I agree that we should have a, as you say, "Must Do" list, but the number one priority should be the investigation and impeachment of the president and those of his administration who were in league with him and/or knew of his corruption yet did nothing to stop him. We must remove this cancer from the body of our nation before it will truly begin to heal and fully recover. However, in response to the items on your list, I offer a few suggestions:

1. To assure that Democracy has a future, we MUST assure that the election process is not subject to manipulation by ANYONE.

This is a very tough one. It is very sad for me to say, but I only know three people who I could trust not to be bought off for the purposes of voter fraud; one is my mother, another is a friend, and the other is myself. I think the best approach would be to do away with the electronic voting machines unless (like where I voted in Ohio) there is a paper ballot that is fed into the machine for counting. At least that way, if something goes wrong with the paperless ballot machine, you still have the paper ballot to physically count. I went as far as to write to ousted Ohio Republican Senator Mike Dewine with my concerns about this issue months before the mid-term election. My idea (as far fetched as it may seem) was to enact legislation defining voting as a consumer transaction (as our taxes pay their salaries); and therefore the consumer was entitled to an itemized receipt for any such transaction that could be verified as having been "added up" correctly. He did write me back, but he did not speak even remotely on the subject of my concern(s). However, he did enlighten me to a piece of legislation that every citizen ought to know about. The National I.D. Card. Here is the entirety of his response:

October 27, 2006

Dear Michael:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns over H.R. 4844, the Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006. I appreciate knowing your views on this issue. I have worked hard during my tenure in the Senate to protect the rights of American citizens, and I believe a citizen's ability to cast a secure vote is vital to the health of our democracy.

Beginning in 2010, H.R. 4844 would require individuals to present a government-issued, current, and valid photo ID in order to vote in a federal election. In order to obtain this ID, individuals will be required to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Accordingly, this bill would require states to establish a program to provide such photo IDs. If the state charges a fee for providing these IDs, the fee may not exceed the reasonable cost to the state of providing the ID, and the Election Assistance Commission would be responsible for covering the costs of providing photo IDs to individuals that are unable to afford the fee.

During the debate on immigration reform, I voted against a similar amendment (S. Amdt. 4085) that would have required individuals to present photo identification in order to vote. H.R. 4844 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 228-196 on September 20, 2006. Currently, it is unclear if and when this bill will come for a vote before the Senate. Be assured that I will keep your concerns in mind if this legislation does receive a vote on the Senate floor.

Again, thank you for contacting me. If you have any additional concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Very respectfully yours,

MIKE DeWINE
United States Senator

RMD/cg


My response to this was a polite as could be expected from someone who was totally outraged by this horrifying news and also the fact that it seems he didn't even read my concerns. DO NOT ACCEPT THESE I.D. CARDS! They are just another method of control and accounting for your every move.


2. To assure that our economy and way of life have a future, we MUST assure the development of alternative and renewable sources of energy.

In regard to this, Tesla Motors Corp. have developed an purely electric car (not a hybrid) that has a 250 mile range, non-polluting, and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4 seconds! 100% torque, 100% of the time. I agree that this is a step in the right direction from fossil fuels. Additionally, a person could use solar or other alternative energy to recharge a battery store at home during the day, then come home and recharge their Tesla Roadster from virtually free energy stored in that battery bank at night. I even conceived a concept and drafted schematics for a scheme that would give the vehicle an additional range by using efficient power generators (similar to an alternator that keeps your gasoline powered car battery charged) that would be turned by the wheels thus sending power back to the on-board battery(s) thereby increasing efficiency and range of the vehicle. I sent my proposal to the Tesla Engineering Dept., but I have never heard anything back from them. The Tesla Roadster already addresses "regenerative braking", but I was sure that my idea would provide increased efficiency and extended range while the vehicle was NOT braking (as a motorist on the open road or freeway does not often brake, this would be far more beneficial than just regenerative braking alone...whenever I see four or more wheels turning on numerous vehicles on the freeway, it turns my stomach to think of the potential energy that is just being wasted). In addition (if Tesla isn't buried by the big auto makers as was Tucker, or in this day and age, the oil industry), the government should offer tax breaks, rebates, and other incentives for people to purchase and use these kinds of technology. As to your last question, I think my extensive comments in regard to the second would point us in the right direction only, in addition to that, the people should demand that the U.S. sign and abide by the Kyoto Accord as well as enacting tough legislation against those who maliciously pollute our environment.

Link to Tesla Motors:

Link