There have been countless complaints about the current state of our judicial system, with so many activist judges illegally legislating from the bench. And it has been impossible to fix it because judges are appointed for life, and the Constitution allows only one method of removal - for lack of "good behavior".
And while it would appear that illegally legislating from the bench is bad behavior, the courts have declared (again, illegally) that only "high crimes and misdemeanors" can constitute bad behavior. Such a declaration by the court is a case of the fox guarding the hen house.
To remove a judge, the judge must be impeached by a simple majority of the House, and a two-thirds majority of the senate.
This entire debacle is easily fixed - Congress, the only body with the authority to do so - should pass a law that clarifies what constitutes bad behavior of judges, and should include "legislating from the bench" as an impeachable offense.
Today, the difficult part would be getting the law passed through the Senate, and getting 60 votes for any impeachment. But thanks to Harry Reid, the "nuclear option" could be used, and only a simple majority would be required in the senate.
The law should state that a judge shall be reprimanded for a first offense. A second offense within three years would result in impeachment.
While this would not fix all the issues with rogue judges, it would certainly provide the People with a method for protecting themselves from them.
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Thursday, March 16, 2017
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
A Better, Affordable Health Care Plan
A REAL healthcare bill would include the following:
1) No mandates or credits (see below)
2) Ability to cobble together the health care each person wants or needs, even across state lines. Would create lower costs through competition
3) Price transparency, so people can shop for the least expensive service. Would create lower costs through competition
4) Tort reform - cap malpractice suits to a reasonable level, so providers would not be forced to push unnecessary tests & procedures just to cover their butts
4a) Eliminate class action suits for "bad drugs" approved by the FDA unless there is intent of wrongdoing. Would severely reduce cost for prescriptions
5) The government should increase the FICA contribution by employers and employees by 2.5%, and use those funds to provide catastrophic coverage to everyone in a household earning less than 250% of poverty level ($50/year from each, for each $10,000 of income)
6) Those whose household income is at or below poverty level would already have catastrophic coverage (see above) and medicaid for other health care costs. Since medicaid now only needs to cover non-catastrophic costs, the medicaid is less expensive, allowing states to provide more coverage for less
Whereas payroll deductions would provide catastrophic coverage for lower & middle income, and current medicaid would cover most of any balance for the poor, and whereas costs for health care and/or insurance costs have been significantly reduced, anyone earning over 250% of poverty level could well afford their own insurance. Hence, no mandates or credits are necessary.
1) No mandates or credits (see below)
2) Ability to cobble together the health care each person wants or needs, even across state lines. Would create lower costs through competition
3) Price transparency, so people can shop for the least expensive service. Would create lower costs through competition
4) Tort reform - cap malpractice suits to a reasonable level, so providers would not be forced to push unnecessary tests & procedures just to cover their butts
4a) Eliminate class action suits for "bad drugs" approved by the FDA unless there is intent of wrongdoing. Would severely reduce cost for prescriptions
5) The government should increase the FICA contribution by employers and employees by 2.5%, and use those funds to provide catastrophic coverage to everyone in a household earning less than 250% of poverty level ($50/year from each, for each $10,000 of income)
6) Those whose household income is at or below poverty level would already have catastrophic coverage (see above) and medicaid for other health care costs. Since medicaid now only needs to cover non-catastrophic costs, the medicaid is less expensive, allowing states to provide more coverage for less
Whereas payroll deductions would provide catastrophic coverage for lower & middle income, and current medicaid would cover most of any balance for the poor, and whereas costs for health care and/or insurance costs have been significantly reduced, anyone earning over 250% of poverty level could well afford their own insurance. Hence, no mandates or credits are necessary.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
What President Trump Should Do With "Dreamers"
Immigration - particularly illegal immigration - has been a top concern of Americans for decades. Former president Obama issued an executive order called "The Dream Act" that allows those brought here illegally, as children, the right to stay, work and go to school.
To begin, I do not approve of rewarding those who break the law. On the other hand, I am a firm believer in second chances for those who earn them.
One question president Trump is wrestling with is what to do about the "Dreamers". Naturally, I have a suggestion.
First, any Dreamer who has been convicted of any crime should be deported - NOW. The rest would have the next seven years to prove their allegiance to our country and laws - if they break any crimnal laws, they get deported. But if they stay clean, learn English, work hard and show they are an asset, at the end of seven years they can be granted citizenship. They will have earned it.
One other option: they can serve in the United States military for a minimum of 4 years. Upon completion of four years of honorable active service, they may be granted citizenship.
I know a lot of hard right and hard left people will find fault with such a plan, but the truth remains that it is fair. And what is America if not fair?
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To begin, I do not approve of rewarding those who break the law. On the other hand, I am a firm believer in second chances for those who earn them.
One question president Trump is wrestling with is what to do about the "Dreamers". Naturally, I have a suggestion.
First, any Dreamer who has been convicted of any crime should be deported - NOW. The rest would have the next seven years to prove their allegiance to our country and laws - if they break any crimnal laws, they get deported. But if they stay clean, learn English, work hard and show they are an asset, at the end of seven years they can be granted citizenship. They will have earned it.
One other option: they can serve in the United States military for a minimum of 4 years. Upon completion of four years of honorable active service, they may be granted citizenship.
I know a lot of hard right and hard left people will find fault with such a plan, but the truth remains that it is fair. And what is America if not fair?
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