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Dear Santa,

Here is a list of Presidential characteristics that I want.

I am starting to wonder if anyone else will be able to deliver them.

Honesty.

How long has it been since I had a president that I believed? I think the last president in whom I had any semblance of trust was John F. Kennedy. Please give me a President that tells me what is happening on a local and a global scene without propaganda or outright lies. It is also time for the president to confess what we are responsible for on the global terrorism scale. Did we create ISIS? What happened on 9/11?  It is time for transparency in government. They serve us, not the other way around.

Fiscal Responsibility.

Is it that hard to learn how to spend only what we earn? Everyone else in the country has to do it. Who had the bright idea of living in a deficit economy? Now that we are living in a trillion dollar a year deficit, we need someone that will make the tough decisions and say “no” to someone. It seems like the Presidency has become a rich uncle who always pulls his wallet out whenever someone wants something. This means stopping foreign aid to countries that do not support us. We give trillions to Middle Eastern countries that only give us lip service to get our money. Even I know that you don’t keep paying for something you aren’t getting. We are violating Darwin’s Law of Natural Selection, which states that only the strong survive. We have to stop bailing out companies (banks) that are fiscally irresponsible. This includes eliminating the retirement benefits of politicians. The fox has been in the henhouse and there aren’t any hens left.

Leadership.

Can someone please step up to the table and start leading us? Every president of the modern age got elected by making promises that sounded too good to be true and immediately capitulated to the powers that really run this country, principally the military-industrial complex. Read my lips: No more wars. We also need someone who can cut through the bipartisan crap that is paralyzing our government today. The political infighting has become counter productive and comical.

Election reform.

We need to change the media landscape for elections. We need to limit spending and advertising, especially smear and divisive advertising. There needs to be higher standards. False and misleading advertisements should be made unlawful and subject to fines and jail terms. This includes social media. Violence at a political rally should be a Federal crime and enforced with stiff fines.

Psychological profiling.

All presidential candidates must undergo psychological profiling to make sure they are “the Right Stuff”. The results must be made public.

Private speaking engagements.

Full disclosure of paid speaking engagements to private companies or associates must be made and the contents of the speeches should be published. This is mandatory if you seek Presidential election, or any other public office for that matter. Voters have the right to know if candidates are flip flopping to get elected.

While I am at it, there are some things I would like to see on Presidential platform agendas:

Medical reform: The FDA needs to be transparent and publish any and all safety concerns for new medication. Any medicine that does not treat the cause of symptoms, only symptoms, must be plainly stated. Not only should generic drugs be offered, but alternative medicine herbs and supplements that do heal the cause must be offered. Prices of new medicines must be minimized.

Judicial reform: Drug possession and other victimless crimes need to be decriminalized and subject to fine. Stiffer penalties for false advertising and fraud are needed. The fact that we have more people in jail per capita than any other country is embarrassing.

Bank reform: If a bank is found guilty of investor fraud, the entire Board of Directors and Executive staff should be fined and subject to jail terms. After the 2008 housing market bubble collapsed, the heads of the banks that caused the collapsed were given millions of dollars in bonuses.

Eliminate government bailouts: We are either a capitalist economy or not. When the government takes tax payer money and gives it to a private company we have violated one of the fundamental rules of capitalism, in that the government stays out of the market place.

Housing Reform: Turn any house that has been empty for 12 months or longer into Section eight housing or the owner is subject to a fine.

Voting Reform: Develop digital voting based on social security numbers. People that do not have a social security number should not be allowed to vote. If you want to vote, you have to pay taxes like everyone else

Charitable Tax Reform: Require all charities to pay taxes on real estate and donations received like everyone else.

Let us all wish that the rest of this election year goes without anymore violence and inflammatory rhetoric. We all deserve that for Christmas. Regardless of who you vote for, that does not give you the right to lie, cheat or steal.

If we do elect who we deserve, let us deserve better.

Author: James Robinson

Editor: Sara Kärpänen

Photo: Trent Yarnell / Unsplash