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:(boot) >.v_exist[ title ] .else[ .define[ title ] ] >.margin[ left 2 ] .window[] .next :NEWVOTE :(gregboot) >.window [text bottom center 2 80] >.bcolor [text green single] >.cls[] >.wcolor [text yellow.blue ] |HIT ESC KEY FOR A CATALOG OF OUR OTHER BOOKS! |HIT ESC FOR UTILITIES - HIT BACKSPACE TO BACK UP - ENTER TO CONTINUE >.next[] :(gregcover) >.window [text top center 19 80] >.bcolor [text green thinsolid1] >.wcolor [text 15] !>.margin[ left 2 ] .window[] .next |IF YOU LOVE THIS COUNTRY PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS |PROPOSAL TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE! |Following are only A FEW SAMPLE BALLOT MEASURES. |PLEASE READ THE MEASURES + ARGUMENTS, THEN VOTE YES OR NO |THEN PRINT THE BALLOT AND SEND TO THE NEW DEMOCRACY CONCERT |TO VOTE ON ANY ISSUE, |SELECT "YES" or "NO" when prompted. |IF YOUR PRINTER IS READY, A COMPLETE |BALLOT WILL PRINT WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED. |YOU WILL BE PROMPTED TO MAIL IT BACK TO THE NEW DEMOCRACY CONCERT |THIS WILL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF MAKING IT WORK |ALTHOUGH THESE ARE ONLY SAMPLE BALLOTS, YOUR VOTE COUNTS |THE MORE PRESSURE WE PUT ON THE POLITICIANS FOR THIS |KIND OF DEMOCRACY |THE SOONER WE WILL HAVE ONE! :Intro |Introduction Everywhere in the world, there is a movement away from dictatorships, limited freedom and towards the total freedom of expression and movement and pursuits that only Real Democracy can offer! Everywhere, that is, except in America, the 'Home of Democracy' in the modern world. Now, Americans can jump ahead of all other nations once again and bring the world to a new pinnacle of freedom and democracy by allowing the people in this 'Republic' to vote on issues placed on the ballot, thus becoming a Real Democracy for the first time. Only in America could this happen. It's partially due to the advances in technology. It's partly due to the abuses of power that this government has made recently and it's also due to the influence of so many critical events around the world that brings us to this juncture in history. Indeed, we have never really been given the chance to vote on National issues directly because the politicians like the power right where it is, in the hands of a few power brokers in Washington. Did you know that the chairman of the House Banking Committee controls all the laws regarding the financial industry in this country? Or that the chairman of the House Ways and means committee controls the laws regarding income taxes and spending programs? In fact, there is no one more powerful than a few professional party members in this country today. This is the same state of affairs in the Soviet Union before the Russians kicked them out of power this year. We Celebrate the fall of the Communist Party. Why not get rid of political parties everywhere? Political parties are a form of bureaucracy that actually supports the Status Quo and stifles true innovation and progress because those in power tend to want to stay in power. Political parties had their day a hundred years ago, when it took several weeks to travel across this great country of ours. Nowadays we all know within seconds all the latest news of the day because of modern television, radio, communications, satellites, etc. The age of Real Democracy is upon us and no one is really talking about it. Why? Because the party bosses don't want you to start to think about the advantages of ordinary people like you and me, ACTUALLY MAKING THE LAWS OF THE NATION! In our current form of 'limited democracy' in America it's actually considered OK for industry to send lobbyists to Washington D.C. to influence our representatives by paying for their 'Campaign expenses'. Very often, these 'Campaign contributions are used by the candidates and tucked away in Swiss bank accounts. Indeed, there is even an entire office building in Washington D.C. set aside for lobbyists and it sits right beside the Senate offices. It was once said that the only reason we don't use the word 'bribery' in reference to this process is because the Congress defines the word 'bribery'. Of course, they see nothing wrong with this practice. The founding fathers of this great country would begin a second Revolution, however, if they knew this is how the American system of democracy had evolved! Thomas Jefferson even suggested that there be a bloody Revolution every generation because he knew that power eventually would corrupt any process created by Man. So, in America today, the problems like Crime, Drugs, Air and Water Pollution, Energy, Health & Welfare, Traffic, Exorbitant Tax rates, etc. will continue indefinitely because these special interest groups rule Congress. Oh, yes, they all make pretty speeches about how they vote for the American people and all that nonsense, but in reality, they never do anything until people get extremely upset and actually march on Washington in great numbers. In a Real Democracy, such as we are beginning here, people having to take time away from family and jobs to get them to do the right thing will never be necessary again because we will have the power of the vote given to the people and ISSUES WILL BE PLACED ON THE BALLOT, NOT MERELY PERSONALITY CONTESTS. Mark Twain once said that we have the best Congress that money can buy and he was not kidding. Oh, yes, there are a few good Congressmen and women, but even the best of them are eventually forced to go along with the 'system' in order to get along. Another reason the people get short-changed by their government is that a 'committee system' has evolved in both houses of Congress where a very powerful Senator, usually, the most indebted to special interest groups is given the 'committee chair'. This means one person can control all the laws regarding a certain area. For instance, the chairman of the finance committee gets to say what laws are introduced in Congress related to Insurance, Banking, Stocks, Real Estate. No other Senator or Congressman is allowed to introduce legislation into Congress without it first gaining the approval of the appropriate committee. So, in effect, we are ruled by a handful of men who are in control of the committees. If you and I were elected to Congress tomorrow, we would be powerless to do anything creative or constructive because most good legislation is blocked in this way. If you or I were elected to Congress and we wanted to introduce a bill that would limit say, interest charged on credit cards, we would be frustrated by the committee in charge of finance and that would be the end of it. This sounds incredible when you read this and many of you will not believe it, but it's true. Our organization has seen this happen time and time again. Another reason