Forum Post: Benajmin Rose 2012

I have a friend who lives in Florida. He is part of the 1%. His name is Ben. he is a librarian at this time but he has been a lot of things because he is part of the 1%. He has worked fast food, he has washed dishes, he has been in factories, he has done government research free-lance, he has had so many jobs. Why has he worked so many places over 42 years when he has a masters Degree and all the degrees below that? because the greedy 99% have laid him off time and again including libraries who were forced to make major budget cuts due to the Era of Bush and the scam-war he threw our money into.

So I was talking to Ben and here is the thing. he has some ideas...profound ideas...that would work for our nation.

1)All student loans over 10 years old will be completely forgiven 1A)All loans under ten years old will be eligible for bankruptcy with the usual provision of the bankruptcy remains on your credit report for ten years. 1B)As of 2016 There will be GRANTS...not LOANS given to student with 2.5 GPA or better to attend college.

Why does this matter?: If those so in debt did not have to pay their loans back or could bankrupt on them if needs be then the money that they spend on this would instead be spent buying a house or a car or some other merchandise which will invigorate the US economy. If students could go to school even part time with a Grant instead of a loan then there is no question that in the future there will not be millions of people who are in debt so much that even working at 75K a year will not free them.

2)Prisoners will remain prisoners. Work details need to stop.

This simply means that people that break laws will sit inside their cells or the exercise yard and do their time. Those jobs of cutting brush in the willywags or picking up garbage will go to citizens who are not in prison.

3)Abandoned buildings and sections of major and minor cities will be taken through imminent domain and rebuilt into massive studio apartment complexes each with a small kitchen and private bathroom.

2/3) Anyone who is single or married but without children will be welcome to have a studio apartment free of charge. In exchange they will report when told to do the job they are assigned. Be it cutting brush...picking up garbage...or simply making sandwiches to feed the other workers they will have a job and they will be given free rent to do it. Also all such workers will get 400 dollars a month in food stamps to buy their own food and toiletries. Also such workers will get a 200 dollar a month stipend for entertainments or whatever they want to use it for. If at the end of the day they want to apply for better work then good on them. They get a better job and turn their studio over to the next guy/gal and move along and start a family.

OK you say so how can we finance all of this because it is going to be expensive.

5)Legalize marijuana.

5A) This will NOT be giant fields run by RJ reynolds and other major industries. This will also not be small growers doing this in their back yard. The idea is to take large unused fields through imminent domain and give the land and federal start up subsidy to private growers who prove that they know and understand hydroponics and the means of growing a good strain of pot. The hemp is useful for clothing and paper and so much else and is a very green way to go. The cannabis farmers will be taxed at 40 dollars an ounce and the consumer in the drugstore will be taxed at 20 dollars an ounce. (this in effect means that if an 1/8 of weed costs 20 dollars then you pay 40 for it and the extra 20 goes to uncle sam)

5B)The money made from this crop will be put into education, libraries, the arts, and rebuilding projects.

6)A national lottery.

Why buy all those measly scratch off tickets. Instead buy a 100 dollar ticket from the federal lottery and at the end of the year have a shot at 500,000,000. This will be open to everyone all across the world. Dollars to Donuts the income produced at 100 dollars a ticket will be more than double the prize money and anything earnbed will go to pay the national debt.

7)Slim down the military.

OK this one may take research for some of you but this is how it goes.

1. Pardon Richard Marcinko of all crimes he is alleged to have committed. 2.Putg him in a Secretary of Defense.
2. Cut our military presence in iraq and Afghanistan to ONLY spec ops. No other soldiers needed there.
3. create a military that is 90 percent spec ops 5 percent regualr soldiers 2 percent office staff and 2 percent recruiters. Remove all the excess. and Save BILLIONS!

The plans go on from there but that is a taste.

So please consider writing in Benjamin Rose in 2012