How do we take our country back?

Tuesday, for some of us, was a time to rejoice because it was the first signals that we are chastising a "Do Nothing" Congress. People are voting for change.

What is our platform for taking our country back? What issues should we focus on to make this a reality?

[edit on 9-8-2006 by ceci2006]

Forgive me for being a mite more skeptical about the trend of the various primaries around the nation. Before we start celebrating change, let's make sure that they are indeed different from those they are, or may, replace. New names, but same old tired rhetoric acomplishes exactly nothing.

Platform for change? Hmm...this could be fun.

1) This is the most important...security for our nation. This means secure borders controlling access to our country. Securing our borders is the key to everything...freedom becomes a meaningless concept without security to enjoy that freedom.

2) Ultimately this is almost as important as security...our education system is in drastic need of change. Throwing money at it hasn't really accomplished a thing. Holding teachers accountable for the success or failure of their students is the key to rebuilding the public education system. Bad teachers lose their jobs, good teachers keep theirs. Using standardized tests don't do the job of assessing whether or not a teacher is doing his job either, you can prep a class for these things, and that happens constantly. It is the job of the administration of the various school districts to do this. It is congress and the executive branch that must provide the leadership for the needed changes to occur.

3) The ecomony. Leave it the hell alone. America's economy takes care of itself just fine, thanks. Certain problems do exist, but for the most part the economy takes care of itself. I am no expert...but a free market seems to care for itself best if the oversight is limited. Not to say it shouldn't be watched...Enron and other scandals prove that emphatically.

4) Social security...ahh yesss...the third rail of American politics...touch it and die. It is a very unhealthy institution, however, when ten people or more were paying into it for every one that was drawing on it, it worked. That is not the case anymore, soon it'll be almost one to one. Not good. First Congress needs to leave it alone, stop raiding it for needed revenue.

5) Control spending. Don't raise taxes, control spending. Pork needs trimming, we all know this, the newly elected congress critters say they know this until they get control of the purse strings, then the oinks become deafening. Oversight of the various committees needs to be public and constant, and out of Congress's hands totally. Won't happen, but its a pleasant fantasy...

This ought to do to get the conversation going...disagreements and all....