that problems persist in this country for decades is that Congress people because they hate to lose any votes or campaign contributions will usually 'compromise' on any given issue, trying to please everybody. As a result they end up pleasing nobody. You've heard this word used very often by Congress people and what they try to say is that they had to compromise their principles on an issue because someone of the opposite point of view was powerful enough to take away the 'teeth' in their proposals. This happens whenever a bill is introduced regarding energy programs, health insurance programs, welfare, taxation, etc. In fact, nearly every important piece of legislation is compromised away so that the problem they address is never really solved and it always gets to crisis proportions and then it's too late to avert the catastrophe that everyone with common sense can foresee years before. IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ANY OF THE ABOVE - then ask yourself why is the air pollution worse every year. Ask yourself why the banking system is in such trouble. Ask yourself why the oil companies continually destroy the ocean. Ask yourself why there are no electric vehicles of any number in this country. Ask yourself why taxes are so high and the deficit is so large. Ask yourself as you commute to work in all that traffic, why there are few alternatives to your getting to work. Ask yourself why they allowed Yellowstone National Park to burn for weeks without doing anything. Ask yourself why they spent so much or our money and resources defending an oil rich nation of Arab Sheiks. Ask yourself why hospitals and schools are going under and why kids don't learn. Ask yourself why the drug problem and other inner city problems are allowed to persist for so long. Ask yourself why there seems to be crisis after crisis in this country and that nothing ever gets resolved until the damage has already been done. Ask yourself these and many other questions. Then ask yourself what you can do about it. Because government is only what we make it in this or any country. How many times have you felt powerless to do anything about the insanity in Washington? How many times have you told yourself that the country is going to hell but there is nothing you can do about it? Well, NOW YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! THE REAL EXPERIMENT IN DEMOCRACY BEGUN BY THOMAS JEFFERSON, GEORGE WASHINGTON, JAMES MADISON ET AL, CONTINUES HERE AND ONLY HERE! REMEMBER THESE WORDS? They are without a doubt the most important words ever conceived and put to paper! 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.' These are the words of the Declaration of Independence, the document upon which our government is based. These words lead to other words that make up our Constitution, the most important document ever conceived and put to paper! In this, the American Constitution, it is stated quite clearly that the right for the people in America to have full and total freedom is guaranteed and that any time that they see fit to alter the terms of this Constitution, this contract that We the People have with our government, we have every right to do so. The Ninth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and part of the original 'Bill of Rights' states: 'The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.' This is quite clear and its overall effect on American history was more profound than any other paragraph in the Constitution because with this provision we have been able to abolish slavery, grant the right to vote to all Americans, to elect Representatives, to guarantee freedom of the press, freedom of speech etc. Unfortunately, the process of creating an amendment is more complicated. Article Nine of the Constitution states that: 'Congress may propose amendments whenever they agree by a two-thirds vote in both houses'. Or, perhaps, the best way, 'by application by the legislatures in 34 states for a Constitutional Convention.' Once, this number of states makes a formal application, by law, the Convention must be held and any amendments proposed and passed by this convention shall be 'valid to all intents and purposes as part of this Constitution'. This is probably the easiest and fastest way to get an Amendment for Real Democracy because state representatives may be more closely controlled by the people. The Congress, as we have already seen is more closely controlled by the two party system and their favorite political interest groups to allow for any movement by the people to overwhelm them. In the states, however, most representatives are more responsive to the needs of their constituents and less beholding to special interest groups and powerful political parties. In our opinion, this movement will gain more momentum by attacking the problem here, at the state level. Once the Constitutional Convention is called, however, it must be open to any amendments proposed by any group that may gain power in the convention. Therefore, it will be very important to plan this convention so that no special interests including this one is overly represented. Unfortunately, there is no mention in the U.S. Constitution as to how to go about creating this Constitutional Convention. No indication of how the members shall be chosen, what will constitute a majority vote and what kinds of issues may be addressed. However, it is the opinion of this organization that enough very clever and dispassionate political scientists exist in American Academia and in the people themselves that a method can be arrived at without much trouble. We welcome all ideas on this and any related subject and are currently composing a series of articles composed of thoughts and suggestions from our subscribers. This is another way that you can help the process. So, there are many ways that you can get involved. Think about the ways to call a Constitutional Convention. Think about ways to help raise the consciousness of your neighbors, relatives, associates. Think about ways to raise funds. Think about ways to gain publicity for this cause. Think about other ways that you can help. We need volunteers. We need money. We need ideas. This program demonstrates the power of Real Democracy. If you complete this program and do any or all of the above, we can achieve Real Democracy in America by the end of this century! If you doubt it, look at all the change going on right now in the Soviet Block. Who could have predicted so much change in such a restrictive and oppressive system as that? Certainly in a land as free as this one, an even more positive degree of change can take place if we will it. This book is STEP ONE in our strategy of educating the American public on what it will mean to ACTUALLY HAVE CONTROL OF ONE'S OWN GOVERNMENT. They do it