My Campaign Platform

~Parkes Plan for Reform~

 

~Step 1~

Congressional salary -

In these times of economic hardship, all Americans - from the Wall Street Bankers to school custodians - have had to make due with less, this should also be the case for Congress. To this end, I will purpose that Congress sets its salary for it's rank-and-file members to $100,000 per year and that Congressional leadership should take a cut in pay equivalent in percentage loss. Furthermore, I will push for an 8% cut in allowances and expenditures. In addition, Congress shall not raise either salary or allowances until such time as the budget has been balanced for 3 consecutive years.

 

~Step 2~

Streamlining Welfare -

We must look at the current operations of Health and Human Services and consolidate efforts to see to the needs of the population. Where possible, we must allow for the population to go to one location for public assistance to minimize time that is spent going to the various offices that could be used to work or seek employment. Also, this will allow for better security against abuse and fraud.

 

~Step 3~

Preservation of Higher Education -

As the cost of higher education increases and government budget shrink, federal dollars to help offset the expenditures of universities are decreasing at an alarming rate. To combat this and find a means to meet the obligations of the current need for bureaucracy, government should offer additional grants to public institutions to help run or research government projects and offices through college credit courses. This should be available at both the graduate and post-graduate levels, The funding for this would come from a combination of funds diverted from private firms hired for the same purpose (where the cost are less through the universities) and through a new subsidy system.

 

~Step 4~

National Average of Exchange -

This ambitious reform will be the guiding standard for federal assistance. Realistically, we can no longer just "cast a wide net" to those in need. We must set a national average for every type of transaction and ONLY offer federal assistance in areas where the states can not meet the need.

So, how would these reforms be effective at improving government and, at the same time, cut federal government costs?

This is how:

 

According to About.com: US Government Info, the current salary for rank-and-file members is $174,000.

If this is reduced by $74,000, this ALONE will save the American taxpayer over $31,000,000. True, 31

million is a drop in the well but it is a realistic start. But wait....there's more

~My Answer to Step 2~:

To demonstrate how our current public assistance/welfare system is set-up, imagine a strip mall of specialized stores. Each store will need it's own system, with its own staff, and its own means of maintaining overhead. The problem is, they are all ran by the same company. Maybe it's just me but that doesn't make much sense in today's world. What needs to happen is that these "stores" need to all be a part of a "superstore", a one-stop shopping experience. This model has worked, with great success, in the business world.

 

If we consolidate the public assistance departments' case workers, allowing them to have access to the full spectrum of resources available in their area for people in need, We can reduce the need for so many. This will allow families to focus on meeting with one case worker and reduce the "specialized" workload of the social worker. So what about the already overworked social workers? Wouldn't their workload increase? No, because the cavalry has arrived...

 

~My Answer to Step 3~:

To relieve the increasing burden on the dwindling number of case workers, local 2- and 4-year schools will be granted funds for courses to prepare individuals for public service positions. Working with the universities to set up a curriculum that mirrors the public educators' certification path, the final portion will allow students to work in "clinics" which offer public assistance to the needy. These clinics will be supervised by administrators set up by the schools to insure efficiency, integrity, and dedication. Top priority will be given to people who graduate from these programs to fill available positions. So how can we better manage public assistance? And what about cutting subsidies?

 

~My Answer to Step 4~:

The National Average will allow us to focus our efforts where there is truly a need. This will avoid pork barrel for the sake of scoring political points and force federal money to go where the states can not help their populations. If any industry in a particular area is working above the average of exchange then they can not get federal grants, loans, or assistance of ANY kind. In short, for any goods or services available in any given area, if local, state, or private funding is high enough to meet the "National Average" then no funding would be added from the federal level of government.