If You Were the President

Posted on July 12, 2007 by Dave Pollard
fir coneA colleague asked me the other day, what I would do if I were, magically, the Prime Minister of Canada, with a supportive legislature. I thought it was an interesting question, since I keep saying I’ve given up on the political process as a means of achieving meaningful change. My answer (after having some time to think about it):
  1. Tax Reform to Drive Economic Reform: I would replace the entire current system of taxes, duties, ‘free’ trade agreements and subsidies with a progressive but simple system of high taxes on all unsustainable and socially irresponsible economic activities (use of non-renewable resources, pollution and waste, transportation of materials and goods over long distances, imports from countries with low social and environmental standards etc.), designed to achieve a 100% cradle-to-cradle economy; plus a substantial excess wealth tax. I’ve written about this before, and it’s revenue neutral, and would allow us to end across-the-board income, payroll and sales taxes that punish sustainable behaviours, and to steadily reduce wealth disparity.
  2. A Wilderness Trust: Creation and nurturing of a national Wilderness Trust, beginning with all existing tracts of Crown and government lands in excess of 10 contiguous acres, expanded by purchase of sensitive and high-biodiversity properties, all to be set aside in perpetuity for zero development and natural stewardship. There would be special incentives for donation of additional parcels to this Trust.
  3. Democratization of the Political Process: As I described in my recent post on reforming government, this would involve replacing the current electoral system with a Single Transferrable Vote proportional representation system, and creation of online sites where proposed legislation would be posted for discussion and amendment, with all electoral candidates and parties legally required to commit before the election to which proposed legislation they would introduce or support if elected.
  4. Reform of Canada’s Defence and International Aid Mission: Requirement that all activities of our defence forces be for the defence of our country and for unambiguous peace-keeping in countries where there is peace to keep (not impossible or ideologically-motivated missions like Afghanistan), and including the commitment of a significant portion of annual government revenues for humanitarian, infrastructure and social aid programs in struggling nations.
  5. Land and Resource Ownership Reform: Limitations on how much land can be owned by one individual (directly or through corporations). Prohibition of owning land or natural resources in municipalities in which you do not live. Standards for environmental stewardship of privately owned land.
  6. Experimental Autonomous Communities: Encouragement of communities to take full responsibility for the well-being of everyone living in their community, and for its self-sufficiency, and, subject to oversight and acceptance of certain principles, granting of full autonomy to those communities.
  7. Education Reform: An aggressive program to replace institutional education with autonomous, community-based, self-managed, life-long learning and apprenticeship initiatives, leading as quickly as possible to the elimination of compulsory education.
  8. Volunteer Force: The encouragement, celebration and support of full- and part-time volunteers to self-organize and apply themselves to any social activities they have passion for.
  9. Integrated Health & Welfare Program: Establishment of universal access to and minimum standards for food and water quality and public healthcare, including the precautionary principle, permaculture, sustainable agriculture, and a prohibition on exporting water. Programs to enable and encourage prevention, self-diagnosis and self-treatment of illness. Decentralization of healthcare bureaucracies to enable autonomous, community-based healthcare that meets specified high standards. 
  10. Anti-Sprawl Land Use Standards: Encouragement of brownfield redevelopment and prohibition of ‘greenfield’ development. Programs to repurpose developed land for a mixture of commercial, industrial and residential uses to eliminate the need for commuting.
This is a great priority-setting question for a Friday, so I’m going to ask you, dear readers, the same question:
 
If you were suddenly elected the President or Prime Minister of your country, and had a supportive legislature for your reforms, what are the ten most important changes you would make?

Conditions: They have to be revenue neutral (you can’t finance more programs with less money, and you can’t just say you’re going to eliminate government ‘inefficiency’). You cannot presume that governments in any other country will support you, or align their programs and laws with yours. And your proposals need to be specific, not just principles or broad objectives.

 
What would you do?
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7 Responses to If You Were the President

  1. janet says:
    July 14, 2007 at 13:01

    Well.. I’d resign my position and put you in charge!

  2. Vish Goda says:
    July 14, 2007 at 23:30

    Dave,Welcome to the political process :-). I’m going to be your opposition party leader and play the devil’s advocate here.My responses to your initiatives:1. High taxes are not going to keep businesses or people away from socially irresponsible economic activities. It just pushes them into the background or “the unofficial economy”. You will only end up beefing up your law enforcement to fight a unwinnable war. For some reason, people loathe high taxes and will only find sleazy methods to escape them.2. You cannot police the wilderness. It has to come about by awareness and learning and collective responsibility. You will need a huge budget and large bureaucracy to stop the development. Actually, the moment the developers learn you are planning such a policy, you are going to find a sudden land grabbing of all wilderness properties for resort developments. And how will you displace people from existing properties? And where will you get the budget for special incentives?3. Democracy is mob rule. Popular vote is not always the right vote. If people had to vote on slavery – what do you think would have been the popular vote? In democracy, whoever has the loudest voice gets the most votes, dont they? And how are you going to maintain a hold on propaganda, unless you yourself exercise your powers to spin your own. And what about lobbyists, even if not official, there are always vested interests trying to push their own agendas as the most important ones4. I think we will no longer be fighting wars the traditional way. Terrorism is here to stay and governments have to find innovative techniques to fight them differently.5. Laws are not going to keep people from owning property. If they really want them – they will find a way or loop hole. Mostly this starts with a necessity and then evolves into a bad habit.6. Not everyone is going to like what they do or who they work with or who they live next to – so how are you going to prevent acts of passionor emotion or bigotry? How will you police these communities? What will you do with those who blatantly break the rules of the community?7. I agree with your education reform – but this puts a lot of pressure back on the parents and the guardians of our children. I believe that the root cause of the problems with our children is an abdication of parental responsibilities mostly because of the overwhelming constraints imposed on them and the uncontrolled lifestyle prevalent in most of our communities. 8. Community activities have a long life cycle. And in order to start and finish them cost effectively, there is a lot of planning and coordination required. Collective passion dries out quickly, when things become complicated or when problem situations come up. How will you keep your volunteers focussed and committed through these and other distractions – unless you make it mandatory.9. Unless you have professionals manning your government bureaucracy and keep politicians out of the health care system – how are you going to maintain fiscal discipline and cost effectiveness in your universal healthcare program? Where will the money come from, to treat people from drug addictions, alcoholism, liposuctions…..?By the way, have you taken a look at the notes and the links that I had sent you some time back? Don’t you think that will take care of a few of the problems by inculcating responsibility and accountability for doing things you are passionate about? At least #s 6,7 & 8 above.Best Regards.Vish Goda