in Switzerland and they do it in Austria and these two countries are among the two most politically and FINANCIALLY STABLE countries in the world! Why? Put simply, when the people control the spending and tax policies of their own government, the books are always balanced and perhaps more importantly, the people CONTROL THEIR OWN FUTURE AS A NATION AND EVEN INDIVIDUALLY. THINK OF THE RAMIFICATIONS! If we had the power to stop the war in Viet Nam, we could have saved so many lives and billions of dollars. Not to mention the terrible damage this nation did to the planet. Millions of acres of rainforest were destroyed forever. The climate of our country may now be effected by this war. Entire villages of women and children were annihilated. Who among us in this nation would have willed such evil on our asian brothers and sisters? Who among us would have wished to spend so much of this country's resources on such a useless effort? The answer is two people wished all these evil things to happen. President Johnson, and President Nixon. These two people were solely responsible since Congress never did anything to prevent them from continuing in this illegal war. It is clearly stated in the Constitution that only Congress shall have the right to declare war. Clearly, if we paid more attention to our own Constitution, the world would be a far better place in which to live. And it was this personal war of two presidents that put this country on the path to becoming the world's largest debtor nation. Previously, we had been the world's largest creditor nation. In the history of the world, it's the creditor nations who survive, not the debtor nations. Therefore, two American Presidents, Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat and Richard Nixon, a Republican, are personally responsible for the potential destruction of the American dream. You could say that these two lone individuals did more damage to the prestige and stability of America than any spy or traitor in the history of this great country! Another President, Ronald Reagan, although the most popular President in modern history, also did not consult with the people when he spent their money so fast that he made all other Presidents before him seem like misers. The national debt went out of control during this administration and not one American citizen was able to stop it. Clearly, there is too much power placed in the hands of people who don't know what to do with it. Surely, now that Communism has collapsed all over the world, there is no more 'bogeyman' out there that they can use to force us to spend ourselves into such an uncontrolled spiral of recession and depression. Only when the people whose money they love to spend Congress are in control of the spending will it be spent for more rational and constructive purposes! And only when the people control the spending and the bureaucracy, will we be truly free! And Freedom is what America is all about, the creation of freedom is our greatest accomplishment. The advancement of Freedom will be our most important accomplishment! This is the dream of the founding fathers of this great nation and in anticipation of these problems, they gave us all our rights we enjoy today, including the most important one, the right to amend the greatest document in the history of the world, the American Constitution to whatever form of democracy that 'We the People' may want! In twenty six previous amendments to the Constitution, we have abolished slavery in America, then we allowed women to vote, then we lowered the age to vote to 18. Today, anyone can vote. But what can you vote on? Nothing. In America, we are allowed to vote only for one brand of party boss or another. Only in a few states can we actually vote on issues and these are necessarily limited to state wide effect. It surprises most Americans when they realize that they are not allowed to vote on National issues today. Interestingly enough, in the new Soviet Union, the people have had several National Referenda already on major issues effecting their everyday lives. Why not here? We sincerely hope that after reading some of the issues that we think would be very good for the people to resolve and not the politicians, that you will ask the same question. Please go through this sample National Ballot. Think carefully about both sides of the argument. Make your vote. Print out the ballot, mail it back to us, and then MOST IMPORTANTLY - COPY THIS PROGRAM AND GIVE IT TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES WHO ALSO WOULD LIKE MORE RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT SO THAT THEY MAY VOTE AS WELL. REMEMBER. 'A journey of a thousand miles, begins with the first step'. Please take Step One. Send your completed ballots back to the 'New Democracy Concert' where the votes will be tabulated and the results announced in the media. This, and only this process, will eventually lead to Real Democracy in America. We will only achieve democracy by putting it to practice! It's a sad commentary on American life that less than half of the eligible voters in this country ever bother to go to the polls on election day. We believe this is only because many people realize the fruitlessness of voting. It seems that no matter whom we elect to office, terrible mistakes and abuses will be made. This hopelessness and helplessness must end if we are to survive as a nation. In this author's opinion, the greatest nation in the history of the world, must survive! Please do your part to ensure the survival of this American Dream of democracy! Carefully go over all these issues, make your vote, then COPY THIS PROGRAM AND PASS IT AROUND! You'll be glad you did. At the end of each ballot measure, you will be asked to make your vote. If you look in the lower right hand corner you will notice a small menu where you choose either 'Yea' or 'Nea'. Use the up and down arrow to make your choice and go on. At the end of the ballot, you will be asked to print the ballot. Please have your printer on line and print the ballot and mail it to us. If you send this in with a donation, {ANY AMOUNT YOU CAN AFFORD WILL BE USED TO FURTHER THIS CAUSE.