Full Version: Modern Tech Empowering Amatuer Citizens
Since Sliced Bread
Created by the the Service Employees International Union, this site opened up looking for ideas from the public at large to help gain a focus and some fresh ideas for future political use. Offering a cash prize for the ideas selected and winning the most votes people were allowed to enter ideas for the various areas that are believed to be important to the American public.
Part of the goal was to find ideas that could gain bi partisan support and perhaps reduce some of the polarization we now see.
A few of the ideas are:
Public's policies
Some ideas posted at www.SinceSlicedBread.com:
"We have to bite the bullet and institute an energy consumption tax."
"There should be a policy of tax incentives to keep businesses in the United States to provide work here."
"Employees could have a role in the appointment of senior management and have a say in management proposals, including bonuses."
"Mandate that merchants who accept credit cards allow a discount for paying cash."
"Every employee of a school system should have to teach a class or classes. No more bureaucrats who don't teach."
true some of the ideas are kind of out there
Some are meant well,such as an idea for teaching finance better.
One of my favorites was raising the retirement age for politicians to be able to receive their pensions--and best of all CUT their benefits
In this day of instant communications, blogs, wikis and millions of "prying eyes" just ready to expose corruption and with the tools to trumpet that info, how dramatically will politics and government change the way business gets done?
These days any speech given can be instantly dissected, examined and presented back to the public with its shortcomings exposed. Ideas to todays problems can be examined by an almost global forum with an almost endless supply of ideas to solve those problems presented uninterrupted. Where they could be raked over the coals and fine tuned as has never been possible, till the final result is ready to implement.
The time necessary to gauge the effectiveness of ideas, their probabilities for success compared to past plans of similar intent and application can be done in an eye's blink of time these days.
With more and more tools being placed in the hands of citizens -- such as educational materials almost for the taking over the internet and pools of knowledge and experience found on blogs and in Wikis, will the way we approach politics change as the need for politicians to accomplish things lessens as citizens begin to form -- for lack of a better term -- independent workgroups that can meet any challenge in their community?
With all the tools available to citizens these days can centralized government survive in a world where the changes can be made overnight?
Given the ability for faster and more efficient responses to problems becoming available for citizens in their communities will this lead to a push to place control more firmly in the hands of Local and State hands?
If the growing ability of citizen "Amateurs" to care for themselves and require less in the way of federal aid to meet local needs, will the power and influence of politicians begin to lessen and make them less of a factor in society? I would argue that with the ability to go next door even the power of local officials will be diminished
By making politicians less able to wield influence as we begin to be able to care for our own needs, would we see the Political "Rift" begin to dissipate?
Created by the the Service Employees International Union, this site opened up looking for ideas from the public at large to help gain a focus and some fresh ideas for future political use. Offering a cash prize for the ideas selected and winning the most votes people were allowed to enter ideas for the various areas that are believed to be important to the American public.
Part of the goal was to find ideas that could gain bi partisan support and perhaps reduce some of the polarization we now see.
A few of the ideas are:
Public's policies
Some ideas posted at www.SinceSlicedBread.com:
"We have to bite the bullet and institute an energy consumption tax."
"There should be a policy of tax incentives to keep businesses in the United States to provide work here."
"Employees could have a role in the appointment of senior management and have a say in management proposals, including bonuses."
"Mandate that merchants who accept credit cards allow a discount for paying cash."
"Every employee of a school system should have to teach a class or classes. No more bureaucrats who don't teach."
true some of the ideas are kind of out there
QUOTE
A small contribution to a solution: At all the gyms in America, connect the exercise machines to the power grid. When a person is on the treadmill or rowing machine, the energy that person generates goes back into the power source.
The states could establish prizes to the people who "donate" the most energy to the power company. Or, people could get a small rebate on their gym fees.
People win by substituting their own energy for polluting energy sources, by having another incentive to exercise, and by being able to participate in the solution to high energy costs.
The states could establish prizes to the people who "donate" the most energy to the power company. Or, people could get a small rebate on their gym fees.
People win by substituting their own energy for polluting energy sources, by having another incentive to exercise, and by being able to participate in the solution to high energy costs.
Some are meant well,such as an idea for teaching finance better.
QUOTE
Introducing Finances into the elementary school curriculum would create better understanding of how money works and how to use it wisely. Our consumer debt is growing at an alarming rate. Bankrupcties are on the increase. We need to better prepare our children for the responsibilities of debt. We owe it to them. Educating at an early age would create citizens who would be better prepared
One of my favorites was raising the retirement age for politicians to be able to receive their pensions--and best of all CUT their benefits
In this day of instant communications, blogs, wikis and millions of "prying eyes" just ready to expose corruption and with the tools to trumpet that info, how dramatically will politics and government change the way business gets done?
These days any speech given can be instantly dissected, examined and presented back to the public with its shortcomings exposed. Ideas to todays problems can be examined by an almost global forum with an almost endless supply of ideas to solve those problems presented uninterrupted. Where they could be raked over the coals and fine tuned as has never been possible, till the final result is ready to implement.
The time necessary to gauge the effectiveness of ideas, their probabilities for success compared to past plans of similar intent and application can be done in an eye's blink of time these days.
With more and more tools being placed in the hands of citizens -- such as educational materials almost for the taking over the internet and pools of knowledge and experience found on blogs and in Wikis, will the way we approach politics change as the need for politicians to accomplish things lessens as citizens begin to form -- for lack of a better term -- independent workgroups that can meet any challenge in their community?
With all the tools available to citizens these days can centralized government survive in a world where the changes can be made overnight?
Given the ability for faster and more efficient responses to problems becoming available for citizens in their communities will this lead to a push to place control more firmly in the hands of Local and State hands?
If the growing ability of citizen "Amateurs" to care for themselves and require less in the way of federal aid to meet local needs, will the power and influence of politicians begin to lessen and make them less of a factor in society? I would argue that with the ability to go next door even the power of local officials will be diminished
By making politicians less able to wield influence as we begin to be able to care for our own needs, would we see the Political "Rift" begin to dissipate?
This is a simplified version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.