Can America be Great?

The other day I wondered what I would do if I was dictator of America for a day.  Meaning, I could change any law without having to go through Congress.  (Sure, the things you do to pass the time make perfect sense.)

So what would I do?  Well, I’d get rid of the Electoral College.  That way Republicans in California and Democrats in Texas would have their voices heard.  I’d make Election Day a Federal Holiday.  I’d also make some standard for voting, like for every X number of people in a district you need Y number of polling places, as well as being open for early voting.  And making it easier to vote by mail.  And then, I couldn’t really do this in a day, but I’d set it up to happen in a month or two, but Puerto Rico and DC would vote on their futures.  There would be three options, and the voters could rank them, but they’d be to stay as is, become states, or Puerto Rico to become independent or DC to merge back into Maryland.  And I’d do that so that all those citizens could have their voices heard.

I’d then set term limits.  I think two terms as Senator, four, or maybe five terms as a Representative, and say thirty years as Supreme Court Justice.  I’d also make it a law that failure to disclose gifts of, say, $1,000 or greater, wouldn’t get you a slap on the wrist but removal from office, be you President, a Senator, or a Supreme Court Justice.  It wouldn’t be immediate, you’d have one year to disclose it.  There is a joke that politicians should be like NASCAR and wear the names of all their “sponsors.” I’m half-tempted to actually make that a law.

As I understand it, there are eleven courts in The United States courts of appeals, which is the step below the Supreme Court.  So it would make sense if there were eleven members on the Supreme Court so there would be one point-justice to each appellate court.  So I would expand the Supreme Court to eleven justices, but I’d make so that, while normal vacancies would be filled as normal, the tenth spot would only be filled after the 2024 Election, and the eleventh only after the 2028 Election.  Expanding the court, but not packing it.

Next I’d raise the minimum wage to whatever it would be if it grew with inflation.  I’d then make it so that each year it would be adjusted, so it wouldn’t get stuck for twenty years.  I’d also make it, so that while the minimum wage could be raised on its own, if Congress ever raises their wages by 5% or whatever, the minimum wage would also increase by the same amount.

Then I’d burn down the tax laws and start over from scratch.  Actually, I’d probably just make it a basic tax plan, just without the bazillion loopholes hammered out for the benefit of rich people.  One thing I’d definitely change, is say two people each made $100,000.  One actually did labor of one kind or another, and the other just played golf all day while their money made the $100,000.  Well, in my system, the one who actually worked for their money would pay a lower tax rate. 

I spent ten minutes or so thinking about all that, and I realized that I hadn’t even covered guns.  Or abortion, or gay rights, or trans rights, or immigration, or the bloated military, or climate change, or any of the other 8,000 other problems we face in the country.  I’d need to be dictator for a month to fix everything.  If America is that broken, can it be great?