}, we will send you an Political Activist Kit. This will enable you to be the first on your block to begin the process toward Real Democracy in America by aiding this movement through fun and exciting ways you never thought you could do. We have much experience in these matters and we know that something like this must come from the 'Grassroots' level. We hope that you will stand up and become a proud American blade of grass willing to grasp the opportunity the founding fathers and millions of brave soldiers fought and died to give you! It took 'guts' for us to bring you this program. We hope you have the 'guts' to make the American experiment in Democracy flicker back to life in this century! THE FOLLOWING ARE SAMPLE BALLOT ISSUES WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THE NATIONAL BALLOT. We hope that someday there is a real NATIONAL BALLOT with similar choices FOR THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE! :"TAX REFORM - #1" |TAX REFORM - PROPOSAL #1 |NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION We the people of the United States do hereby proclaim the following changes to the United States Revenue Codes that may be appropriate. Sec. 1. Beginning on Jan 1, 1992, the following tax tables shall replace all other tax tables now on the books. INCOME TAX RATE On the 1st $50,000.00 per year.... 0 On the 2nd $50,000.00 per year.... 10% On the 3rd $50,000.00 per year.... 20% On the 4th $50,000.00 per year.... 30% On the 5th $50,000.00 per year.... 40% On all income exceeding $250,000.00 per year.... 50% There shall be no exemptions, no loopholes, no allowances and no more filing of income tax forms of any kind. Instead, all employers will withhold the tax at the above rate. Self employed people will be responsible to withhold from their own incomes at the same rates and shall make quarterly deposits to the IRS. |ARGUMENT PRO If passed, this major change to the income tax system of this country would greatly simplify the whole complicated process of filing your income tax now due every April 15th. More importantly, it would eliminate the need for tax attorneys and accountants who specialize in finding so many loopholes for the wealthy that the average citizen ends paying much more in taxes than the very wealthy as a percentage of income. This change would also raise enough Revenue from the super wealthy of this country that the budget would be balanced in ONE YEAR! Yet it would do so without any burden to the poorest levels workers. If passed this major reform would make it easier for the average citizen to keep a roof over his head and his family fed, since the first $50,000.00 of income for most families is spent on a home mortgage or rent and food and clothing for children. This exemption on the first level of income, therefore, makes it impossible for the Federal government to confiscate so much of our income that it is impossible to live comfortably in America. The succeeding levels of income above the first $50,000.00 dollars earned per year, however, should be taxed to provide all the government services that we require as a society and should be taxed on a graduated scale such as the above proposal so that the more successful in society pay their fair share. |ARGUMENT CON If passed this law would make it very difficult on the more important people in this country to influence the lawmakers. It would take a much higher percentage of tax from the upper echelons of society and therefore the rich people of this country will have to sacrifice some of their fur coats and trips to the Riviera. If passed it would also make it more difficult for someone to achieve millionaire status and would put more pressure on Congress to actually earn their living by doing something except bickering amongst themselves. It would also take a great deal of power away from the Democratic and Republican Party's and place it in the hands of the people as a whole. It would also cause massive lay-offs in the IRS. »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"ENERGY PROPOSAL - #2" |ENERGY PROPOSAL #2 |A POLLUTION TAX ON THE SALE OF GASOLINE POWERED VEHICLES WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby decree that, as of Jan, 1, 1993 there shall be placed on the sale of every new gasoline or diesel powered passenger or commercial vehicle, a POLLUTION TAX according to the following schedule. (Exception: If a gasoline powered vehicle can be proven to produce near zero pollutants, then it shall be exempt from this tax.) 1ST 2 YEARS AFTER PASSAGE .... 10% 2ND 2 YEARS AFTER PASSAGE .... 20% 3RD 2 YEARS AFTER PASSAGE .... 30% 4TH 2 YEARS AFTER PASSAGE .... 40% 5TH 2 YEARS AFTER PASSAGE .... 50% FROM THIS TIME FORWARD .... 100% 90% of all revenue raised from this SPECIAL SALES TAX must be put into the development of alternative energy powered cars. To qualify for grants of this money, an engine must produce near zero pollutants, such as electric powered, or hydrogen powered vehicles. The other 10% of these funds may be used for administration of this law. Congress shall pass no other laws which shall hamper, delay, weaken or conflict with this law in any way without a 90% majority in both houses. |ARGUMENT PRO If this law is passed, by the beginning of the 8th year after passage of this law, Americans would have to pay a whopping $5,000.00 tax on a $10,000.00 gas burning car. Anyone foolish enough to do this would be contributing a great deal of capital to the development and marketing of alternative energy powered cars. This fund could top Billions of dollars and would force American as well as foreign car companies to produce alternative powered vehicles which would make giant leaps toward cleaning the environment. |ARGUMENT CON Passage of this law would make it very difficult for automobile manufacturers to wield the gigantic power that they now possess and many executives will suffer extreme amounts of stress and burn out as they try to beat the deadline and to compete in this new marketplace. As it stands now, car company executives get a two-hour lunch and they leave the office right after lunch to play golf. This would seriously impinge on their spare time. True, the air would eventually be fit to breathe in any city in the country, but do we really want to sacrifice our two-hour executive lunch breaks and golf games for this goal? »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"EDUCATION REFORM - #3" |EDUCATIONAL REFORM - #3 |A NATIONAL HONORS & SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby decree that, from this point forward, a National scholarship system shall be initiated according to the following plan. The top 5% of students in the 9th grade and up will be chosen by school administrators and their names will be sent to the National Education Association for eligibility for a grant for one year's college tuition for each year that they are appointed to this program. In return for earning tuition credit, each honors student shall be required to donate 10 hours per week in tutoring the slower students in their class as designated by school administrators. For each school year in which they are eligible to participate and in which they actually participate in giving tutorial lessons to their peers, each student will receive one year's tuition credit in the college or university of their choice. |ARGUMENT PRO If passed this proposal would help the teachers of every school in America to