Economic Stimulus & Energy Efficiency

Imagine if the government made LEED more accessible to the lower rung of the economic ladder. If say, a non-LEED home sells for $100k, but with $30k of updates the home could be LEED.

However, the home-buyer can only afford the former home. A program could be created where the government owns a slice of that home, the $30k slice. Then all new build homes could be LEED. So when the home is sold, the government would get its money back or could allow the next buyer the option of the government to retain that same slice. No need for interest charges on the $30k, as it would already be made back by increased economic activity.

*I sent this message to both of my Senators Brown & Portman.

Victims of the War on Drugs

Harmless Drugs Users & the Collateral Damage to the American Economy

There needs pardons for all non-violent drug offenders. This is necessary to clean up the mess the War on Drugs has done to undermine the potential of millions of America citizens costly untold damage to the Economy.

Consider, three consecutive Presidents lives were not ruined by illegal drug use, yet amazingly they managed to make something of themselves. They won the lottery of escaping prosecution, while countless numbers of their peers had their lives devastated. These non-privileged citizens sat behind bars, others lost the right to go to college, others can't not get hired into prosperous careers,... and America's Economy suffered, from their lost productivity. Are we as a nation going to allow another couple of generations barred from prosperity all due to a nonsensical stigma? Did we lose a better President, due to a drug charge, barring them from financial aid, forcing them out of college? We'll never know.

Let me be clear, only drug crimes are those to be pardoned, charges of theft, robbery, weapons charges, etc. would not be crimes covered under the pardons.

Locking people up is expensive, it would be far cheaper to providing shelter, employment assistance & job training, food stamps and finally drug treatment, than sending people through the court system handing out mandatory sentencing like candy on Halloween. Saving from no longer imprisoning people could be shifted to schools: primary, secondary and universities, a more educated populous is a huge win for society.

 

Imagine the judiciary focusing prosecution of criminals stealing the life saving of the elderly, one of which could have been one of your grandparents. Police departments could be demilitarized. Jails could be emptied, removing this nation from the dubious distinction  of incarcerating so many of its citizens.

The tax base could be expanded, by having more prosperous individuals. Decriminalization & legalization would create more small business owners, providing more people to be taxed. Taxation of these drugs would further expand the tax base.

 

I, being a lifelong abstainer of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, feel for those casualties lost in this nonsense, though I do wish everyone could unshackle themselves from these undue burdens which any individual might suffer.