Off the top of my head, I could add: A currency independent of government control (the moral hazard is too great), better firewalls against democracy(if you receive a government check, you lose your right to vote), stiff penalties for violating the BOR (Congressmen/judges/cops should be stripped of office and forced to pay compensation if found violating the Constitution), burden of proof should on the state to demonstrate Constitutionality not on the people, an extention of the right to trial by jury to civil cases (such as IRS cases), hard limits on the size of government as a function of GDP, etc, etc.
I'm serious! you cannot prevent government from voting. I'm an active duty member of the Air Force. Should I be able to Vote???
Entitlements would be shifted down to the State level, so who cares? If your state wants to maintain those levels of entitlements, you can vote that politicain out of office or move to another state.
Illegal aliens are sneaking into this country in order to have children here. This provides these children with health care and other benefits at the expense of the American tax payer. A Constitutional Amendment should therefor be put in process to limit the rights of any person born in this country to a mother that is here illegally.
Straight from House.gov
REPUBLICAN CONTRACT WITH AMERICA
As Republican Members of the House of Representatives and as citizens seeking to join that body we propose not just to change its policies, but even more important, to restore the bonds of trust between the people and their elected representatives.
That is why, in this era of official evasion and posturing, we offer instead a detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.
This year's election offers the chance, after four decades of one-party control, to bring to the House a new majority that will transform the way Congress works. That historic change would be the end of government that is too big, too intrusive, and too easy with the public's money. It can be the beginning of a Congress that respects the values and shares the faith of the American family.
Like Lincoln, our first Republican president, we intend to act "with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right." To restore accountability to Congress. To end its cycle of scandal and disgrace. To make us all proud again of the way free people govern themselves.
On the first day of the 104th Congress, the new Republican majority will immediately pass the following major reforms, aimed at restoring the faith and trust of the American people in their government:
FIRST, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress;
SECOND, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
THIRD, cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
FOURTH, limit the terms of all committee chairs;
FIFTH, ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
SIXTH, require committee meetings to be open to the public;
SEVENTH, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
EIGHTH, guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.
Thereafter, within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress, we shall bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny.
1. THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT: A balanced budget/tax limitation amendment and a legislative line-item veto to restore fiscal responsibility to an out- of-control Congress, requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses. (Bill Text) (Description)
2. THE TAKING BACK OUR STREETS ACT: An anti-crime package including stronger truth-in- sentencing, "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions, effective death penalty provisions, and cuts in social spending from this summer's "crime" bill to fund prison construction and additional law enforcement to keep people secure in their neighborhoods and kids safe in their schools. (Bill Text) (Description)
3. THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT: Discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC for additional children while on welfare, cut spending for welfare programs, and enact a tough two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility. (Bill Text) (Description)
4. THE FAMILY REINFORCEMENT ACT: Child support enforcement, tax incentives for adoption, strengthening rights of parents in their children's education, stronger child pornography laws, and an elderly dependent care tax credit to reinforce the central role of families in American society. (Bill Text) (Description)
5. THE AMERICAN DREAM RESTORATION ACT: A S500 per child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to provide middle class tax relief. (Bill Text) (Description)
6. THE NATIONAL SECURITY RESTORATION ACT: No U.S. troops under U.N. command and restoration of the essential parts of our national security funding to strengthen our national defense and maintain our credibility around the world. (Bill Text) (Description)
7. THE SENIOR CITIZENS FAIRNESS ACT: Raise the Social Security earnings limit which currently forces seniors out of the work force, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance to let Older Americans keep more of what they have earned over the years. (Bill Text) (Description)
8. THE JOB CREATION AND WAGE ENHANCEMENT ACT: Small business incentives, capital gains cut and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages. (Bill Text) (Description)
9. THE COMMON SENSE LEGAL REFORM ACT: "Loser pays" laws, reasonable limits on punitive damages and reform of product liability laws to stem the endless tide of litigation. (Bill Text) (Description)
10. THE CITIZEN LEGISLATURE ACT: A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators. (Description)
Further, we will instruct the House Budget Committee to report to the floor and we will work to enact additional budget savings, beyond the budget cuts specifically included in the legislation described above, to ensure that the Federal budget deficit will be less than it would have been without the enactment of these bills.
Respecting the judgment of our fellow citizens as we seek their mandate for reform, we hereby pledge our names to this Contract with America.
http://www.house.gov/house/Contract/CONTRACT.html
2. Defense spending must remain within set brackets
At least in the absence of a congressional declaration of war.
I'm an active duty member of the Air Force. Should I be able to Vote?
If you could have 10 government hacks and dependents unable to vote, would you give up yours, for the benefit of the republic?
nope. Plus, we can make this "New Contract With America" a reality if we keep out things like restricting gov't employees to vote.
Actually, 7% GDP should be enough even w/o congressional approval (nearly $1 Trillion), but I guess you're right. Someday we may be facing a two-front war against two superpowers (EU and China, perhaps), and then we'd need to spend $1.5T.
Thanks. I wonder if any of this got passed...
Bump for later suggestions..............
A good place to start.
Why bother, look at how effective the 1st CWA has been. Especially Item #1 - Balanced Budget - what a joke.
You can have all the CWA you want & feel good about them, but if they're not lived up to or enforceable - so what.
I'm building a website: www.newcontractwithamerica.com and www.newcontractwithamerica.org. I bought the rights to both names. It'll be stood up soon.