deliver quality education and will raise the general grade point level several degrees. This system has been tested in many progressive schools around the country on a volunteer basis and it works almost too well. |ARGUMENT CON If passed, this law would make it much more difficult for teachers to deliver quality education because they would have to compete with non-union labor. They would immediately go on strike and then where would we be? »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"CAMPAIGN REFORM - #4" |CAMPAIGN REFORM PROP - #4 |PROMISES, PROMISES. WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby decree that, as of Jan. 1, 1993, all politicians, on the federal, state, and even city level, shall not make any promises during a campaign that they cannot keep. They shall be forced by this proposal to fulfill any and all promises made to the electorate during the first half of their first stay in office. Furthermore, no political campaign shall raise funds equal to or above twice that of the yearly salary of the position being sought. If either of these campaign provisions are found to be broken, by the election commission in authority, any group of 100 or more registered voters may recall said politician by providing their signatures on a recall petition to the same election commission. A new election must then be held immediately to replace the recalled official and the cost of the recall election is charged to the political party to which the offending official belongs and must be paid in a timely manner, (before the start of the next campaign for the same office) or their right to place a candidate on the next ballot shall be null and void. |ARGUMENT PRO This kind of campaign reform is sorely needed in this country. The two political parties have a stranglehold on the political ideas that are allowed to gain attention. They control the media and they control our lives to a frightening degree. If you don't agree, try running for a political office anywhere in this country. If you don't have the proper 'credentials' good enough for one of the parties to let you in, the odds are, you won't stand a chance in the election. Because of this control it now takes 30 million dollars to run for President. Very few of us can afford this entry fee to the race. This limits ideas and potential solutions to problems, especially when you realize that all politicians are forced to take contributions from big business in order to be elected. Who do you think they then represent most of the time? This measure would be very effective in limiting what a candidate can say and do and it would severely restrict the power of the two political parties to pay off their friends, while making it very important that they pay off their constituents. If they don't, they quickly lose their jobs. This tough proposal is the only way to get our country back to the basics, i.e., serving us! |ARGUMENT CON This proposition is un-American. It would cause the present political system to collapse and chaos would replace it. In the void a Hitler might rise up to conquer this great nation without even a shot being fired! »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"WELFARE REFORM - #5" |WELFARE REFORM PROPOSAL - #5 |MAKE THEM WORK FOR THEIR MONEY - JUST LIKE WE DO! WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby decree that, as of Jan. 1, 1993, all current federal and state laws regarding Welfare are hereby rescinded and all new laws must conform to the following federal rules which We the People do hereby establish: All citizens of this country, if proven to be destitute and lacking of any funds or assets, such as a car or home, shall be eligible for federal assistance in the following manner. A national network of employment shall be initiated under the Social Security Administrations and a computerized data base of job openings in the country will be maintained. After a candidate establishes eligibility, he or she shall be referred to one of these employment positions and he or she must accept it, if accepted by the employer. In order to provide employment, a stipend of six months salary shall be paid by the Social Security Administration to the employer and this money shall be passed on to the Welfare applicant. At the end of six months, the employer shall be required to keep the applicant at the job for an additional six months. Preference will be given to families with children. Next priority will be given to single parents with custody of their children. Next priority will be given to single people with no children. If a candidate refuses to accept employment under these conditions for any reason, they will be considered ineligible for assistance. |ARGUMENT PRO If passed, this bill would reform all present bureaucratic law relating to the institution known generally as Welfare. Under our current system, people do not have to work to receive assistance and many people take advantage of this system by never giving anything back and they even pass on this way of life to their children, as if owed a living by society at large. This is a dangerous concept that something is owed to somebody for no consideration being given in return. Our present system is so shot full of loopholes and bureaucratic red tape, not enough assistance is being given to the right people, thus the homeless problem worsens, while others, less deserving are living in relative wealth, provided at taxpayers expense. This proposal would put an end to all that since every person receiving federal assistance would be required to work. The incentive to hire people in this category is given to employers through a six month stipend to the employer, after which time, the employer must pay for this employee under his own resources, thus creating jobs, but not more bureaucracy. This would also go a long way toward solving the homeless problem in this nation. |ARGUMENT CON If passed, this proposal would cause a great deal of turmoil amongst present Welfare recipients who have never had to earn a living. Special consideration should be given to them before this law becomes effective. Also, this law would produce massive lay-offs in the federal bureaucracy. »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"DRUGLAW TIGHTENING - #6" |PROPOSAL TO END THE DRUG PROBLEM - #6 |GET TOUGH ON DOPE DEALERS! WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby decree that, as of Jan. 1, 1993, anyone convicted of selling controlled substances within the boundaries of the United States of America shall have all assets seized by the local police making the arrest. These assets shall be held until after all appeals are exhausted. Upon exhaustion of all appeals, these assets will be sold at auction and the proceeds will be applied to the general funds of the cities in