If I were a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President

[MineralMan]

I would lose miserably, no matter what I said I would do. But, here are my proposals:

1. Give every single adult or family in the USA $1 million in cash as a one-time grant. Fund this by simply printing a bunch more money, rather than by taxing the wealthy. Put no strings on that money, but make it clear that there is no more where than came from.

2. Nationalize all health care facilities and make it illegal for health care workers to be paid by anyone but the government. Create a salary schedule for all health care workers that takes into account their training and experience. Fix salaries at that level, with a COLA adjustment every year. Medical school and other professional medical education will be completely subsidized at public colleges and universities for all qualified students to ensure an adequate supply of properly trained physicians, nurses and other medical professionals.

3. Make healthcare free for everyone. If you're sick, go to sick call and you will be cared for, using the current level of technology, etc. Everyone will be treated exactly the same. There will be no private alternatives available and healthcare will be administered only to preserve the lives and health of all people in exactly the same way and at the same level. All citizens, of course, can travel to other countries for non-essential elective treatments, etc.

4. Nationalize the entire pharmaceutical industry. Finance research and development to create new drugs and find new treatments. All medications will be supplied to people as needed at no separate cost to individuals, regardless of financial status.

5. Establish an incremental pay scale for all private businesses and corporations, based on the base, entry-level pay of new employees. Pay levels would be based on a person's level in the business's organizational chart, with limits on the multiplier from the base pay numbers. Put a limit on how large the multiplier can be for any position in the organization, right up to the CEO.

6. Nationalize all current public universities and establish a pay scale for all who work at those schools, based on responsibilities, experience, and position. Any student meeting basic qualification standards can attend one of these schools on a tuition-free basis, and will receive a housing and meal allowance equal to that of students housed and fed in fully subsidized on-campus dormitories and dining rooms. Any athletic or other non-academic programs must be self-funded.

7. Private institutions of higher education will still be allowed to operate, and will receive the same per-student level of funding as established for the free federal school system. No additional funding or student loans will be subsidized. No funding for sports or other non-academic programs will be available.

8. For primary and secondary education, funding will be locked at the same level for all schools nationwide, with federal subsidies making up the difference in areas with an insufficient local tax base to meet those standards. Parents will have the ability to send their children to any school that exists in their local area. No federal funding or subsidies for any sort for private schools will be available. Standards for teaching credentials will be standardized and transferable to any state or location. No religious education or religious activities will be allowed in public schools whatsoever. Parents will be free to send children to any religious programs they wish at other locations when school is not in session.

There's much more, of course, but those are some of my initiatives that affect individuals in particular. Of course, none of these programs are possible in this country, since all would have to be enacted and funded by Congress, which would never enact any of them. So, don't vote for me. I couldn't really deliver any of this.

Note: For the naive, note that this entire post is satirical. Just saying...

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

1. Never make the ballot

Sorry

[MineralMan]

3. Yeah, that's why I'm not running.

My dreams are too big.

[Pantagruel]

2. Simply stated

U.S. citizens have the RIGHT to health care and education to everyone's benefit.
Your proposals simply make that happen in addition to killing any chance you might have to get nominated.

[MineralMan]

4. Exactly.

And, frankly, any suggestions similar to mine are simply empty campaign promises. If it won't pass in Congress, it's not going to happen.

[scheming daemons]

5. #1 would cost $200 trillion dollars.... or...

...5 times the size of our economy.


The price of literally EVERYTHING would go up 500% or more instantly.



I didn't bother reading the rest of your post, because #1 is so absolutely absurd.



Please... it is the Republicans that are supposed to be bad at math and economics.

[MineralMan]

6. I did not claim that any of my ideas were feasible.

None of them are. That's the entire point of my post.

Political candidates, especially presidential candidates, often propose infeasible things. Again, the point I am making.

As you note, everything I proposed can easily be dispensed with in a simple way. Every proposal is something that cannot be done.

You appear to have missed the satirical nature of my post.