SPENDING TOO MUCH AT THE BACK END

We (The United States), as a country, are spending far too much money on entitlement programs at the back end of a person's life. Furthermore, we are living longer and this adds to the burden on tax payers.

A poorly educated populace also costs us, as a nation, lost revenue by lowering earning power for workers, and in fighting crime. It is a matter of fact that the lower the education level, the more likely a person is to be involved in criminal activity, This results in more manpower requirements for law enforcement agencies, excessive court costs, and the horrendous cost of warehousing those convicted of crimes.

Rather than whine and complain about it, I would like to offer some solutions.

1. Eliminate Social Security and replace it with private savings accounts, which are guaranteed by the government to never lose money, and which would be assured of a minimum interest of 2.5%, which is approximately what the government is currently receiving on OUR money. A means testing or a minimum age of 68 must be reached before a person could start withdrawing his/her money from the account. If a person is physically or mentally unable to work, he/she could qualify for a private account, which the government would pay into for the individual. Means testing would apply and when and if, a person is determined to be able to work, the account reverts to a private account supported by the person's contribution.

2. Eliminate Welfare and it will be replaced by private foundations and religious organizations. This was the history of our country before the socialism of our system. Welfare programs BREED chronic unemployment and dependency on the government for all personal needs. This is a disservice to those caught up in the endless cycle of living generation to generation on the government. It also encourages population growth, because benefits received are calculated on the number of people in the family. No one in the US illegally can receive benefits. Period.

3. Change the Tax Code to a flat rate of 25% regardless of income, and eliminate ALL tax breaks except for contributions to an organization which spends over 80% of it's revenue assisting the needy.

4. Eliminate the Capital Gains Tax, or set a rate of not more than 5% of the profit. Obviously this will strongly encourage private investment and our economy will grow.

5. Spend MORE on Education. Forget about Head Start and preschool. Start an educational system whereby ALL children start receiving a form of education at 6 months of age. Parents must be actively engaged in the program and there would be a shared cost or no cost at all to those who cannot afford it. Not only should education start at this age, it should encompass music, the arts, and at least TWO foreign languages. Teachers would be required to meet standards set by local school boards and MUST provide proof of proficiency in the area(s) taught). There would be no tenure and all raises would be based on merit which is measured by the number of students who master the subject. Eliminate "mainstreaming" students with special needs and put them into classrooms with teachers and aids trained and QUALIFIED TO WORK WITH SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS. This benefits the students and teachers of the "Main Stream" classes and more importantly addresses the special needs and requirements of special needs students.

There should be no legal "Drop Out" age. For those unable to be taught in Main Stream classes, an alternative school would be in order. Students who show a clear aptitude for alternative learning would be offered classes in mechanics, engineering, and other manual labor skills. However, they must still be required to master written language skills, mathematics, and social studies.

Provide a grant program for the first two years of college for those who have a minimum GPA of 3.5 and above; and a one year grant for those who have a GPA of 3.0 to 3.5.

All inmates in a correctional facility MUST earn a GED and, if incarcerated for more than 3 years, must attain a minimum of an Associates Degree before being eligible for release. Inmates who exceed the minimum standards may qualify for early release programs.

These are just five basic changes I feel will give us a much better standard of living and reduce the cost of entitlement programs.

And that's what Average Joe thinks