[GT40FIED]

Well...before this turns into an all-out bitchfest, I'll throw in my two cents. I gotta say Wren...I do think some of those ideas are decent. Others are bordering on dictatorial. Oh...and abortion is already legal but the longer Bush is in office the more in doubt that becomes.

- You can't entirely ditch welfare. Yes...I dislike it as well but there are still a few honest people left using. I knew a girl in high school who's mom worked a 40 hour week and still couldn't make ends meet. I like the idea of workfare better. If you put in an honest day's work and still can't make it at home, we can help ya. Wanna lay on your back all day and pop out babies? Fuck off.

- Passing out government issued condoms to the poor amounts to one thing...population control. Poor kids don't necessarily grow up to be poor adults, as you've illustrated by your rags to riches story. Besides, anyone who wants condoms can go to their local city/county run health clinic and get them by the truckload for free.

- I'd like to see social secutiry hang around. Hell...if they did away with it right now, I'd be pissed as hell. What about all the money I've put into it over the years? What about 30 or 40 year olds who've put in a hell of a lot more than me? Some people just plain don't make enough to money to save a significant amount of it for retirement. This is why more and more people are working into their 70s.

- School vouchers probably won't change much of anything. What we need is better teachers. I graduated with a high school diploma in spite of all my elementary and middle school teachers, not because of them. Teachers do such an important job but get paid shit while CEOs get millions a year for jobs that require little more than yes/no answers and going to the bathroom every 15 minutes to masturbate. A CEO's performance only effects his/her company while a teacher's performance effects citizens and society.

- I'm not sure that juvenile justice plan goes far enough. If you commit a violent felony of any nature, no juvenile hall bullshit for you. You go to PRISON until you're 21 (special population, maybe). Let kids know where they'll end up if they keep up the same bullshit. I've seen way too many future public menaces let off the hook simply because they were teenagers.

Honestly...I think a big problem there was in the wording. After re-reading it, it really does sound like you're trying to get rid of the lower class altogether. There's ALWAYS going to be a lower class no matter what. If everyone were one the same level then we'd just be communists. Besides...I'm proud to be a product of the middle middle MIDDLE class.