Questions about Congress

What would happen if every congressperson— representative or senator—who signed a law also had to state that he or she had read the law in its entirety in its final form?

Would laws be shorter and more comprehensible?

Would laws be more in the interests of the country as a whole and less in the hands of special interest groups? If not, why not?

Would regional and special interest groups have to make their cases to the nation as a whole?

Would laws never get passed? Would they be passed more easily?

How could such a system be tested or implemented?

Questions about corporations

Am I the only one who wants to know with whom I'm doing business?

When I buy products with cute down-home names, it would be nice to know which ones are made by small businesses and which by arms of a corporation. Same with stores, hotels, etc.

The names of parent corporations tend to be on the product or service only when it serves the corporate image. Wouldn't you like to know who's taking your money and providing you with service?

What is your opinion on the benefits or drawbacks of storefronts, websites, products, and services listing the name of the parent corporation under the business's name, including the legal city/state/country of corporate headquarters, so that we have a better idea of whom we're supporting when we buy?

Questions about supposedly unbiased TV newscasts

Have you contacted any TV newscasts lately about overly biased statements made and not received any reply or seen any apology for gross misstatements? If so, what did you see/hear, how did you contact whom, and what did you expect and not receive?

Questions about Weapons

Why has no UN official or politician or newscaster asked Israel to send in squads to pick up their cluster bombs? Or at least to pay for cleaning them up, including paying for lifelong care of anyone hurt cleaning them up? Is this not common human decency?
Why has no reporter asked these kinds of questions?

Questions about citizen conversations

Who is served by framing questions important to us all as though there are only two points of view and as though there is a culture war?
Who is served by respectful conversations that listen as much as they ask? That look for views not stuck at polar opposites?

Who is served by framing questions important to us all as though there are only two points of view and as though there is a culture war? The questioner only? Answers are severely restricted to fit the agenda of the questioner?

Who is served by respectful conversations that listen as much as they ask? That look for views not stuck at polar opposites? Those answering have a chance to hear their own views and reexamine them, as do those who ask questions?

Questions about US taxes

Why don't taxpayers have the right to specify which areas of expenditures their taxes support? What would specifying categories look like?

What are the pluses and minuses of taxpayers choosing where their money goes?

Which existing categories you would choose to support?
Which new areas would you would like to see your taxes support?
Which existing categories would you like cut back?

IRS categories-first list

Here's a beginning list taxpayers might choose from. Please leave suggestions on other categories or subcategories.

MAJOR PLAYERS
Increase salary and benefits of members of Congress
Maintain of salary and benefits of members of Congress
Decrease of salary and benefits of members of Congress
Increase salary and benefits of support staff of members of Congress
Maintain salary and benefits of support staff of members of Congress
Decrease salary and benefits of support staff of members of Congress
Increase salary and benefits of Executive Branch major players
Maintain salary and benefits of Executive Branch major players
Decrease salary and benefits of Executive Branch major players
Increase salary and benefits of Executive Branch support staff
Maintain salary and benefits of Executive Branch support staff
Decrease salary and benefits of Executive Branch support staff
Increase salary and benefits of Judicial Branch major players
Maintain salary and benefits of Judicial Branch major players
Decrease salary and benefits of Judicial Branch major players

MILITARY
Increase salary and benefits of Pentagon major players
Maintain salary and benefits of Pentagon major players
Decrease salary and benefits of Pentagon major players
Increase salary and benefits of Pentagon support staff
Maintain salary and benefits of Pentagon support staff
Decrease salary and benefits of Pentagon support staff
Increase funds to hire think-tank policy advisers
Maintain funds to hire think-tank policy advisers
Decrease funds to hire think-tank policy advisers
Increase funds for new types of weapons
Maintain funds to for new types of weapons
Decrease funds to for new types of weapons
Increase salary and benefits of officers and non-coms not working in the Pentagon
Maintain salary and benefits of officers and non-coms not working in the Pentagon
Decrease salary and benefits of officers and non-coms not working in the Pentagon
Increase funds for VA programs
Maintain funds for VA programs
Decrease funds for VA programs
Increase military recruiting advertisements, scholarships, etc.
Maintain military recruiting advertisements, scholarships, etc.
Decrease military recruiting advertisements, scholarships, etc.
Increase military education benefits for vets
Maintain military education benefits for vets
Decrease military education benefits for vets
Increase funds for military tactical research
Maintain funds for military tactical research
Decrease funds for military tactical research
Increase funds for military training for other countries
Maintain funds for military training for other countries
Decrease funds for military training for other countries

GOODWILL
Increase salary and benefits of Peace Corps volunteers
Maintain salary and benefits of Peace Corps volunteers
Decrease salary and benefits of Peace Corps volunteers
Increase salary and benefits of domestic corps volunteers
Maintain salary and benefits of domestic corps volunteers
Decrease salary and benefits of domestic corps volunteers
Increase funds to research ways to support other countries in ways that are self-sustaining
Maintain funds to research ways to support other countries in ways that are self-sustaining
Decrease funds to research ways to support other countries in ways that are self-sustaining

DOMESTIC BUSINESS/FARMS
Increase funds to support businesses that hire domestic legal workers
Maintain funds to support businesses that hire domestic legal workers
Decrease funds to support businesses that hire domestic legal workers

DOMESTIC HOUSING

HEALTH SYSTEMS

EDUCATION