  3. Vish Goda says:
    July 14, 2007 at 23:37

    Dave,Welcome to the political process :-). I’m going to be your opposition party leader and play the devil’s advocate here.My responses to your initiatives:1. High taxes are not going to keep businesses or people away from socially irresponsible economic activities. It just pushes them into the background or “the unofficial economy”. You will only end up beefing up your law enforcement to fight a unwinnable war. For some reason, people loathe high taxes and will only find sleazy methods to escape them.2. You cannot police the wilderness. It has to come about by awareness and learning and collective responsibility. You will need a huge budget and large bureaucracy to stop the development. Actually, the moment the developers learn you are planning such a policy, you are going to find a sudden land grabbing of all wilderness properties for resort developments. And how will you displace people from existing properties? And where will you get the budget for special incentives?3. True Democracy is mob rule. Popular vote is not always the right vote. If abolition of slavery was put on referendum when the slaves did not have a vote, what do you think would have been the popular vote? In democracy, whoever has the loudest voice gets the most votes, dont they? And how are you going to maintain a hold on propaganda, unless you yourself exercise your powers to spin your own. And what about lobbyists, even if not official, there are always vested interests trying to push their own agendas as the most important ones 4. I think we will no longer be fighting wars the traditional way. Terrorism is here to stay and governments have to find innovative techniques to fight them differently. 5. Laws are not going to keep people from owning property. If they really want them – they will find a way or loop hole. Mostly this starts with a necessity and then evolves into a bad habit. 6. Not everyone is going to like what they do or who they work with or who they live next to – so how are you going to prevent acts of passion or emotion or bigotry? How will you police these communities? What will you do with those who blatantly break the rules of the community? 7. I agree with your education reform – but this puts a lot of pressure back on the parents and the guardians of our children. I believe that the root cause of the problems with our children is an abdication of parental responsibilities mostly because of the overwhelming constraints imposed on them and the uncontrolled lifestyle prevalent in most of our communities. 8. Community activities have a long life cycle. And in order to start and finish them cost effectively, there is a lot of planning and coordination required. Collective passion dries out quickly, when things become complicated or when problem situations come up. How will you keep your volunteers focussed and committed through these and other distractions – unless you make it mandatory. 9. Unless you have professionals manning your government bureaucracy and keep politicians out of the health care system – how are you going to maintain fiscal discipline and cost effectiveness in your universal healthcare program? Where will the money come from, to treat people from drug addictions, alcoholism, liposuctions…..?By the way, have you taken a look at the notes and the links that I had sent you some time back? Don’t you think that will take care of a few of the problems by inculcating responsibility and accountability for doing things you are passionate about? At least #s 6,7 & 8 above.Best Regards. Vish Goda

  4. Vish Goda says:
    July 14, 2007 at 23:40

    As to what I would do? I would change the way we conducted trade and financial transactions and the role money plays in them.Vish

  5. chaitanya pullela says:
    July 15, 2007 at 03:37

    Introduce mandatory ecology classes for every year of education from Kindergarten to PhD. The classes must be in 100% outdoor settings. (For smaller grades, the “class” can be just playing outdoors).Every year of college must have an ecology class relevant to their subject. If it’s computer engineering, you study how to dispose computers, how the materials used to produce computers effects ecology etc. If it’s automobile eng, you study climate systems etc. If it’s art, you study outdoor artistic aspects. so on ..

  6. chaitanya pullela says:
    July 15, 2007 at 03:45

    > Tax Reform to Drive Economic ReformIn the context of environmental activities, I propose that we call them as “environmental costs” instead of “taxes”. A “carbon tax” is not really a tax, it’s the price a consumer has to pay for depreciating the natural capital (climate system). It’s really a depreciation cost. Just like corporate account books add depreciation, we ought to add natural-capital-depreciation-cost to the cost of all goods. Isn’t that the actual free market ? — taking into account the cost of everything ?

  7. Paul Justus says:
    July 15, 2007 at 18:52

    I believe you are onto something on the tax-shifting angle. The general idea of untaxing sustainable activities (the good) and placing a user fee on unsustainable activities is an important one when it comes to saving the world.One might call the fee on unsustainable activities an

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