The Big Ideas Project

Change the conversation from government spending to government investment. We need to invest in America to ensure our safety, our greatness as a nation and for a strong economy. Handle the huge project with off budget bond financing much like the TVA.

Submitted by squirrelbird in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 11, 2014, 7:40 a.m.

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#1308

109 votes

Make it illegal to use pop-ups on the internet. With severe fines when you have to click, 'leave this page'

Submitted by Bill Korbel in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 30, 2014, 2:51 p.m. 1

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#1308

109 votes

Make it mandatory for all new homes, businesses to have 1 green energy producing device and the ability to feed energy back to the grid built in. The idea here is to make Green Energy investment more accessible to a home renovator

Submitted by just mitch in Infrastructure & Technology Jan. 4, 2015, 1:56 p.m.

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#1319

108 votes

Elimination of fossil fuels by investing/subsidizing the hemp industry including but not limited to gasoline substitute, plastics/fiberglass substitute, clothing, concrete substitute (hempcrete), stronger plyboard/press board, elimination of deforestation, etc. The possibilities deserve greater consideration especially with the U.N. environmental study.

Submitted by Beth C. from WA in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 25, 2014, 12:29 a.m.

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#1369

101 votes

Replace our walkways, parking lots, roads, and any other surfaces we can with glass solar panels. The technology already exists that is capable of heating these surfaces as well as generating power and are LED ready to provide lines, arrows, or any other regularity symbols. This could power up everything and in colder areas will not require salting as we presently do for slippery conditions.

Submitted by Randy B. from WI in Infrastructure & Technology Jan. 3, 2015, 10:30 p.m.

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#1402

95 votes

A bill of rights for cell phone users that protects us from crappy service, being unable to hold these providers accountable when service becomes untenable, and pro rata deductions over time in the disconnect fee or have none at all.

Submitted by Mary M. from MN in Infrastructure & Technology Nov. 17, 2014, 11:59 a.m.

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#1412

94 votes

Promote the hydrogen economy. Have the federal government help build out the hydrogen infrastructure needed to promote hydrogen fuel cells. Using hydrogen for transportation alone would greatly reduce our carbon footprint. It would also reduce wars caused by fighting for control of fossil fuels. This would be similar to the federal program we had to build out interstate highway system. And that worked pretty good.

Submitted by Randy Juras in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 24, 2014, 10:49 a.m.

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#1447

91 votes

Localize infrastructure, assigning funding according to NEED, not population count or whose Rep has most power in the House. Local people and companies used wherever possible (not just cheapest) to boost economy; joint ownership with the public of resulting infrastructure; programs to relieve the grid by adding solar/thermal/wind to individual homes.

Submitted by Kay M in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 10, 2014, 7:25 p.m.

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#1493

85 votes

Instead of spending millions for low income housing apartments invest that money in building tiny houses that are energy efficient. Set it up like homesteading, that they can one day own their own homes.

Submitted by caprice in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 10, 2014, 8:40 p.m.

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#1501

84 votes

I have 3 words SOLAR FREAKIN' ROADWAYS. SOLAR FREAKIN' ROADWAYS.! SOLAR FREAKIN'ROADWAYS!!! A new technology that would produce all the electricity we need. As well as put people to work. We would be the envy of the modern world.

Submitted by Roddark in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 11, 2014, 7:48 a.m.

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#1504

83 votes

Dramatically increase the number of solar-powered electronic signs that tell you how fast you're driving vs. the speed limit. People respond to them. They would no doubt reduce accidents and reduce all associated costs.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 26, 2014, 1:58 p.m.

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#1504

83 votes

20 % Patriot Tax on high income filers to be dedicated to infrastructure repair of water and sewer systems, parks and monuments, demolishing unwanted structures, bridges,etc. Tax would sunset when no targets are identified.

Submitted by jerry f. from MI in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 16, 2014, 1:54 p.m.

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#1558

77 votes

Support a model of open source and replicable sustainable community, village, and city infrastructure like this to rebuild our society (and the rest of the planet) as a sustainable one while teaching others to do the same: www.onecommunityglobal.org/overview/

Submitted by Jae in Infrastructure & Technology Jan. 4, 2015, 4:40 p.m.

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#1574

75 votes

Instead of National Broadband, why not National Wi-fi, instead? Come to think of it, there are plenty of places that already offer free wi-fi (apartment complexes, restaurants, etc.) to attract customers. Why not go National? (For those of you with older PCs, there are devices out there to convert wi-fi back to broadband - in fact, I own one, and it works great!)

Submitted by TOOO in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 10, 2014, 8:34 p.m.

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#1585

74 votes

Get private industry working on our infrastructure. Especially high speed rail. Incentives? No corporate taxes during project, limited taxes after completion, or none if they provide maintenance. Allow projects to be completed on the dime of the companies with their own oversight so that they do it well. If taxes are not a large enough incentive add free ad time. Give networks tax relief in exchange for ad time for public works companies.

Submitted by courtdmc in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 10, 2014, 4:22 p.m.

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#1591

73 votes

Increases in corporate profits due to technology advances must be distributed to workers whose work is made more efficient by the technology. Example: If computers have allowed staffing to be reduced by two-thirds, then efficiency of remaining staff is thus triple and compensation for those positions need to triple. Executives did not produce the efficiency and may not take credit for no different job performed by them and may not take pay increases produced by lower level staff output..

Submitted by nokoch in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 10, 2014, 9:14 p.m.

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#1605

72 votes

Earthship, the brainchild of revolutionary architect Michael Reynolds, is a way to build permanent, safe, beautiful sustainable housing at a fraction of the cost of a conventional home. They use recycled materials, surrounded by earth on three sides, to create homes that take care of the occupants, using Mother Nature's abundance. Lets provide a real tax subsidy to people and business that build the Earthship way!

Submitted by sure in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 19, 2014, 10 a.m.

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#1650

69 votes

Install 100% renewable energy generation ASAP. Immediately disallow all permits for new or upgrading fossil-fuel infrastructure. Stop all direct fossil-fuel subsidies, phase in a carbon tax that increases by about $10/ton annually, and increase federal energy R&D funding by about 50X. Provide retraining programs for displaced workers, since there will be many more jobs generated. If necessary, fund it by cutting DoD spending or by taxing large capital gains (>$1M) as much as ordinary income.

Submitted by freefromff in Infrastructure & Technology Jan. 9, 2015, 1:54 a.m.

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#1658

68 votes

Create a federal agency that has the authority to block the implementation of technologies that will result in a net loss of jobs. Amazon’s drones and Apple’s newest iPhone are not examples of free-market innovation. They represent the destruction of thousands and thousands of jobs in the delivery industry and changes that do not improve society’s well-being. The government needs to protect its’ people from technological changes that harm society and only add to corporate bottom lines.

Submitted by economic p. from DC in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 19, 2014, 12:33 p.m.

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#1658

68 votes

Create a national database of debt through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. By law, creditors must submit all collections information to this database, and allow an easy online way for anyone to see and pay the collections claims against them in one centralized location. This will help bring transparency to the unregulated, shadowy debt industry.

Submitted by Stephanie T. in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 29, 2014, 6:28 p.m.

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#1658

68 votes

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