Democratic Priorities that scare me... Options

[Hartmann]

I'm interested in seeing what the Democrats do in power but the following stuff scares the crap out of me.

1. Military: Force an immediate drawdown of troops in Iraq and conduct oversight hearings on missteps on the war. Democrats renewed their call for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign.
   
   Definitely not a good idea.
   
   
2. Transportation: Consolidate air traffic control facilities. Allow more foreign control of airlines. Limit the number of Transportation Security Administration airport screeners to 45,000. More oversight hearings on the Federal Aviation Administration.
   
   What?! Foreign control of airlines?! I can't wait to fly "Al-Qaeda Air"!!!
   
   
3. Minimum wage. Pass legislation to raise the minimum wage from the current $5.15 an hour to $7.25
   
   This has been covered before, a basic economics course would help immensely.

Things I am glad to see happening:

1. Veterans affairs: Increase oversight with detailed budget accountings. More funding for veterans' health care, including additional mental health counseling for vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
2. Energy and environment: Increase incentives for biodiesel, ethanol and other alternative fuels as well as wind, solar, geothermal and other sources of alternative energy. Renegotiate oil and gas leases that waived royalty payments to the government. Impose a national cap on industrial carbon dioxide emissions. Resist Bush's efforts to open more public lands to oil exploration (iffy on the last part).
3. Intelligence: Increase attention given to emerging terrorist threats in Africa and Southeast Asia and devote more resources to North Korea and Iran. More oversight of terrorism and government surveillance.

I am on the fence about some of their healthcare stuff, taxes, and agriculture plans.

[Testm0nkey]

if americans werent ridiculous with money the minimum wage increase wouldnt destroy anything. id like to see how in a better environment it could change things around for the better.

foreign control of airlines im sure doesnt mean al queda air.

The department set a Jan. 6 deadline for comment when it issued its proposal last fall, and it clearly wants to settle the issue quickly. There is no formal linkage, but U.S. action on the control issue is likely to determine whether the European Union approves the U.S.-EU first-step agreement toward a fully liberalized transatlantic aviation area. The accord was negotiated and the control proposal was issued at about the same time. This is no coincidence: Europe wants the U.S. to relax its ownership and control restrictions, and its transport ministers will consider the outcome of the current rulemaking as they decide whether to approve the agreement.

http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/chan...ws/011606p2.xml
i think maybe they dont like the fact their monopoly would be broken up by an even larger, foreign one? some of the airlines are happy because everyone there would have lost their jobs and the airlines would have run out of business without foreign investment.

id like to see america just pull out of iraq. i cant imagine it getting worse just because of that.

i hope they actually stick to their environmental policy suggestions. if america didnt fuck itself up so badly id be a big proponent for nuclear power. with half the world wanting to kill us and the other half watching thinking america is crazy redevloping nuclear power in the us isnt going to happen anytime soon. id like to see some sort of deadline for these polices. itd be awesome that if in 20 years renewable energy accounted for 75% of all energy use. and no coal is not a renewable resource nor is itany better than oil! fuck off coalminers

anything ever involving veteran affairs is a ploy for "patriots" thats what ive always thought. helping after the fact can only do so much. why dont they change military policy so the miltary arent lab rats for the medical coporations. then maybe there would have been singular incidents of shit breaking down. i guess i am too removed from this aspect of life as my father a career military dude has never had a complaint but i dont see how the average american knows anything more?

increase intelligence over the north koreans and africa finally

[The Fanatic]

if americans werent ridiculous with money the minimum wage increase wouldnt destroy anything. id like to see how in a better environment it could change things around for the better.

The way Americans spend money has nothing to do with the effects of an increase in minimum wage. The problem is this: Let's say you are a small buisness owner, that you own a mom and pop burger joint. If you are forced to pay your employees 6.50 an hour instead of 5.15/5.50, you will lose some of your profit and will be "forced" to increase your prices to meet your ends.

I say screw minimum wage, what we really need is a living wage in the united states...

[Divergent Realit...]

The way Americans spend money has nothing to do with the effects of an increase in minimum wage. The problem is this: Let's say you are a small buisness owner, that you own a mom and pop burger joint. If you are forced to pay your employees 6.50 an hour instead of 5.15/5.50, you will lose some of your profit and will be "forced" to increase your prices to meet your ends.

I say screw minimum wage, what we really need is a living wage in the united states...

depends on what you are selling and the conditions of the local market