private prison ownership in the United States.
75. For one year, raise the Electric Car Tax Credit from $7500 to $10,000, but only for people who trade in an oil-powered car for an electric car.  In concurrence with this, provide public incentives for power companies that shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources.
76. I will fight against any effort to privatize social security or Medicare.
77. I will meet with governors and leaders of state legislatures in the 19 states that have not done the Medicaid expansion, and actively support politicians in those states who push to give their states' citizenry better access to the Medicaid expansions that the ACA allows.
78. I support Sen. Bernie Sanders plan to raise the social security cap to $250,000 to better make social security solvent.
79. I would increase social security payroll taxes to three tiers as opposed to the current one, with earners making $100k or less staying at the current 6.2%, those making $100-$250k going to 7.2% and $250k+ being 7.8%.
80. I know this one won't be popular, but I think we occasionally need to face reality when it comes to us living longer and the need to guarantee social security for future generations.  I would move the social security ages up by two years, with an additional third year added for those who began contributing to social security after 1995.  This would mean (for those who started contributing before 1995) survivors benefits would begin at 62, you could claim social security at 64, full social security at 68, and you'd be able to gain delayed retirement credits until age 72.  As I stated above, to compensate for this, I will provide more tax credits for retirement saving and lower the eligibility date for Medicare, but without adjustments, social security cannot serve as a public safety blanket in the way it does today.
81. I would support NATO, and continue to be a strong leader on international diplomacy, and a solid advocate for our allies around the world (rather than tweeting about them willy-nilly).
82. I would support the Iran Nuclear Deal, and work to ensure that Iran will never have access to a nuclear weapon.
83. I support the concept of and federal backing of sanctuary cities.  I also support local law enforcement not enforcing immigration laws when it comes to ensuring the personal safety of people living within their cities or when someone is a witness to a crime.
84. I support a woman's right to choose, and would continue to defend that right as president.
85. I support gay marriage and gay adoption, and would continue to defend that right as president.
86. I support athletes right to #TakeaKnee and the Black Lives Matter movement.  As president, I would encourage a national conversation about diversity and inequality in our public institutions when it comes to race, gender, and sexual orientation.
87. I would work to remove Confederate Monuments from government buildings, either returning the statues to their owners or putting them in museums where they can be viewed with historical and educational perspective intact, rather than being viewed as celebrating the Confederacy.
88. I would never use social media to attack a political opponent (or supporter) of any kind, and would only use the official White House accounts for social media so that all of my communication would be covered by the Presidential Records Act.
89. I do support the ability for victims of gun violence to sue manufacturers of guns or sellers of guns if they violated the law through that sale (this includes the laws I listed above such as a mandatory gun background check, limits on gun ownership, or selling to someone who cannot legally own a gun).  I do not support this if the gun was purchased legally and met all safety requirements; in that case the estate of the shooter or gun owner, however, can be grounds for a lawsuit.
90. I support the concept of net neutrality, and think that internet providers should not be able to provide faster data for specific portions of the internet.
91. I would reform the estate tax to start at estates worth $3.5 million, and change the tax brackets.  Estates worth $3.5 million-$10 million would pay 50%, while $10 million-$100 million would be 60% and $100 million+ will pay 70%.  There is an exemption for spouses, but the goal of this would be to better increase intergenerational mobility, and would only affect the super rich even with these reforms.  I would allow for half of the tax burden to be donated to licensed non-profit charities/organizations, but no more.  I do not support changes to the gift tax to ease this burden.
92. I do not support licensing Bitcoin as a legal currency.
93. I do not support fracking, and think it should be banned.
94. I do not support mandatory vaccinations.  I do, however, support people being criminally or financially liable if a parent or person's choice not to vaccinate results in the death of someone who cannot be vaccinated (such as an infant).
95. I support a ban on solitary confinement for juvenile offenders in prison.
96. I do not support the death penalty.
97. I do not support a universal basic income.  I do, however, support amending welfare reform to help better protect people who are working part-time but still need government assistance.
98. I do not support granting immunity to Edward Snowden.
99. I support limiting the presidential pardon power to ensure that the president cannot pardon himself, any immediate family members, or anyone that is/was involved in a criminal investigation that he may also be involved within.
100. I support expanding NARA supervision and funding to presidential libraries created prior to the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955, provided that they are deemed sufficient and historically significant.  Applications will be approved by NARA to be included, though only one presidential library per president may be sanctioned.
101. As POTUS, I will work with Congress to pass all of this legislation, or as much of it as possible, as relying upon executive orders is a terrible idea as is evidenced by the transition from President Obama to President Trump.  We continue to have the whim of a president decide major policy decisions in the United States-we need to work to ensure that our ideals are protected by the law, and not just the particular fancies of a president that day.

And there you have it-101 things I would try to do if I were president, at least in terms of policy.  We'll continue on this imaginary charade (I cannot reiterate enough that I have no designs on ever running for public office, but thought this would be fun, and it was certainly fun to write!).  We continue on tomorrow!