The Big Ideas Project

Begin a strategic conversion of all schools and municipal buildings to renewable energy. This will save taxpayers billions every year and create a revenue stream for our schools and local governments and will protect taxpayers from future increases in the costs of fossil fuels.

Submitted by Li Longo in Environment Jan. 4, 2015, 8:48 a.m.

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#161

1439 votes

Merged Idea

Financial speculation tax. Very high tax on profits from sale of stocks owned less than 1 second. Tax rate decreases the longer investments are owned, eventually reaching 0% for investments that are owned a very long time (several years). Tax would be on top of income, capital gains, or other taxes and would apply to all relevant financial instruments including futures contracts, derivatives, and short sales.

Submitted by Keith Rouda in Taxes & Budget Dec. 5, 2014, 5:50 p.m.

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#162

1418 votes

Make Congress and all government employees (state and Federal) subject to all the laws they pass including insider trading laws.

Submitted by Doug M in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 2:46 p.m.

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#163

1409 votes

Reclassify all white collar crimes as violent crimes. For example, crimes like securities fraud and large scale tax evasion usually take months, sometimes even years of meticulous planning. They are by nature premeditated. On the flip side, reduce penalties for minor nonviolent crimes such as minor drug possession and shoplifting. In short, no more 5 years for stealing a candy bar while the Wall St. exec who steals millions walks!

Submitted by Michael L. from OH in Civil Rights Nov. 21, 2014, 5:41 a.m.

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#164

1406 votes

A new TVA called The Appalachian Industrial Energy Authority to retrain low-wage coal miners with building, maintaining and operating a new green energy power grid in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia using wind and solar energy.

Submitted by Paul Wortman in Infrastructure & Technology Nov. 11, 2014, 4:04 p.m. 1

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#165

1390 votes

Restrict (and ideally ban) semi-automatic guns, and limit clips to 8 bullets or less.

Submitted by Ian R. in Society & Community Nov. 18, 2014, 6:59 p.m.

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#166

1388 votes

Restore to women the right to control their own bodies, wombs, eggs.

Submitted by CLANDBERGB in Civil Rights Dec. 19, 2014, 1:31 a.m.

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#167

1387 votes

Repeal employers' rights to slash pensions for retirees that found its way into the $1.1T Spending Bill to fund the gov’t through 2015.

Submitted by Roger M. from NY in Economy & Jobs Dec. 30, 2014, 2:57 p.m. 1

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#168

1386 votes

Mandate early voting periods of at least 7 days (so as to include at least one weekend) for all federal elections. Mandate that early voting can be done in any location in your county/city of residence (or within 30 miles of your residence/polling place), not just at your voting day polling location. Mandate extended hours for early voting, so that polls are open for 12 hours/day. (We have these things where I live, and it makes a HUGE difference in enabling working people to vote!)

Submitted by Meri L in Government & Elections Jan. 11, 2015, 2:38 a.m. 1

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#169

1383 votes

Moving away from fossil fuels now by development of alternative energy sources, improvements and addition of transmission facilities and increasing efficiency can create more long term jobs than adding a pipeline designed to transport the most polluting fossil fuel when it is known that our dependence on fossil fuels and the methods used to obtain them is damaging air and water needed to maintain life all the while causing costly health issues.

Submitted by Jim H. in Environment Jan. 10, 2015, 4:22 p.m.

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#169

1383 votes

Make all student loans directly from the government rather than giving a gift to banks by letting them act as useless and very expensive intermediary. The government is already equipped, through the IRS, to collect repayment as part of tax collection.

Submitted by Kent Pitman in Education Jan. 10, 2015, 4:23 p.m.

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#171

1377 votes

Let’s transform the schools serving our neediest students into community schools, bringing academics, activities, and services (like health care, counseling, and mentoring) under one roof. States, cities, and community groups must fund partnerships that integrate and align in-school services with the common goal of ensuring student success and building strong neighborhoods. Half of U.S. public school students are poor – yet we continue to give fewer resources to the kids who need help the most.

Submitted by American Federation of Teachers in Education Dec. 10, 2014, 1:51 a.m.

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#172

1374 votes

Cut Defense Spending by $500B that Panetta found as waste in the Pentagon

Submitted by Roger M. from NY in Economy & Jobs Dec. 30, 2014, 2:53 p.m.

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#173

1366 votes

To combat both Climate Change and Ocean Gyres created by plastics made from Petroleum products floating in our oceans, I call for R&D Federal Funding into the replacing of oil based petroleum plastics with Bio- Plastics made from Hemp and Algae!

Submitted by Roger M. from NY in Environment Dec. 30, 2014, 3:19 p.m.

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#174

1365 votes

Re-pay the millions of dollars "borrowed" from the Social Security Trust Funds, the last being the $678 million "borrowed" in 2008 to balance the national budget. Like all American citizens I was required i.e. forced, to invest some of my hard earned monies in the SSTF. It's MY/OUR money. We had little choice as to how or when it was drawn down on. These funds are our money, used for non-retirement uses. Thus the actions by Congress constitute a "loan". It's our money. We want it back, NOW!

Submitted by RevRich in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 1:32 p.m.

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#175

1361 votes

Law requiring that any and all political ads (whether by the candidate or on behalf of a candidate or political party) MUST be factual and display a prominent link or footnote to those facts being explained in the ad. If the ad is proven to be non-factual, the ad MUST be removed and a correction be posted within 24 hours. In addition to this, television stations, radio ad and other 3rd party delivery mechanism hosts would be required to fact check the ads prior to them being shown.

Submitted by Dennis Gilgallon in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 2:21 p.m.

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#176

1358 votes

Protect women's reproductive freedom and stop the erosion of access to abortions. Require that all employers provide health insurance that covers various forms of contraception.

Submitted by Michele J. from CT in Health Dec. 10, 2014, 4:27 p.m.

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#177

1348 votes

Medicare must cover 100% of the medical expenses of retired seniors, including teeth, eyes and ears. We paid for Medicare when we were working, and now we must continue to pay for it, and a supplement, from our meager Social Security income. This is double jeopardy.

Submitted by Joby McClendon in Health Dec. 10, 2014, 2:42 p.m.

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#178

1342 votes

Pass a law that makes lying or misrepresentations by elected officials or those seeking an elected position be considered perjury and prosecuted as such.

Submitted by John L. from WA in Government & Elections Dec. 30, 2014, 12:10 p.m.

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#179

1340 votes

{The truth, fairness, and accountability in elections act.}3.That any and all contributions over $1000 be verifiable by name of the donor whether directly or indirectly made to any politician or organization. That 5% of any political donation exceeding $100,000.($500,000 Donation,5%of $400,000) be applied to the enforcement and application of this act. “Americans have the right to know who owns or are attempting to buy our government."

Submitted by Rayzburnslow in Government & Elections Dec. 29, 2014, 10:45 p.m.

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#180

1339 votes

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