Ok, here's the idea.
Most of us have one or more complaints about what the [strike]politicians[/strike] idiots do. Oh, we might disagree about which are the greater idiots, but all in all, we can all find things that the government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" has screwed up or with.
So, thinking of all of your ideas to "make things better," which one would be *most* likely to make you unelectable to you fellow citizens regardless of how much money or TV time you had?
I'm thinking here of the one thing that you would do if election to higher office made it possible to be a "benevolent dictator" and do it immediately after your election without any fuss or debate. Something you could do as a matter of "instantly approved constitutional amendment" that couldn't be changed without another constitutional amendment.
I have several, but since education has been more in the news these days, and since its the one area where I may have some "inside insight" into how the system works (or as said insider, should be completely disregarded), I'll go with my education [strike]reform[/strike] revolution idea. It would be something like the following (forgive me for the legalese tone; I got carried away as I thought about this):
The "Wade Education Amendment":
Article I:
1. All current government spending on education shall be cancelled and all future spending on education, other than that described in Articles II, III, and IV below, banned.
2. This ban shall extend to any and all forms of spending on educational matters at any levels of government.
Article II:
1. The employment of all "education employees" (including teachers, aides, staff, administration, state, local, and federal government bureaucrats, consultants, and anyone else who purports to be involved in education of any kind whatsover) shall be immediately terminated without regard to seniority, tenured status, or any other characteristic.
2. Small local government entities (defined as those government entities with police power over no more than 25,000 individuals within an area of no more than 400 square miles) may rehire employees charged with the education of those between the age of 5 and 12, but may not tax any person who does not live, work, or own property within said area to pay for said employees or their educational activities.
Article III:
1. All compulsory education for people under the age of five or over the age of 12 is immediately and forever abolished.
2. All current government agencies, departments, bureaus, offices, committees, loan agencies, grant programs, task forces, study groups, or organizations related to education or educational activity are immediately and forever de-funded and abolished.
3. Small local government entities (defined as in Article II, section 2) may hire teachers to teach those of its residents between the ages of 5 and 12. Said local government entity may also form a department with no more than five non-teaching employees to supervise the provision of education to its residents between the ages of 5 and 12.
4. Funding for teachers or non-teaching employees hired under section 3 must be funded by monies collected from residents, non-resident employees, and property owners in the local government's area.
Article IV:
1. Each state government may, if it deems such appropriate, make an annual non-refundable lump-sum payment to each minor child between the ages of 13 and 22, said payment to be paid on the first of the year to a savings account in the name of the child, with the child's parent(s) or legal guardian as trustee of such account until the date of the student's majority.
2. Any payment to a child under section 1 of this Article other than the initial payment shall be contingent upon the trustee for that child's account providing evidence that all prior year grants either remain in said account or have spent for educational purposes.
3. Each state government may choose any amount of the lump-sum payment, provided that said amount shall not exceed $25,000 per year, and provided that the amount determined is distributed to all residents of the state between the ages of 13 and 22, and distributed upon no conditions other than that of section 2 of this Article.
4. The federal government or other states may by statute supplement the payments made by a state to its residents, provided that the total amount received from all government sources does not exceed $25,000 and provided that said federal government or other state imposes no conditions other than those provided here.
5. The maximum total amount provided to a resident from all sources may not be increased or decreased per year by more than 3% or the annual change in the Wholesale Price Index, whichever is smaller.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)