which the law enforcement agency resides. If an appeal is won by the defendant, all assets are unfrozen at this time and returned to the defendant. A mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison, regardless of age and regardless of the past record of the defendant, will be handed down without possibility of amendment by any federal judge, and no chance of parole during these ten years. Controlled substances shall be defined by this proposal as the following: One ounce or more of Marijuana, Hashish, etc. One gram or more of Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and related drugs. One gram or more of opiate derived drugs, including heroin. One gram or more of any prescription drug obtained illegally. |ARGUMENT PRO If passed, this proposal would do much to curb the terrible drug program in this country. In most country's that have this kind of very severe law on the books, drug crimes are almost non-existent. The revenue generated by the sale of drug dealers assets would help to alleviate the constant pressure to raise taxes, and the money would go to improving the community. When drug dealing becomes mostly unprofitable, at last, it will simply cease to be a viable life style. Also, when Judges are forced to impose this kind of sentence, the legal system will no longer be a big joke to the criminal element, as it is now. |ARGUMENT CON This law would not do very much to reduce the drug problem in this country because you would not be able to locate the assets of the drug dealers. They are very cagey at hiding them. »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"ANTI-POLLUTION PROP - #7" |PROPOSITION TO CONTROL POLLUTION -#7 |GIVE THE EPA SOME TEETH! WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby decree that as of Jan. 1, 1993, all business, industrial or personal entity that produces any pollution of any kind, including toxic solid or liquid waste, toxic or nauseous gases, or chemicals, radioactivity of any kind, shall be required to spend an amount equal to their yearly gross revenues on planting trees and/or cleaning up the environment in a manner approved by the EPA. This requirement shall continue in effect until such time that the EPA determines that the offending entity has reduced its pollution output to a 'practically harmless degree.' This shall be understood as output having no deleterious effect on the environment that might threaten the long or short term health of any living thing, or is at least balanced out to zero by the effects of the entity's clean-up activities. |ARGUMENT PRO If passed, this proposition would eventually clean up this country so that no more species are lost, and our survival as a planet would be assured. It would give notice to the polluters that they may not conduct business as usual without regard for the safety of all animals who live on this planet. We live on a planet where all life is inextricably interwoven. Many of our industrial processes are slowly killing life in the oceans, rivers, lakes and streams. We cannot survive without the oxygen generated by this life and the food that this life-cycle provides us. This is therefore a top priority in our lives, to preserve the magnificent balance of Nature that God in His ultimate wisdom has provided us. Nowhere in the universe can we find evidence of life on such a scale. It is therefore, precious and we are, by default, the caretakers. Although a drastic measure, it must be passed. Eventually, business and industry will adapt to the idea of Zero Pollution tolerance on this planet, and we can all live in total harmony with the environment and not have to worry about the future of our species or the future of any other species. This law will be a milestone in our civilization, and could lead to other laws that help us in many more ways. Evolution is the most important on-going process on this planet. |ARGUMENT CON If this law is passed, it would cause massive unemployment as up to one third of our industries are forced to close. Most of them will just reopen in foreign countries where the pollution laws are not as severe and so we'll end up with the same amount of pollution crossing the borders and yet we'll still be feeling the effects of the pollution, the difference being, most of us will be out of work. »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"DEATH PENALTY STRENGTHENED- #8" |PROPOSAL TO SIMPLIFY THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY - #8 |LET'S NOT KEEP THE REAL BAD GUYS AROUND ANY MORE THAN WE HAVE TO! WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby decree that, as of Jan. 1, 1993, any person convicted of murder in the first degree, AND ON TWO ORE MORE COUNTS, shall be give a mandatory sentence of Death. There shall be only one appeal. The death penalty shall not be used in any cases where evidence is only circumstantial, or where the Jury was not unanimous in a guilty verdict. There shall be no time limit between the several counts of this capital crime. We re-emphasize that for this statute to apply, there must be hard physical evidence unequivocally connecting the convicted to the crimes. Testimony alone by others does not satisfy any of these tests. Any case that does not meet these tests, shall not be considered for this statutory sentence. |ARGUMENT PRO If this law is passed it would do much to rid society of the type of person we should not support in any way. Anyone who has the ability to kill another Human being on more than one instance, is not worth keeping alive and not worth attempting to rehabilitate. This law would discourage others from conspiring to kill somebody with forethought and malice. This law would not include murder in an act of rage or passion. But if it happens twice or more, this convicted multiple murderer should be removed from all connection to society. It's not the ultimate answer to this kind of crime. Educational standards and wise social administration is also needed, but at least, this will force a murderer to think twice about what he or she is planning to do to another Human Being. |ARGUMENT CON This proposal would not act as a deterrent against murder, but instead would increase the likelihood of murder because there are those among us who kill so that society will do to them what they do not have the courage to do, commit suicide. »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"BALANCED FEDERAL BUDGET - #9" |PROPOSAL TO BALANCE THE FEDERAL BUDGET - #9 |Force government to live within its means - just as we all must do! WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby decree that, as of Jan. 1, 1993, the Federal government shall not spend any more money than their current level of revenue, and this law shall remain in force for all time, or until it is amended by the people themselves