The Emerald world of Common sense and simple solutions
I am an author of a book by the name of the Emerald Frontier Project.This book makes me appear to be an evnironmentalist but Im really just an American with grandkids for which I want to have clean air and clean water for. Nothing spectacular but if we can take a step towards a better environment without getting totally over the top, why not do it.Im going to list , today some of my personal thoughts, most being what I feel are simple common sense. Maybe our founding fathers said things better than we. They made profound statements in simple short formats. We on the other hand make statements that say nothing in millions of words and volumns of text.Environment: We cant switch to Wind, solar, tidal, or thermal tomorrow. It just is impossible. So why swim up that stream as if we are going to. Now, that said, we need to develope these products or our dependence on Fossil fuels will continue to expand for ever.Environment: Develope the cleanest of our fossil fuels, natural gas, Clean coal, and yes oil. Not the tough stuff to get in deep water but the reserves that we know we can develope safely in shallow water and on the millions of square miles of state lands. Its that or provide money to Arab states and to idiots like Hugo Chavez.Environment: Im not sure at all about nuclear power, I think that the waste factor still is an issue that doesnt go away? Well need to put up a few more, but dependence on this form is a little crazy!!Environment: We need to clean up our present energy and mfg facilities. Not with fines but rather with benefits for doing so. Make it worthwhile for a company to clean up their act or to switch to cleaner energy.Environment: Dont be suckered into areas that sound good with no reward. Building a train from Tampa to Orlando is stupid. It wont protect the environment , it wont be even remotely cost effective. Its just a flush fund . A project to make Charlie Crist look good and for Obama to pay off some union debts. 100% wasteful thinking.Environment: all of the auto development is fine. However , the number one things to do are the ones that can be done right now. Within 5 years make it the law that all public transportation and or government vehicles must be fueled by Natural Gas or natural Gas/Electric . Within 10 years all commercial vehicles must be fueled by natural Gas or Natural Gas/Electric. No tax breaks, No help, just make it the law. No vehicles for public or commercial use may be produced without fitting into one of these catagories.Environment: Water is an issue that is fast becoming a problem. With the population increases especially in our south west our needs for clean fresh water will double in the near future. Areas that are requiring vast amounts of new water must beginto resolve their sourcing issues. Just buying it from othe areas and creating other shortages is no longer appropriate behavior. There must be 0% increase laws put in place.This means that no additional water may be purchased and brought in. Does this mean no growth, No. It means that Water brought in must be used wisely and recycled for multiple purposes and not wasted by the millions of gallons as in the past, or maybe we really need to look seriously as desalinization facilities. If environmentalists are right our oceans will rise , creating lots of unusable water while depleting fresh water. Who is making the plans today to deal with these issues?Environmnt: Land use. Our population is growing. We are going to need to feed millions of more people around the world. Its going to get more difficult to do so as various made made and earth made problems may or may not occur. Im not a strong believer in man being the biggest reason for global warming. However I dont want to ignor the issue even if its caused by naturally recurring climate change. We have to deal with the issues. We must allocate the good land for food and stop building more useless shopping malls where there ought to be food.Environment: We need to grow food the best way we know how. Yes we need to minimiz fertilizers and pesticides but we arent going to totally do away with them. That is stupid and just having a garden in your back yard isnt going to cut feeding billionsof the worlds hungry.The United Nations: While speaking of food and land use. The land this building sits on in NY is a total waste of time and money. Stop funding it, Stop attending it. Tie our international relief efforts to the benefiting countries reactions. If they arent friendly to us, if they dont support our international efforts, there are lots of others in need. Dont worry well still do a world of good but in return we will require world of good will.The United Nations.: Its time that free nations of the world ban together to do good but to also get credit for the good done. No more of this politically correct crap. Do the good and get the credit or go someplace else where the good is appreciated. There is no shortage of need. Let the Arabs take care of their own . Apparently they dont want us involved in any other aspect of their lives, They hate us for who we are.We have been trying to do the political correct things until Im sick of it. The Tax situation in the USA. Basic premise is that if you dont invest in a program, you have no respect for the costs of a program. The idea that close to 50% of our population pays no tax is insane. That only means that 50% of our population has no respect for how the money is spent We have developed a population of users. A population that is totally dependent on the other 50% of the population. A population that feels they are entitled to be taken care of by some group that has more than they deserve.Flat Tax or no flat tax. Im not totally in favor of a pure flat tax. I dont think that it really works. I think we need to have a big bonfire with our current tax code and pass a law that our taxcode may not exceed one book of 500 pages. This would include all tax law for local, county, state and national taxation. The taxes would be shared by all according t their ability to pay. Nobody that has earned income will be exempt. No deductions of any sort will be allowed. The following is a reasonable tax scale.Income from $0 to $10,000.00 per individual will pay 4% . Income from $10,000.00 to $25,000.00 per individual will pay 6% up to the $10,000.00 level and 8% above to the $25.000.00 level per individual. Income from $50,000.00 per individual to $75,0000.00 per invidual will pay 10% . Individuals earning from $75,000.00 to $100,000.00 per year will pay 12% on amounts higher than$75,000.00. This would increase by 2% per each $25,000.00 of income per individual up to a total of $500,000.00 will be taxes on the amount from $475,000 to $500,000 at a 44% level. That is the top tax and will continue to all total income.Example : An individual will pay as follows if their income is $250,000.004% of $10,000.00 = $400.00 10,000.006% of $15,000.00= $900.00 25,000.008% of $25,000.00= $2,000.00 50,000.0010% of 25,000.00 = $2,500.00 75,000.0012% of 25,000.00= $3000.00 $100,000.0014% of $25,000.00 = $3,500.00 125,000.0016% of $25,000.00 = $4,000.00 150,000.0018% of $25,000.00 = $4,500.00 175,000.0020% of $25,000.00 = $5000.00 200,000.0022% of $25,000.00 = $5,500.00 225,000.0024% of $25,000.00 = $6,000.00 250,000.00 Total tax on $250,000.00 would be $37,500.00. This would be 15% .This tax would be devided between Federal, State, County and local governments.I would assume at about this rate. 10% for Federal , and 5% devided amoung the other entities.This tax would be in liu of Real estate, Sales, Income, SSI, Medicare, Medicaid and all other taxes other than import taxes.We will get a simple tax bill that has been deducted auomatically from our paychecks for each dollar earned.The individuals from $250,000 to 1,000,000 plus will be paying an amount that will increase the overall tax rate to somewhere in the realm of 30%.Now this wont cover it. All of these numbes will probably have to be doubled. Making our overall tax burden closer to the 50% level.Then a Constitutional ammendment must be passed saying that this it the maximum tax allowable (EVER)Everyone will contribute, Everyone will be rewarded. Everyone will respect where the money comes from and goes to each and every year. Its time we know.It will also be law that a simple 100 line item statement be give out each year with you tax bill saying where last years money was spent and where the budget will allocate the money for the next year. The total budget will be posted on the computer so that any line item may be completely researched.No Bill shall read the floor of Congress other than on its own . No riders, No pork, Line item veto will be in effect and must have 60% of both houses to override.