It's that time of year when all good boys and girls write a letter to Santa and give him their wish lists, so I thought I would do the same.
OK, so I'm not a kid anymore, but let's face it, so many citizens act like children when it comes to giving our elected representatives their respective wish lists, treating their Uncle Sam like Santa. In the real world, Santa doesn't deliver the presents; mom and dad must buy them and place them under the tree.
When I was a kid, I asked for a pony. Mom and dad had to explain that Santa knew we lived in the city and there would be no place to keep this pony. Furthermore, this miniature equine would end up costing more that our family could afford. Therefore, Santa regretfully had to edit my wish list and cut it down to size.
Unfortunately, many citizens act like spoiled children when they make demands on Washington, with little thought as to who will pay the bill, and many of our elected representatives act like the parents of spoiled kids. With little regard for the budget, they continually put us deeper and deeper into debt with no thought of what it will mean for the hardworking taxpayers who must pay the bill or what it will mean for this country, which is now a debtor nation.
So here's my list:
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Dear Uncle Santa,
I want a copy of the Constitution delivered to each member of Congress with instructions to read and a test date to follow. Any member who fails the test is thereby disqualified and must submit his or her resignation.
I want every bill that comes before Congress for items not specifically spelled out in the Constitution to be rejected.
I want a review of every department of the federal government, and those that are unconstitutional must cease and desist: the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
I want a similar review of every federal agency. These include but are not limited to the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Labor Relations Board, the Export/Import Bank, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the Small Business Administration and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
I want a law requiring the federal government to live within its means.
I want to abolish congressional pensions. This will eliminate the need for term limits.
I want to limit committee memberships in Congress to one per member.
I want to limit the number of items that can be attached to a bill in Congress to one per bill. Then members and the public at large will know exactly what is being passed or rejected.
I want Congress to be required to pass the federal budget before taking up any other business, except in cases of emergency such as an act of war. This will eliminate those omnibus spending bills at the end of every year that contain everything but the kitchen sink.
I want the filibuster eliminated in the Senate. This will make it much easier to hold our representatives accountable.
I want the military stopped being used as a laboratory for social experimentation.
I want every able-bodied welfare recipient to be required to work for the government pushing broom at least 40 hours per week.
I want federal prisoners to work for their keep.
I want an across-the-board tax cut.
I want tax reform that eliminates all deductions and is so simple it eliminates the need for the IRS. I want everyone to pay a small percentage of their income so there is no such thing as a free lunch, even those who depend on government transfers.
I want to eliminate the tax on corporations and businesses that are located within the United States. Corporations and businesses do not pay these taxes, people do. These taxes are passed along to us in the form of higher prices or reduced wages and benefits. The only exception is for businesses who hire foreign workers. I want a tax on each foreign worker hired in this country or outsourced abroad.
I want a big, beautiful wall at the border, if that is what it takes. A country that cannot control its borders can't control anything.
Uncle Santa, I know you can't give me everything on this list, but I would settle for two or three. Please grant my request. It will save us a bundle. Your milk and cookies will be waiting by the door.