in direct referendum such as this one. Congress shall pass no law that will abridge, alter, weaken, hamper, delay or conflict with this law in any way unless they shall have attained a minimum of a 95% majority in both houses, or in a year in which they declare war or other national emergency. |ARGUMENT PRO If passed, this proposal would put this nation back on a strong and common sense footing. No government, in the history of the world, has been able to sustain huge deficits for an extended period of time. Already, we have seen the degradation of this country economically because Congress spends money foolishly and with no due regard for the taxpayer who has to foot these incredible budgets. Furthermore, it is neither wise nor prudent to pass on such huge debts to our children. |ARGUMENT CON If passed, this initiative would force massive lay-offs in the federal bureaucracy. »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"SPEED LIMIT 70 - #10" |PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE SPEED LIMIT TO 70 MILES PER HOUR - #10 |Let's stop turning people in a hurry into criminals. WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby decree that, as of Jan. 1, 1993, the National Speed Limit shall be raised from 55 MPH to 70 MPH. All state and federal laws in conflict with this statute are hereby null and void. |ARGUMENT PRO This proposal, if passed, would cause massive lay-offs in the Federal Bureaucracy and it would save the average commuter thousands of dollars in fines and penalties and insurance premiums, and make us all better drivers. Highway safety might actually be improved because there will be fewer of us impatiently speeding around the slower cars to get somewhere in a hurry. This would also make it less of a strain to drive a car because we would not have to be looking out the rear-view mirror for cops all the time, like we do now! |ARGUMENT CON If passed, this initiative would cause massive lay-offs in the Federal Bureaucracy and it would cause about 10,000 more deaths on the highways than we suffer at the current speed limit of 55 MPH. »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"FEWER COMMERCIALS - #11" |REDUCE COMMERCIALS ON TELEVISION - #11 |Let's cut the amount of commercials on public air! WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby decree that, as of June 31, 1995, there will be no more than five minutes of commercial messages during any hour of broadcast on all television stations within the boundaries of the United States of America. Furthermore, all commercial messages must be lumped together in the first five minutes of each hour so that they may be more easily ignored by those who wish to ignore them. The penalty for disobeying this statute is loss of broadcast license. |ARGUMENT PRO If passed, this proposal would make television viewing in this country far more enjoyable. As envisioned by this National Referendum, television viewers could simply hit the mute button on their remote control units until the commercials were over. At times like this family matters could be discussed, phone calls could be made and other business attended to. Then, the program could be watched without interruption and would make movies have a one-time intermission in the middle, just like in the good old days. |ARGUMENT CON This proposal would put thousands of advertising executives out on the street. It would ruin the economy of 5th Avenue in New York City. And it would mean that some kind of fee would have to be charged for owning a television set as they do in many European countries. »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"NATIONAL LOTTERY - #12" |A NATIONAL LOTTERY - #12 |Let's raise funds for schools and do it the RIGHT WAY! WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby decree that, in order to aid public education without increasing our taxes, and in order to bring more of the so-called vice taxes to the American people as a whole, We do hereby resolve that as of Jan. 1, 1994, a National Lottery system will be installed. No more than 10% of monies raised by this lottery may go to administrative costs and that the remaining 90% of funds so raised shall go to inner city schools. The money will be granted to schools in order of priority being given to the schools with the lowest SAT scores and evenly distributed amongst all geographical areas. |ARGUMENT PRO Americans donate more than 100 Billion dollars each year on illegal gambling activities. Most of this money winds up in the hands of highly unsavory people and is not even taxed. This proposal would channel a portion of these funds to the neediest of public schools in the country. Our future resides in the minds of our children and we need to invest more money in their citizenship. The best way is through the schools and the best way to help schools is in a way that takes from the rich and gives to the poor, ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS! This proposal would take money from those who are wealthy enough to gamble a portion of their income and puts it in the area of society most neglected, our inner city schools. If we do not do something about this problem, our very democratic foundation is threatened. This proposal, as a positive side effect, would also lower the crime rate, since most crime derives from kids who don't stay in school. We know that people will have their vices. Why not put some of it to good public use? |ARGUMENT CON Gambling of any kind is immoral. »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"PRISON REFORM - #13" |PRISON REFORM - #13 WE THE PEOPLE, do hereby declare that all Federal prisons shall be re-organized to achieve a penal system that not only confines the convicted criminals in society, but also re-trains, re-educates all in-mates so that they shall have no need to committ a crime upon their release. Prisons will be oriented to achieve the following: 1. Prisoners shall be employed in labor which will compensate the victims of crimes, either their own victims or if none, victims of other crimes. 2. To indoctrinate, educate and rehabilitate the convict so that the convict shall have the necessary skills to become a productive citizen in society upon release. A. To this end, the parole boards shall not release a convicted criminal until and unless the criminal can demonstrate that he or she can demonstrate employable job skills of some kind. 3. To facilitate these ends, money shall be provided by Congress so that counselors, teachers, support people can be hired to train the convict in skills that shall be deemed useful to society. Money invested in this way will actually save the taxpayers much more as crime is reduced gradually through this method of giving criminals the means to provide for their needs. Argument Pro: The prison system in this country is known as a 'University of Crime' by the criminals. Every professional criminal knows that he or she will gain experience in prison that will aid his criminal career and not the skills that will aid his re-habilitation. Some criminals even carry on their crimes from within prison walls. Surely, a major reform must be begun now before we create a whole generation of criminals. Argument Con: This initiative would make prisons a kind of reward for people who have no other way out of their downtrodden lives and many of them will commit a crime just to get admitted to this federal country club. »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"NAT'L HEALTH - #14" |NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE - #14 WE THE PEOPLE - do hereby declare that as of Jan. 1, 1995, a National Health Insurance Policy shall go into effect. Fifty Billion dollars shall be allocated from the Defense Budget and re-directed to a National Health Insurance Policy which will cover all costs associated with any catastrophic diseases suffered by any American citizen. To help pay for this National Policy, an income tax of one percent of all 'Gross Income' shall be withheld from wages of all employed and self-employed persons. Costs of this program shall not exceed the amount of money raised by this initiative. ARGUMENT PRO: This is a good start towards a National Health Insurance policy so that catastrophic diseases cannot have such a disastrous effect on American families. This initiative is responsible and effective because it allocates money not currently benefitting any part of society and directing it towards a real problem in our society. Now that the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union is nill, this money is better spent on this kind of social program. It will also help encourage the Defense Establishment to disband unnecessary military activities, such as War Games, Golf Clubs for officers, free travel for military brass, etc. ARGUMENT CON: This initiative will not work because the money thus allocated is not sufficient to truly solve the problem. It's a start and a better program could be conceived in the near future. Let's wait for a better proposal to come forward. »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :"CONGRESS SALARIES - #15" |SALARIES FOR CONGRESSMEN AND WOMEN WE THE PEOPLE - do hereby declare that now that we have achieved a Real and True Democracy in America and are less dependent on the machinations of Congress do hereby limit the salaries of all Senators and U.S. Representatives to the amount of $50,000 per year. Expense accounts shall be limited to $10,000 per year and staff salaries shall be limited to $25,000 per year per staff member and a limit of three staff persons per Congressman shall be in effect from the effective date of this initiative. The effective date of this initiative shall be Jan. 1, 19__. Furthermore, income from all other sources, excluding income earned from investments made prior to becoming a Congressman, shall be limited to $25,000 per year. This includes speeches, books, and any other honoraria that is earned at the same time that office is held. All monies and benefits earned from campaign contributions is expressly prohibited from being spent in direct support of any Congressman in any manner. If a majority of members of Congress decide that any provision of this popular initiative has been violated by any member, that member shall be expelled from office and shall not be eligible to re-gain Federal office, job, employment or appointment of any kind. ARGUMENT PRO: This law would go a long way to reform our government so that people interested in public service shall be encouraged to run for office and not those interested in personal enrichment. It would also limit campaign fraud. It now takes millions of dollars in campaign fundraising in order to successfully run for office. Most Americans realize that tremendous debts are owed by the candidates to the special interests who donate these huge sums of money. This prevents real democracy from working in this country. This form of government reform would go a long ways to stemming this trend before the country is totally up for sale. ARGUMENT CON: This law would make it impossible for Congress people to live in the manner in which they have become accustomed. They would have to find other ways to make money because it's expensive to live in Washington D.C. and many Congress people have to have two households, one in their home state and one in Washington. They also have to have a country home, a mountain fishing cabin, a vacation condo, a room in the Ritz Hotel in every major city. They have to fly first class. They have to travel to every major and even every minor country to explore the possibilities of giving them foreign aid money. They have to wear fifteen hundred dollar suits. They have to have their own bank, their own rapid transit system, limousine service, private spa and country club memberships. How are they going to afford all this on such a puny salary? »» PLEASE REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL NOW >TITLE=^TOPIC ?YES .EXECUTE [ ECHO ^TITLE = YES >> RESPONSE %Q] ?NO .EXECUTE [ECHO ^TITLE = NO >> RESPONSE %Q] >.NEXT * :{check} >.f_exist[ RESPONSE ] .then[ {RESPONSE} ] .else[ {close} ] :{close} |Thank you for your participation in REAL DEMOCRACY! |HAVE YOU READ THE CATALOG OF OUR OTHER BOOKS? |(IT'S ON THE DISK - HIT ESC. - CHOOSE BOOKS, THEN CATALOG.) |The greatest help you can offer is to make several copies of this |program and pass it around. |ALSO - IF YOU HAVE ANY BALLOT PROPOSALS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON |FUTURE VERSIONS OF THIS PROGRAM, PLEASE SEND THEM TO US ALONG WITH |THIS FORM! |WE GRATEFULLY ACCEPT ALL PARTICIPATION IN |THE NEW DEMOCRACY |HIT ESCAPE AND RE-ENTER THE 'NEWVOTE' BOOK IF YOU WANT TO RE-READ. >.pause >(gregcover) * :{RESPONSE} |Would you like to print THE BALLOT NOW? ?Yes {print} ?No {close} :{print} >.execute[ RESPONSE ] >{close} * :{RESPONSEcheck} >.f_exist[ RESPONSE ] .then[ {RESPONSE} ] .else[ {RESPONSEclose} ] :{RESPONSEclose} |Thank you for your attention. |Be sure to contact THE UNLEARNING FOUNDATION for |a current listing of available titles. >.pause >(gregcover) * :{RESPONSE} |Would you like to print an order form? ?Yes {orderprint} ?No {orderclose} :{RESPONSEprint} >.execute[ RESPONSE ] >{RESPONSEclose} * * * * > INDEX ENDS. ! ! ! --> INDEX BEGINS ! :{..Index..} |** INDEX ** |choose indice, or |press <BkSp> to return * ! ! --> INDEX ENDS. ! ! ! --> INDEX BEGINS ! :{..Index..} |** INDEX ** |choose indice, or |press <BkSp> to return * ! ! --> INDEX ENDS. ! ! ! --> INDEX BEGINS ! :{..Index..} |** INDEX ** |choose indice, or |press <BkSp> to return * ! ! --> INDEX ENDS. !